Patrick Vieira spoke of his pride at taking over at Selhurst Park and his desire to get stuck in to the ‘exciting challenge’ that awaits, in his first interview as Crystal Palace manager.
“It’s a crucial period for the football club,” he told Palace TV after his first training session with the squad. “I think we’re looking forward to a new chapter, and I’m really proud and happy to be a part of it.”
After his appointment was announced on Sunday, Vieira met with his players for the first time on Monday at the club’s Beckenham training ground.
“It was a good first day,” he said. “I was looking forward to meeting the players and the staff, and it was a good day.
“I think the first week is always important. To know the players, but [also] for the players to know how I want to work, and the philosophy that I will want to implement in the football club.
“The first week will be when I talk to the players individually, and try to understand where we are, what we want to achieve and explain to them the way I see the game and the way I want to build a team.”
It's a crucial period for the club. I think we're looking forward to a new chapter.
—Patrick Vieira
Vieira will take his players to St. George’s Park, the England national side’s base, next week as they step up preparations for the Premier League opener at Stamford Bridge on 14th August.
“It’s really important,” he explained. “St. George’s Park is one of the best places you can go and prepare yourself.
“Spending time with the players and doing some individual meetings, and unit meetings, and trying to really go into details about what I expect from players, from staff – how we can all work together to maximise the potential of the players.”
The former Arsenal midfielder also made clear how he expects his Palace side to shape up when the season gets underway:
“My hope is to get the best of the players,” Vieira said. “What I really want is to put a philosophy in place that my players understand really well, so that when they go on the field they can express themselves.
“Because there is talent, and my responsibility will be to make that talent work well together. I want to see a team who is on the front foot.
“I want the team to score more goals, to have more shots on target than we used to, but at the same time to keep this kind of mental strength that the team has created in the last couple of years – to become even stronger.”
As well as his new charges, the set-up at the club was something that attracted Vieira.
“What is really important for me is the stability of the football club,” he said. “You have a Chairman who is passionate about this football club, and you have Dougie Freedman who is an ex-player and now as Sporting Director.
“You have the structure of the football club with this new facility, the new Academy. I think the foundation of this football club will allow me to give my best.
“This is what I was looking for: to be a part of a team that is working well together to bring new faces to the football club. I will be surrounded by people who have experience, and I’m really looking forward to working hard with those people to bring talent to this football club.
“I have a really good idea about the team that we have. I think what we will need is to bring players who can create chances; players who can score goals.”
For Vieira, however, the transfer market is not the only source of new talent. Palace’s successful Under-18s and Under-23s made strides in their first season at Category 1 level, with several youth prospects training with the senior squad in the new manager’s first session.
“I spent a couple of years at [Manchester] City, and working with some of the best young players in the country really taught me how to understand what it takes, what you need to develop a young talent.
“But I believe this football club has a really good reputation of developing young players. When you see all the young players who are coming through the Academy to play for the first-team, I think this football club has been working well. So it’s working for those people – I can see if I can bring some of my experience to them to produce even more players.”
Palace’s brand new Academy facility will allow the young players the best possible opportunity to develop during the next campaign – something Vieira has been impressed with in his first days at the club.
With your support, we can achieve a lot.
—Patrick Vieira
“I went there yesterday and spent a couple of hours with the Chairman and Dougie around the place,” he said. “It is an excellent tool to have, because it shows the commitment of this football club to its young players.
“The club is prepared to give you all you need to succeed, and this is important as well when you want to sign young players. Because I believe this football club has everything we need to challenge some of the best football clubs around, and to give the player what he needs to develop himself.
“What I knew from Palace before coming was the link between the first-team and the Academy – and the link between the fans and the players. I heard a lot of really good things about the atmosphere of this football club
“When you put all these kind of ingredients together, I strongly believe that this is the perfect project for myself.”
Vieira concluded with a message to the Selhurst Park faithful. “The message to the fans is simple and clear: I will give my best to the football club. I know what it means for the fans. I will work hard to manage to get the best of the players.
“Obviously I will be really demanding, because I think that with the players that we have around and the new players that we are bringing, with your support, we can achieve a lot.”