The Guardian - New manager was not first choice and has the tough task of implementing attacking style after pragmatism under Hodgson
‘Of course, I spoke with Arsène on the phone,” Patrick Vieira recalled in an interview with L’Équipe in April. “And one of the first things that he said to me was: ‘You are not a real manager until you get sacked.’”
On 14 August, it will be 25 years to the day since the France midfielder born in Senegal – one of the Premier League’s greatest players – signed for Arsenal. By quirk of fate, that date happens to be when Vieira will follow in the footsteps of his mentor, Arsène Wenger, and take charge of his first league match in English football as a manager. A day after Arsenal kick off their campaign at promoted Brentford, Vieira will be in the dugout at Stamford Bridge to face old rivals and European champions Chelsea in quite the baptism of fire. Continue reading...
