Arsenal: You missed Patrick Vieira once, don’t miss him again

Arsenal passed on the chance to get Patrick Vieira to replace Arsene Wenger, but it would be wise not to pass on him again. He’s a slam dunk.

There are certain things I think all Arsenal fans would agree we’re looking for in a manager and, more and more, it’s looking like we wanted more of Arsene Wenger than we initially thought. Who would have figured that 20 years of Champions League football was such a special thing.

There won’t be another Arsene Wenger. That’s the simple truth of the matter. Honestly, one of the things I liked most about Unai Emery was that he carried on a lot of Wenger-isms while improving on some of the flaws.

That’s where Patrick Vieira comes into the picture. Patrick Vieira was rumored to be in the running two summers ago when Arsene Wenger walked away. Maybe it was inexperience, maybe it was a lack of “pizzazz,” but Vieira’s now over at Nice.

There are certain things Vieira brings that we are so desperately lacking. I don’t think you could find a guy with more fire, in case you forgot how he was as a player. And it’s the right kind of fire, not just arm flailing and screaming.

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He’s an upstanding dude, like Wenger. Never a bad word to say about his people. Not afraid to take responsibility (unlike Pochettino).

On the pitch, he has a plan. He revolutionized New York City FC. They went from a club overburdened with superstars, lacking an identity, to a team propelled by practical if not under-the-radar talent. If you ask me what Arsenal’s main problem is now, I’d give a long-winded answer, one component of which would be that they are overburdened with superstars and lacking identity.

Maybe the only guy with the specific experience to get through that is Vieira. He’s done it, and he did it well.

And for those that want the champions pedigree, he was an Invincible, same as Freddie. The only difference is Vieira now has significant managerial experience. He’s young enough to grow and be with the club for a long time while he develops his brand in tandem with the players.

It’s the perfect fit. And if nothing else, it means no Pochettino. Keep the managerial post in house. Give it to someone who loves the club, not just someone. Vieira is a club icon, let’s keep that going.