The identity of the new Crystal Palace boss was revealed this week as the club unveiled France and Arsenal legend Patrick Viera as their new manager.
The club had been linked with figures such as Frank Lampard, Sean Dyche, Steve Cooper, Eddie Howe, Steve Cooper and Nuno Espirito Santo after Roy Hodgson retired from management at the end of last season.
There is no doubt that Viera was a legend as a player but Palace are taking a massive risk by appointing him as their manager. Being a classy player does not always translate into success as a manager.
Palace would have seen this first-hand when Netherlands football legend Frank de Boer was managing them in 2017. Due to his legendary status as a footballer, the Dutchman arrived at Selhurst Park amidst much excitement.
He did not last long and was sacked after only four Premier League games as Palace failed to score a single goal in that time.
Viera also has no previous managerial experience in England. He started his managerial career in the United States with New York City FC and won 40 out of the 90 games he led the club in. While New York City may have been a good platform for him to start his career, the standards of football in the US cannot be compared to what lay in Europe.
Vieraโs only previous managerial experience in Europe came in a two-and-a-half-year spell with Nice. He was sacked by the Ligue 1 club following a run of five defeats in all competitions last December.
๐ช๐ฒ๐น๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐น๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ฆ
— Crystal Palace F.C. (@CPFC) July 4, 2021
We are delighted to confirm the appointment of Patrick Vieira as our new manager until 2024 โ๏ธ#CPFC | https://t.co/utMcYSDkhb
