He’s the captain who was at the centre of the club’s most successful ever season.
But now Invincibles skipper Patrick Vieira has hit out at the club and Arsene Wenger for failing to ensure his team has enough physicality – and for not involving more ex-Arsenal players in the coaching set up.
Vieira was captain for the club’s unbeaten season in 2003/04, and won the Premier League three times and the FA Cup four times during a nine-year spell at Highbury.
But now he says the Gunners lack the “physical presence” to be a great team.
He told the Telegraph: In this last five or six years, Arsenal went more with this type of technical players. The Invincibles had it all.
“Now when I watch Arsenal, yes they play good football, but I just have a feeling they are missing something – the physical presence, the personality.”
The Frenchman, who joined Manchester City’s staff after he retired from playing and is now the coach of MLS side New York City – a part of the Manchester City group of clubs – laments the fact that few former Arsenal stars have a role at the club.
“I’m disappointed not to have ex-Arsenal players working at Arsenal,” he said.
“It is good for the young players who could see a Thierry Henry, a Ljungberg, a Sol Campbell or a Keown who have been at the club a good few years working in the academy, or working somewhere. I think they can do it a bit more.
“Players want to do it but do not have the opportunity. I don’t understand it. The perfect example is Ajax. You see all the old players working for the club, on the field, in the office – the door is always open for them – but Arsenal don’t do it and I don’t know why,” he said.
Former defender Steve Bould is Arsene Wenger’s assistant, but there are few other ex players on the staff.
Theirry Henry was hoping to coach the club’s under 18s side, but his offer was rejected by Wenger.
Most recently, Mikel Arteta left the club to join Pep Guardiola’s coaching staff at Manchester City.
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