My old mates look sharper than Chelsea, says Vieira

Jim van Wijk

With just under two weeks of the transfer window remaining, manager Arsene Wenger has yet to sign a direct replacement for his long-time enforcer, who decided to call time on his illustrious Highbury career this summer and join Juventus in a £13.75m deal.

In Belarusian Alexander Hleb, a £10m arrival from Stuttgart, and 17-year-old Alexandre Song, Wenger at least has two versatile midfielders, but each will need time to settle into their new surroundings.

Following solid performances in both the Community Shield against Chelsea, which the Gunners' lost 2-1, and in the Premiership opener against Newcastle, it would seem much of the responsibility is likely to fall on Gilberto.

With the 28-year-old Brazilian as his midfield anchor, Wenger is expected to rotate youngsters Cesc Fabregas and Mathieu Flamini, and also his more recent signings, as the Arsenal boss seeks to maintain the side's competitiveness without risking player burn-out.

Wenger has already maintained he does not "want to buy a player just to buy a player", and is only seeking to add to the "super talent" he believes is currently in his squad.

It is a sentiment echoed by his former captain. "They will be fine," declared Vieira.

"Something that will never change at Arsenal is that the quality at the club is not about individual players it is about the team and the spirit they have."

And Vieira has been impressed by the way his former team-mates have gelled in the build-up to the new campaign.

"I watched the Community Shield and I thought they looked sharper than Chelsea to be honest," Vieira said in the Arsenal matchday programme.

"I thought they passed the ball really well and Chelsea only had two chances which Didier Drogba took well."

Following almost a decade at Arsenal where he won the Double twice Vieira admits it has taken some time to adapt to his new surroundings back in Italy. The one-time AC Milan midfielder reflected: "It was funny, but I kind of didn't realise I'd left the club until I was taking part in my first training session for Juventus, it was then that it really hit me.

"After nine years at Arsenal, very successful years, I think it's understandable that it took time to sink in. But at that first training session I looked around at my new team-mates and I said to myself 'I have left Arsenal'."

Last summer Vieira had been linked with a move to Real Madrid, which never materialised. The Frenchman, though, insists he was able to eventually leave Highbury "with a big smile on my face" because of the good relationships he had established in north-London.

"I shook hands with vice-chairman David Dein, with the boss and all of the players, and I was happy because I left the club knowing that I had given the maximum to Arsenal every day and helped the team be successful in those nine years," he said.

"The sense that everyone was pleased with what I had contributed. There was a good feeling from me towards Arsenal and a good feeling from people at Arsenal towards me. Leaving the club with no bad feelings was really important for me."

With Wenger now looking to establish the club as title challengers once again in their post-Vieira era, the development of Fabregas, Flamini and Song is likely to be crucial. Both Spaniard Fabregas, 18, and 21-year-old Flamini have already tasted first-team action, while Wenger is convinced Hleb who made his bow as a substitute in the Community Shield "will be a great player for Arsenal", but Song has yet to be involved.

France defender Philippe Christanval was another player whom Wenger used pre-season to run the rule over but announced he would not be offering the 27-year-old former Barcelona centre-back a contract.

With Sol Campbell still struggling to overcome a calf problem, however, Christanval has not yet given up hope of joining the Gunners full-time.

Wenger will be hoping for a clean bill of health from his returning internationals later this week, with midfielder Freddie Ljungberg having already withdrawn from the Sweden squad because of a slight calf problem.