Patrick Vieira is the latest ex-Arsenal star to speak up in support of Arsene Wenger, his former boss, and has urged the current players to take responsibility on the pitch.

• Vieira went on to play for Juventus, Inter and Manchester City after Arsenal
• Vieira became manager of New York City FC in 2016 after coaching City’s reserves
• NYC FC finished 4th in the MLS last season

The ex-midfielder, who spent nine years in north London, is now manager of New York City FC, an MLS team owned by City’s CEO. He’s been there since 2016 and managed to get his team to fourth in their table. However, it’s not been easy, and the Frenchman now has a new found respect for his compatriot.

“It’s a difficult one, it’s not just about Arsene but coaching in general. Now I’m into the other side I do understand how difficult it is,” Vieira said.

“As a coach you’re controlling the players you bring, what’s going on on the pitch, the decisions you’re making, but I think when players are on the field they have to take responsibility.

“It’s really difficult to say ‘Wenger in’ or ‘Wenger out’ because I don’t have all the information to make that decision, but it’s important for players on the field to take responsibility because losing games – yeah, a manager is the first one – but at the same time, players have to look at themselves and see if they give everything for the football club.

“I don’t think at Arsenal that every single player can say that they’ve been giving everything for this football club, for the shirt that they’re wearing.

“The manager is always going to be the target, but you have to look at what Arsene did for the club in the last 20, 21 years.

“What the club was before and what the club is now. The club completely changed. It’s more than a club now.

“When you look at Arsenal, they have an identity the way they play, the philosophy, it’s been like that for the last 20 years and then of course you want to win as a fan, but look at the identity and the philosophy that Arsene brought to this club.

“This is sometimes more important and bigger than just winning trophies.”

As Vieira insinuates, you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink. Wenger can give his players all the tools they need on the training ground but if they don’t produce on the pitch, that’s their fault. However, the blame always seems to fall to him and most of the time he willingly accepts it, which is unfair.

This isn’t to say Wenger isn’t without his shortcomings – Arsenal haven’t won the league in over a decade and he’s been the common denominator – but the players aren’t entirely blameless.