I’m fed up with people saying that “Vieira’s obviously doing this for the money” – either wanting to go to Real Madrid or to blackmail us into paying him more.
Let’s look at the facts.
1. After the season ended Paddy said we should expect stories saying he was going here or there but that this was the same every season and that he’d be starting next season in an Arsenal shirt.
2. He has said nothing since to contradict that.
3. The papers and agents have done their usual thing.
Why do some people choose to believe everything in the papers, or their credible “inside sources who are reliable and have never been wrong before”?
Why do you not give at least the benfit of the doubt to our captain who has been here eight years, signed a new contract last year and could have gone a long time ago.
Stop getting your knickers in a twist and calm down.
“No smoke without fire,” you say. Nonsense – especially when the tabloids and agents are involved.
“Why can’t he make a statement saying he’s committed?” Why should he – his actions over the last eight years say more than any verbal statement in football – just look at Perez, Ferguson, Beckham, etc.
Perez said Beckham wasn’t a target, Ferguson said Beckham wasn’t leaving, Beckham said he was staying. What happened then? What do you want Vieira to do? His actions speak louder than words, especially when he told the Marca journalists that he wasn’t interested in talking about Real Madrid.
Wenger himself has come out and said that Vieira is going nowhere, that this story is a fairytale. What more do you want Wenger to say?
If he goes, it’s because Wenger has decided he can. I trust him and, up till now, Paddy’s given me no reason to doubt him either. So lay off.
He’s shown us loyalty, show some in return.