Mixed emotions as Vieira doesn't come home

Afternoon all.

Hope everyone is coping well with the arctic conditions, I for one am completely fed up with the ice. I'm hoping the game will go ahead tomorrow otherwise our squad is really going to be up against it in the coming months and may eventually become our undoing. I work in Islington and the ice on the streets is not as bad as it was yesterday so I'm hoping that the area around Highbury is much the same. That being said it's not only the pavements that need to be taken into account, train services working will be vital to the game going ahead.

So... Patrick Vieira has signed for Manchester City. When I heard the news that he might sign I did have mixed emotions as the romantic side of me would love to have seen him back in Arsenal shirt plying his trade at the Emirates. I know there was talk of him coming to us in the summer but I never really believed it would happen as I'm a firm believer of the mantra that a player should 'never go back'. The most upsetting thing for me will be seeing him in a Manchester City shirt, I could take seeing him wearing the colours of Inter and Juventus but not City!

I don't blame Vieira, he had no choice - he needs games if he's going to play at the world cup and with this probably being his final contract he has done well to earn such a vast amount of money. Although I do not watch Italian football (just not the same since it left channel 4!), it's widely believed that Vieira is a shadow of his former self. I am not surprised by this, firstly he is older and secondly a player like him who would sometimes play opposing teams on his own was bound to burn himself out eventually. Therefore I do not think the signing will strengthen City, in fact it could possibly weaken them if he starts as he clearly is not up to the level required for the Premier League.

So what does Vieira bring? Vieira brings experience, he has won everything there is to win in the game (except for the Champions League) and knows how to take a team over the finishing line - something severely lacking in the current City side. Being a winner is a valuable commodity and one which we could do with!

Had Paddy signed for Chelsea, Man Utd or Tottenham then my opinion of him may well have changed for the worse but City are not our fiercest rivals. Vieira is a true Arsenal legend, one of the greatest players I have ever had the fortune to see. His debut will live long in the memory, a warm night at Highbury against Sheffield Wednesday, coming off the bench and inspiring us to a 4-1 win was a sign of things to come. Sometimes you see a player play for the first time and you just get the gut feeling that they are special, I just knew Vieira was different to the rest.

I for one can't wait to see Vieira at the Emirates and let's hope that we give him the reception a true legend of the club deserves.