By Myles Palmer
Today’s quotes from the Manchester United’s mischievous manager are intended to be irritating.
Ferguson apparently thinks it’s amusing to destabilise players who are contracted to other clubs. He thinks it’s a win-win situation.
If I sign Patrick Vieira, great. If I destabilise him, that’s almost as good.
So he has now accused Arsenal of double standards because they have signed Sol Campbell but refuse to sell Vieira.
But Alex, you’re missing the point, pal : Sol was out of contract, Patrick has three years left.
Ferguson said, “We know he has asked to leave. Are Arsenal
going to condemn the boy for wanting to come to United?
They seemed quite protective of Sol Campbell, asking
Tottenham’s fans to be sympathetic towards him, but then they try to decide where a player should or shouldn’t go.When players of that quality ask to leave it is only natural we will be interested.”
Everybody in football knows that Patrick Vieira is the best player in the world in his position.He is much more skilful than Roy Keane and much more powerful than Veron.
So do we really need to be told that Ferguson rates him?
He said , “As far as I am led to believe we haven’t spoke to Arsenal yet, so we don’t know the exact situation. I rate him as a player, who doesn’t? If the opportunity arose who wouldn’t be interested in him? Gerard Houllier said in midweek that Liverpool should be interested in Vieira. So would we.”
Basically, it is time for Ferguson to shut his mouth and time for Vieira to open his.
Gilles Grimandi told us on Monday that he had spoken to Patrick on the phone and was hugely reassured. He said that his friend would make his position clear soon.
Well, it’s Friday and we are still waiting.
Does Vieira want to join Manchester United?
Did his agent Marc Roger tell United that Vieira wanted to join them?
Basically, a million Arsenal fans are waiting for a word from their noble warrior.
For five years Patrick Vieira has been their noble warrior. Somebody they look up to, somebody they believe in, somebody who defines what they look for in competitive sport.
Most Arsenal fans, consciously or unconsciously, think : if I can’t watch somebody like him, somebody with real class, a noble warrior who embodies our dreams, then what is the point of being a football fan ?
Vieira has shown huge skill. He has been tough, brave and consistent, as committed as Keown, Dixon and Parlour. He has improved more than any other player. He has become a world class tackler and passer, a standard-bearer, a goalscorer, an inspiration, a match-winner.
He has become Arsene Wenger’s core player and the biggest hero for Arsenal fans.He is the rock, the foundation, the player the team is bullt around.Beyond that, he was loyal. He cared. He understood what AFC meant to people.
And then, amazingly, in June 2001, Vieira allowed his agent to perpetrate atrocities in his name. To put out statements he never made,criticising Arsenal, their players, their prospects.
Now Vieira has to come clean. His silence is getting louder every day.
Either he says, “Look, I’ve given you five years, we have a team worthy of a super-club, a pitch worthy of a super-club, a training ground worthy of a super-club, a manager worthy of a super club,, and a board of directors worthy of a super-club, but we don’t have the big stadium we
need to generate mega-money. It will take five years to build and I cannot afford to wait another five years for Arsenal to build the Real Madrid of North London around me.That is why I want to join Real Madrid.”
Or he is is big enough, humble enough and imaginative enough to say,“I’m very sorry about what happened, I made a serious mistake, a major error of judgment which I deeply regret. I love Arsenal FC, I adore the supporters, I would never dream of playing for Manchester United.
“I think we just need to score a few more goals this season. We were one goal away from winning the FA Cup, and we we were one more goal away from a Champions League semi-final.
“I think the Champions League would be very boring, and very decadent, if one club had the best eleven footballers in the world and won everything in sight. I think competition is more interesting than monopoly. Arsenal are competitive and I’m competitive. We are prepared to play anybody and I think we can give anybody a game.”
Vieira starts training again on Monday July 16th, when he comes back with Pires and Wiltord.
He has to speak before then, doesn’t he?
July 6th 2001.