Glen Hoddle and Mark Hateley had talked about him in glowing terms when he was at Monaco. Arsene Wenger was to be the next Arsenal manager. Having graced sides like Mulhouse, Mutzig, Vauban and Strasbourg during his playing career, Wenger had no charismatic playing achievements to under-pin his managerial career. But fortunately the attributes required to play football at the highest level often go into reverse when it comes to management. Great players become crap managers.
Exotic players become miserly, defence-obsessed coaches.
And, happily for Arsene Wenger, so-so players can become great managers and coaches. At Monaco he managed to win the French league and never once was the club out of the top three in his seven year reign as chief coach. His year in Japan with Grampus Eight, prior to his arrival at Highbury, was hardly a failure. He took them from third from the bottom to second place and a Japanese Cup win. Although his arrival at Highbury was delayed until October last year, his influence was felt immediately by the capture of one Patrick Vieira from AC Milan for 3.5 million.