Sun journalist Duncan Wright believes Nice manager Patrick Vieira would want the Newcastle United job if it was offered to him.
Get French Football News previously reported that Vieira is happy in France and wouldn’t be joining the Magpies this summer, however, the national journalist revealed he still believes there’s a chance the 43-year-old could arrive at St James Park.
Wright claimed that Vieria could get a couple of years of managing in the Premier League under his belt at the Magpies then move on to a bigger club.
“I think he would go as it’s Premier League and he’d use it as a stepping stone,” said Wright on talkSPORT (14:23, Sunday, June 30th).
“As all he has to do is keep Newcastle in the Premier League and as you say, they’re not going to finish in the top-eight unless they have a stellar season, and that would only improve his reputation.
“So Vieria goes there, learns Premier League for a year or two then he can move on to a bigger club.”
OPINION
Hopefully, Wright is barking up the wrong tree with this one. While Vieira has an impressive point per game ratio across spells at Nice, where he averages 1.44 points per game, and MLS side New York City, where he averaged 1.58 points per game; the Magpies shouldn’t be looking to hire a manager who may leave them at the first good offer (Source: Transfermarkt). The 43-year-old may be able to be a success in the Premier League as a manager even given an opportunity, as he certainly was when he was a player, but why should the Magpies settle for someone who doesn’t view them as a big club. The last thing the Magpies need is a manager to succeed Rafa Benitez, do well, then disappear to get betters things as there would be no stability at the club. However, while Wright believes Vieira wants the job; it’s hard not to believe that he is happy in France. The 43-year-old only joined Nice at the start of the 2018/19 campaign and he is contracted until 2021, so surely he has a long-term vision for the club.
