Ex-Arsenal scout reveals who could have been ‘the next Patrick Vieira’

Ex-Arsenal scout, Gilles Grimandi, reveals hardest day in the job, lifts lid on working with Wenger & says Ray Parlour was most important player in Gunners’ squad

• “Bad results used to affect Arsene a lot; I don’t think people can even imagine how hard it was for him to deal with sometimes. He wouldn’t sleep if the team performed badly, and so my job – at times – was to try and find the right thing to say to him to make him feel better.”
• “It’s difficult to single out individuals, but one of the names I’m most proud of bringing to Arsene Wenger’s attention is Bacary Sagna. Sagna was struggling to find a big club in France who wanted to sign him, and when we brought him in, you wouldn’t have said he was talented in the same way as a Cesc Fabregas or a Samir Nasri.”
• “The one player who I think about a lot, who didn’t make it at the club in the way I hoped was [Abou] Diaby. He was a special talent, who did represent Arsenal 180 times over 10 years, but his body was not ready for the high level of the English game. I really think he could have been a top, top player, similar to the level of Patrick [Vieira].”
• “ The hardest day as staff when working as a scout for Arsene Wenger was after the Newcastle game in 2011, when Arsenal were 4-0 up in a game that finished 4-4. The manager gives you a call the next day, and neither of you have anything to say. It’s a nightmare.”
•  ”One day, I said to Ray [Parlour] that I wanted to go out with the guys, just to share the experience of that Tuesday club. My English wasn’t great at all at the time, but I understood quickly that I was going to be in big trouble if I stayed out with those guys. I managed to tell him I needed to stop and go home!”
• “Inside that group, Ray was one of the most important players, in my opinion. I know how loved he is in England, but I don’t think people appreciate just how important a role he played inside our team.”

“I knew everything Wenger wanted in a player… I’m most proud of bringing in Bacary Sagna, and think Abou Diaby could’ve been the next Vieira.”

Starting out as an Arsenal player, before going on to become one of Arsene Wenger’s scouts, Grimandi revealed exclusively to Ladbrokes Fanzone just how close he was with the former Gunners’ boss.

“My role at Arsenal was a little bit complicated, because obviously I started off as a player, and then went on to become a scout for Arsene [Wenger]. I had direct access to the manager, and it certainly wasn’t an easy job for me. I would speak a lot with Arsene, especially after games. That, in itself, was difficult at times, because when we had a bad result on a Saturday or Sunday, I knew that he’d be calling me on the Monday morning to talk about it. That was a nightmare for me, because I knew everything was going to be negative.  Bad results used to affect Arsene a lot; I don’t think people can even imagine how hard it was for him to deal with sometimes. He wouldn’t sleep if the team performed badly, and so my job – at times – was to try and find the right thing to say to him to make him feel better.”

Grimandi went on to explain that he really understood the type of player that Wenger wanted, meaning that if he presented an idea to his former boss, it was almost definitely going to be one he’d like, explaining that he was particularly proud of the signing of Bacary Sagna.

“But I knew the manager so well, and so when it came to my role as a scout, I knew that when I presented Arsene with a name, he was going to like the player, because I knew what he was looking for.  That said, I made some mistakes in my role; sometimes you think a player just isn’t going to be a success for your club, and then you see them develop and realise you got it wrong. It’s difficult to single out individuals, but one of the names I’m most proud of bringing to Arsene Wenger’s attention is Bacary Sagna. Sagna was struggling to find a big club in France who wanted to sign him, and when we brought him in, you wouldn’t have said he was talented in the same way as a Cesc Fabregas or a Samir Nasri. But he was the kind of player the manager knew he could depend on to consistently do a good job in his position. Of course, he went on to play over 200 games for Arsenal, sign for Manchester City and represent the French national team 65 times… nobody expected that from him. That kind of story makes me happy, because we recognised Bacary was a particularly good guy, so to help him develop was a real pleasure. ”

“The role of a scout is funny at times, because sometimes you are very positive about a player, you create your report, you’ve seen him play many, many times. But you turn up to see him at the club, and the player doesn’t even know you! But you think you know him like he’s your son, because you’ve seen him so many times and you’ve built this whole case for the club to sign him… sometimes for years and years. It’s just how the job goes sometimes.”

A lot of Arsenal fans had high hopes for Abou Diaby, but the French midfielder’s career was plauged with injuries. Gilles shared the sentiment whilst exclusively speaking to Labrokes Fanzone, stating that he was of the belief that Diaby could have been on the same level as Patrick Vieira.

“The one player who I think about a lot, who didn’t make it at the club in the way I hoped was [Abou] Diaby. He was a special talent, who did represent Arsenal 180 times over 10 years, but his body was not ready for the high level of the English game. I really think he could have been a top, top player, similar to the level of Patrick [Vieira]. It’s just a shame for him because I felt if he could have stayed fit, he could have been a very top player at the club.”

Hardest day in my career? Having to console Arsene after Newcastle 4-4 Arsenal

Gilles’ playing career with Arsenal was somewhat difficult, but he says that the hardest day during his time with the club came as a member of staff after Wenger’s side drew 4-4 with Newcastle back in February 2011.

“My playing career at Arsenal had difficult moments, especially at the start, but I look back and focus on the good memories. It was more difficult as a staff member, I always felt the defeats affected you more. The hardest day as staff when working as a scout for Arsene Wenger was after the Newcastle game in 2011, when Arsenal were 4-0 up in a game that finished 4-4. The manager gives you a call the next day, and neither of you have anything to say. It’s a nightmare. Before you pick up the phone in those moments, you’re just panicking. What can you say? In that game against Newcastle, for example, I knew that whatever I was saying to him on the phone, he was not listening. But he just wanted to talk with someone who was a little further out of the club, and wasn’t too involved with the team.”

Grimandi had to console Arsene after the draw, with the Frenchman’s deep-rooted love for the Gunners being clear for all to see, including those who worked below him.

“I spent so many years playing for and working with Arsene, and I was always so impressed with his knowledge of everything to do with the club. Seeing him struggle to deal with bad performances was one thing, but on the other side, watching him at work, he would be able to tell you exactly what is going on, who is performing well outside of the club, who to keep an eye on, who played in this game, who scored that goal… it’s unbelievable how deep Arsenal is inside Arsene. That’s why it would hurt him so much when we lost… the only thing that would help him would be the next game. I’ve got a huge amount of respect for scouts, because most of the time, when you find a real success, when you identify a player who goes on to be a great player, you never get the credit. But when the club signs someone based on your recommendation, and it doesn’t go well, for whatever reason, it’s the scout who is the one to blame! That’s why I think it’s one of the hardest jobs in football.”

I was in big trouble going out drinking with Arsenal English teammates… but Ray Parlour was one of our most important players

Grimandi concluded by speaking about his playing days, shining a particularly bright spotlight on Ray Parlour, who he states was an ‘outstanding’ player.

“I know the English guys used to go out every Tuesday; that was something that happened long before I had arrived; I knew they’d go to the pub for a few drinks after training – but  it created a real team spirit within the group, to be honest with you. One day, I said to Ray [Parlour] that I wanted to go out with the guys, just to share the experience of that Tuesday club. My English wasn’t great at all at the time, but I understood quickly that I was going to be in big trouble if I stayed out with those guys. I managed to tell him I needed to stop and go home! They used to drink too quickly for me, and I couldn’t keep up with them!

“Ray would always laugh about it, and every time after that occasion, he would ask me if I wanted to go out for a drink with them, and I just politely said no! I’ve got a special affection for Ray. He played a major role in the success of the club during the period in which he was there. He was such a positive personality in the dressing room, he was always joking with players and making sure everyone felt involved. His positive attitude really was special… and let’s not forget how outstanding he was on the pitch.

“Inside that group, Ray was one of the most important players, in my opinion. I know how loved he is in England, but I don’t think people appreciate just how important a role he played inside our team. Sometimes all it takes is one guy to change the atmosphere in a club, and Ray was this kind of guy. He was laughing all the time, and on the pitch he was a top, top player. He covered every position in the middle of the park; he’d play anywhere for the team… for the manager, that kind of player is fantastic, and so important. I think he deserves so much credit for the job he did at Arsenal.”