Despite making over 40 appearances this season, Arsenal star Fabio Vieira will return from his loan spell at FC Porto.
The Portuguese midfielder joined Porto on loan last summer after struggling to secure regular game time at the Emirates. With limited opportunities under Mikel Arteta, Arsenal agreed to send him back to his former club to gain valuable minutes on the pitch.
Impressive loan spell but no permanent deal for Vieira
Vieira made the most of his chance at Porto, featuring in over 40 competitive matches throughout the campaign. Despite the team’s struggles and lack of title challenge, he was a key player who consistently impressed with his performances. His commitment and quality were clear every time he took to the field, winning plaudits from fans and pundits alike.
However, reports from The Sun reveal that Porto will not be able to sign Vieira permanently this summer. The Portuguese club reportedly lacks the financial means to match his current salary at Arsenal and complete a permanent transfer. This means Vieira will return to north London at the end of his loan spell.
Arsenal hopeful Vieira can fight for place next season
With pre-season fast approaching, Vieira is expected to rejoin the Arsenal squad and compete for a place in the team. The experience he gained during his time in Portugal will surely aid his development and readiness to contribute at the highest level. Arsenal’s coaching staff will be eager to see how he performs in training and early fixtures to determine his role going forward.
Vieira’s technical ability and vision make him a promising asset for the Gunners, and many fans hope that he can establish himself as a regular contributor next term. Having now gained more experience and confidence from his loan, Vieira will be motivated to prove he deserves a place in Arsenal’s midfield as they look to build on their recent successes.
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He’s useless to the club until he puts on another 10-15lb of muscle. As it stands, he folds like a flag at the slightest contact. His skills are useless if he is so easy to knock off the ball.
if he’s going to remain here then he needs to soak up minutes in cup games against Championship clubs
How many cup games are Arsenal scheduled to play against Championship clubs?
He could do well in games against Premier League teams if he’d just spend some time in the gym with the weights.
He’s completely and utterly unsuited to the physicality of the Premier League.He will need to be loaned out again this Season.Im not exactly sure where if Porto don’t even want time.Presumably the French League although Arsenal will presumably have to supplement his wages.
His purchase was undoubtedly an Arteta/Edu mistake.Hopefully Berta is going to be far more circumspect.
He isn’t even as solid as Omari Hutchinson.
He can be good all he wants . . .
Fragile players don’t rule this territory.
The guy isn’t rugged enough.
Move on.
It’s not about muscle, it’s mentality – smaller players than him have been big successes, but the difference is they took the knocks and it didn’t affect them, and they found ways to impose themselves on the game regardless. He’s more than good enough technically, and I’m sure he’s intelligent enough to be a success, I think he doesn’t like taking hard tackles or being pushed and it takes away his focus. He’d need to change his mindset to be successful here, but I think the ship has now sailed.
I think you have hit the nail firmly on the head
Maybe.
However, I think he should be cut some slack. He was still quite young when he joined Arsenal. He started off with injury and fitness issues and never really got settled into a defined role.
It’s very easy for people to put others down but I wonder if any of the critics have tried putting themselves in the shoes of those they are so quick to disparage.
Consider the case of ESR by comparison. You don’t see people criticising his mentality. Instead we had people blaming Arteta and finding other explanations for his limited impact before his eventual transfer.
I don’t see it as putting him down exactly, just saying how I see it – we all have strengths and weaknesses (I’m well aware I couldn’t handle being a professional footballer on multiple levels 😂), it is what it is. I hope he proves me and everyone else wrong, because I see his talent. I just don’t think he will.
Although his loan spell was termed “impressive”,
he’s on his way back so Arsenal, although they have apparently little interest in keeping him. Another loan?
Another player who will be let go for nothing probably costing us 50 million in wages and transfer fees .
There’s something related to Fabio Vieira and players like him, that I’ve been thinking about lately. Perhaps the good English people should reimagine their football. Physicality is a major selling point for the Prem and English fans (forgive me for using a blanket judgement) tend to relish physical attributes of the game compared to fans from other regions.
Maybe they should reconsider the emphasis on physicality such that talented but less physical players can also thrive. Often, I’ve wondered if a player like Xavi, one of the best midfielders to play the game, would have thrived in this league. It feels to me like the Prem is missing out on entertainment derived from technical brilliance & flair because of an over emphasis on physicality- it’s difficult to find players who have a good blend of both.
I don’t know about you, but when I watch football, I want to see players expressing themselves technically, not the almost robotic system-based approach that is ubiquitous in the Prem. When I want to marvel at the physical capabilities of the human body, I watch track and field events.
Anyway, I’m done with that waffle. Would love to hear what other fans think of the English game, and what can be done so that even players like Fabio can thrive.
Onyango,
While I hear what your saying regards the physical side of the English game.
Your remarks saying that maybe they should reconsider the emphasis on physicality so that talented but less physical players can also thrive. Well for that to happen, you’ll need the other English teams to adopt the same thought process. So until that happens, physical attributes will always be at the forefront when signing central midfielders. 👍
I agree with you that it will be difficult for all clubs to have the same thought process. But I’m thinking more of a cultural change. The media could start to highlight and appreciate some of these technical players. The knock on effect could be that 10 year old in the academy right now focusing on their technique rather than just physicality. In another 8 years you could have a large pool of highly technical players.
The more an attribute is appreciated in a culture, the more it’s embraced until it becomes an identity. Think of how we associate the Brazilians with flair or the Spanish with elite passing- it’s all part the training & identity of these nations.
Maybe not abandon physicality per se, but balance it with technique. At the moment, it seems like it’s too lopsided in favour of physicality. Every team now wants big,strong and fast athletes in most positions.
Just look at the team we’ve assembled. We can easily form a basketball team with our players 😂😂. You can name a first 11 with only Odegaard, Saka and Martinelli under 6ft. We have very physical lads, but are we technical enough? It’s almost like the opposite of the latter Wenger years where the excelled in technique but fell short physically. We gotta strike a balance somehow.
Good point about the overall lack of physicality in the latter Wenger years. I well remember (although I’d really like to forget) those Arsenal sides being “bullied” frequently by other teams, particularly the likes of Chelsea (and Drogba!!!).
Wenger’s mantra in the early years was “pace, power, technique” , and I think we match up quite well to that (if anything pace is the thing that’s missing of the three – martinelli isn’t quite as devastatingly quick as overmars or Henry were, relative to the rest of the league) – mostly, though, I think we lack certain profiles. Someone who’ll step away from the system and play with freedom / do the unexpected would really help, for example. Jesus has some of that (when fit and confident) and ideally so would odegaard imo, but he’s very system focussed – I can see the benefit he brings, but I can also see why people crave something different. Eze has shown the sort of thing I mean for palace, so maybe he’d make a big difference if he signed.
@Onyango
But that’s what makes the EPL the most popular League the world year after year.
It’s different from the continent. Every country has its own brand that they sell to the world and it seems like the customers prefer the EPL to all those more technical European leagues.
And the EPL has never failed to attract the technical players. Since Wenger showed up in 1996 he introduced the continental style that he blended together with the physical EPL.
But also it would be so boring if all the European leagues played the same brand ot football. We need a variety of different styles, for those that prefer the more technical styles then Spain, France, Portugal etc will provide that for them. Those that prefer a more defensive, physical but also technical style then Italy etc is there. Those that prefer a bit of physicality, blood and thunder or robotic systems etc then the EPL, German Leagues etc.
You just have to look for what you prefer and start watching the league that offers it.
😊
Re xavi – fabregas was amazing in this league, came from the same school and was probably a bit smaller (taller I think but slighter frame). I don’t think xavi would have struggled at all, except I think some clubs would have been reluctant to play him when he was young due to his size.
Under 12s will be stronger then.
The physical demands on footballers these days are considerably less than they were say 20 years ago when hard tackling was accepted as being an important “skill” within the game and most sides ,including Arsenal, had players who were enforcers.The game today has virtually become a non contact sport with yellow cards being dished out like confetti i.m afraid.However there is no doubt that modern day players have to be more athletical than hitherto due to the speed of the game today and unfortunately for us Vieira is neither physical nor is he an athlete.
The 2 diminutive Portuguese in Vitiha and Bernardo are spectacular but not ours. If he’s not fit for Portugal league, how come with EPL? Edu’s indelible mistake! Find him now another club maybe among the promoted clubs to take him again on loan.