Who Is To Blame For This Transfer Window Debacle?

As you will probably have heard by now, Arsenal expert Amy Lawrence was on Radio 5 Live and commented on the current situation in the transfer market.

In a nutshell, she suggested that unlike other football clubs like PSG and Manchester City that have come into money recently Arsenal are still reluctant to spend. Sides like PSG weren’t afraid to “splash the cash” and even though we have a “war chest” at our disposal we just can’t come around to spending any of it.

So who is to blame for the lack of spending so far this summer?

As regular readers will already know, I truly believe we won’t spend a penny this summer.

We’ve seen our number one target Gonzalo Higuain slip through our fingers, Stevan Jovetic has moved to City and we haven’t followed up interest in Marouane Fellaini or Lars Bender. Amy Lawrence suggested the Higuain deal was done and dusted before Napoli came along, but the fact we missed out on him shows our lack of guile in the transfer market and because we’ve been penny pinching for so long we just don’t know how to close a deal when it comes to the most coveted players. We’re experts in signing “players with potential” from France but not a world class player from a big club.

But what was most damning from the Amy Lawrence interview was her insight into things behind the scenes. I am a big fan of Amy Lawrence and listen to her on The Guardian’s Football Weekly Podcast and tend to believe what she says when it comes to football, and Arsenal in particular. So what she said made sense to me.

What she suggested was that Arsene Wenger couldn’t change his way of being “careful with money” and was unwilling to spend, whereas Ivan Gazidis and the board wanted Arsene to improve the squad. She also said that if it comes to the end of the transfer window and we haven’t signed anyone, then there will be some tension. I suggest that amongst Arsenal fans that particular ship has already sailed.

So who is to blame?

There are sections of the Arsenal faithful who would take a bullet for Arsene Wenger but it seems he is the one who is reluctant to spend. Also, as Arseblog has already suggested, when Ivan Gazidis came out and declared we had loads of money to spend, he was actually trying to call out Arsene to spend some money.

Of course, these are all just theories at this point but the fact still remains we’ve missed out on big opportunities to give all of the Arsenal fans a big boost this summer. The perfect time to reveal a new and exciting signing would have been at either our new kit launch or on the Asia Tour.

But almost 11 weeks after the season ended we still haven’t spent a penny.

 

56 thoughts on “Who Is To Blame For This Transfer Window Debacle?

  1. ANSWER: The media and people like you are to blame for continuously speculating negatively on a subject about which you clearly know nothing

     
  2. ^
    | What he said. Amy’s opinion made sense to you because it fed into your miserable view of the club that you claim to support yet actively seek to undermine so you can draw negative internet hits.

     
    • Yet you are the first to slagg him off everyday. You fundamentalist AKB don’t even see that you are supporting Arsene FC and not Arsenal. Its truly sad, and I’m afraid we’ll get nowhere fast unless we deal with these people.

      I mean what are you going to do when Wenger dies? Go to an effing graveyard in France every weekend instead?

       
  3. I have been saying for years that Wenger should be gone, the writing has been on the wall for some time and we can see that there won’t be signings again this year.
    Wenger out now, best paid member of the coaching staff and failing for 9 years? Taxi for Wenger.

     
  4. How can we make it clear to Arsene Wenger that his Economics expertise is not what he is being employed for…we want a Manager who will tell those holding the purse strings to buy who Arsenal need to win things without getting involved as to the value! Arsenal have been saving the pennies at the expense of the club winning nothing for 8 years…Mr. Wenger just get the players! If Suarez, Bernard, Williams, Cesar comes to 100M and this leads to success the returns will be significant and we will stop losing disillusioned players!!

     
  5. Some people actively seek out soft targets to project their bile at in order to relieve the pain of living their miserable little lives. The rest of us need to just accept that these crusty little individuals exist and be thankful that we are not similarly afflicted.

     
  6. Wow, instant response from 2 AKB’s. What makes you 2 more “in the know” than the author? Everyone has opinions but 8 years without a trophy does not lie, treading water in the Top 4 (possibly out of it this year) is not good enough for a team like Arsenal and I could understand after 5 or 6 years because we had no money. What is the point of Arsenal now, Business or Football, I would be happy that we spent EVERY PENNY on what Arsenal are all about, FOOTBALL!! What is the point of stockpiling money if we cannot see at least a few superstars that MY and OTHER people earn, to pay for this entertainment.Sadly Arsenal’s focus is no longer football but big business.

     
    • The point of stockpiling the money is to make Arsenal more attractive as a business and to potentially bring a more healthy return on investment for Kroenke and shareholders. Wenger and Gazidis are joined at the hip in their idea on how to run this club , with the approval of Kroenke himself for whom winning is the accumulation of wealth itself. Wenger won’t spend big as there’s no guarantee of success that accompany big spending, just more pressure to win. The only course of action for us fans is to stop buying the product Arsenal put outthere , wich goes against the very thing fans do .

       
  7. Nobody can say for sure what is really going on. It’s all speculation and only seems to fuel Arsenal fans angst at not seeing any signings so far. I personally believe that the chances we’ll get to the start of the season and not have any new signings are extremely slim. Although, I respect your opinion that we wont spend a penny this summer I would have to strongly disagree, as such an outcome would be of 0 benefit to anybody associated with the club.

    We have a very good core of players at Arsenal. A group capable of playing beautiful football and winning ugly. They are all settled, happy and ready to go for the new season. Wenger knows he can rely on this core to start the season well and so can take his time with the signings he wants and knows he has to bring in.

    I think for example, that we will be successful in our attempts to sign Luis Suarez. Once a player wants to leave, 9 times out of 10 he gets his way. Suarez will force this sale himself and if we need to throw in an extra 3 or 4 million for Liverpool to save face, then I think we will.

    Remember, there is still plenty of time for us to get our business done, and with such a strong, settled, core group of players ready to go, we are in no rush to do it.

     
  8. i wish gazidis hadn’t mad such extravagant claims. at least then i’d be content given that we haven’t sold any of our top players this summer. can’t see suarez joining as we won’t stump up the 50m required to get him. i can’t believe the board and the manager will be so deluded that they think the fans will be happy going in to villa game without at least breaking our transfer record once. i hope higuain scores a hat trick against on saturday and the fans start singing spend some fucking money. if anything we have become weaker whilst our direct rivals have strengthened. other teams seem to have very little problem when it comes to going out and buying their targets and yet as of the end of july we have only bought an unproven injury prone french kid and a clutch of promising teenagers to compensate for the youth exodus. even when our players don’t seem to be linked with anyone with any ambition and yet we are still having a shocking transfer window. utter shambles again.

     
  9. I agree we won’t spend nothing again, but our lieing ingnorant manger can say he tried to buy world class players, knowing full well what they offered would get turned down. We are a joke! Wenger out please

     
      • Even the most educated people can be ignorant on certain subjects, regardless of how perfect their English is. What worries me with Wenger , is his arrogance and his unwavering belief that his way is the only way , even though the results don’t bear it out.

         
  10. am realy at a loss as 2 wot both d board n wenger r trying 2 do, n am of d opinion dat d fans shuld call dem 2 oda by severe protests during d Emirates Cup or even outright boycot of matches.

     
  11. We dont need Suarez, we need someone who is a champion already, Wayne Rooney would do wonders just in front of Jack, it will invigorate his career, kids buying the shirts will make up for a lot of his wage (take note Wenger). Fellaini as DM, and a good goalkeeper, Krul comes to mind, also we need a centre back that is wise and gets away with murder that nobody will like apart from the Arsenal fans. Spend 60m, in the scheme of things is not a great deal, but would at least appease the fans and also mainly, see us mount a challenge

     
  12. Why oh why do you torture yourselves….Wenger will never spend big, he only likes up and coming players who perhaps will develop…perhaps….but look isnt he great at saving cash…he has lost the talent to create .. an accountant… but dont the board love him .. Stop kidding yourselves as you have been doing for a few years.. if we are wrong wheres the proof ????

     
  13. Wouldn’t it just be easier to employ someone on a ‘ contract ‘ basis to do all the transfer negotiations ? Someone who understands the process, is well respected in footballing circles and knows what VALUE IN THE MARKET is for the players we are targeting ! Someone like DAVID DEIN ?!

     
  14. The BAABs (brainless anti arsenal bloggers) and their desciples don’t like it up em! They believe that only their opinion is relevant. Says it all doesn’t it.

    I hate BAAPs and their disciples

     
    • Are you seriously trying to spawn a AKB counterpart? It already exists man its called being a “Gooner”, “Gunner” etc.

       
    • For someone who lives such a meaningful and fulfilling life (as opposed to the lowly miserable” Wenger out” crowd) , you seem to exhibit a lot of anger and hostility.

       
  15. I am neither and you don’t know me to hate me. I am an ex pro and clearly Arsenal need to spend, not stockpile. Good luck with your angry keyboard crusade

     
  16. Thing is Wenger is too slow in the transfer market, he may yet not sign anyone but Gazidis already pysked up the fan base, Patience has grown thin, and despite the squad showing their quality, we are quite thin on the bench, I dont think Wenger is stupid, he knows it is one thing for fans to be disappointed with a bad result with a good squad and another to be dissapointed with the players he has brought, he needs to find the balance and quick, a marquee signing will galvanize the club, motivate the squad, and push Arsenal to the next level globally, we still have a few weeks in the transfers but am unhappy we couldnt get in the players in time for the emirates cup, whoever he has targeted, i sincerely hope there wont be boo’s and messages of disapproval from the fanbase during this cup as it may affect the squad negatively and undo all the good work he has done the last couple of months, I dont understand why he would subject himself to the ridicule we saw during the Man united game last season, he has a good squad… unfortunately the fans now know he has finances to make it a league winning squad…

     
    • Ageed! Wenger is an astute man who seems to live for his team, he would have made a very good accountant, he must have been a godsend to the Arsenal board over the last 10 years when the pennies were tight! However someone has got to take the onus and buy the players we need….last year’s squad showed its ability in the second half of the season, if the first half had been as good we would have won the league! We need a few significant additions, possibly Suarez, Bernard sounded good, a good defender and goalkeeper would be helpful. However how do the fans get this over to AW before the transfer time closes? Being abusive at the Emirates is not the way!!

       
  17. Like I said, BAAP disciples don’t like it up em. They want to insult people who dont agree with their views by calling them AKBs but the moment a label is thrown at them they scream blue murder.

    Fact is Tappy – non of us are happy about the way things are at the arsenal. Not even the most loyal fans – or AKBs as you call them. But we don’t need to be so hateful towards our own club, staff and players. Leave that to the mancs and to and the scum. Just had a thought. Maybe you’re not a BAAP disciple at all. Maybe you’re a manc or scum in disguise.

     
    • Ha ha ha ha ha

      The AKB are so infantile and pathetic. Keep throwing them punches Bliff you’re just helping the cause. 😉

       
    • A bit of advice Bliff, try supporting the CLUB not individual players or staff. No one person is bigger than the club, not even Wenger.

       
      • Typical BAAB disciple putting his words into my mouth. For what it’s worth, what is your understanding of what the club is that I should support?

         
    • 45 Year Old Gooner, live in Herts, Grandad handed down the Arsenal gauntlet, no one here is going to bite your bluster. Everyone has opinions, as you know, its healthy to debate but come on, we all know Arsenal is well run, but as a BUSINESS, Wenger should not be allowed any where near the money, he should have been asked who he wants, and the money/negotiating team should do the rest, none of this “value for money” crap that is being bandied about, its NOT HIS MONEY, he should only be concerned by the team and if there are better players out there and we can afford them, fuck whoever they replace, thats life. If we get, say Mata, and this puts Carzola out, if he is better then fuck Carzola, are you getting this? Wenger should not have an opinion on cost or value, he should look solely at performance, which he has lost sight of. Managers manage (the team), CEO’s manage finance and spending. end of…

       
  18. I love this site, whenever I look for the most inane of people to amuse me with their idiocy for a moment, forget about reality tv, we have the AKB!

     
  19. Its there for all to see that. Doesn’t take much to amuse a BAAB disciple. Given their views and conduct, we didn’t really need guninurback to confirm it. Move along people. Nothing to see here!

     
    • Well f*cking with you people is pretty much the only Arsenal related pleasure I’v e gotten for oh… about eight years I should say.

       
  20. Hypothetically,if given the choice; who would you have to replace Wenger?

    I’d take Klopp in a heartbeat,Laudrup looks interesting, but I’m also wondering whether we actually need someone that prolific?

    So considering our board, who’s the cheapest option that could likely replace Wenger and perform to standards?

     
  21. Who gives a fuck what you think if your only arsenal related pleasure is taking the piss out of people on this site. Why then would you want to engage us in the very next breath. You really are fcuking thick. You’re certainly not as superior as you think you are. Why don’t you fuck off to a cum site that think along the same lines as you do you fucking BAAB disciple.

     
  22. We wont boycott matches but why not boycott the bar and food counters or programs if AW does not spend ,at least they will know we are pissed off

     
    • Why not boycott just certain brand of beer like Heineken , or certain brand of tea or pie? Trust me my friend , Wenger and Gazidis know fans are unhappy. The only thing that is going to influence Kroenke and subsequently Wenger, are the empty seats on match day . Empty seats are the death knell for Arsenal advertising revenues

       
  23. Chill out Bliff.

    Arsene is doing exactly what you want isn’t he? He’s giving all the money the fans pour into the club to the board and the shareholders.

    That’s what football’s all about right? Not winning and trophies.

     
    • Based on your strange obsession with BAAB (very clever by the way, I’m sure it will catch on) and anything vaguely “anti-Arsenal” then it would be safe to assume you dislike anything which resembles the truth in terms of how Arsenal run the club.

      The FACTS are that we pay the highest ticket prices in the league (I find it difficult to renew my season ticket year after year but love Arsenal so much I make do with spending less money on other aspects of my life) and yet do things on a shoe string budget. I’ve had a season ticket for 23 years, been a loyal supporter and now we have the means to spend big (we’re in a healthier financial situation) we are reluctant to do so. Arsene Wenger should have the best interests of the club at heart and that means creating a squad that can compete. He’s not doing that and making money for Silent Stan and the other board members. So that’s why I’m not happy.

      I would like your considered views on the matter instead of side stepping the elephant in the room and without resorting to pointless name calling and abuse.

       
  24. the problem is not with your, or anyone else’s opinion ,the problem is the article and a lot of the comments rely on assumptions rather than facts. I would strongly suggest people should look at our history and that of the football/premier league and then judge what is success. I think some people have been conned by the red tops and the likes of Adrian Durham who really hate ARSENAL. If someone has more of an interest in making money than a genuine interest in our club then they should not be listened to.
    Support the club do not bring it down

     
    • Yeah man just accept that there are people who don’t agree with you ok? Or soon you’ll find yourself in the loony bin alongside bliff. And he’s looking rather rabbid at the moment.

       
    • Let’s go through the facts shall we? Sell our best players every summer and then replace them with inferior players. Sell off our captains who are supposed to be our main players.

      Or is all that anti-Arsenal and based on assumptions and hearsay?

      Muppet.

       
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