Bah, everything is like this these days, the Xmas decorations are already up in Sainsburys, it's still November

A Palace manager will always leave for Liverpool, Man. City, Man. Utd, or Chelsea so if one of them comes in for him, which is unlikely, he'll go. Probably won't happen; definitely not anytime soon. Also, Vieira will go to Arsenal if, one day, they come knocking. For that reason, Arteta turning them around would suit us just fine. For the same reason, he won't go to Spurs. What I can't see happening is Vieira going to anyone else; Leicester, West Ham, Everton, Newcastle; that sort of level of side who think they're big but aren't. At least as long as he's getting support from the club (the board), building the side he wants, and creating an emerging team that are behind him I think he'll stay. Particularly with the academy, we are now turning into a proper, Tier 2 PL club. If I was Vieira I'd make the FA Cup a real priority this season because with the way we're playing now, there's no reason to think a piece of major silverware isn't possible. In fact, I'd be targeting winning a Cup big time over the next couple of seasons.

I suppose a top European side could come in for him (PSG, etc.) but it's also worth bearing in mind that Vieira has spent the majority of his adult life living in London and is quite likely at home here. As long as Palace are trending in the direction we are now, I can see him having a Wenger-ish career at Palace. And that's worth remembering, too. His mentor in the game is a manager who spent 20 years in one job so he's not trying to emulate a culture of changing jobs every two or three seasons but more likely, he wants to build something lasting.

Sydenham by birth. Selhurst by the Grace of God.