Opposition Fans: Keane or Vieira?

[Scottynaldinho]

Just had an argument with an Arsenal fan at work who would have Vieira over Keane. I disagree and would have Keane every day of the week. Would love to know what other fans think about this.

It would help if a mod can add a poll as well?

 

[devaneios]

Viera was a better player; better on the ball and more physically imposing.

I'd prefer to have Keane on my team though.

 

[Jev]

You don’t have to do a lot of googling to see that most neutrals would pick Vieira.

 

[HappyCamper]

Keane, even though Viera probably would beat him in most metrics on an individual level. Keane made everyone else better.

 

[padzilla]

Both great players. I think it's a crutch for United haters to say Keane wasn't as good as Vieira though.

He's absolutely as good if not better.

Vieira was another player who didn't impress as much when he stopped being coached by Wenger.

Keane on the other hand excelled at Nottingham Forest and for Ireland.

 

[Ole'sgunnarwin]

You don’t have to do a lot of googling to see that most neutrals would pick Vieira.

No chance

 

[SilentWitness]

Prefer Keane.

 

[Drainy]

I think they are roughly the same level, Vieira edging it if anything. Wouldn't trade though because Keane got the 90s United ethos

 

[Jev]

No chance

I’m not saying I agree (although I do) but it’s absolutely the case that most neutrals would pick Vieira.

 

[King7Eric]

I’m not saying I agree (although I do) but it’s absolutely the case that most neutrals would pick Vieira.

I think most people in UK/Ireland will pick Keane. Whereas on the continent, it would be Vieira.

 

[HTG]

Would go for Vieira.

 

[pacifictheme]

Obviously I'm not neutral but Keane has been reduced over the years to the hardman in the team and all his fantastic passing, game management, goal scoring and all round play is pretty much overlooked. For me he was better, ridiculously good player. A better leader too.

 

[Ole'sgunnarwin]

I’m not saying I agree (although I do) but it’s absolutely the case that most neutrals would pick Vieira.

It's absolutely not the case. More neutrals go for Keane.

 

[11101]

Considering they were the leaders and centre points of their respective teams all you have to do is look at their trophy cabinets. Keane usually had the better of Viera head to head.

 

[rimaldo]

they were both journeymen. i’d say the main difference is that keane he scored goals wherever he went, whereas vieri blew hot and cold. i also enjoyed keane’s cartwheel celebration, for that reason, i’d have to say keane.

 

[GreatDane]

I think most people in UK/Ireland will pick Keane. Whereas on the continent, it would be Vieira.

In Denmark the non-United fans I talk to would pick Keane, Vieira is pretty forgotten.
Small sample size of course, but that's my experience.

 

[B20]

It depends. I think Keane was slightly better in a box-to-box role.

Overall though, Vieira. He also bullied our team far more than Keane ever did.

 

[Annihilate Now!]

Just had an argument with an Arsenal fan at work who would have Vieira over Keane. I disagree and would have Keane every day of the week. Would love to know what other fans think about this.

It would help if a mod can add a poll as well?

Arsenal fans will always pick Viera, United fans will always pick Keane.

 

[Swoobs]

Depends on what you need.
Vieira has slightly more to his game, whereas Keane was a better leader. Personally I will take Keane unless my team is already packed with leaders

 

[B20]

Arsenal fans will always pick Viera, United fans will always pick Keane.

I think the question is what would non-arsenal/united fans choose.

 

[troylocker]

I’m not a neutral, but….
It’s hard to compare them, even if they played in the same position they were very different playertypes. One a soldier, the other a maestro. We neaded the soldier, but Vieira were the better footballer.
Vieira also has more trophies.

 

[Annihilate Now!]

I think the question is what would non-arsenal/united fans choose.

More to the point of his first sentence - seems like a pretty futile argument!

 

[Bole Top]

from my experience, neutral fans usually pick Vieira. there's also the age difference as an important factor. Vieira's international career was basically just starting in WC 1998 while Keane's was pretty much finished after 2002. meaning, neutrals who didn't follow United or Arsenal got to see more from Vieira on international stage. obviously, it helped that France was present in every major tournament.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

I’m not a neutral, but….
It’s hard to compare them, even if they played in the same position they were very different playertypes. One a soldier, the other a maestro. We neaded the soldier, but Vieira were the better footballer.
Vieira also has more trophies.

Surely that isn’t true?!?

 

[The Cat]

Keane didn't do too bad at Sunderland but Vieira didn't last long at Palace.

 

[Oranges038]

Viera was a better player; better on the ball and more physically imposing.

I'd prefer to have Keane on my team though.

I always feel that Keane's footballing intelligence and ability on the ball gets under rated. He was an excellent passer and great at controlling the tempo of a game.

Which is why he was able to drop deeper and control games for Utd even when his legs were going into his mid 30s. Meanwhile at 30 Vieira was washed up and struggling to keep up to the pace in Italy.

 

[Bole Top]

Surely that isn’t true?!?

they have the same number of league titles in total and even the same number of FA cups, since titles he won with Juve don't count. he's probably talking about international trophies.

 

[Himannv]

Keane didn't do too bad at Sunderland but Vieira didn't last long at Palace.

So Hodgson better than both?

 

[troylocker]

Surely that isn’t true?!?

It is.
Vieira:
World Champion
European Champion
3x English champion
5x Italian champion
1x Champions league
5x FA cup
1x Italian cup
Not counting super cups (1 game comps)

Keane:
7x English champion
1x Champions league
4x FA cup
+ a couple of trophies with Celtic

 

[Pogue Mahone]

I always feel that Keane's footballing intelligence and ability on the ball gets under rated. He was an excellent passer and great at controlling the tempo of a game.

Which is why he was able to drop deeper and control games for Utd even when his legs were going into his mid 30s. Meanwhile at 30 Vieira was washed up and struggling to keep up to the pace in Italy.

There’s a whole load of United fans whose only memory of Keane is the deep lying defensive midfielder he had to play when he could barely run any more. Which was a pale imitation of peak Keane but still extremely good.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

It is.
Vieira:
World Champion
European Champion
3x English champion
5x Italian champion
1x Champions league
5x FA cup
1x Italian cup
Not counting super cups (1 game comps)

Keane:
7x English champion
1x Champions league
4x FA cup
+ a couple of trophies with Celtic

Oh right, yeah. I wasn’t counting trophies at Juve.

 

[zaafi]

It is.
Vieira:
World Champion
European Champion
3x English champion
5x Italian champion
1x Champions league
5x FA cup
1x Italian cup
Not counting super cups (1 game comps)

Keane:
7x English champion
1x Champions league
4x FA cup
+ a couple of trophies with Celtic

Juventus were relegated that first season and they lost their best players. Vieira barely played the next seasons Inter won. You could've put Fellaini in that team and they would've won as much. I think it's far more important to look at what they did in Premier League where Keane outshone him in terms of trophies in a time where the league was incredibly tough. He also played a single game in his first season for AC Milan.

 

[troylocker]

Oh right, yeah. I wasn’t counting trophies at Juve.

None of them are with Juve (AC Milan and Inter)

 

[Annihilate Now!]

It is.
Vieira:
World Champion
European Champion
3x English champion
5x Italian champion
1x Champions league
5x FA cup
1x Italian cup
Not counting super cups (1 game comps)

Keane:
7x English champion
1x Champions league
4x FA cup
+ a couple of trophies with Celtic

Viera left Inter before they won the Champions League - Think he played 2 CL games that year so to say he won it is a bit much.

It's also 3 Serie A titles I think as, again, he left Inter before they won it in 2010. Also his first title with Milan he played 2 games all season - so again, generous to say he won it.

So it's 12 Domestic and 2 International for 14 total.

Keane has 14 Domestic (You have to count the two Celtic trophies as he was at the club - and he started the league cup final) and, obviously zero international, so yeah - same trophy haul basically.

EDIT - Also worth saying that one of Viera's FA Cups is one of the greatest robberies in Football history and should be a Roy Keane FA Cup win!!

 

[Oranges038]

There’s a whole load of United fans whose only memory of Keane is the deep lying defensive midfielder he had to play when he could barely run any more. Which was a pale imitation of peak Keane but still extremely good.

I remember him almost his whole career for Ireland and Utd.

Vieria was a fabulous player, the more elegant player of the two, there really isn't much between them at their peak. But Keane for me was a more intelligent player overall, which is why he was able to adapt his game to sit in and control from deep when his body wasn't capable of doing all the running anymore.

 

[Jim Beam]

Keane passing is so underrated, he could dictate the game from the deeper position in a way that Vieira couldn't and was more positionally disciplined. Vieira was a physical beast in his prime though and was immense difensively also (along with his quality going forward). Think they could work brilliantly in the same midfield.

Very even and I think Keane leadership qualities along with more impressive domestic achievements as a midfield leader put him slightly ahead (and he is just bit more iconic). But Vieira was such a monster of a player as well, Keane would probably be the first to say that.

Have zero problems with people going for either remembering how good Vieira was in those Arsenal years.

 

[OL29]

As a United fan Vieira was the better and more complete player for me.

 

[devaneios]

I always feel that Keane's footballing intelligence and ability on the ball gets under rated. He was an excellent passer and great at controlling the tempo of a game.

Not by me; I'm aware that Keane was a very good passer of the ball, as was Vieira; the frenchman had a better touch, ball manipulation and was harder to dispossessed though, which are also on ball skills.

 

[Scottynaldinho]

As a United fan Vieira was the better and more complete player for me.

More aesthetically pleasing yes. More complete and a better player? No.

 

[Reapersoul20]

they were both journeymen. i’d say the main difference is that keane he scored goals wherever he went, whereas vieri blew hot and cold. i also enjoyed keane’s cartwheel celebration, for that reason, i’d have to say keane.