Patrick Vieira’s relaxed nature at Crystal Palace was costly before he was sacked
There was difficulty contacting Patrick Vieira on Thursday. Just hours after the loss to Brighton, he might have known what was coming.
Officials at Crystal Palace have found it increasingly difficult to communicate with Vieira in recent weeks, and Thursday’s initial silence from the Frenchman is not an isolated incident.
Chairman Steve Parish thought it necessary to talk things out with his embattled manager: Crystal Palace haven’t won a single game in 2023, after all.
As the dust from Brighton’s defeat settled, all options were on the table.
Sacking Vieira was the most likely conclusion, though other pundits insist that the prospect of giving the 46-year-old one last chance to stop his team’s alarming slide, everywhere at Arsenal, remained on the table.
Patrick Vieira was sacked from his role as manager of Crystal Palace on Friday morning
The former Arsenal midfielder felt he was not backed by the club’s owners, who were annoyed by the manager’s unwillingness to communicate.
By the time the pair finally spoke, around 7am Friday as Vieira prepared to take his team’s penultimate training session ahead of Sunday’s visit to the Emirates, any chance the Frenchman had of keeping his job had vanished. .
On Thursday, Parish wanted a chance to assess where Vieira’s head was. He wanted to feel if the fire was still burning.
By Friday, there was only one result. When they finally did speak, the discussion was frank.
Vieira believes that he has not received support, in more ways than just the transfer market.
It was also believed that he was angry that the news of his dismissal was delivered via phone call, feeling that the act should have been completed face to face.
By contrast, Palace have been annoyed by what they see as Vieira’s unwillingness to communicate in recent weeks, namely after the team’s loss to Aston Villa earlier this month.
The late Palace coach did not speak to his players after the 1-0 defeat at Villa Park. His silence stretched into the beginning of the following week, compounding the growing disconnect between the manager and the boardroom.
Vieira is believed to be disappointed that the club have not been more forthcoming about offering him a new contract. His contract expired at the end of the next season.
has been indicated to sports mail that the club was preparing to open talks on a deal after the World Cup.
But Palace’s form since then means those discussions were impossible.
Palace president Steve Parish was eager to assess whether Vieira was still mentally compromised.
For weeks there has been deep concern about Vieira’s declining morale. The club’s dismal form hit him hard.
He’s been down: Defeat against arch-rivals Brighton came as another crushing blow to his mood.
On Friday morning, all parties mutually agreed that there was no future in this burgeoning relationship, and Vieira was fired.
The Frenchman is a laid-back guy, and he tried to implement a relaxed atmosphere at the club’s Beckenham headquarters. But like it or not, Palace are in the midst of a relegation battle; this is not a time for relaxation.
In fact, there has been consternation that the culture that Vieira has been trying to foster is not suited to the dynamics of a Palace club.
Sometimes home truths are necessary. Sometimes a fight will suffice. There wasn’t much of that under Vieira.
Of course, Vieira has experienced firsthand exactly what a relaxed atmosphere can create.
Arsene Wenger actively avoided confrontation with his players. But it’s easy to relax when you have Vieira, Dennis Bergkamp, Thierry Henry, Robert Pires and others on your team. Clubs like Palace don’t have that luxury.
It was feared that Vieira and his coaching staff lacked the experience to halt the team’s decline.
In fact, Vieira’s decision to part with assistant coach Shaun Derry has been seen as a mistake by those behind the scenes.
It is important to note that Derry was not a Vieira date.
Derry, a former Palace player, is an outspoken person. A completely friendly and approachable guy off the pitch, but fierce when it comes to his football.
He would engage in difficult conversations with players who he felt were not doing their part.
But Vieira did not appreciate her intense nature. Bottom line: There was a personality clash and Viera told Derry that his services were no longer needed about six weeks ago.
Don’t be surprised to see Derry return to the club in the post-Vieira era.
Vieira took a laid-back approach but there was a sense the players lacked discipline, while his decision to sack Shaun Derry (right) was seen internally as a mistake.
Vieira believed that his own team of Osian Roberts, Kristian Wilson and Saïd Aïgoun were enough.
But fears that their coaching staff lacked the experience to stop the team’s alarming slide towards relegation danger grew with each disappointing result.
Derry is also at the beginning of his coaching career, but there is a view that his inclination to call it that would have benefited the team.
It should also be noted that Vieira was never the first choice for the Palacio position.
The club, for one reason or another, failed to tempt a series of managers, including Lucien Favre, Nuno Espirito Santo and Steve Cooper, to replace Roy Hodgson at the start of last season.
Vieira’s first season in charge was a success. An FA Cup semi-final coupled with what seemed to be a more attractive style of play instilled positivity.
Roy Hodgson is now seen as a contender to come in and galvanize the struggling squad.
However, even last season, there were concerns about Vieira’s plan. Palace was a mechanic with Hodgson, not necessarily easy on the eyes, but everyone knew his work and there was a clear pattern to his equipment.
Under Vieira, Palace were more spontaneous and relied on the brilliance of their attacking players, namely Wilfried Zaha, to get results.
Truth be told, there are many at Selhurst Park who still sigh for Hodgson’s regimented style of play.
Hodgson is retired, but available. It will be interesting to see which direction Palace heads next.