“It’s good because he’s very detailed on what he wants,” McArthur told Premier League Productions before the clash with Brentford. “It’s not just a case of changing from 4-4-2 to 4-3-3. He’ll describe exactly what he wants in that.
“It’s been good for us to try and transition like this and keep trying to progress as a club, because in games you’ll find that maybe 4-4-2 doesn’t work, so you change to that 4-3-3 and it’s important we all understand each role.
“As players it’s good to get different ways of playing and different ways of learning as well. I’m obviously more experienced now and older, but still having that chance to keep learning is very important.”
Vieira’s approach on the training ground has fostered a positive atmosphere in the camp, with an emphasis on one element in particular.
“Winning – that’s what he brings, that winning mentality,” explained McArthur. “A small thing in training we do is that if you lose, no matter what it is, you do a forfeit. I think that’s important.
“We want to win every single game we play in and not only that, but everything we do. So if you start that in training, you carry it on into games.
“He’s got different ideas to before. He’s a very approachable man as a person which is good for us as players. There’s a good relationship between the players and him, and the staff. It’s been enjoyable.”
After a tough opening day fixture against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, McArthur says it is important for Palace to use the defeat as a learning opportunity.
“Every defeat I think you should try and learn from,” he said. “We had the opportunity to learn from a game where nobody really expected us to get a result. So [if] we take notice of what we need to do to get better and keep moving forward, we should be strong.
“I think we are finding that flow. The toughest test you can probably get was against Chelsea after them being on such a high, so it was a tough day for us. But we feel like we are progressing on the field, even in the friendlies we had.
“It’s a different way of playing and we’re all getting used to it and enjoying it.”
With plenty of Academy youngsters joining the first-team squad this season, McArthur – who captained the side against Chelsea – says the experienced players need to step up.
“I didn’t try and change anything [as captain],” he said. “I am who I am as a person, and I won’t try to do anything different. Everyone’s got different characteristics. I always try and help people no matter whether I’ve got an armband or not.
“We’ve also brought in a lot of young faces as well, so the experienced boys need to try and help the younger lads progress. We’ve seen it last year with [Eberechi] Eze, how he flourished and there’s a lot that goes on in the background to give them that platform.”