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Has Wenger finally accepted that Arsenal need a new Vieira?

It has been of the most contentious issues for Arsenal fans in recent years. Well to be more exact, it seems as though all the Arsenal fans are in agreement and it has just been that Arsene Wenger did not seem to see things the same way about our lack of a proper defensive midfielder.

It is strange really, because when the Gunners were enjoying our most successful period, which culminated in the amazing and perhaps never to be matched achievement of winning the Premier League without losing a single game, it was with the combative midfield warrior Patrick Vieira at the heart of the side.

The fact that we were unbeaten but6 did not have a record points haul tells you that it was strength and grit as much as attacking flair that made us so good back then. And now it seems as though the Frenchman may have finally accepted that this is what the current Arsenal team is missing, as he said as much to the French media recently.

He even specifically mentioned our former captain, so maybe all the Arsenal transfer rumours linking us with the likes of Sami Khedira, Lars Bender and William Carvalho this summer were not just hot air after all. And hopefully the January transfer window will seed Wenger finally address the problem.

Wenger said, “On the whole I am very satisfied. We might be able to do a little more, people say that we lack a physical presence in midfield, one profile at a Vieira or Petit, it’s true that this is what we need.”

So who would you like to Arsenal sign for this role?

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58 Comments

    1. he did william carvalho…you want 35million? il offer 19.6 million..what do u mean no!!
      7 days later…calum chambers i feel could be a great dm
      14 days later….jack wilshere certainly has the ability to be a dm
      21 days later….anyone seen my furby??

      1. Jack has the ability to play DM but Wenger said he will not use him there. He said Jack have more to say in the last third than in the middle. Aimed at Woy. Savvy?

    2. Abou diaby! hes been in a fitness regime in the under 21’s to get a run of games and stay fit and so far hes done really well from what ive been seeing he is ready to come back!

      1. Completely agree! I watched the U/21’s game against Villa and Diaby was playing in that holding position. You didn’t see much of him, but as far as I know, the less you see of a DM the better, especially when we had a clean-sheet. I do understand that it isn’t the quality of opponents we need to judge him, but he did seem to be playing with ease.

  3. Looking forward to the game tomorrow, have a feeling in my balls that if özil is finally played where he’s meant to he’ll shut up the critics. COYG!

      1. Matic was there exactly at the time we need him and instead we signed Källström. In addition, we had the whole summer to come up with decent one and now you are try to justify Wenger failure to address that

          2. What fact? there were a host of DMs available, Bender, Carvalho, Robiot, Schneiderlin, Wanyama, Blind, for f*cks sake another half a dozen that i dont remember.

            1. And none bar Blind (and you’ve only just jumped on his bandwagon) went anywhere so what does that tell you? Were they really available? Why was no one else in for them?

        2. Nigel de Jong is also a fantastic player, and milan sells any one who is able to make some good money. Last game he played against Parma he battled like mad in winning the ball, running with it half of the pitch and in the end scoring a goal by beating the keeper in a cool way. Simple Class.

  6. read between the lines my friend the reason he has mentioned viera is because behind the shadows lurking is a man soon to be released soon to take the premiership by storm a man who has been playing some games behind closed doors that man is arguably the best player we have and he soon will be released his name you ask well ha ha ha its the beast the real beast of arsenal ABOUUUUU DIABYYYY

      1. The Medical team have all become french speaking people: ” Puis- je vous aider ,Monsieur?, Voulez-vous coucher avec moi? loool

    1. wenger doesnt retire, he just floats through the space time continium like sam beckitt qualifying for elite competitions throughout time..yet never winning them

  8. If this quote is true then he most probably has someone lined up. No way in hell would Wenger say that as a random comment.

    1. I do not know who that person is, but he is worth signing cuz of his name: Barbara Bush. Perfect name for a DM.

      1. God damned where is that New yorker french loving dude when you need him, he would be able to recognize Barbara tough guy Bush.

  10. Meanwhile in the press conference : on whether his resources are stretched…
    In defence the Debuchy injury puts us a little bit in a situation where we do not want more. Hopefully we will have good news after he has a scan and that he will be back soon. We have Chambers who can play in different positions, Monreal can play centre back and we also have Bellerin who I think is now ready to play. ,……….
    Really wenger, monreal like CB, really, God sabe us….

  11. Does anybody know about our objectives for the season?
    I am asking because it has been years and years since I have heard anybody from the Arsenal camp (Wenger or else) stating the aims for every season…!!

    THOSE 3 YEARS (with the “deluded one”) WILL BE PAINFUL.

    We have been rebuilding for more 10 years…!!

    After Debuchy injury, Wenger said that “we might be short at the back”… Lol

    This is someone who said that “If I had stayed home, Welbeck would have not been at Arsenal”… How disgusting does that sound?
    So, no striker because your f*cking ass was to lazy to get busy on the market… Basically too lazy to do your job again (for £8millions/year you deluded twat!!).

    He is the “biggest” con artist in world football (clearly see that football wise he has no clues and is utterly tactically lost)… Not a coach but a simple administrator.
    As long as the books are balanced and the “fools” keep paying for the most expensive tickets in world football, all will stay as it is… Why change?

    As usual, we will have to rely on the players to deliver something positive (like they did for the FA Cup).

    As a matter of fact, this team could do better with Steve Bould directing the manoeuvre !

    1. Mate, you are borderline psychotic. I picture you sat in an attic bedsit with the curtains forever drawn, at the centre of your universe, dispensing your sermons across the ether on anything and everything in a God-like manner. Never heard even the merest hint of positivity from you in the years I have followed this forum. What really captures the attention is the vitriol and anger. Most on here can throw in some levity and insight between their outpourings of anger. You seem incapable. It really can’t be doing your health any good. Is sport really your thing because I cannot see how you derive even the smallest pleasure from it.

  12. He needed the fans to tell him this? like he didn’t know that since gilberto he’s been without a tough guy in the middle? lol oh man, old age does really suck.

    i’m not going to make fun of him anymore because i am not looking forward to being old either.

  14. Wenger announces perfect
    replacement for Patrick Vieira.
    The guy looks like Vieira
    plays like Vieira.
    In fact he is Patrick Vieira
    who is fit and ready to
    lead Arsenal to ECL + EPL glory.
    Wenger cautions that 38 yr old Vieira
    will need time to adjust to the pace of
    Mertesacker Diaby and Arteta.
    Steve Bould, David Oleary and Willy Young
    have also been added to defensive squad.

  15. News: Debuchy out for 3 months
    Chambers is a doubt for tomorrow… Thanks we have Bellerin… Lol

    It is getting better and will get better as the season goes on.

    We are still waiting for the reasons for not bringing another CB and a DM.

    He won’t come forward with explanations because he “has no excuses and comments” for the Arsenal fans… And I do understand when you have all those fools supporting him.

    Remember that our first and may be only loyalty is for the club… Wenger is just an employee, an overpaid and over rated employee, but just an employee… An employee who should have been replaced 5 or 6 years ago!!!

  18. Wenger has proven yet again what a stubborn senile old fool he is by his neglecting to strengthen our defensive option,season after season we have put up with this and yes we did win the fa cup last season but given a chance to build on that Wenger has chosen to stick with a squad that already shows with key injuries how weak we are in some areas !,what annoys me the most is he is paid 8m a year.untill Wenger goes it will not change as he makes too much profit to be sacked.

    1. We hardly have the same squad, we have 6 new faces. We definitely have a stronger team overall than last season. Alexis has scored 3 in his last 3 games – he may not be the holding midfielder we want at the moment, but he was a great signing.

  19. Wenger has been a peddler of 4th place highs for several years and too many 4th place junkies lap here up his stuff…and it’s not just insufficient numbers at back it’s insufficient quality … Mert Monreal flamini and arteta are all part of his 4th place world…

  20. And to cap it all off Wenger spent 42m on a world class player we should be building a team around and is now playing him out of position !

  21. I was looking at Ozils statistics with Madrid. They were sooo impressive. So many assists and great passing records.

    Wish Wenger will put Ozil in the middle just behind Welbeck with Sanchez on the left and Walcott on the Right with Ramsey and Wilshere/Diaby behind them.

  23. I wouldn’t equate a Viera-type player to a DM. Viera was much more a Box-To-Box with more of a defensive mind-set (Rambo/Jack being BtB with more of an attacking mindset).
    I don’t think AW is after an out-an-out DM. I think he is after an Abou Diaby (or clone) who is fit and strong and won’t break down. Abou is totally balanced between attack and defense – the complete midfielder.

    Maybe Shad has fixed him up (played out 90mins with the U21’s vs Villa and looked solid)…another 2-3 full games under his belt without injury and he should be good to go!

    AW is after a complete mid-fielder like Abou….perhaps a blend of Carvalho and Pogba would give us that perfect mid.

    In the meantime, Rambo and Jack have to keep improving their defensive work-rate. If, when they can, then the final solution is 2 of Rambo/Jack playing as complete mids in a box to box role and between them building an understanding of who attacks when and who sits and holds. Alternating when/who does what. I think AW is building up to this…which of course would then place Ozil directly as a true No 10…with Walcott and Sanchez on the wings. But as we can see – Rambo and Jack are still not the finished products in terms of the defensive side so in the meantime he needs to play the 4141 while they develop. I think AW is sold on this idea based on Bayern and Germany’s success using the duo of Schweinstieger/Khedira or Schweinstieger/Martinez…either could bomb forward and very difficult to track or mark them when they did because of the unpredictability. Having a designated holding mid only takes away the unpredictability.
    This is probably why LvG is desperate to land Strootman as well, perhaps he sees him as the ideal partner for Carrick?

    AW is after the Complete Mid – not a DM…just don’t see too many around and it may well be the best one is with us, and we just have to get him fit and strong again.

  24. True, Our team lacks height that why we employ zonal marking but its failing to work because mart and Koscienly are now too static

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