Patrick Vieira was relieved of his duties as OGC Nice manager on Friday after a torrid run of results. The Frenchman oversaw a five-game losing streak in all competitions, culminating in a Europa League group stage exit after a 3-2 defeat at home to Bayer Leverkusen on Thursday before the club decided it had had enough and duly handed him his P45 before replacing him with his assistant Adrian Ursea.
It’s a startling turn of events for the 44-year-old, who just a year ago, was being touted as one of the best of the crop of the next generation of managers. He was linked with the Newcastle United job after Rafa Benitez left the club last season, and more significantly the Arsenal job in the aftermaths of both Arsene Wenger’s and Unai Emery’s departures.
The news of Vieira being relived from the club managerial duties at Nice is still a shock for some, and we could strongly say it definitely wasn’t something we could have seen coming in his career as a coach.
The arrival of Patrick Vieira was seen as a grand entrance, with those within the City Football Group (CFG) network seeing the World Cup winner turned coach of considerable potential but that’s not how things have turned out.
So, how did Vieira go from being so highly rated to jobless so quickly? Here are some explanatory factors for this.
3 Reasons Why Patrick Vieira Lost His Manager Positon
1. Heightened Ambitions
The purchase of the club by Sir Jim Ratcliffe, a British billionaire and chairman of the global Ineos brand last year, meant that ambitions went up as the club aimed at becoming a Ligue 1 powerhouse.
Despite finishing seventh in his first season, and fifth last season. Vieira had failed to cajole good performances out of his squad and left the team eleventh on the log. He could rightly attribute these struggles to the loss of influential captain, the ex-Brazilian centre back Dante, to a serious knee injury but it ultimately doesn’t change the fact that in the eyes the board members at least, his performance in the dugout did not match the aspirations of his employers.
2. Relative Inexperience
Vieira was appointed in 2018, after a two-year spell in charge of New York City FC in the United States, which came after a stint as coach of Manchester City’s development squad. This being his first major job in one of Europe’s top five leagues, it is possible that his relative inexperience cost him.
This job was anticipated by many to be just the first step in a career that could end with him taking charge of one of the major clubs he formerly played for, be it Arsenal, Internazionale, Juventus or even Manchester City.
It can’t be denied that it was meant to be a learning stage, and a chance to prove his managerial worth but considering the circumstances surrounding his sacking, he might have to repeat the class.
3. Losing the Fans
Pressure from the supporters is another factor that undoubtedly contributed to the end of his tenure. On Thursday, right before what turned out to be his last game in charge, the team bus was blocked by angry fans, expressing their unhappiness with the club’s performance prior to kick off.
It is understood that the supporters were disappointed by not only the team’s poor results but also the insipid style of play. Without the fans backing him, Vieira was a dead man walking.
A number of other reasons could be drawn up to support and argue why Vieira hasn’t had a successful career so far as a coach but to be honest, some or most of the best managers we know today didn’t have a brilliant start either.
It is through experience and several hardships that one can eventually become the best manager or completely lose focus on the entire career. Probably, with more trials, Patrick Vieira may rise up to occasion in the near future.
“Patrick Vieira put all his heart and professionalism into his service for OGC Nice over the last two and a half years of their collaboration,” a club statement read. “The Nice board sincerely thanks the former France international for his commitment and dedication to the development of the club and wishes him every future success in his coaching career.”
With Vieira now available as a manager, there are several MLS clubs that have openings. Atlanta United, D.C. United, LA Galaxy and Toronto FC all are searching for a new head coach for the 2021 season, with all but Toronto missing out on the Audi 2020 MLS Cup Playoffs.
Also read: It’s Time to Admit that Marcelo Bielsa Really Is Worth the Hype
