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From Arsenal.com
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The usual Friday press conference at Arsenal's training ground was over. Arsène Wenger had left the media room after giving his thoughts and the team bus was ready outside to start the journey to Everton for tomorrow's game at Goodison Park.
But Arsenal captain Patrick Vieira wanted to get something off his chest. He was "shocked" at the press coverage directed at team-mate David Seaman after his "error" in England's midweek draw against Macedonia.
Unbeknown to the Arsenal keeper, Vieira asked to speak to the press, here is transcript of what he said.
"I just want to say that it's has gone too far. There has been no respect for a guy who has given a lot to his country. That is the feeling in the dressing room and all the players are behind him.
"You don't have a good team if you don't have a good goalkeeper. We won the Double twice and we would not have done that without a good No 1. What is going on in the newspapers is unfair.
"He is the best keeper I have ever played with. Compare him with other keepers - Fabian Barthez has made mistakes, Oliver Kahn has made mistakes.
"All this [coverage] does not affect him. David is very strong mentally and he knows he has the trust of the players. But, of course, it hurts. And I am just shocked really. I am left thinking what the hell is going on?
"This [sort of mistake] could happen to anybody. I have played for France since 1996 and if this [coverage] had happened to me I would be really disappointed and sorry. He has given 10 years to his country but to be on the end of bad things like this, well you just think 'it is not worth it'.
"If I do need to say anything to him I'll just say carry on. But I don't need to talk to him about what is going on in the newspapers because we know the truth anyway. And sometimes what is written is not the truth.
"This sort of shot could surprise any goalkeeper - Barthez or Kahn. It happened to Dave but it could happen to anybody else.
"I came out to speak because all the team want to show their support for David. We are all behind him. We trust him just like before and we are not happy with what has been written.
"People forget quickly. If you remember back to Euro 1996, England would not have got through [to semi-finals] without David Seaman's saves. He has nothing to prove to us or the fans."
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It's true what he says - how quickly people forget.
-----
The usual Friday press conference at Arsenal's training ground was over. Arsène Wenger had left the media room after giving his thoughts and the team bus was ready outside to start the journey to Everton for tomorrow's game at Goodison Park.
But Arsenal captain Patrick Vieira wanted to get something off his chest. He was "shocked" at the press coverage directed at team-mate David Seaman after his "error" in England's midweek draw against Macedonia.
Unbeknown to the Arsenal keeper, Vieira asked to speak to the press, here is transcript of what he said.
"I just want to say that it's has gone too far. There has been no respect for a guy who has given a lot to his country. That is the feeling in the dressing room and all the players are behind him.
"You don't have a good team if you don't have a good goalkeeper. We won the Double twice and we would not have done that without a good No 1. What is going on in the newspapers is unfair.
"He is the best keeper I have ever played with. Compare him with other keepers - Fabian Barthez has made mistakes, Oliver Kahn has made mistakes.
"All this [coverage] does not affect him. David is very strong mentally and he knows he has the trust of the players. But, of course, it hurts. And I am just shocked really. I am left thinking what the hell is going on?
"This [sort of mistake] could happen to anybody. I have played for France since 1996 and if this [coverage] had happened to me I would be really disappointed and sorry. He has given 10 years to his country but to be on the end of bad things like this, well you just think 'it is not worth it'.
"If I do need to say anything to him I'll just say carry on. But I don't need to talk to him about what is going on in the newspapers because we know the truth anyway. And sometimes what is written is not the truth.
"This sort of shot could surprise any goalkeeper - Barthez or Kahn. It happened to Dave but it could happen to anybody else.
"I came out to speak because all the team want to show their support for David. We are all behind him. We trust him just like before and we are not happy with what has been written.
"People forget quickly. If you remember back to Euro 1996, England would not have got through [to semi-finals] without David Seaman's saves. He has nothing to prove to us or the fans."
-----
It's true what he says - how quickly people forget.
People don't forget, but six years is a long time in a players career, a lot changes. It will be eight years by the time the European chanpionship comes around.
Remember gazza in '90? You'd have to be insane to leave him out of the squad back then, he was in his peak. Hoddle left him out in '98, though he was still more than capable of playing. Gazza perhaps felt he'd earnt his place with his performances over the last ten years, but that wasn't the case.
Nobody is discrediting what Seaman has done for England in the past, but the past is exactly that. Nobody can play forever.
I haven't said whether I personally believe David is still a world class goalie, but I've had that argument before and I don't care to enter it again. My point is only that time is not on his side, and the best years of his career are undeniably behind him. On that basis, is it really so unfair that some of his less recent performances are disregarded when deciding if he's the man for the job?
Remember gazza in '90? You'd have to be insane to leave him out of the squad back then, he was in his peak. Hoddle left him out in '98, though he was still more than capable of playing. Gazza perhaps felt he'd earnt his place with his performances over the last ten years, but that wasn't the case.
Nobody is discrediting what Seaman has done for England in the past, but the past is exactly that. Nobody can play forever.
I haven't said whether I personally believe David is still a world class goalie, but I've had that argument before and I don't care to enter it again. My point is only that time is not on his side, and the best years of his career are undeniably behind him. On that basis, is it really so unfair that some of his less recent performances are disregarded when deciding if he's the man for the job?
From Arsenal.com
-----
The usual Friday press conference at Arsenal's training ground was over. Arsène Wenger had left the media room after giving his thoughts and the team bus was ready outside to start the journey to Everton for tomorrow's game at Goodison Park.
But Arsenal captain Patrick Vieira wanted to get something off his chest. He was "shocked" at the press coverage directed at team-mate David Seaman after his "error" in England's midweek draw against Macedonia.
Unbeknown to the Arsenal keeper, Vieira asked to speak to the press, here is transcript of what he said.
"I just want to say that it's has gone too far. There has been no respect for a guy who has given a lot to his country. That is the feeling in the dressing room and all the players are behind him.
"You don't have a good team if you don't have a good goalkeeper. We won the Double twice and we would not have done that without a good No 1. What is going on in the newspapers is unfair.
"He is the best keeper I have ever played with. Compare him with other keepers - Fabian Barthez has made mistakes, Oliver Kahn has made mistakes.
"All this [coverage] does not affect him. David is very strong mentally and he knows he has the trust of the players. But, of course, it hurts. And I am just shocked really. I am left thinking what the hell is going on?
"This [sort of mistake] could happen to anybody. I have played for France since 1996 and if this [coverage] had happened to me I would be really disappointed and sorry. He has given 10 years to his country but to be on the end of bad things like this, well you just think 'it is not worth it'.
"If I do need to say anything to him I'll just say carry on. But I don't need to talk to him about what is going on in the newspapers because we know the truth anyway. And sometimes what is written is not the truth.
"This sort of shot could surprise any goalkeeper - Barthez or Kahn. It happened to Dave but it could happen to anybody else.
"I came out to speak because all the team want to show their support for David. We are all behind him. We trust him just like before and we are not happy with what has been written.
"People forget quickly. If you remember back to Euro 1996, England would not have got through [to semi-finals] without David Seaman's saves. He has nothing to prove to us or the fans."
-----
It's true what he says - how quickly people forget.
-----
The usual Friday press conference at Arsenal's training ground was over. Arsène Wenger had left the media room after giving his thoughts and the team bus was ready outside to start the journey to Everton for tomorrow's game at Goodison Park.
But Arsenal captain Patrick Vieira wanted to get something off his chest. He was "shocked" at the press coverage directed at team-mate David Seaman after his "error" in England's midweek draw against Macedonia.
Unbeknown to the Arsenal keeper, Vieira asked to speak to the press, here is transcript of what he said.
"I just want to say that it's has gone too far. There has been no respect for a guy who has given a lot to his country. That is the feeling in the dressing room and all the players are behind him.
"You don't have a good team if you don't have a good goalkeeper. We won the Double twice and we would not have done that without a good No 1. What is going on in the newspapers is unfair.
"He is the best keeper I have ever played with. Compare him with other keepers - Fabian Barthez has made mistakes, Oliver Kahn has made mistakes.
"All this [coverage] does not affect him. David is very strong mentally and he knows he has the trust of the players. But, of course, it hurts. And I am just shocked really. I am left thinking what the hell is going on?
"This [sort of mistake] could happen to anybody. I have played for France since 1996 and if this [coverage] had happened to me I would be really disappointed and sorry. He has given 10 years to his country but to be on the end of bad things like this, well you just think 'it is not worth it'.
"If I do need to say anything to him I'll just say carry on. But I don't need to talk to him about what is going on in the newspapers because we know the truth anyway. And sometimes what is written is not the truth.
"This sort of shot could surprise any goalkeeper - Barthez or Kahn. It happened to Dave but it could happen to anybody else.
"I came out to speak because all the team want to show their support for David. We are all behind him. We trust him just like before and we are not happy with what has been written.
"People forget quickly. If you remember back to Euro 1996, England would not have got through [to semi-finals] without David Seaman's saves. He has nothing to prove to us or the fans."
-----
It's true what he says - how quickly people forget.