Football journalist Henry Winter has criticised Arsenal for not taking Patrick Vieira back with a view to ‘nurturing’ him into their next manager.
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Speaking to BBC 5 live, Winter believes that the Gunners have made a significant mistake in not handing the Frenchman a role at the club with Manchester City now taking advantage.
Vieira has left his position as head coach of City’s Under-21s side, and instead signed a three-year deal to manage MLS franchise New York City.
It is widely acknowledged, as noted by Winter, that it is part of a strategy by the Premier League leaders to give the 39-year-old an opportunity to develop his managerial skills with a view to one day taking charge at the Etihad.
City have enjoyed stability under Manuel Pellegrini over the past two years and with the Chilean tactician guiding them to a successful season thus far, it is apparent that they are not interested in making any changes at this stage.
As a result, Vieira will hope to use his opportunity Stateside to hone his skills and return a better coach, which in turn could leave Arsenal having further regret over their decision not to provide him with a role with aspirations of replacing Arsene Wenger at some stage.
Instead, the Gunners have Thierry Henry coaching their youth team, as reported by talkSPORT, and so perhaps they have their own plan in place to ensure that the club’s record goalscorer takes the reins when his compatriot opts to step down.
Nevertheless, given his style of play and leadership qualities that he displayed during his spell with Arsenal and at the likes of Juventus and Inter, Vieira is seen as the perfect example of a player turning into a coach, but much depends on whether or not his latest venture is a successful one.
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