Why did Patrick Vieira leave Strasbourg and will he become the next USA head coach?

The timing of events over the past 12 hours begs the question, is Patrick Vieira about to be appointed as the next head coach of the United States? More importantly, is he the right appointment?

Ligue 1 side Strasbourg parted ways with the former Arsenal midfielder and New York City manager on Thursday, just days after he shut down a reporter asking about the USMNT opening.

Vieira grinned, refuted the idea, and left the French club ‘by mutual consent’ days later.

That’s not to suggest this was in the pipeline all along, but it does beg the question given how quickly things have moved.

Strasbourg finished 13th in Ligue 1 last season and while Vieira acknowledged his side went through some difficult moments, it was a good return for a new manager at the start of a project.

The French club set themselves the lofty ambition of playing European football within three years, meaning they would have to potentially surpass the likes of Rennes, Marseille, Lens and even Lyon, who finished sixth last season.

Earlier this summer, the Frenchman repeatedly stated his desire to keep the team’s talented core together to aid their progression. Since then, six players who made a collective 120 appearances have departed, with six incomings between the ages of 18 and 21, four of which have been promoted from within the club.

That sounds like a possible motive for resignation, especially as Strasbourg started playing pre-season friendlies two weeks ago and risk being ill-prepared.

The more likely scenario is that Vieira is about the land the top job in US Soccer.

Attempts to court Jurgen Klopp were short-lived as the German is looking forward to an extended break, while suggestions of Rafael Benitez and Gareth Southgate feel fanciful.

Instead, the USSF has predictably landed on names closer to home, like Steve Cherundolo, Wilfried Nancy and Jim Curtin. They all have their plus points. And they are all employed by MLS clubs. The latter appears to be out of the running.

Few can argue that Vieira was a success during his time at New York City FC. He gave MLS’ newest side a tactical identity, gave academy prospects a clear pathway to success, and repeatedly reached the Eastern Conference semi-finals.

At times he could be stubborn, and sure, he never took his side all the way, but we should have had you at ‘tactical identity’ and his ability to work with talented young players. Those are two things the USMNT is screaming out for.

Another attractive attribute of Vieira’s is his ability to strike the right chord. There are numerous accounts of his ability to apply the hairdryer treatment, and, on the other hand, put an arm around a player in need.

One criticism levelled at Gregg Berhalter was that certain players became too comfortable, perhaps even taking their call-ups for granted. It seems obvious the Frenchman’s appointment would fix that.

Senior players such as Tim Ream even highlighted the need for greater intensity during training sessions. It’s hard to imagine someone slacking under Vieira’s watchful eye.

More importantly, Berhalter struggled to elicit the required level of performance from the United States’ best-ever crop of players. The term 'golden generation' is banded about a lot in football, but applying it to this ground of players wouldn’t be deemed a misuse of the phrase.

For the first time in 2024, the USA fielded a team entirely composed of players playing their football in Europe’s top five leagues.

Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, Folarin Balogun and Gio Reyna, just to name a few. They aren’t just good relative to the US talent pool, they’re players capable of playing in the Premier League.

In an ideal world, generational US talent should be managed by a first-class, homegrown coach. When Vieira first arrived in MLS, there was scepticism around hiring European coaches.

But the world is less than perfect and no other genuine candidate can match Vieira’s CV when it comes to first-hand experience of what it takes to exceed at the highest level.

The World Cup-winning midfielder has done it all as a player and found success in each of his four stints as a manager, including leading Crystal Palace to an FA Cup semi-final and Nice to a seventh-place finish.

Patrick Vieira may not be the big, shiny name that US Soccer as a brand wanted heading into the most important World Cup in its history, but he just might be the coach the players need to finally live up to their potential.