So it looks as though old Patrick won't be wearing the white (and yellow) of Spurs next year and I could never make head or tail as to why we were trying to pinch him from Jose in the first place. All it did was leave a frown across my face and bloody endless discussion on the matter.
All you had to do was scroll down the Tottenham team sheet and see Modric, Palacios, Jenas and Huddlestone all written down. Throw in a couple of the younger players and bang- before you know it we're over-populated in the middle, yet we're willing to throw more money at a 'problem' that doesn't exist.
I can't see anyone other than Huddlestone as immediate back-up for the centre midfield role and knocking him down into the reserves wouldn't leave him, or many of us, to cheerful. He'd pack his bags and run up to Villa the moment Vieira turned up at Spurs Lodge.
Lately 'Arry has said that he's no longer confident of getting the old Arsenal captain as he suddenly went 'very quiet' amid our interest. But this still leaves a big question as to why we were after him. Maybe he thought it'd soften the disappointment of old Campbell.. err, no.
Maybe Redknapp was getting bored of the same old faces warming the bench and wanted to bring in another to add variety- well he ain't starting in place of Modric or Wilson, that's for damn sure.
There reaches a point where 'experience' just means an old bloke can't do what he use to. Patrick Vieira fits nicely into that description.
Regards.