QuoteHe was saying it in relation to Keane going on about Senegal, which I thought was out of order. I'm not Viera's biggest fan but he's got a point.
He was saying it in relation to Keane going on about Senegal, which I thought was out of order. I'm not Viera's biggest fan but he's got a point.
Patrick Vieira speaks quietly. Regardless of whether the subject is his liking for a cup of tea, or why so-and-so is not his cup of tea, Vieira's tone and volume barely change. But his views will sound very loud in parts of Manchester.
Particularly to Roy Keane, when he reflects on Vieira's view of his withdrawal from the Republic of Ireland's squad before the 2002 World Cup.
The players - and their clubs - have a history, one which is certain to be at the forefront of their minds as they line up against one another in the FA Cup final on Saturday. The most recent memory will be of those scenes in the tunnel at Highbury before United completed the double over Arsenal with a 4-2 victory. At first, Vieira is mute about the confrontation between himself and Gary Neville that so enraged Keane: "I really have nothing to say about it." But that reluctance soon gives way.
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"I will not say I intimidated [Neville], I would say I tried to make a point," Vieira says. "He [Keane] reacted the way I would react if somebody came to talk to one of the Arsenal players - that's what I would expect. It did not surprise me at all, it was a captain's, a leader's reaction. I have big respect for him and all the Man United players, no doubt about it."
Judging by what Keane said shortly after the match, the Irishman has doubts about Vieira. Keane's perception was that Vieira was bullying Neville when the game was still 15 minutes from starting. When Keane then emerged late from the United dressing room into the tunnel and saw, in his words, "Vieira getting right into Gary Neville again - I mean physically as well now, I don't mean verbally, I said: 'That's it, I'm not having this'."
At that moment Keane embarrassed and infuriated Vieira by asking him why, if he loved Senegal so much, he did not choose to play for them.
The Highbury tunnel images, if not all the words, were captured live on television. Vieira had no retort that night verbally or physically, in fact he accepts that Arsenal were well-beaten, but reflecting on Keane's line about Senegal [Vieira moved to Paris when he was eight and has played 79 times for France], he says: "For someone who leaves his team in the World Cup, I think he should keep this kind of remark to himself.
"He [Keane] does not know my background and I do not want him to make a comment like that because he is not in a good position to say something like that. He walked away from his national team when they really needed him."
At this point Vieira's tone does alter because Keane's tunnel mockery of Vieira stems from the Irishman's scorn concerning the charity work Vieira does in Senegal.
"It makes me laugh," Keane said in an interview after that February match, "players going on about how they are saving this country and saving that country, but when they have the opportunity to play... well, it's probably none of my business."
Vieira's response to that is: "I have nothing to prove to him, I have nothing to prove to him. He is not from Senegal, he is not from Africa, he will not understand. So it is better for him to look after himself and what he's doing.
"Even saying what I have just said does not take away the respect I have for him as a player. When I came to England he was the one I was looking forward to playing against because he is the best in the business in his position. I have big respect for him."
Ironically, Keane had been doing work for the blind in Dublin when he made his comments. But there is little charity between Arsenal and Manchester United, between their managers, or between their captains. That Arsenal have beaten United only once in their last nine meetings suggests that they have become a psychological barrier to the Londoners.
Have United got under Arsenal's skin? "No, not at all," says Vieira. "Of the two games we played this season, the one in Manchester is still in our minds now. We didn't like the way we lost the game, that's all I will say." No mention of pizza, just an allusion to Wayne Rooney's collapse under Sol Campbell's challenge.
"When we lost at Old Trafford that stopped our [unbeaten] record and that is a bad memory because we took so long to recover from it. But when they beat us at home we had nothing to say. On the day, even though we scored first, they were organised and strong, I think they played better than us and deserved to win. You never know what's going to happen, it will be 50-50. The gap between the two is really close.
"There is a lot of passion because the rivalry between the clubs is really high. I think it's exciting - Manchester-Arsenal is like Barcelona-Real Madrid, it's like Milan-Internazionale. As a player you look forward to it."
It is almost nine years since Vieira joined Arsenal from Milan. He will be 29 in June and could scarcely have given more to the Gunners' cause. All of those 79 France caps have been won as an Arsenal player, a club record. August 2006 would mark a decade at the club and it will also see the opening of Arsenal's new stadium. If sometimes of late Vieira's longevity at Highbury has been under-appreciated it is because over the past three summers in particular Vieira's future has seemed to be elsewhere.
Quoted recently as describing playing in Spain as a "dream", Vieira clarified his position: "I did not say dream because it is not a dream. It was an opportunity last year and I didn't take it. Every summer myself or other players will be targeted by other teams. After that it is up to the club or myself to decide what will happen. I have two years left on my contract and I will be here, no doubt about it.
"I will have been at the club for 10 seasons. It is quite rare to find a foreigner who would spend 10 years at one club. I am really happy because every year I have progressed, even if this one was difficult for me because I feel I didn't perform at my best at the beginning.
"But I went through a difficult period and will come back stronger. I started the season with injuries. I came back and had another injury, my ankle. I have got back to close to my best but it's too near the end of the season.
"After the Cup final there will be a good rest before starting preparation for what will be a really exciting season for us."
First, Cardiff.
October 20 1990
United 0 - 1 Arsenal
An altercation between Anders Limpar and Denis Irwin sparks a mass brawl after which both Arsenal and United are fined £50,000 and get two- and one-point penalties respectively.
September 21 2003
United 0 - 0 Arsenal
Patrick Vieira is sent off before a Ruud van Nistelrooy penalty miss sparks a reaction which leads to bans for Martin Keown, Ray Parlour and Lauren and fines of £265,000 for Arsenal and £11,500 for United.
October 24 2004
United 2 - 0 Arsenal
Van Nistelrooy is banned for three games for kicking Ashley Cole. The tunnel fracas afterwards becomes known as Pizzagate.
February 1 2005
Arsenal 2 - 4 United
Roy Keane accuses Patrick Vieira of intimidating Gary Neville in the tunnel and both captains engage in a shouting match.
In Trap we trust
Pity it took him months to come up with that - or was he too shít scared of Keane at the time?
If you attack me with stupidity, I'll be forced to defend myself with sarcasm.
It never ceases to amaze me how you manage to portray the sterotypical Man Utd fan in all it's glory increasing the power of the popular myth!Originally Posted by Macy
You'd never see that sort of thing happen at Malcom Glazier's Manchester Utd PLC.
It only took Alex Ferguson 5 months to break his silence in a daily rag on the pizza-gate affair but come to think of it he was probably just too sh*t scared that Fabregas might come after him with a slice of pizza or a cup-a-soup!
To be honest I blame Vieira for given the interview in the first place - it's not like everyone didn't know Keane was talking bollo*ks before this!
U-S-A, U-S-A!
Foot.ie - NFL Fantasy Football Champion, 2006!
Lol....
If you attack me with stupidity, I'll be forced to defend myself with sarcasm.
right back at cha mate!Lol....
sure there'll be plenty more of this before Saturday as long as you can keep delivering those classic ferguson-isms!
Foot.ie - NFL Fantasy Football Champion, 2006!
You've got to admit that Keane was setting himself up for that remark when he questioned Vieira's national loyalty back in February. I'm surprised Vieira didn't say it there & then. In context it's a valid remark & Vieira's further points are perfectly respectful & dignified.
Unfortantely football is becoming like WWE these days with all kinds of "controversy" and disputes being brought up to publicise a big game.
For me the prospect of two really good & entertaining sides playing each other in a winner-takes-all match in front of 75,000 people doesn't need any further publicity to get me interested.
Ahh, but it does need talking up. The competition is now a waste of space. There's no doubt it meant something of significance to Millwall last year or Chelsea if they were still in it, but nothing to these two except for another medal for the players. The competition is now a shadow of it's former self. That's why we've had Don King advertising it last year (It don't need no Don!
As for the langer, well just to stoke the fires of Mount Pro-Keane, he never did believe that anyone was fit to play for a country other than that of where their mother's waters broke.
This is the cooooooooooooolest footy forum I've ever seen!
As for the langer, well just to stoke the fires of Mount Pro-Keane, he never did believe that anyone was fit to play for a country other than that of where their mother's waters broke.
If that is in reference to the alleged comments that he made to Mc Carthy about English, well that has been proved to untrue so I wonder what quotes you are going on to back up the fact that he never believed that anyone was fit to play for a country other than that of where their mother's waters broke
In Trap we trust
Ah Jaysus. Not this again.....pleeeeease!!
I agree.
In Trap we trust
Could be something to do with the fact that he's shít scared of Keane. Can't wait to see Keane break up the diving over-rated Senegalese/French waster on Saturday.
KOH
No One Likes Us, We Don't Care
by the time we get around to Ire v Fra in the autumn, they'll be ready to slaughter each other ......
[SIZE=2]Anyone know where Keane's kids were born . Did he ship the Mrs back to Ireland [/SIZE]
You forgot the Cape Verde Islands bit in your rant. Viera was born in Senegal of Cape Verde parents - the story I heard was that they moved there after a famine and Pat was born there but I'm sure Neil will fill you in with the true story - then left for France at eight. Hardly turning his back on his country like the langer did, is it?And while the Cape Verde Islands are at the moment far better placed than France at being in Germany next year (a win in June against South Africa will leave them top of their group), they didn't contest any World Cup before 2002...Not that I believe that's the reason Patrick declared for France.
Ship? Back? I always thought the missus was English.
Neil?
This is the cooooooooooooolest footy forum I've ever seen!
Heh-heh-hee. Hardly turning his back on his country like the langer did, is it?
Mr. Vieira had a point though!
I thought it was a well articulate and reasoned point. Score one in the class stakes for Mr. Vieira.
There is no such thing as a miracle cure, a free lunch or a humble opinion.
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