It must be pretty tough for Unai Emery just now. Managers will claim they don’t read the press or listen to speculation, but it would just be utterly naive if he didn’t feel his job was under threat.
There’s a bigger problem for Arsenal than just getting poor results on the pitch. The fans are starting to get restless and there’s a danger they might start to lose interest if the club continues to nosedive into mediocrity.
One of the best ways to combat this could be to bring back a club legend, one who was one of the main reasons they were so successful under Arsene Wenger and someone who knows how to win.
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Patrick Vieira didn’t set the heather alight during his stint in charge of New York City FC, but he’s gained a lot of admirers for his work as manager of Nice and might even be in a position to take the next step.
According to a report from talkSPORT, Julien Laurens has touted him as the perfect replacement for Emery and one the club will consider. Laurens is well respected as a pundit and usually makes good points, so it shouldn’t just be seen as the usual nonsense from the English press.
He made the following comments on talkSPORT’s Hawksbee and Jacobs show:
“I think we’re still far away from Unai Emery leaving the club and having to find a replacement, but if and when it happens Patrick Vieira will be on the shortlist and rightly so.
“This season they are 12th in the table but only two points from fourth place in a tight Ligue 1, so there have been a lot of good things Vieira has done.
“He’s learned a lot since arriving back in Europe from New York City FC in the United States. I think he will certainly feel ready for this kind of challenge.”
One of the key things to pick up there is his comments about Emery, it doesn’t sound like his sacking is imminent so he might even stay until the end of the season at least.
It really shouldn’t be the case when a huge club hires a manager, but you could be forgiven for thinking that Vieira certainly couldn’t do any worse. When you add in the fact he’s a club legend who would at least get the supporters onside, the board should certainly consider him as the next manager of the club.