As news comes through that Arsene Wenger may well have jumped before he was pushed from the Arsenal hotseat, the Gunners may be in for a messy divorce.
Despite the clear and obvious need for a change, forcing out a true legend is never a good look, and whatever you think of Wenger’s final years in charge, to give him that push is a risky political move to say the least.
Loyalists form and civil war begins in such situations. It is rarely met with magnanimity.
If that is the case, Arsenal will need a manager to galvanise the club this summer. If it were Thomas Tuchel, for example, would that simply reinforce the idea that the new members of the Gunners hierarchy had taken over and dumped Wenger?
The question, very soon, might end up being “how do you get everyone on the same page?” That is, the coaching staff, the scouts, the dinnerladies – everyone. And the best way of doing it is by appointing a club legend – there are perhaps only two man available to replace Arsene Wenger who can do that: Mikel Arteta and Patrick Vieira.
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Neither would represent a ‘safe’ choice, but Vieira would certainly be safer than Arteta.
The Spaniard spent five years at Arsenal and is, by all accounts, very well liked within the club. But whilst his one season as a coach under Pep Guardiola will have taught him a lot about football management, Vieira had five years of experience in management, even if none of that is what most onlookers would call the top level of the game.
And yet, Vieira’s experience with New York City FC is arguably more relevant for the Arsenal job than the CV that most other managers can provide.
Let’s leave aside for the moment the potential of choppy political waters on the horizon and just look at his football management experience.
The former Arsenal midfielder took over at a new club in a competitive league – whatever you might think about its quality – and has performed admirably. Last season, Vieira’s side came runners-up in the Supporters’ Shield, which is given to the team who won the most points in the regular MLS season.
They then have a play-off system where Vieira’s side were eliminated, but it was a good showing with such a young club.
It’s the mix of players that he has worked with, though, that makes him look like a good fit in North London.
Arsenal won’t be in a great state on the pitch either when the new man takes over. The Gunners will have some great players, to be sure, but although some of the other existing players may be helped by a new coach with fresh ideas, you get the feeling the new man will have to be more of a coach than a chequebook manager.
Add into the mix, however, that Vieira has coached some big names like David Villa, who was sensationally called up for Spain on the basis of his performances in the US, Andrea Pirlo and Frank Lampard, and you start to see that this is a man with more experience at the elite level than the standard of the league might suggest.
He has experience of the egos and of the lesser names. He has coached at youth level and has knowledge of what it takes to bring young players through – and Arsenal have one or two decent academy prospect who Wenger himself has been putting into the side on occasion this season.
But above all, Vieira is a legend that both the loyalists and the revolutionaries can get behind.
Very soon it might become clear that the only way to get over a messy divorce could be the revival of an old flame.
