Fábio Vieira (21)

[Est83]

I'm so close to starting a Hleb appreciation page... I just can't accept this.

[Ach]

Great in Pro evo. My star player.

Pretty shit in real life

[swipe right]

Hleb worked very well for what he was supposed to do. He was an outlet on the wing that would get the ball behind defenses allowing the likes of Adebayor and RvP space to get into the box. With Cesc picking up runners at will, it was a good and exciting system. Same for Theo. The problems arose when Ade left and RvP got injured so we didn’t have anyone to link them up with.

[UFGN]

Hleb's ball retention was on another planet. His link up play was great. Had the grace of Zizou when running and turning... he was damn gifted.

He was a baller.

But yea, didn't have end product. His role in the build up play was undeniable though. Didn't get the goals, but others wouldn't have got as many goals without him.

A different midfielder with a better scoring record than 7 in 89 (!!!) might have got us more goals and made goals too

I reiterate.....he was pretty fkin dreadful but somehow became a pin up boy for the worship of mediocrity

Erm, who you watchin' bro? Dreadful at what? The dude had synergy with the midfield. He fit right into the style at the time, great passer, quick in transition, great movement off the ball, and quite simply one of the best dribblers we've ever had at the club.

We also didn't have a problem scoring back then, and his play was essential to the build up. Even if he didn't get the assist, he always played a pivotal role in the build up.

Mediocre goal/assist stats maybe, that's certainly true, but there's a reason why everyone loved playing with him. And again, one of the best dribblers we've ever had, but with the link-up to boot.

So he wasn't mediocre but he had mediocre goal and assist stats.... Okie dokes

In fact rubbish goal stats for a supposed playmaking midfielder and winger

After Barca inexplicably signed him, he played 19 matches for them including a whopping 5 league starts, before being loaned all over Europe like a lawn mower.

A shit lawn mower.

[Power n Glory]

Hleb's ball retention was on another planet. His link up play was great. Had the grace of Zizou when running and turning... he was damn gifted.

He was a baller.

But yea, didn't have end product. His role in the build up play was undeniable though. Didn't get the goals, but others wouldn't have got as many goals without him.

A different midfielder with a better scoring record than 7 in 89 (!!!) might have got us more goals and made goals too

I reiterate.....he was pretty fkin dreadful but somehow became a pin up boy for the worship of mediocrity

Erm, who you watchin' bro? Dreadful at what? The dude had synergy with the midfield. He fit right into the style at the time, great passer, quick in transition, great movement off the ball, and quite simply one of the best dribblers we've ever had at the club.

We also didn't have a problem scoring back then, and his play was essential to the build up. Even if he didn't get the assist, he always played a pivotal role in the build up.

Mediocre goal/assist stats maybe, that's certainly true, but there's a reason why everyone loved playing with him. And again, one of the best dribblers we've ever had, but with the link-up to boot.

Agree with some of that. Had really good ball retention skills and could easily receive the ball on the half turn and wriggle out of trouble. He should have stayed with us longer. Once Wenger started playing 4-5-1 with Hleb as an AM instead of on the flanks, he was more effective. Always the problem with the Wenger era. We had to try and fit all the technical players into the squad somehow. It made for some cracking football though.

[theHotHead]

I'm so close to starting a Hleb appreciation page... I just can't accept this.

Bro I am with you, Hleb was far from mediocre. We can all agree he didn't get enough goals but everything about the rest of his game was top notch.

[KG3]

Hleb was world class, I would take a winger like him over Podolski/Walcott types can only provide finishing ability.

[Power n Glory]

Hleb was world class, I would take a winger like him over Podolski/Walcott types can only provide finishing ability.

I don't think any of the above players should play out wide. The trade off is too much. You either lose end product or creativity.

[UFGN]

Hleb was world class, I would take a winger like him over Podolski/Walcott types can only provide finishing ability.

What are you on about

Just because others were worse doesn't mean Hleb was that good. And Walcott a good finisher? Which version of history have you flown in from?

[themessiah]

Hleb was world class, I would take a winger like him over Podolski/Walcott types can only provide finishing ability.

Theo has many injuries but he gave us about over 100 plus goals at at the Emirates. His goal return wasn’t shabby tbf . Hleb was easy on the eye but I got sick of him after one season tbf, but he gave us only one good season at the Club which was 05/06 season hence why I was never a big fan of Hleb. Tbf . thinking about wide forwards would have been a more about description because Podolski, Walcott and Alexis fit into that whilst Nasri, Rosicky and Hleb are 'wingers' but more like midfielders but different players. For example like Saka.who plays wide. But is a more a midfield player tbf,

[Losmeister]

tbf saying tbf all the time is... odd, i guess?

[Ach]

Did he play today?

[Losmeister]

fwiw... this guy seems to aspire to the xavi/iniesta type of player

he LOOKS talented from what i have seen...

[swipe right]

I love a good cam. Hope this guy brings some of that old cazorla, nasri, Arshavin, Cesc type of creativity that we’ve been sorely lacking.

[Losmeister]

I love a good cam. Hope this guy brings some of that old cazorla, nasri, Arshavin, Cesc type of creativity that we’ve been sorely lacking.