After a good win over Fenerbahce to confirm our status in the Champions League this season, the focus turns to the North London Derby on Sunday and the remaining 5 days of the transfer window.
And with the game with Tottenham looming as the transfer window closes, comparisons will inevitably be made between the two North London clubs.
Arsene Wenger has made virtually every excuse under the sun as to why we haven’t bought any players this summer. English clubs don’t want to sell to other English clubs, players are overpriced in the current market, we have important games to concentrate on, we will only bring in “special players” as we’ve already got special players in the squad. But despite losing Koscielny, Podolski, Wilshere, Ramsey, Vermaelen, Arteta and Monreal to a combination on injuries, suspensions and niggling problems, we have yet to strengthen our squad. Arsene has admitted several times we are “a little bit light” in terms of numbers but Yaya Sanogo aside, we haven’t brought in any recruitments.
There are reports that Tottenham are delaying the sale of Gareth Bale to Real Madrid until the last minute so Arsenal can’t strengthen their team with possible Real players before the North London Derby and it could be designed to even scupper any signings before the transfer window slams shut.
But all of these reasons are pretty pathetic really.
A club of Arsenal’s stature really should have planned everything far better. Every man and their dog knows it’s better to get players in early and let them settle at a new club (and possibly a new country) well before the season starts. Arsenal also had several perfect PR opportunities to reveal new signings – the new Arsenal away kit launch, the Asia Tour – Arsenal had a real chance to give the fans, the ones who pay the highest ticket prices in the country and have done for a long time, a massive boost.
People talk about being frugal and not going crazy but no Arsenal fan is asking for that. All we want is a team that can compete at the top and challenge for the Premier League. All we want is to at least look like trying and making an attempt to compete at the highest level. If we don’t succeed then fair enough, but making no purchases in a summer where we have the money to spend is criminal.
The money available is from the fans. We haven’t got a rich owner who has been throwing his money around and funding big signings. In fact we’ve got an owner who doesn’t throw anything around, and is apparently a mute. You may be thinking I am repeating myself but in a time when the country is on its knees and most people are struggling financially, then 8 seasons of paying the highest prices and getting nothing in return is hugely disheartening. I love Arsenal and try and see as many games as I can but one of the reasons I don’t see them more is the cost. On Arsenal Fan TV, a fan was interviewed outside the ground after the Villa game and he famously said “in life you get what you pay for, except if you’re an Arsenal fan”.
You get these fans that still go on about how Champions League qualification and paying off the stadium is all that matters, and in fact I’ve argued with a few of these people on Twitter. But that fact is that Arsenal fans have been hugely patient over the last 8 seasons and if Arsenal have the spending power to strengthen then team then they are obliged to do it. Arsene Wenger is a genius but he has to be less stubborn and assemble the best squad he can with the resources available.
Over the last 3 months we’ve all looked online regularly to see who we might buy. We’ve been linked with Wayne Rooney, Gonzalo Higuain, Stevan Jovetic, Marouane Fellaini, Lars Bender, Cesc Fabregas, Ashley Williams, Julio Cesar, Karim Benzema, Angel Di Maria, Mesut Ozil, Yohan Cabaye, Iker Casillas, Luis Suarez, Luiz Gustavo… the list is endless. But for all the speculation, it looks like our signings will be Yaya Sanogo and Mathieu Flamini on a free.
And in a summer where both players and fans have demanded signings, is that acceptable?
Wait until it is over before sprouting such drivel.
The best players only want to come to teams with guaranteed champions league football. Now we have assured that we should be able to attract a better calibre of players which is why Wenger said the transfer window starts now for us. It ain’t rocket science. If he doesn’t sign anyone in the next 5 days then you’re within your right to moan an groan but see what happens first.
Spurs and AVB don’t appear to have any problem attracting players…
Remember all those other Tottenham players we “missed out on”, and the media said would be great for Arsenal – Winston Palacious, Rafael van der Vaart, Scott Parker, Sébastien Bassong etc etc.
All short lived and ended up as duds.
It’s a media game – “Arsenal snubbed by/miss out on/ fail to get ‘so and so’” – mostly players we were never after. Whilst we are not brainwashed, we are on the end of an Anti Arsenal campaign, mostly by journos whose self professed support is for teams like Man U, Chelsea, Newcastle Tottenham etc….
its because of one simple fact my friend Tottenham have AMBITION!!!!!!!!!!
Actually its spouting not sprouting, and the only drivel is coming from Wengers mouth, keep up the pressure on AFC Plc and they wont walk all over us like they have done for the last 8 years.
Wenger keep sayin’ that we should support the team,hell yeah,we do….we love arsenal to the marrow.I agree wenger is a genius,but beclouded by his stubborness & stinginess.Imagine where the players,ex-players,fans,pundits,press men are all clamourin’ for one thing spend,spend & spend right… Wenger should know that if he fails to sign the ‘special players’ after 2nd of sept,to strengthen our threadbare squad,havin’ been in the market for 3months,then he has done himself more harm than good,emirates stadium will be too hostile for him & the media will definitely exploit the situation…well,he said he can win titles with the squad without new recruits,we hope so..
This is a reasoned article. There is some inner torment that pushes Wenger to pit himself against the world and because of that, the problem is, each season proves him to be wrong. Wenger was not going to spend big from the off. The menu of Hors d’oeuvre, Mesut Ozil, Main Course, Juan Mata, dessert Karim Benzema and Petit Fours, Angel Di Maria was there to make us salivate. He has sadly already signed, the headless chicken, Flamini, and rumours from inside the Emirates is that we are going to get Cabaye and possibly a goalkeeper.Sadly the top players are off the menu and a Flamini, Cabaye stew is all we are getting. Once again the Arsenal fans are conned. When will they stick up for themselves?
They never will.
There was an online petition promoted last week which asked for a measly 1,000,000 signatures from the 115,000,000 Arsenal fans worldwide.
4 days in they had 4,800 signatures and most of them were from overseas fans. A whooping 0.0042% of fans.
Arsenal fans have the team and the owner they deserve…
They can’t even be keyboard warriors!
if anyone feels the urge to actually sign the thing you can here:
http://www.petitionbuzz.com/petitions/savearsenalfc
Being an Arsenal fan for over six decades makes it hard to think outside the square but over this `summer` I have. Wenger has not impressed and ,like many other supporters I feel let down, the man does not inspire me at all. Maurinho and Villas-Boas show mature aggression while Arsene just shrugges his shoulders, “ugh!, I don`t a know”?. If I were a betting man I`d have to say Chelsea, Manchester United, Tottenham and Manchester City with Liverpool running fifth. We can`t play without players Mr.Wenger.
I really dont buy into this line of old shite about Champs League bringing better players- How does that work then for Tottenham every year, Liverpool every year, Anzhi last year, Monaco this year, Man City a couple of years ago etc
Money talks- and its time for Wengers bullshit to walk. And before you start, I am an AKB who has had enough of this ridiculous procrastination built on a stubborn ego.
Time to buy or say bye.
Remember all those other Tottenham players we “missed out on”, and the media said would be great for Arsenal – Winston Palacious, Rafael van der Vaart, Scott Parker, Sébastien Bassong etc etc.
All short lived and ended up as duds.
It’s a media game – “Arsenal snubbed by/miss out on/ fail to get ‘so and so'” – mostly players we were never after. Whilst we are not brainwashed, we are on the end of an Anti Arsenal campaign, mostly by journos whose self professed support is for teams like Man U, Chelsea, Newcastle Tottenham etc….
The time to judge is 3 September.
If we get better players by waiting, great. The better bang we get for our buck, the better.
In an auction, imagine you are shopping for a ring. Two rings catch your other half’s eye – one she loves (a ruby) and one she likes (a diamond). The running order of the auction is the one she likes first, followed by the one she loves. How do you bid – take the second choice one because you can, or wait for the one that is really wanted – but lose the ruby? Either way it is a risk decision. My guess is Suarez was the diamond and Higuain was the ruby – a striker with track record (of various forms…..) versus a real Madrid benchwarmer unproven in the premier league. And Wenger made the decision to go for the diamond – when you go make a risky decision, it is not necessarily wrong simply because the outcome does not work out. Let’s hope there are some more diamonds to be found later in the auction.
The media has linked us with a fair number of players. Far too many for all of them all to be true beyond some sort of high level screening ….. unless you believe AFC carry multiple multi options for each position they’re looking to add. So I’m not too fazed by “missing” out on some of them. The Higuain – Suarez thing has a bit of a cock-up feel to it, but I don’t know for sure. But i think the endless linkages to players has created a perception that we are somehow missing out. We were linked with several hundred and only managed to get one possibly two .. woe and despair!!
Now that Champions League qualification is out the way, it should help us recruit top players who want or demand that level of football. That we have nt already been in contact (thru agents) with the players we want would seem very odd (but is nevertheless possible). Whether a deal can be done is another thing .. But if the ground work has been done early enough and the parties are willing to do a deal, then lets assume the deals we want have a fair chance of getting done. If you have ever tried to buy a house that is not for sale you might have a grasp of the barriers that exist if one party is nt up for it!
I think CL qualification and player registration sets a top limit on the number of top quality players that will come in : gague from that our success or failure in recruiting top players.
For Me Your question is wrongly timed … Wait a few days and ask it again … After the Spuds match might be fair, or after the CL player window shuts. And if the answer is no, then what?
In sport and business and probably war it’s far better for the other side to beat itself…. Don’t do the job for the opposition.
Adieu
Totally agree.
The “Cock up” element of the Suarez – Higuain sage may have been too much reliance from Pep Guardiola’s brother on the strength of the release clause. I for one would prefer a tried and tested Premier League striker to someone who may have ended up Baptista mark 2 – we dodged that bullet twice!!!
As I am off sick today, I’ll spend time spreading the positive word. We need a united Arsenal – even if, God forbid, we screw up on strengthening the team – and counter both trolling and self trolling.
I read ANR last year, and saw a particularly nasty letter posted from an alleged Arsenal supporter. Facebooked his name – Manchester United fan.
Now is the one complaining dat english teams ar nt sellin to english…then why he does dat,sellin R.v.p to man.u, nasri,clechy,adebayor,kolo toure 2 man.cty…..