VIEIRA'S FRENCH LESSON FOR GERRARD
Opta's stats show that, although Vieira has shaded the Liverpool youngster in key areas of his game, Gerrard is perhaps being a little harsh on himself.
Indeed, while Roy Keane was ranked on Opta's system as the most effective midfielder in the 2000-01 Premiership with Vieira a distant second, Gerrard was a narrow third, and in truth there isn't too much to choose between he and the Gunner.
Liverpool's Huyton-born midfielder outscored Vieira with seven league goals to the Frenchman's five, but the Arsenal man's 19% goals-to-shots ratio was five percentage points superior to Gerrard's.
After the lesson Vieira meted out to his Reds counterpart in The Millennium Stadium, Gerrard summed up just how highly he thinks of Arsenal's World Cup winning powerhouse:
"He's a role model for me. He made me realise that I can become a lot fitter and be more composed on the ball."
While Gerrard hasn't had too much control over his fitness, having been unlucky with injuries in the infancy of his career, Opta's stats do back his second point up. Vieira has connected with an exemplary 82% of passes compared to Gerrard's 72% success rate, with the former AC Milan midfielder setting up four goals compared to two assists for the young pretender.
But one crucial area in which the Liverpool man has measured up well to Vieira has been in the challenge. Arsenal's battling number four has contested 122 tackles - six fewer than Gerrard - and also lags behind in terms of success, obtaining possession from 62% of these compared to 69% by Liverpool's ebullient youngster.
It is good to see that despite the many plaudits he has received this term, Gerrard clearly has his feet on the ground and is honest enough to admit that he still has a lot to learn.
That is one thing he has in common with his international manager Sven Goran Eriksson. Gerrard has also shown he is willing to adopt a studious approach to his own game much akin to that which Eriksson has undertaken throughout his managerial career, with the Liverpool midfielder revealing that he tries to watch Vieira in action as often as possible.
As role models go, he couldn't have picked many better than the Frenchman. In particular, Vieira's response to receiving two consecutive red cards at the start of the season - namely to go 16 Premiership matches without a caution - was an object lesson in self-discipline.
Gerrard may feel that there is a large gulf in class between him and Vieira at the moment, but Opta's stats would suggest that the gap is not that wide. And worryingly for Liverpool's competitors, Gerrard must feel that there is plenty of room for improvement in his game given his comments.
Certainly with Champions League football beckoning in 2001-02, and the distinct possibility of Gerrard representing England in the World Cup, he has the perfect stage on which to make great strides in the near future.
