Arsene Wenger has oft been considered a shrewd manager, signing relative unknowns and transforming them into world class players. Up until 2006 these players gave everything to Arsenal to win trophies and only left when Wenger had no more use for them, Vieira, Henry, Ljungberg, Pires, Toure to name but a few that gave their best years to Arsenal.
Wenger is a man that lost his personal chequebook on a train out of Strasbourg some 30 years ago and decided it was easier to learn to live frugally than to swallow his pride, call his bank, admit that he made a mistake and pay the fine for the replacement chequebook. This frugal living became the norm for Mr Wenger, both personally and professionally. Traits he carried with him through the ranks in France and to the other side of the world to Japan and finally to North London when in October 1996 he put pen to paper on a contract with Arsenal Football Club. Some time between October 1996 and November 1996 his newly issued AFC chequebook found itself floating under Highbury, through the sewers of London and out into the Thames never to be seen again……
Now the season has ended and Arsenal have finished disappointingly fourth having been in the running for 4 trophies 10 weeks earlier and still in the title race just three weeks before many Gooners will be praying that Arsene’s lost chequebook will surface in time for some serious business to be done. Read more
