By Myles Palmer
The Harry Harris column, Harry’s Game, has an item about The Professor with a picture of Arsene Wenger and the headline :WENGER TOO FULL OF JOY AT FERGIE LOSS
Harris writes as follows :
“THE Professor” by Myles Palmer is the first biography of Arsene Wenger.
It discloses how Wenger, a stickler for players not drinking, celebrated Sir Alex Ferguson’s demise in the Champions League with a drop too much wine and turned up the next day for training with the signs of a hangover.
Arsenal’s former Clubcall man Dickon Geddes recalled the night in March 1998 when Manchester United played in Monaco.
United drew the Champions League quarter-final, first leg 0-0, but were expected to win the second leg. David Trezeguet scored early and though Ole Gunnar Solskjaer equalised, his old club still went through.
Geddes said: “Arsene had some friends round to watch the game with a few bottles of wine. The next day at training, he brought them in after 45 minutes.He had a headache. I asked him if he would do a piece, and he said: ‘Yes, as long as you speak quietly’.”
Personally, I found that little anecdote quite amusing.
But I later found out that after the players are fit, when they have been playing two games a week for months, Arsene sometimes only works them for 45 minutes anyway.
I think the United-Monaco game was in March, from memory.
The papers look at today’s game at Fulham from a discipline angle and an old mates angle.
Luis Boa Morte was sold by Wenger and was counselled by his pal Vieira after being sent off for spitting.
Thierry Henry played for Tigana at Monaco, and is pals with Luis Saha.
Who will win?
I try to write sensible stuff on ANR and I try to avoid over-dramatising the importance of any one game.
But today, at Fulham, I have the feeling that only a win will do. Arsenal are good enough to win and should win.
OK, they have only played five games and it is still mid-September.
But fans are already saying : If we can’t beat Fulham we will have a mediocre season.
15th September 2001.