Fabio Viera was criticised for his performance against Sporting Lisbon last Thursday, with his performance earning him a 3 out of 10 by Just Arsenal‘s Pete Doherty.
The 3/10 rating was accompanied by the claim, “Is there a player in there? He hasn’t shown anything to date to warrant his price tag or a place in the first-team squad. Looked like somebody who had wandered off the terraces, as he had not a single input into the game of note. Has a lot of work to do to convince observers that he has a future at Arsenal.”
Well, some Gooners may have given up at this point on Vieira ever thriving at Arsenal, but don’t you think it is too early to judge him on a one-game basis? Arteta, after the first Sporting Lisbon game, hinted that Vieira must be a hit at training, hinting that he deserves to play more, when he said (via the Daily Mirror), “I’m really happy with him. I think he deserves more minutes than he’s had, especially in the last two months.
“Obviously, he had a difficult start because he was injured for two months after a surgery and wasn’t at the level that we wanted.
“But you saw tonight that he was probably our most dangerous player. He was always making things happen. He’s a player that I absolutely love.”
Anyway, other than Arteta, PL pundit Pete O’Rourke, who is of the belief the former FC Porto man will come big for Arsenal, as he told Give me Sport: “I think Arsenal are going to have to have players step up and do something in case it’s not working in games. We’ve seen it already with Reiss Nelson coming off the bench to massive impact, and I’m sure Fábio Vieira might have that opportunity as well at some point.
“He’s mainly been restricted to games in the Europa League, but I think if he gets his chance in the Premier League, I’m sure he will take it. He hasn’t let Arsenal down whenever he has played.
“He’s obviously found it hard to break into an Arsenal starting XI that’s been so consistent this season and had no injury problems, but I think if they do, or were to lose a few players to injury in this run-in, Vieira is ready to step up and stake a claim and do his part for them.”
Ultimately, Vieira will have to take his chances when they pop up. If he could reach the heights of being called the “assists king” in Portugal, then he surely has some brilliance in him somewhere?
Daniel O
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FABIO VIEIRA – “When you are skinny you are intelligent! I am intelligent!”
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Of course, because he just joined us last year. Odegaard also needed one season to adapt
Remember that Vieira played well in EL last year, when he worked with Marquinhos on our right wing. When he played against Sporting CP, he worked with Nelson who couldn’t cut inside effectively
It could’ve been different if he played with an inverted RW like Saka on the right side of the field, because that type of winger could open the space for him frequently
Doherty’s (whoever he is as I’ve never heard of him) score of 3 was absolutely insulting.
Hes The biased JA player ratings article writer .
Don’t look at his scores, DK, just read his comments, as most of the time they are fair.
Have to agree with GB about the 3 mark…. but come on!!!
We all know some fans need to have a whipping boy to air their vent up frustration at.
Time will tell and there is a lot of competition in that area of the team regarding Viera, let’s just think about that through ball for Martinelli against villa for our fourth goal before condemning him as a bad signing.
To be it’s either Vieira or Smith-Rowe. I can’t see both of them in the team effectively. Other one is injury-prone but homegrown while the other one is fairly lightweighted for the PL.
I still have high hopes for Smith-Rowe. I scored 10 PL goals last season, that is a fantastic result for midfielder.
He’s overpriced 35m brought in by Edu strangely. His agent is Mendes who is Edu’s friend because he holidays with him. The deal smells. Viera is average.
Giving up on our player early is typical of some cynical arsenal fan so no surprises here.
That being said Vieira at the moment is a luxury player, he can contribute goal and assist but his off the ball contributions is severely lacking so he doesn’t weight in on the game like our midfielders do.
There is definitely a player in there and giving him one season to both adjust to arteta tactics and most importantly adapt to the league physicality. He desperately needs to pack some muscle on his slight frame and lightweight players don’t survive in this league.
Vieira is a good player, but he needs to hit the gym, improve on his right leg and I think he needs to improve on his high press and man to man marking,
Now is certainly not the time to play him.
He’s been terrible.
He’s too lightweight for the Premier.
Will be surprised if he makes it at Arsenal.
He has the technique and adding size to his frame is easy. Whether he has the mentality to go with it is another matter. More worrying to me than his inability to physically compete was his apparent unwillingness to take responsibility and prefer to just make an aimless pass to another player.
Viera will come good. Give him another season to prove himself
His performances so far IMHO show he’s a better fit as a backup 10 and unfit as a CM.
He needs to hit the gym and improve his defensive efforts, a bit to shy and doesn’t like sticking a leg in.
Perhaps a loan next year to improve, as I don’t believe we can afford passengers in our squad.
I can’t believe that we paid £35 million for a “prospect”. He’s not shown anything near potential as a regular choice for a starting position, or even as cover for more established players, and yes, as has often been mentioned he needs to put on muscle.
It would appear that Arteta had no (or next to none) input on this purchase.
“It would appear that Arrêts had no or next to none input on this purchase.”
Would you care to explain how you have come to this conclusion?next you’re going to say he had no input in Turner/Tavares…?is MA only responsible for the good signings?
By the way,I truly believe that he’ll come good.
“MA only responsible for the good signings?”
Probably!😜
Jax, Why ” does it appear to you that Arteta had no (or next to none)input in his purchase “?
To my mind and I reckon to most others too, that is an opinion made without any evidence at all to back it up! So I repeat , WHY??
Pure guesswork jon, pure guesswork. Although I might say that the big decisions are usually made by Edu (& possibly a shared agent)
So then Jax, you believe that my contention that our manager, ARTETA, who has done so very well thus far, is only ” MY GUESS” to have had any input into his purchase.
I see! Sigh!
You actually believe that “a shared agent” but not MA is more likely to have had input!! . Words fail me!
I USED TO THINK YOU BRIGHT , AT ONE TIME. I KNOW BETTER NOW!
“Words fail me!”
Not much chance of that!
OF WHAT? Of you being bright perhaps, as at one I time I thought likely? If you did mean that, then words do indeed fail me!
I only wish all Gooners could see your daft post, where you claim an” agent had more input than MA, into Vieras purchase”. As if!!!
Have you ANY idea at all how ridiculous that claim is?
Stop insulting people Jon
I am not insulting at all. It is called free speech and as suchj you have no moral right to censor it!
PAT whatever do you expect any intelligent fan to do! To agre with a comment that says that a mer agent has input but our manager doe snot? That si nonsense as you well know All bright fans are fully entitled to call that post our os acomplet nonsense.
Or do you think weshould meekly accept nonsense talk!
IF you truly think weshould not challenge such tosh, then JAi s not in actuality, a proper fan debate site at all but a forum for snowflakes only!
And as such, has no point existing for me and others who speak honestly and plainly!
I’ll keep this simple so that it can more easily understood by a simpleton.
A) Just Arsenal publishes an article
B) Readers read the article
C) Readers comment on the article
D) Comments often contain opinions
E) Other commenters comment on the opinions
F) Generating comments & opinions was the initial object of the article
G) Just Arsenal publishes another article
Welcome to the wonderful world of football blogging.
He obviously has a lot of talent. Give him time to develop and adapt.
Remember when Robert Pires came crashing down on the pitch after a tackle and he thought of his immediate future at the club. That was his first season. He didn’t sulked and instead bulked in a special training during the summer and came back to win the league and the Player of the Season the following season. It’s up to Viera to show his mental capabilities now.
I think his “adaption” is more to do with finding space on the pitch than “bulking up”. He needs to improve that area so he can make use of his passing and shooting, both of which we’ll find are very high quality, I’m very sure.
Viera, he needs to step up his game for sure. He can influence the results, only if he accelerates movement toward the front goals. And test the goalkeeper more instead of unnecessary extra passes in front of the goals.
Fabio Vieira looks like he could do with being removed from the pressure of filling in for Odegaard in a title-chasing team and being given the starring role in a team with a little less to play for. A bit like James Madison at Leicester, where he is the main man and is likely to start every single game. I think this is probably the best route for Vieira getting the league exposure and experience he needs. I really think he has the talent, he just needs the belief that he can do it and I don’t think he has it at this time.
How times change. Arteta has now convinced most of our fanbase that all our attacking players have got to be able be multi dimensional, got put in the graft, help out defensively when needed. No more “But but why does Arteta expect our No10’s or any forward attacking players to contribute defensively? Just get players that can get the ball to them and also cover for them defensively blah blah..”
How times change. 🤞
Goonster, How thrillingly true too. Now that we at last have a manager who will not allow lazy coasters to con their way into picking up hundreds of thousands of pounds per week for simply coasting, uninterestedly, during games.
One guess who I AM MOST THINKING ABOUT. CLUE: He is German of Turkish origin!
What you outline boils down toplayers earning their wages and, as such, each player, every one of them, has a sacred duty to do so all the time.
NOW, they all do|!
“He looks a decent player if a bit lightweight”. That was a friend of mines view when he arrived. He hasn’t changed his mind, and we can add in the hefty price tag, the faster pace of English football, and the fact that both arteta and edu have said he was bought with an eye on the future, not straight away, and ask why are we even asking such questions already?
Marge, excellent comment. As Durand stated Vieira needs to bulk up in the gym; however he is only young and needs to adjust to the pace and power of the EPL. He was bought by Arsenal as a “development project”, but again is encumbered by his transfer fee. Time will tell, but deserves patience to see whether Vieira takes the opportunities, which come his way.
Thank you, @Marge.
Even if Arsenal wins the league, you will still have people complain about something related to the win.
Vieira was bought as a prospect and I am glad he is getting game time. That pass to Martinelli still gives me chills at the accuracy. He will adapt and be a star for Arsenal – the gaffer sees him in training.
There is definitely a player in there.
Too early to say FOR CERTAIN that Viera cannot cut the mustard, NEXT SEASON , as some players take much longer than others to adapt to thePrem , which is very much tougher, quicker and more physical than the Portuguese league.
But right now, it cannot sensibly be argued against that he has thus far been a major disappointment. Many fans have correctly pointed out his noticeable lack of physique and power. I agree with them.
What worries me esp, is that if Odegaard is injured and misses more than perhaps one match this season, Viera, who is the natural intended replacement for him,is plainly NOT ready RIGHT NOW, to do the business effectively, at all.
Next season is a separate discussion, but it is RIGHT NOW that most matters in our title challenge.
And he worries me. A lot!
People have mentioned Vieira and ESR, but Patino seems to be having issues on loan at Blackpool. He was rated “the best young player to walk through the door at Hale End”; however Patino playing DM was recently sent off, upsetting Blackpool fans, with Blackpool in danger of relegation. He is only 19 yo.
Is Patino going to come into consideration for Arsenal’s midfield next season or should he be loaned again to the right club at the appropriate level?
He’ll probably get next season to prove his worth. He needs more football to prove his worth but that’ll be difficult at Arsenal because of our standards and the quality in front of him. I don’t think he’ll be loaned so it’s a tough one, I hope he gives it his all that’s all we can ask and good luck to the lad