It’s only a matter of time until the power vacuum kicks in following Arsene Wenger’s leave from Arsenal’s managerial spot, which he’s graced for over two decades. Along with this yet to be filled spot, we have an impressive roster of soccer coaches salivating for Arsenal’s boss position and as we all know to be true in the world of soccer: with great team comes great responsibility.
As soon as Wenger declared his departure, we witnessed a flood of possible new managers while the one Arsenal fans speculated on the most, Patrick Vieira, expressed no interest. Well, time goes on and things change, old news is now new. Vieira has reportedly expressed interest to move out of his manager position with NYCFC and venture into Europe.
Now I know what you’re thinking, it probably sounds something like ‘Arsenal is in England. England is not in Europe. You probably failed geography class and one more thing, you’re an idiot.’ Despite only one of your predictions being true (hint: it isn’t the geography part), the Arsenal legend has told The Times that he’s “ready to coach any side in Europe.”
Could NYCFC coach Patrick Vieira replace Arsene Wenger at the Emirates? Photo: @transfercenlive | Twitter
Patrick Vieira:
"Of course it’s an honour to be mentioned with Arsenal.""I don’t want this to be perceived that I want to go because I don’t want to leave. But if the question is as simple as ‘are you ready to manage any teams in Europe?’ then I would say yes. I am ready." pic.twitter.com/Cf2WULqAog
— ArsenalArena (@ArsenalArena) April 25, 2018
Before we begin analyzing Arsenal’s future, take a look at the two stances between Vieira and Wenger. I don’t believe in any fairytale except Beauty and the Beast (otherwise known as Diego Costa and his wife) but the body language screams ‘this is meant to be.’
The Frenchman who rose to stardom under Wenger, another Frenchman (do you really think this is a coincidence?), signed a three year deal to coach New York City in November 2015, which means it’s ending before this year’s end. On top of that, his sneaky speculations on moving outside of the MLS have raised a few eyebrows for his future plans.
“It’s an honor to be mentioned with Arsenal. It was somewhere I spent nine years and I love the club,” Vieira told ESPN. “I played my best football there and made my name in the game. I am always going to have a deeper relationship with Arsenal. That (alone) is not enough to coach that team, but I'm ready to coach any side in Europe."
Vieira is also under contract with City Football Group, a holding company that administers association football clubs and is co-owned by firms in Abu Dhabi and China, so moving from one managerial spot to the other isn’t entirely up to him. The contractual dilemma not only makes Vieira’s possibility of coaching Arsenal tougher, but also solidifies the speculation around Luis Enrique’s signing.
Arsenal are in advanced negotiations with Luis Enrique over the possibility of him being the club's next manager [L'equipe] pic.twitter.com/Ooig0giJOM
— FourFourTweet (@FourFourTweet) April 26, 2018
Former Arsenal goalkeeper and Wenger confidant David Seaman told talkSPORT of his predictions. The 54-year-old who won 75 caps for England’s national team is deadlocked between the more than capable Enrique and the sure to be a fan galvanizer Vieira.
“I saw Vieira on the touchline the other night managing New York and he looked like Arsene,” Seaman said. “He was just looking. He wasn’t ranting and raving, he was just looking at the pitch and it totally reminded me of Arsene.
“Other than that (Vieira’s possibility as coach), I’m looking at someone like Enrique. He’s got experience, managed a great club and been successful at a great club. I want someone to come in and bring new ideas to Arsenal.”
The problem here isn’t who’d be better for Arsenal as Enrique clearly fares far better than Vieira as a candidate. The problem stands somewhat similarly to Vieira’s contractual dilemma as expert soccer analyst Guillem Balague predicts Chelsea to be a probable part of Enrique’s future given Antonio Conte’s possible departure.
Then again, why would any manager cognizant of Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich want to manage there?
I think given Vieira’s emotional attachment with Arsenal and the history the two monumental soccer entities share, Enrique would prove successful at Arsenal but his loyalty won’t stick around. Enrique’s average years as manager per club is less than two years. The excitement of serving his old, beloved team would make Vieira’s venture with Arsenal more fruitful for the long run.
Lest we forget, people, Wenger coached Arsenal for over two decades and that kind of dedication may only come from a person who truly loves soccer, not a person enjoying a yearlong sabbatical.
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