Patrick Vieira arrived in Nice to continue the work of his predecessors Claude Puel and Lucien Favre. But the start of the world champion has been slow, with only a point taken in three games. After all, he has only limited experience on a sideline.
Reims, Caen and Dijon the opening fixtures were ideal for a good start, before two more important games against Lyon and Rennes. However, a draw was not unfortunate against the Normans. Their first defeat was against promoted Reims (1-0), followed by a very heavy defeat at home against Dijon (4-0).
However, Patrick Vieira already showed good things in Major League Soccer with New York City. A win against Lyon last weekend could definitely kick-start the season for Nice.
Nice after the transfer window
If he suffers due to comparisons with Puel, currently at Leicester, and Lucien Favre, who left late last season for Borussia Dortmund, the former defensive midfielder of Les Bleus still has an excuse: the transfer window.
Nice has indeed lost three of its key men this summer. Striker Alassane Plea transferred to Monchengladbach for €25 million, while defender Maxime Le Marchand and the keystone of the midfield, the Ivorian Jean-Michael Seri, both joined Fulham. Therefore it’s not the same Nice as it was last season. However, the current squad built on the work of an excellent academy is still a bit higher in terms of talent than the majority of Ligue 1 teams.
Patrick Vieira is used to developing a lot of young players. Being coach of Manchester Citys academy probably influenced this, with players like Jack Harrison at New York City (now on loan from Manchester City to Leeds United) developing under his tutelage. Knowing that Nice have a strong focus on youth and infrastructure development helped influence his choice to join.
Tactics and adaptions in Nice
Vieira arrived with a clear and ambitious flight plan:
I want a team creating an attacking game where the players express their qualities,
Like when he started in New York, the 1998 world champion came with a 4-3-3 lineup and a game built slowly from the back.
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