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Should Thierry Henry Or Patrick Vieira Succeed Arsene Wenger At Arsenal?
By Josh Sippie
![By Steindy (talk) 01:25, 29 November 2009 (UTC) (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_1080,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape%2Fcover%2Fsport%2Fc015314394a0a5c3cd8c70c5e0b8ffac6043f23b3d3ad2b758880b54883e01aa.jpg "By Steindy (talk) 01:25, 29 November 2009 (UTC) (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons")
It was just a day ago that I was exploring the possibility that Thierry Henry would be the next coach of Arsenal. With the Gunner legend already the coach of the U21 and U19 sides, it made sense that in a couple years, when Wenger retired, Henry would take the mantle and welcome all of these youth players into the first team.
Seemed like the perfect plan. There are few people in the history of Arsenal that command more respect than Thierry Henry (punditry excluded).
But recent rumors have emerged (from the Daily Star, though) that it may be Patrick Vieira that is set to take the reigns and not Henry.
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Remember that whole part where I said that there are few people at Arsenal that command more respect blah blah blah? Well, Patrick Vieira is close. He was the captain through the golden years. The Invincibles, Arsene Wenger’s heyday – that was all under the armband of the man that was Vieira.
Patrick Vieira was in control of the team. He is the one that Arsenal have been missing so much. Throughout the post-Vieira, post-Henry days, it was an enforcer like Vieira that was more called for than a striker like Henry. That may be a byproduct of having Robin van Persie, but even once he moved on, you were more likely to hear about Arsenal’s lack of a Vieira type than Arsenal’s lack of a Henry type.
Supposedly Arsenal have that type again in Coquelin and the need has subsided. However, Coquelin does not have the same all-around presence that Vieira did. Coquelin’s offense is not very offensive (that was a poor joke).
Patrick Vieira captained Arsenal through the Invincibles and the glory era. Would that make him a better managerial candidate than the striker that spearheaded the attack? One might think so.
Patrick Vieira is currently working at Manchester City, but surely a return to Arsenal has always been in the cards.
The rumor is not fully divulged yet, however. Supposedly, Arsenal is prepared to offer Wenger two more years on his contract and bring Vieira back. That way he can learn under Wenger until he assumes the reigns, a-la Ryan Giggs at Manchester United.
That is by far not the worst plan I have ever heard. As mentioned in the Thierry Henry managerial prospectus, Wenger does not want to see Arsenal change gears when he leaves. He wants the Wenger culture to carry on throughout eternity. While he has no way to ensure it that far off, he can ensure that at least his successor is headed in the right direction. By letting the man that embodied that culture take over, he is certainly ensuring it.
What do you think, Gooners. Who would be better?
Next: 10 Worst Signings Under Arsene Wenger