I don't want to assume anything. The rumours continue to gather pace but they've done that before haven't they? Only one thing's for certain and that's that if Vieira stays at Arsenal we'll have to go through all this again in a year's time.

If he does decide to move on, as everyone is assuming he will, we'll wish him luck but believe it to be a big mistake. A massive mistake.

A massive mistake on his part, that is. Arsenal are on the rise, improving the squad through evolution, through careful acquisition of young players who will fit in, who will be moulded into Arsenal players or quietly shown the door. Real Madrid are in a slump, and by contrast with Arsenal have a policy of acquiring one or two established superstars each summer (which says to me that you're not likely to get the best years out of any of them).

Yes it'll be a mistake on Vieira's part, but an understandable one. He's still young but he's not far away from his peak, from the point at which his game starts its inexorable decline. He's a clever player, but so much of his game is based on his power. Look at Roy Keane, still a great player but everyone knows that it's been a good few years now since his best years. So if Vieira is ever going to play anywhere else, ever going to experience top-level football in a country other than England, he's got to make that move soon. It'll be the start of the end for him, and he probably knows that. But the end will come eventually anyway and perhaps he just fancies living and working somewhere else for a bit. I don't want to work for the same people for all my working life - at the end of it I want to have had a bit more variety in my life than that - do you?

Letting Vieira go, if that's what Wenger does, will however not be a mistake. It may be hard to replace him but life goes on and we have a fantastically strong midfield without him, even if we don't buy anyone else. It's been said that letting Vieira go would destroy Wenger's reputation as a transfer-market wizard. Well excuse me but...

Buying an unknown for peanuts. Turning him into a world-class player, possibly the best in the world in his position. Getting the best years of his career out of him (Vieira is still brilliant yes, but last season was not his best and if he goes well, we all know he'll never be the same). Winning a hatful of trophies along the way including 2 doubles and an unbeaten league season. And then making a £20million profit. In my eyes, that bit of business should only enhance Wenger's reputation, and in time to come, that's what it would do.

Vieira is awesome but he is not the Arsenal team. Let's not forget the extraordinary on-pitch bonding we saw between our players last season. More than any other team we've ever seen, certainly at that level of the game, Wenger's Arsenal are a unit who play for the club and for each other. And that kind of team, more than any, does not depend on any one individual.

Edu and Gilberto can do a good job in central midfield. Gilberto doesn't always impress as much as we'd hoped he would but is still a damn sight better than his detractors make out, and Edu's superb performances last year have seen him break into the Brazil set-up at last. Then there's the youngsters Flamini and Fabregas at least one of whom will I am sure turn out to be more than up to the job. Plus we've got Bergkamp and Pires and Ljungberg all of whom can play an attacking central midfield role without batting an eyelid, and that's not unrealistic because with van Persie, Reyes, and Pennant in addition to last year's squad we've got an embarassment of riches on the wings (Parlour's departure notwithstanding). If Paddy does go then signing another midfielder would be a bonus.

The big question in my mind is who would be made captain? Campbell's name seems to come first to most people's lips but apparently he's not bossy on the pitch, and he doesn't want to be. Bergkamp started as captain on Sunday and of course for many reasons he's the natural choice. But how many games will he play? Ashley Cole may seem too much of a hothead but perhaps the added responsibility would be the making of him (cf Beckham and England). But it was Lauren that took over in Cardiff when Dennis went off. He's got plenty of experience that's for sure. Maybe in time Toure could move into central midfield and the captain's armband. He can do everything else can't he? If forced to guess - I'd say that Dennis would be made club captain and the fact that he's not always playing would be used to try out some others in the role.

It's a tricky question, a fascinating one. But Vieira never struck me as a natural captain, not in the Adams mould anyway. Not the kind of captain that you miss. Not as a captain.

Of course, I don't want Paddy to leave. He's a great player. Let's hope he stays, but let's not panic if he doesn't.