With Arsenal still without a permanent boss, interim manager Freddie Ljungberg was powerless to avoid a 3-0 home defeat to Manchester City this weekend.
Former captain Mikel Arteta is close to being named as the new head coach although if an agreement cannot be reached the Gunners may already have another option to turn to.
Nice manager, and another ex-Arsenal captain in midfield, Patrick Vieira has been tipped as the other front-runner.
How would the Frenchman perform as Arsenal manager if he was appointed and where would Arsenal finish in the Premier League under Vieira?
We used Football Manager 2020 to have a bit of fun and see what could happen if Arsenal appointed the former midfield enforcer as the club's new manager.
Patrick Vieira at Arsenal
To set up this simulation, we simulated the season until December 17th 2019, then used the in-game editor to remove interim manager Freddie Ljungberg, and then appointed Patrick Vieira as his replacement.
This is how Patrick Vieira's profile looks in our simulation.
We then went on holiday until May 2020 to see how Vieira would perform as Arsenal manager.
Football Manager 2020 predicts that if Arsenal do turn to Vieira midway through this season, it will be nothing more than a transition year at best, with the Frenchman unable to turn the Gunners' fortunes around.
Vieira set up his team in a 4-3-3 formation for the majority of the campaign, with Aubameyang left, Pepe right and Lacazette up front.
The former Gunners player also went for a very solid midfield three of Guendouzi, Xhaka and Torreira, with Mustafi and Holding preferred to David Luiz and Sokratis.
Here is how Vieira's best eleven looked.
Lacazette was in outstanding form under his countryman, scoring 28 goals in all competitions.
And with Mesut Ozil frozen out, Torreira had the most assists with 13, from the deepest midfield position!
Vieira's philosophy at Arsenal was very different to what we've seen from the club in recent years, with the 43-year-old focusing on making the Gunners hard to beat, rather than the swashbuckling, open style we've seen under Arsene Wenger and Unai Emery to an extent.
You can clearly see this philosophy in the stats, with Arsenal scoring just 50 goals under Vieira in 38 games, the same as Leicester City and less than Bournemouth.
But, their defensive record was really, really strong, as Arsenal conceded just 31 goals in 38 games, something that seems impossible in real-life right now. But, Vieira somehow manages to make this Arsenal side concede less goals than Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham.
It may have been a disappointing season on the whole, as you'll find out later, but there were some really good results in the second-half of 2019/20.
Arsenal 2-1 Chelsea (1/2/2020)
Goals from Pepe and substitute Martinelli secured a 2-1 win over Chelsea at the Emirates.
Arsenal 2-1 Manchester City (18/1/2020)
Arsenal pulled off a great win over champions Man City at the Emirates in January, with Pepe and Lacazette scoring in a 2-1 win.
Liverpool 1-1 Arsenal (8/2/2020)
Vieira's side also claimed an impressive draw against Liverpool at Anfield, with Aubameyang scoring in what was a good away performance.
Despite these positive results, Arsenal just couldn't seem to get results against lesser teams due to their poor goalscoring record, drawing a league high of 11 times, which saw them finish in 6th place in the Premier League.
Premier League: Sixth Place (65 points)
There was almost a trophy to celebrate for Vieira's Arsenal, as they reached the Europa League final, but lost to fellow Premier League side Manchester United 2-0.
FA Cup: Quarter-Final (lost to Chelsea)
Carabao Cup: Third Round (Lost to Liverpool)
Europa League: Final (Lost to Manchester United)
Overall, Vieira finished the 2019/20 season with an unspectacular win rate of 57%, drawing nine and losing nine games, winning 24 in total.
According to Football Manager 2020, Vieira will be able to steady the ship in terms of goals conceded, but they'll then struggle significantly in front of goal, leading to a 6th place league finish.
They'll reach the Europa League final under Vieira, but for the second year running, will lose to English opposition.
It might be that Vieira needs a full season under his belt to make the impact that he wants, according to the game anyway.
What do you make of this prediction?
Would you welcome Vieira at the Emirates?
