The Gunners, who have not won a trophy since 2005, have often been praised for their slick, attacking philosophy, but Vieira believes that this style will prove worthless unless they win trophies.
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“Arsenal play better football than in my time but our team was more physical and responded better to the English game. Maybe now Arsenal lack the physical aspect. You need a balance to win trophies," he said in the Daily Mail.
“If you look at [Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea], the physical aspect of the game is there. The season is really long and hard and players get tired and perhaps need to work harder.”
Vieira, who is now City's Football Development Executive after bringing to the end his playing career this summer, sympathises with Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, under whom he flourished from 1996-2005.
Wenger has refused to match the prices spent on players by other Premier League clubs and instead focuses on developing exciting young talents, a philosophy that has established the Gunners on a firm financial footing ahead of the soon-to-be-introduced fair play regulations.
“I am gutted for him because I know how much hard work he has put into Arsenal and how he loves the club," he said.
“He arrives early and leaves late and spends more time on the training ground than he does with his family. But you can understand the frustration of the fans, they are used to winning and haven’t won anything for six years.
"For a big club like Arsenal it is difficult to go a season without winning a trophy.”
ByChris Matthews
