Celtic podcaster Russell Boyce has talked about Patrick Vieira and the idea of him managing at Parkhead.
This came after Boyce made an appearance on the latest episode of the ‘A Celtic State of Mind’ podcast and the panel discussed multiple issues involving the Hoops. One topic of discussion was the next potential manager of the club and Boyce talked about Vieira’s chances. He believes that if Celtic want to establish closer ties with Man City, appointing Vieira might be a sensible move.
In December last year, 44-year-old Vieira was sacked by Nice following the club’s exit from the Europa League. He has previously managed MLS outfit NYCFC, having also taken charge of Man City’s Under-19 and Under-21 sides (as per Transfermarkt).
Should Celtic consider hiring Vieira?
Yes
No
Boyce believes that if Celtic want to maintain close ties with Man City – which are well-documented – and want a figurehead to lead that project, Vieira could be a good appointment.
He said: “Here’s some gossip, then. Just putting it out there, just stirring the pot. So if we did do that model and it was Man City – the figurehead would be Patrick Vieira. There you go, that would make sense.
“Connected with City, isn’t he? Because he was in charge [with] the City affiliation in the USA. He obviously played for them at the end of his career. If they were to do that, that would be the one I would expect it to be.”
TIF Thoughts on Vieira to Celtic…
Vieira’s time at Nice ended last year and one of the reasons for that was his muddled tactics and the fact that he was constantly criticising his own players (as per The Guardian).
But having said that, there were issues surrounding the club’s ownership and recruitment as well. So it is tough to judge Vieira’s abilities as a manager right now, but he did a respectable job early on at Nice.
There have not been concrete links between the Frenchman and the Bhoys, though the fanbase has previously mooted the ex-Arsenal man as a potential successor to Neil Lennon.
So if Celtic are looking to hire Vieira, he may not be a bad option, but considering links with the likes of Roberto Martinez, Rafael Benitez and Scotland boss Steve Clarke, there may be better options out there.