MLS: Patrick Vieira can succeed in New York, but he must go against the grain to do so.

As Jason Kreis relaxed into his chair he attempted to prepare himself. In the company of Orlando City SC coach Adrian Heath and host Jimmy Conrad he was set to partake in the Expansion Priority Draft, which allowed the two newest teams in MLS pick four of eight MLS mechanisms.

Broadcast live on YouTube it was memorable for all the wrong reasons from a New York City FC perspective. “I just made a mistake,” Kreis said, his hand covering his face as he admitted to misreading his notes when making his selection. “I flipped over my paper here and I looked at the very last one.”

With hindsight that moment seemed prophetic for Kreis and a tenure that ended earlier this month with his dismissal. A talented coach that helped Real Salt Lake collect an MLS Cup in 2009 his decision to take a job at New York City FC had not been rewarded with success.

The search for his successor began quickly with a variety of names linked to the job including: Fabio Capello, Sigi Schmid and Patrick Vieira.

A former World Cup winner and Arsenal legend, Vieira was eventually confirmed as coach of New York City FC on Monday. Already part of City Football Group, his time in Manchester has seen him graduate from player (albeit bit-part) to coach of the club’s Elite Development Squad. The sprawling complex that houses Man City’s youth is a cascade of high tech buildings and beautifully manicured pictures, serving as an incubator for promising young players.

Only it now seems it is not just on the field talent they are trying to shape and mould. Vieira has been slowly groomed by the football club in an attempt to ready him for senior management. He helped City’s youngsters to sit top of their group in the UEFA Youth League as well as winning a Premier League International Cup. The likes of Brandon Barker and George Evans have started to make moves into the professional game via loan spells with Rotherham and Walsall respectively. The general consensus being that Vieira has done a good job at Man City.

However that has not jettisoned him from the limbo that many former Premier League stars with coaching ambitions find themselves in. Timing is key. The wrong job can damage a reputation and while Vieira flirted with the idea of managing Newcastle United in the summer, nothing arrived. It was questioned if that perfect opportunity would ever present itself for a man that brings a wealth of top level experience to the table.

Now he has an opportunity, although how perfect it is remains to be seen. Maintaining him in the CFG structure, New York City FC will be his new home starting from January. The obvious question is whether Vieira can succeed in a league that he has never played nor worked in.

What sounds an obtuse question given his experience and success as a player becomes much more valid when you note the nuances of Major League Soccer and also the history of big name European coaches in the league. Kreis made his mistake as a veteran of the league meaning it can trip up even the most experienced mind.

The SuperDraft, trades, allocation money, waivers, these are all terms that Vieira must familiarise himself with before March 2016 when the league commences. He must also attempt to devise a tactic that harnesses the power of his three Designated Players: David Villa, Andrea Pirlo and Frank Lampard. That was certainly something that tripped up Kreis during the 2015 campaign. A lack of speed and athleticism in midfield is not the recipe for success in MLS and he struggled to negate those issues with his tactics and team selection.

Whether Vieira cares to study it or not, history is also not on his side. All four of the remaining playoff sides are coached by MLS veterans (three of whom are American). European coaches are the minority in the league at present and historically they have failed in MLS. Of those that closest resemble Vieira’s path (Ruud Gullit at LA Galaxy and Aron Winter at Toronto FC) neither were remotely successful.

Winter lasted the longer of the two (17 months) but now works with the Dutch U19 team. As for his compatriot Gullit, his time in MLS can best be described as a circus. Wonderfully chronicled in Grant Wahl’s book ‘The Beckham Experiment’, the former Chelsea and Newcastle coach failed to grasp the intricacies of Major League Soccer.

Typified by his misunderstanding of the Expansion Draft that allows new teams entering the league to select players from existing rosters, Gullit was told he could only protect 12 players and not all of them as he initially requested. During an exchange with General Manager Alexi Lalas the Dutchman attempted to circumvent the issue by saying: “Then the player should just refuse the transfer!”

Vieira is never likely to be that naive to the system. He has visited New York previously and walks in with a set of advisers and a support structure that he will no doubt lean on. However the absence of Claudio Reyna’s voice during his appointment has been a concern. Operating as NYCFC’s Sporting Director, Reyna described him as ‘the natural choice’ earlier this week.

Certainly there is a strong opinion that NYCFC have made a mistake by appointing Vieira. Two coaches arriving from England have thrived in MLS . However both Steve Nicol and Gary Smith knew the American system prior to undertaking their respective coaching jobs with New England Revolution and the Colorado Rapids.

Admittedly, Vieira has already had a sample of the club he will now lead. Last year his EDS side trained and worked alongside NYCFC during the latter’s pre-season trip to Manchester. The team took on St Mirren and won, bubbling the optimism that would eventually die down when their playoff hopes were dashed.

A handful of Vieira’s young charges would get even closer to NYCFC during the course of last season with Shay Facey and Jose Angeliño sent to the Big Apple. The hope was they would develop as players and return to Manchester stronger than when they left. It would be fair to say they hope the same thing for Vieira, only with fewer difficulties along the way.

They will also hope he can take them into the playoffs. A talented player, an intelligent mind, Vieira has all the skills and capabilities to succeed but he will have to redefine the perception of a former player arriving from Europe to do so.