Crooks: A Q&A With NYCFC Coach Patrick Vieira

By Glenn Crooks
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The New York City Football Club has won four in a row and sits atop the Eastern Conference standings with eight wins and 30 points. After training on Friday, I sat down with head coach Patrick Vieira for a midterm report. This is Part 1.

Glenn Crooks: This is a new venture for you in a new country. What have been the biggest adjustments for you personally?

Patrick Vieira: I think when you move to a country like the U.S., you need to understand the culture, to understand how people see the game and adapt yourself. I had people around me who helped me to adapt like Rob (Vartughian, goalkeeper coach) and Claudio (Reyna, sporting director). They helped me understand the view of the people of our game.

GC: There has been a prevailing thought that foreign managers from Europe struggle and more often than not fail in Major League Soccer. It appears you have managed to figure it out midway through your first season.

PV: It's quite early to say if it was a failure or a success yet. But I'm really happy where we are at the moment – especially the way we have been playing football. When you come into a country, it's difficult to come in and say I will change everything. If people have things in their mind then it's not the best approach. I came here with humility and tried to work with people in the football club and explain the way I see the game. Of course, I take into consideration, the different opinion and options of people who have been here a really long time. This is one of the reasons I believe we are in a really right way.

LISTEN: 'Soccer In The City' Podcast

GC: Pep Guardiola had his first press conference Friday with Manchester City. He said that he intends to bring the beautiful game to the English Premier League – it kind of reminds me of you, Patrick, trying to convey the beautiful game in MLS.

PV: Pep is the one that I really enjoy watching his teams play. He's got some really good ideas behind how the team plays. When you talk about enjoying your football, I think he is the best in the world. Everywhere he went he made his team play the way that fans and people like to watch the game. And at the end, he was successful at the same time. Which means it is possible to play that way and win something at the end of the season.

GC: So you think that your manner and Pep's methods are the way the game should be played?

PV: I strongly believe that there is not a right way or a wrong way. There is just a philosophy. I quite like this philosophy I really enjoy it and what is really important to me is that the players are really enjoying it. When I'm talking to them and see them play, they are really buying into that project and the way to play.

GC: Did you have any concerns early on, when the team was unable to truly grasp the way you wanted to play, that your philosophy might not work this season – or at all.

PV: No, there is no concern. When I'm talking to the players, they are really excited about it. When I met the players for the first time in Puerto Rico (in December 2015), I was convinced that I could work with them because they were so enthusiastic about it. I remember when I met with Josh (Saunders, goalkeeper) for the first time and I explained to him how we are going to play and what I expect from the goalkeepers, he was really excited about it – he wasn't use to it, but he was enthused about it. And the fact he had a desire, then it was my job to make it work. Working with him and working with Jason (Hernandez) has been fantastic because their mind has been really open. For me, it made it easier for them to love the game.

GC: You have a patience with players. Saunders, for instance, was struggling at one point in the year and there were cries for Eirik Johansen – you stuck with Saunders, and you've been rewarded for it.

PV: I'm really happy about Josh. He's a professional, the way he conducts himself in training, the way he is interacting with the players, the way he is talking in the dressing room – he's a leader. We are where we are because of him – you are not going to get to the top of the league if you don't have a good goalkeeper.

GC: Since their arrival as DPs last year, there has always been the question, can you play both Frank Lampard and Andrea Pirlo in the midfield at the same time. They are too old, too slow and don't prioritize the defensive side were the claims. They have played together from the start on four occasions – all victories. How have you made this combination work?

PV: You are talking about two players who may have the best record in world football. We're talking about two players who managed to win the Champions League and have played hundreds of games in top-level leagues and international level. Their understanding of the game – their brain works more quickly than everyone else. So they might not have the legs but they have the brain that other players don't have. They make it look easy. I'm really please with what people called old players. They are the heart of this team and more than happy with what they're doing.

GC: You were the oldest player in training today (age 39). I notice you put on the yellow (neutral) scrimmage vest.

PV: Yes, that's why it's good to play with both teams (laughs). It's really difficult when the young players are running around, but when you don't have your legs, you have your brain.

For all things futbol, please follow Glenn on Twitter at @GlennCrooks. You can also read his work at Empire of Soccer.