Vieira: I will tell every player what is needed

For a man who is supposed to be bearing the brunt of his club's ambitions on his shoulders, Patrick Vieira seems remarkably serene. Unlike Atlas, the Greek mythological figure who is always depicted as struggling to carry the world on his heavily arched back, Highbury's very own demigod is making light work of the current burden of expectation.

There are those who crumble under pressure, who lose their nerve when that quality is most required. Witness Kevin Keegan this time seven years ago, with that now infamous outburst on television. And then there are those who thrive on the extra demands: sportsmen like Vieira. Watching him saunter into our interview and then sit back in a chair before answering every question that is fired at him, one is left in no doubt that this is a man who is sure of himself and his team-mates.

Perhaps he knows something that we do not; perhaps he has not quite grasped the enormity of the next four days; or perhaps Arsenal's young captain is simply enjoying the challenge that lies ahead more than anyone could have predicted. In fact, one suspects it is a little of all three.

"Well, the one thing I do know," Vieira says ahead of today's FA Cup semi-final but, more importantly, Wednesday's potential Premiership decider against Manchester United, "is that we are the greatest team in England. That is why I am confident that we will come through this very important week on top."

When he arrived at the club from Milan reserves in the autumn of 1996, few had heard of this Senegal-born teenager. Today, Vieira speaks as the unconditional on-field leader of Arsenal Football Club. "Being captain has made me improve as a man," says the 26-year-old, who shows genuine pride in holding the honour. "It's made me feel more responsible and it's improved my game." Vieira pauses, before adding mischievously: "And it's helped my disciplinary record, too."

Vieira still smiles like a kid on Christmas morning when describing the moment he was offered the captaincy, following Tony Adams' retirement last season. "I remember the day so well," he enthuses. "I didn't really know what to think when the boss told me, so I went to talk about it with the players in the dressing room. Only once they had given me their blessing did I go back and accept the position."

Never will Vieira's leadership qualities be more important than over the course of the next few days. Following a recent dip in form and consistency which has seen the Gunners drop points in the Premiership and drop out of Europe, the talisman has been called upon to drag his team over the finish line.

"Patrick's role will be vital from now on," confirms his manager, Arsène Wenger. "He will have to lift the players and guide them, but I'm sure he can rise to the challenge." The player himself concurs: "I have a job to do," he says, "but I do not feel like the whole team is resting on my shoulders. I believe that each player has an individual responsibility. All I have to make sure is that everyone is focused. I will go round to every player and let them know that we all need to be pulling in the same direction."

That direction is Old Trafford today and Highbury in three days' time, two key stops on Arsenal's road to English football's first-ever back-to-back Double. "We don't want to make an obsession about this," Vieira says. "Last season, our strategy [during the run-in] was to play game by game and not look at the bigger picture, and that's the right way to do it. If we start thinking about our potential achievements now, we risk making mistakes, so we must stay focused. That said, we understand why it's important for the club, and also for ourselves, to win the championship and FA Cup again. It will be very significant, because it will confirm that we are the best. It will prove the strength of this team."

Assuming that today's Cup semi-final goes according to plan and Arsenal qualify for their third final in a row, the pivotal moment of the season will come on Wednesday when Manchester United travel down to north London for le crunch. Vieira is honest enough to admit that the players are already looking ahead to the game, not to mention the manner in which it will no doubt be played.

"We are not ignoring Sheffield United," he says, "because they are a good team with a strong midfield, but we know that a win against them will give us the perfect platform for the Man U game. They are very different teams, with very different styles, but I think that they will have quite a similar plan."

Vieira, who today plays his 47th game of an exhausting season, adds: "The two times we have played Man U this season [both at Old Trafford, once in the League and once in the FA Cup] they have adopted the same tactics. They have come at us very strong for the first 20 minutes, trying to unsettle us. It worked back in December [in the League match which finished 2-0 to Sir Alex Ferguson's men], but we had figured them out the next time [in February, when Wenger's side gained revenge by the same score]. They tried to upset us and make us lose our heads, but we just played the ball really well, and the longer the game went on, the more comfortable we felt. Playing rough was the only way they could have beaten us that day."

Is it likely to be United's approach this time as well? "I think they will try this again," Vieira confirms, "but we will keep above this. I feel that we are the better team, because we pass the ball better and our movement is better, so I'm sure we'll win. We want to lift the Double again, and the fact we've done it before means we know what's expected."

In Arsenal, Manchester United have certainly found adversaries who are capable of matching their physical but also mental tactics. On and off the pitch, Vieira's club have learned to give as good as they get. "Man U always try to play mind games," the Frenchman says when told of Sir Alex's latest suggestion that the midfielder should be a Red Devil, "but it won't affect us. All I can say is that if ever I leave Arsenal one day, it will be to go abroad. I will never move to another English club."

From a domestic point of view, one can see why. Arsenal are top dogs in England, but in Europe the club again fell short of their pre-season targets. Vieira admits that elimination from the Champions' League before the knock-out stages for the second year running was a blow for the players. Conversely, the Frenchman is at pains to point out that another English Double would more than compensate for the continuing failure on the Continent.

"We wanted to do well in the Champions' League," he says, "and we were disappointed not to have a chance to win it this year. I'm sure people see us as one of the top sides around, but ultimately, if we want to be one of the really big clubs in Europe, then we will have to win the Champions' League. I feel that we are getting very close but, in the meantime, domestic success is good. We find that very satisfying."

Like the rest of Europe, Vieira sat and watched awe-struck as Real Madrid gave a football master class at the Bernabeu last Tuesday. The Spanish champions, he says, are the benchmark by which all teams are now judged. "It was a really nice game to watch," he says cheekily, "and not just because of the result and the opposition [Manchester United]. It was great football."

One wonders whether Vieira was not a little jealous seeing his fellow countryman Claude Makelele playing in "his" role alongside some of the world's best players? "No, no," insists the man who is regularly linked with a move to Spain, "because I am not the kind of guy who has regrets. I make a choice and I stand by it. A club like Real may have a lot of money, but I am happy with what I get here. This is the right club for me." It is becoming increasingly clear that Vieira is also the right captain for Arsenal.