Football

Who is Patrick Vieira? U.S. men's soccer managerial target would bring legendary history and strong resume

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3m ago

Jul 24, 2024 / 3596 Views

Evan Walker

Patrick Vieira is available on the soccer head coaching market after RC Strasbourg Alsace parted ways with the former France international during preseason. The Ligue 1 club, which shares its ownership group with Chelsea made the decision to relieve the 48-year-old, despite him only being one year into a three-year contract in Eastern France. The news comes at a time when the USMNT are looking for their next head coach ahead of the 2026 World Cup cycle after Gregg Berhalter was dismissed following a disastrous Copa America on home soil. Vieira has worked his way up from Manchester City's Elite Development side to Major League Soccer outfit New York City FC, followed by OGC Nice in his homeland and Premier League side Crystal Palace before his Strasbourg stint.

It might not sound like an impressive way to walk into American soccer's top job but Vieira is now a legitimate candidate for the Stars and Stripes.

Vieira's style

The Frenchman knows his best XI and asks a lot from the players that he puts out on the field, which is the sort of clarity that the USMNT will need as it builds towards the 2026 World Cup. Some of Vieira's older players struggled with some of his physical demands in Strasbourg, but that was part of the club's philosophy more than anything else as they transitioned into being Chelsea's feeder club against the will of the supporters. A recurring theme with the legendary former Arsenal midfield enforcer is a strong start with impressive buy-in across the board from the players before form tailing off and struggles starting which usually spell the end sooner or later.

Vieira's formation

Based on his main traits exhibited so far over his managerial career, it would be fair to say that Vieira's preference is for a 4-2-3-1 or 4-1-4-1 system but he did also enjoy some success with a 4-3-3 shape. The latter was more conducive to possession-based play while the former pair were better suited to more of a pressing approach. It could be the 4-2-3-1 or perhaps a 3-4-3 or 3-4-1-2 variation which ends up suiting the USMNT best should the French tactician be tasked with getting the team ready for 2026.

Vieira's strengths

With a view to the USMNT position, Vieira is a recognizable name who coMMAnds respect and s proven as both a player and coach. His MLS History with NYCFC is a big plus and his coMMAnd of English is excellent which is one big barrier to foreign candidates out of the way. Vieira was also arguably unlucky to have lost the Palace gig when he did and Strasbourg was always going to be a tough assignment whoever took the challenge given the climate around the club when BlueCo were announced as new owners. Regardless of the very mixed experiences that Vieira has had in his homeland with both Racing and Nice, his stock remains high in the U.S. which is hugely important.

Vieira's weaknesses

The fact that almost all of his stints tail off after a while is a worry, while Vieira has not exactly shown endless tactical flexibility so far in his coaching career. That said, the major questions over his mixed track record focus on his staffing choices and not necessarily his individual approach which hints that he is still getting to grips with constructing his backroom staff which could tempt USSF technical director Matt Crocker to have a strong say in how any potential staffing unit would be constructed. His biggest setbacks have also come in his homeland which suggests that communication in English is not an obstacle to his potential success and that actually an Anglophone environment might be more conducive to success. A move away from day-to-day coaching is not for everyone and it could be interesting to see how Vieira handles it should it come to pass. There is also the fact that Wilfried Nancy has since outshone the likes of Vieira and former France teaMMAte Thierry Henry as MLS's major tactical export from France and the Columbus Crew boss could end up being a comPetitor for the USMNT role.