Arsenal without their talismanic skipper Patrick Vieira are still in the running to win the Premiership title, veteran defender Dennis Bergkamp claimed on Monday.
The 36-year-old Dutch international believes the Gunners have sufficient quality with the likes of youngsters Cesc Fabregas and Mathieu Flamini to offset the sale of midfield general Vieira to Juventus.
”Patrick was a big, big player for us on and off the pitch. He helped to build what we have now, we shouldn’t forget that,” said Bergkamp.
”How will we cope? Well, we have won games without him in the past and we will stick together and come out of it hopefully stronger — because we have to.
”If you cannot be competitive with the money, then you have to look at different things — the young players, the youth system.
”We are still a team with a lot of talent and if we can keep it together and let it grow, then we can still be a good team.
”This season there is still a possibility we can be champions. We have not given the title to them already.”
Bergkamp says Arsene Wenger’s decision to hand Vieira’s captain’s armband to the more introverted France striker Thierry Henry will eventually pay off.
The Dutchman told the Evening Standard: ”I am sure that if you had a choice you would take a defensive midfielder or a defender as captain.
”It is totally new for Thierry. Like a lot of strikers, he is busy with his own game because we have to make a difference.
”But he wants the job. He certainly has the character to combine the two.”
Wenger is due to decide on Wednesday whether to sign triallists Alexander Song, the 17-year-old midfielder, and former Barcelona centre-back Philippe Christanval.
And while one Vieira may have moved on, Arsenal could still have another in their squad with the possible purchase of Nacional Montevideo’s Uruguayan international goalkeeper Sebastien Viera, although Wenger insists a deal is still some way from being concluded. — Sapa-AFP