Wake-up call led Vieira to exit

13 April 2012

About halfway through last season, as unbeaten Arsenal were coasting to the title, Arsene Wenger called Patrick Vieira into his office.

It was a meeting that will surely come back to haunt the manager, for it set the Arsenal captain on a new course that will end with him signing for Real Madrid this month.

Wenger's mood was serious as he asked Vieira why he was not playing as well as he could. According to perfectionist Wenger, the most commanding player in the Premiership was not as dominant as he ought to have been.

Vieira was doing well but playing within himself - and that meant he was not his normal inspirational self.

The France international was slightly stunned and left the meeting wondering what to make of it. He responded by taking games by the scruff of the neck, leading by example as Arsenal claimed their historic unbeaten title. Off the pitch, however, he was determined to find out why he had allowed his game to slip to the point where his manager felt a rebuke was needed.

He realised he no longer felt any challenge. His place in the team was absolutely guaranteed and, subconsciously, he had allowed himself to slip into a comfort zone.

Rather than driving himself to new heights - as was his ambition - he was shocked to admit he had slowed down.

It was partly that realisation which set Vieira wondering about his future and which will end with him signing for Real. For the best midfielder in Europe, and arguably the world, the lack of stimulation was a timely wake-up call.

Ironically, the conundrum which helped Vieira make his mind up - the lack of a player to challenge his place in the Arsenal team - is the same one giving Wenger sleepless nights now he has the unenviable task of trying to replace him. In terms of like for like, there is quite simply no one to match Vieira.

Apart from his incredible ability to read play and act as enforcer in front of his own defence, the 28- year- old has developed an aptitude for running games and orchestrating play which is unmatched.

No other player has his physique and only Edgar Davids and Roy Keane, in their prime, could compete with him for tenacity and winning mentality. Arsenal and Wenger, therefore, will have to re-think the way the team will play next season in Vieira's absence because they are not going to find a player to perform the same tasks.

Porto's Maniche is an attractive option because at least he offers a similar range of qualities in terms of presence and energy. The Portugal international also possesses great technical ability and an eye for goal - as he illustrated with his stunning strike against Holland in the semi-final of Euro 2004.

His credentials to take over from Vieira are impressive, having been the fulcrum of the Porto team which won the UEFA Cup and Champions League back-to-back under Jose Mourinho.

It would present a further irony for Arsenal, though, if they recruited a player who has won the European Cup to replace one who has effectively left to pursue his ambition to win it.

Other candidates include Valencia's Ruben Baraja, Owen Hargreaves, of Bayern Munich, and Stephan Appiah, of Juventus. None are perfect, though Baraja represents the best alternative. The only man who could just about pull it off, but who is certainly unavailable, is Steven Gerrard.

The Liverpool captain would be Vieira's choice to take his place but his decision not to join Chelsea already this summer precludes a second change of heart.

Wenger is therefore left to mull over the conversation which helped make up Vieira's mind to leave in the first place.

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