Vieira praises Arteta impact at Arsenal

Arsenal legend, Patrick Vieira believes the club’s current manager, Mikel Arteta is making important inroads at the North London club.

Arteta was named Arsenal manager in December 2019 after the club had an unhappy spell at the hands of another Spaniard, Unai Emery.

Arsenal have since lost just two of their 15 matches with Arteta at the helm and Vieira believes the current upsurge in the club’s fortunes is down to the impact made by the new manager.

“When you’re a Gunner, always a Gunner, so I’m watching them all the time, I watch their games,” he told ex-teammate Ian Wright in an interview for Adidas.

“What is really interesting with Arteta is that he brings the energy back and it looks like they are playing for the club, but for the manager as well, and I think that is really important,” he said.

Vieira is currently manager of Ligue 1 side Nice having also previously managed MLS club, New York City FC.

He also discussed his future plans as he explained that his personal desires aren’t dissimilar to those he had while playing.

“I really don’t know what the future will be but doing this job it was like being a player,” Vieira added.

“I wanted to play at a high level, I wanted to play for the national team, I wanted to go to the World Cup, I wanted to play with the best players and there is no doubt as a coach I have the same kind of ambition.

“I would want to manage a team that will have a chance to win the Champions League and play in Champions League competition.

“But at the moment, honestly, right here at Nice I am in the perfect place, perfect place because I can fulfil my ambitions, the club is really ambitious and the club give me the tools to grow as a manager, but to be a part of a winning team and to play good competitions as well.

“The team is growing up really fast, really quick and hopefully I can get my ambitions with OGC Nice,” he concluded.