Vieira 'disappointed' by Arsenal and says team lacks 'personality'

It is not as if Arsenal fans need another stick with which to beat Arsene Wenger after a frustrating summer in the transfer market and one point from the opening two games of the season. But former Gunners skipper Patrick Vieira has provided them with one anyway, criticising the current side's lack of physicality and "personality".

The Frenchman, who is now affiliated to Manchester City and in charge of their sister club, New York City, also said he was disappointed that Wenger had allowed so many former players to cut their ties with the club. Thierry Henry is the latest to leave the Emirates after being told he could not combine his role of coach with that of TV pundit. He follows in the footsteps of Mikel Arteta who retired from playing at the end of last season and, like Vieira, has joined the Manchester City empire.

But Henry Winter of The Times believes allowing Vieira to slip through his fingers "will go down as one of Wenger's most damaging, most inexplicable mistakes".

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"Many Arsenal supporters will note [Vieira's] progress, read his sensible views on the club's direction under Arsene Wenger and wish he was developing as a coach with them," he writes.

But they have little chance of luring him back for he is now embedded at City and "is clearly earmarked as a future successor to Pep Guardiola".

Vieira obviously keeps up with events at the Emirates, though, and believes he has identified the problem that has prevented the Gunners from winning the title for 12 years.

"I enjoy watching Arsenal play now. They play some of the best football in the league," he says. "But they're missing the physical presence, the personality.

"In our generation we had some fantastic players with the ball but the majority of the players were quite physically strong. This last five or six years Arsenal went more with this type of mobile, technical players who are completely different.”

He also expressed sorrow at the lack of opportunities for former players. "I find it a little bit disappointing not having ex-Arsenal players working at Arsenal," he says.

"Players want to do it and not having the opportunity they feel disappointed. The perfect example is Ajax when you see all the old players working for the club. The door's always open for them. That's nice. But Arsenal don't do it and I don't know the reason."