Patrick Vieira’s leadership qualities were never in question during his time at Arsenal. So much so, that the Gunners appear to be thinking he may be the right man to step into the dugout, too.
The 43-year-old, who captained Arsenal’s Invincibles to the title in 2004, is revered in north London and is the latest manager to be strongly linked with the vacant role at the Emirates Stadium.
The role has become available after Unai Emery was sacked last week, bringing to an end an uninspiring reign that finished with a run of seven matches without victory.
With money thought to be an issue in appointing a new head coach, Arsenal are reported to be turning to more affordable options, including former players who know the club well such as Mikel Arteta. Vieira fits into that bracket, too.
Whether he would be willing to make the leap though is another question entirely, given the present circumstances at Arsenal, and not to mention his current club Nice.
'It's a very complicated job, I realise that,' Vieira told reporters after Emery was finally pushed out. 'I support Emery, it's always sad to see a coach losing his job.
'Today it's him, tomorrow it might be me, but as soon as you decide to start in this job, you have to expect to be fired at some point.'
In the south of France, on the Riviera, Vieira has been putting out fires all season long as Nice lurch from one testing episode to the next.
It has been a tough second season for the former midfielder, whose performance in his first managerial role at New York City had shown him to be a technician of some promise.
His stature was such that he was seen as a certainty to one day take the Manchester City role, his grooming at one of the City Football Group stables seen as a way for the club to keep a close eye on his development.
In 2018, though, Vieira left in the pursuit of opportunities in Europe’s top five leagues. He was given his chance by Nice.
An encouraging first season in charge saw him improve on the club’s league performance the previous campaign as he guided them to seventh in Ligue 1.
This season, signs have not been as positive – though the problems have been far from all the Frenchman’s fault.
Their summer was hampered by the protracted takeover of the club by English billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe. It led to a late dash around the transfer market, with Kasper Dolberg, Alexis Claude-Maurice and Stanley Nsoki all joining during the small gap between the completion of the deal and the ending of the transfer window.
The late additions added even more unnecessary problems. Denmark international Dolberg – who arrived for £18million from Ajax – had his £62,000 watch stolen from inside the player’s dressing room at the training ground within the first month.
It led to 18-year-old team-mate Lamine Diaby being sacked after admitting to taking it. It also understandably unsettled the new arrival.
Problems are also evident for Vieira on the pitch. After winning four of their first six matches this season, Vieira’s side has endured a run of late that has seen them win just twice in their last 11 outings.
That includes a humiliating cup defeat by Ligue 2 strugglers Le Mans, a match in which a first-half blitz saw Nice concede three times in the opening 16 minutes.
Things are not any better in the league. On Wednesday night, Vieira felt the need to lay into his team as they were torn apart by Claude Puel’s resurgent Saint-Etienne side, with the manager unable to turn to his best three centre backs – Christophe Herelle, Andy Pelmard and Dante. The result left Nice sitting 14th in the table.
‘We were catastrophic defensively, individually and collectively,’ he said after the match.
‘We showed our defensive limitations and we paid for them. It’s something that is recurring for ourselves.’
At Arsenal, there are similar problems to solve, with the Gunners’ defensive line taking a lot of flak this season for lapses in concentration.
Current interim boss Freddie Ljungberg - one of Vieira's old Arsenal team-mates - is finding that out for himself after struggling to a 2-2 draw with lowly Norwich in his first game.
Before stepping up to a more competitive role, and testing the waters of return to his former club, proving he can get his own house in order first may be the first step towards proving he can cope with the pressures that consumed Emery at the Emirates.
