POLL - Has Vieira Still Got What it Takes?

[The Man In Blue]

Vieira will not play every game, but we dont need someone to play every game. we need quality cover - and this is how i think vieira will be deployed.

If he is being bought as "quality cover" how does that match his stated ambition of wanting to get into the French World Cup squad? He wants a guarantee of first team football, that he isn't going to get at Inter. Vieira is not moving to be a bench warmer.

its not about being a bench-warmer though - "quality cover" as i put it could mean he will play one out of three games, enabling Barry or de Jong to be rested for games where we will really need them. i hate to use a cliche but it is a squad game, and relying on two players for CM for the rest of the season would be a huge, and quite foolish gamble imo.

as i asked, what happens if NDJ or Barry (or both) is laid up with a torn calf muscle or some such injury?

another question: does anyone think the squad will be worse off for having Vieira in it?

[kinkylola]

of course the squad won't be worse for having Vieira in it ... I don't know how anyone could argue that it would.

[Niall Quinns Discopants]

Vieira will not play every game, but we dont need someone to play every game. we need quality cover - and this is how i think vieira will be deployed.

If he is being bought as "quality cover" how does that match his stated ambition of wanting to get into the French World Cup squad? He wants a guarantee of first team football, that he isn't going to get at Inter. Vieira is not moving to be a bench warmer.

one of De Jong, Barry and Ireland will almost always be injured or need a rest. I mean, we had Petrov playing center mid at one stage against Boro.

[Ted Hughes]

Vieira will not play every game, but we dont need someone to play every game. we need quality cover - and this is how i think vieira will be deployed.

If he is being bought as "quality cover" how does that match his stated ambition of wanting to get into the French World Cup squad? He wants a guarantee of first team football, that he isn't going to get at Inter. Vieira is not moving to be a bench warmer.

one of De Jong, Barry and Ireland will almost always be injured or need a rest. I mean, we had Petrov playing center mid at one stage against Boro.

I'd like to see him anchored in front of the 'D' when we're under pressure, protecting the CB's, winning tackles/headers, passing it out & hopefully allowing the other midfielders freedom to get forward on the counter. Then he could move forward when the back 4 moves up.

[CityFanFromRome]

I don't particularly like him as a player because of some nasty challenges I've seen him do since he's in Italy, but I believe he can do a job for us for six months, providing cover and more generally an alternative in midfield. He's motivated because he wants to go to South Africa so for these six months he will give everything he has to achieve that, and to do so he has to grab every game we give him and be outstanding in it, and he knows it.

So yes, I think he still has it for the short term we are getting him for.

[The Man In Blue]

I don't particularly like him as a player because of some nasty challenges I've seen him do since he's in Italy

mate you should have seen him in his pomp against the scum.

[Kiss_The_Goat]

Vieira will not play every game, but we dont need someone to play every game. we need quality cover - and this is how i think vieira will be deployed.

If he is being bought as "quality cover" how does that match his stated ambition of wanting to get into the French World Cup squad? He wants a guarantee of first team football, that he isn't going to get at Inter. Vieira is not moving to be a bench warmer.

one of De Jong, Barry and Ireland will almost always be injured or need a rest. I mean, we had Petrov playing center mid at one stage against Boro.

I'd like to see him anchored in front of the 'D' when we're under pressure, protecting the CB's, winning tackles/headers, passing it out & hopefully allowing the other midfielders freedom to get forward on the counter. Then he could move forward when the back 4 moves up.

Yes!
He gives us much need height which is a bonus, but for me, the main thing he brings to the team which is sorely missing is LEADERSHIP and which is why I think Mancini has brought him in. Vieira is a charismatic, born leader, who can drag results out of a team and is a proven winner. I think its a great bit of business.

[10.Goater_Legend]

I voted yes still think he has a season left in the tank.

[CityFanFromRome]

I don't particularly like him as a player because of some nasty challenges I've seen him do since he's in Italy

mate you should have seen him in his pomp against the scum.

Any videos of it? :D Anyway, the fact is he got many cards in Italy for this, also red ones, but I guess he didn't get so many in the Prem so maybe he will be ok on that aspect.

[edge275]

Plus one defensive lapse from Micah and not only will he have Mancini to contend with but also Vieira's 14" pork sword.

However if Micah gets his 14" pork sword out in response we could have a real battle on our hands.

[Blue Toy]

Plus one defensive lapse from Micah and not only will he have Mancini to contend with but also Vieira's 14" pork sword.

However if Micah gets his 14" pork sword out in response we could have a real battle on our hands.

Are you dissing Ade's contribution?

[The Man In Blue]

Plus one defensive lapse from Micah and not only will he have Mancini to contend with but also Vieira's 14" pork sword.

However if Micah gets his 14" pork sword out in response we could have a real battle on our hands.

Are you dissing Ade's contribution?

Coleen certainly isn't.

[pepsi_dave]

Form is temporary - Class is permanent.... He will shine in the "big" games I think....and by that I don't mean against big teams, just the games where his leadership skills and experience will come to the fore... Other than that I think he'll be a bit part player, or at least thats what I expect anyway.

I guess time will tell!

[Dubciteh]

yes nothin to lose, im happy to have him aboard!

[rick1894citizen]

Can't decide, don't see a problem in getting him as if it doesn't go well then it's 6 months if it does go well then everyones a winner as he may get in the French squad and we'll have benefitted from his services.

Fook it il go for a yes as it's win-win

[dazby]

I say no. Too old, too slow.

[Colin the King]

I'm torn on this- on one hand, he was already declining when he went to Italy, nowhere near the player he was at the start of the decade. Fast forward five years and he won't have regained any of the attributes he was losing. If he's deployed as a box-to-box midfielder my concern is that he just doesn't have the pace or acceleration that he used to.

On the other hand, I think back to Didi Hamann's resurgence when Sven was here. Granted, they're not identical in their playing styles, but the story is similar- Hamann was an influential player for years and years in the Premier League who was declining. Sven managed to squeeze six months of brilliance out him, when I remember him barely putting a foot wrong. He knew what he could and couldn't do and just slotted himself in front of the defence, moving the ball along, tackling, winning free kicks.

IF Mancini could do something similar with Vieira, we'd benefit hugely. The truth is though that none of us have a clue how it'll turn out until he gets here. All we can do for the moment is speculate.

[Wonderwall]

IF Mancini could do something similar with Vieira, we'd benefit hugely. The truth is though that none of us have a clue how it'll turn out until he gets here. All we can do for the moment is speculate.

this is true, but I would prefer to buy someone who excited me and we knew would be a force to be reckoned with. Cant say I am impressed with this at all. Bad move IMO

[The Man In Blue]

this is true, but I would prefer to buy someone who excited me and we knew would be a force to be reckoned with.

so who would you sacrifice from Ireland, de Jong and Barry to make way?

[Wonderwall]

this is true, but I would prefer to buy someone who excited me and we knew would be a force to be reckoned with.

so who would you sacrifice from Ireland, de Jong and Barry to make way?

I have faith in all 3. ireland and barry have not been 100% this season so far with ireland the worst of the 3. De Jong is brilliant and my choice for POTY, I think the fella is really coming on and if he gets replaced by Vieira I will be gobsmacked. Mind you, RM has already confused me with his selections.