The people v Gilles Grimandi

[say yes]

In 2006 Giles Grimandi became Arsenal’s chief scout in France. The french talent market had been the bedrock of Arsène’s early success at the club, and Grimandi’s posting there should have seen more of the same, as France began to produce a conveyer belt of the finest talent in world football: Pogba, Mbappe, Kante and Dembele to name but a few.

However, while most of those French talents would have jumped at the chance of playing for Arsenal, Grimandi instead had us waste millions signing utter bums like David Ospina, Sanogo, Gervinho, Giroud and Chamakh.

And it gets worse. Giles didn’t just fail to spot the top talent sloshing all over the place in the French league, he actively counselled against them. See for example:

"We will get to Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, but first a story about the player who could have made everything so different for Arsenal: N’Golo Kante. A friend in France told Arsène Wenger all about Kante when he was in Ligue 2 with Caen.

Wenger dispatched Gilles Grimandi, his chief scout in France, to watch the little dynamo but Grimandi was not wowed. Six out of 10. Wenger’s friend persisted and Grimandi was sent to look again, but came back with another sceptical report. The manager kept monitoring Kante, but having just brought Mathieu Flamini back, and with Mikel Arteta, Tomas Rosicky, Santi Cazorla, Jack Wilshere, Francis Coquelin and Aaron Ramsey already on his roster, he felt there was little point recruiting another central midfielder unless they were outstanding. After he joined Leicester, Wenger realised Kante was outstanding. He went for him at the end of 2015-16 but was this time put off by people around the player whose interest appeared to surround personally cashing in from a deal.

Arsenal’s scouts had been tracking Aubameyang since his first forays into French football. In the summer of 2012, scouts Steve Rowley and Francis Cagigao recommended him as a potential addition to the Arsenal frontline. Arsenal’s French scout, Gilles Grimandi, was less convinced, and consequently the club instead opted for Olivier Giroud. A year later, Aubameyang joined Borussia Dortmund, unrivalled by any Arsenal bid.

I am #raging.

 

[Macho]

This thread was always coming

 

[Trilly]

In 2006 Giles Grimandi became Arsenal’s chief scout in France. The french talent market had been the bedrock of Arsène’s early success at the club, and Grimandi’s posting there should have seen more of the same, as France began to produce a conveyer belt of the finest talent in world football: Pogba, Mbappe, Kante and Dembele to name but a few.

However, while most of those French talents would have jumped at the chance of playing for Arsenal, Grimandi instead had us waste millions signing utter bums like David Ospina, Sanogo, Gervinho, Giroud and Chamakh.

And it gets worse. Giles didn’t just fail to spot the top talent sloshing all over the place in the French league, he actively counselled against them. See for example:





I am #raging.

We’ve been so unlucky/inept in so many different areas that sometimes you feel like we’re due some golden years.

 

[A_G]

@say yes The funny thing about Grimandi's Auba snub in 2012 was him going all out to convince Sanogo to sign a year later.

 

[Marjorie]

Is he still out there working for us?

 

[A_G]

Is he still out there working for us?

No, he left: https://arsenal-mania.com/forum/threads/gilles-grimandi-leaves-arsenal.33388/

 

[razörist]

Is he still out there working against us?

Fixed

 

[say yes]

@say yes The funny thing about Grimandi's Auba snub in 2012 was him going all out to convince Sanogo to sign a year later.

Ffs. How he lasted 12 years in that job is utterly beyond me. I see it only took Nice a few months to realise he was utterly useless and sack him.

Did he have any qualifications apart from being one of Wenger’s old pals? Convinced he was a covert Sp**s fan.

 

[Yousif Arsenal]

instead of hiring an actual scout like Francis Cagigao we go and hire guy knows f**k all to scout a country that have full of talents. no surprised about the result of us missing guys like Kante Mahrez Auba etc.. even before moving from Ligue 1.

 

[Garrincha]

50m for Lacazette.

 

[say yes]

Is he still out there working for us?

No he joined Nice as their technical director and was sacked a few months later:

 

[Yousif Arsenal]

i also blame the club sticking with him that long i know Wenger was controlling almost everything but at least you expect the club to intervene because we missing all these talents.

 

[EinmalImmerEwig]

We’ve been so unlucky/inept in so many different areas that sometimes you feel like we’re due some golden years.

These are the Golden Years.
We've got a shiny new Stadium, playing in the best League in the World, and we're in the FA Cup Final again, with a multitude of International Superstars gracing the shirt.


What more do you want?

 

[Riou]

This thread should unite all of Arsenal Mania...except any ****** who think the answer in the poll is no, they should be beaten and then banned...the maybe beaten again.

 

[MD3 Gunner]

What a weird thread this is loooool

 

[Riou]

@say yes The funny thing about Grimandi's Auba snub in 2012 was him going all out to convince Sanogo to sign a year later.

Anyone praising Giroud now has forgotten that he was so bad in periods, that people genuinely wanted a gimp like Sanogo to start over him

 

[A_G]

What a weird thread this is loooool

Do you think Grimandi rated Vicente?

 

[EinmalImmerEwig]

This thread should unite all of Arsenal Mania...except any ****** who think the answer in the poll is no, they should be beaten and then banned...the maybe beaten again.

I voted yes, but I just wonder who scouted Pepe, if anyone?
If he was in fact scouted my vote would go to that person.

 

[Lidl_Reed]

I was okay with a lot of it, but then he signed Giroud so he [Mod Edit: was that last comment really necessary?]

 

[roz]

Anyone praising Giroud now has forgotten that he was so bad in periods, that people genuinely wanted a gimp like Sanogo to start over

I’ve always rated him, got a terrible time from you lot. Seem to remember winning trophies and finishing in the top 4 fairly regularly.

Its a big no from me in the poll. Giles come home