In less than three seasons, Patrick Vieira molded New York City FC to his vision, shaping them into a perennial contender that has forced teams to adjust to them as they've risen in the Eastern Conference ranks. The team, currently tied for second in the Supporters' Shield standings with 24 points (third in points per game, at 2.0), is coming off a 4-0 victory over struggling Colorado.
All this has positioned Vieira amidst a swirl of positional intrigue, most notably with French outlet Mercato reporting that Vieira is in "advanced talks" [in Frenchāed.] with Ligue 1 side Nice.
This comes as Nantes president Waldemar Kita told L'Equipe that Vieira is among the candidates being considered to replace outgoing coach Claudio Ranieri.
After the victory against Colorado, Vieira was asked how he's able to maintain focus -- both his own and that of his players -- as chatter clacks around them. He had this to say:
"I am the leader of the group, of the team, and I will have to show them that example. I have to keep them under pressure, I have to put myself under pressure to perform and get the best of them. Everything outside of that is something that I can't control. Players are working well, working hard and i'm really happy with the commitment in training and the focus. We have to try to improve every week.
