Everyday now, I wake up and go straight to my computer. I have this vague feeling of hope that today might be the day that we actually sign someone.
These next few days are going to shape our season; we need some new faces at the Emirates. But where the feck are they?
I’ve trawled through all the blogs, the gossip columns and football betting bwin odds. I’ve read about Kaka, Ribery and today Schweinsteiger, and as exciting as these transfers would be, I can’t see them ever happening.
First off, let’s get one thing straight. It’s not Arsene Wenger’s fault.
Sure, after David Dein left the club Wenger took over transfer negotiations. But since then we’ve hired Ivan Gazidis, and as far as I’m aware he is the man responsible for leading transfer negotiations.
I’m sick and tired of the anti-Wenger brigade slagging off our manager. According to some of these ‘supporters’, the Frenchman is trying to ‘ruin the club’ and ‘destroy our future’. A minority of these supporters are loyal; they’re just deeply frustrated; they want the best for the club they love. The rest are fair weather glory hunters who wouldn’t know who Bruce Rioch was if he came up and punched them in the face.
Wenger is only responsible up to a point. He identifies the players, then the board, led by Gazidis, go out and (try to) make the signings. This just isn’t happening, or it is? One thing is for sure, it’s taking too long.
How are these support staff so ineffective? Why are they so reluctant to get in the players we need when we need them?
Recent reports on the tinterweb have suggested that part of the problem is the board’s reluctance to sanction large pay packets, with the club sticking strictly to our wage structure. Whilst I approve of the financial prudence, I think we can all agree that the time is coming where we are going to have to find some more flexibility when it comes to signing the top players that we need to compete.
Many supporters are calling for the return of David Dein – whether this is ever going to happen is highly debatable; he’s Usmanov’s man and Gazidis is Kroenke’s. I live in hope, though I realise this is a futile hope. What David Dein would bring to the club is a direct and swift resolution to our transfer dealings. Something that hasn’t happened since er….David Dein was last at the club.
Something needs to change. It’s not the manager or his coaching staff. They’ve proved over the years just how effective they can be. The problem at our football club is behind the scenes, away from the pitch and the training ground. The problem is at boardroom level. Without fundamental change at the top, I can’t see things getting better any time soon.
Would Arsenal fans welcome the return of David Dein? Or am I alone in thinking that this would be a good idea? I truly believe that our effectiveness on the field is now being hampered by our ineffectiveness off it.
How are things going to change for the better? Answers on a post card please…
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from i have seen the players that we also want to sign or waiting for us to qualify for the next stage of champions league, i dont think its wages alone, definitely we will have to wait until tomorrow match before we see the signings coming in.
i like hillwood he is not the problem it is grazidis
You have to remember the board have a slightly different agenda to that of the manager, players and fans. Sure they want success, but at what cost? Their main focus is to make Arsenal Football Club PLC a profitable business with little or no debt. I am sure they are licking their lips at the £50m profit on this summer’s transfer dealings so far. However, they will also be wary that a balnce has to be struck. The £50m profit and the money saved in salaries is all available to Wenger, he just needs to bring in the right players. The couple of last times we pushed him to make signings he served up Squillaci and Silvestre. He has just confirmed he is happy with his strikers and keepers, but that he is short in midfield and defence. I am certain there will be signings within the next week.
I know for a fact he is after 3 players for each position. He has 9 Forwards and 3 Keepers in his squad now, but only 7 midfielders and 9 defenders. However, you may still see 2 or 3 of those Forwards leaving either permanently or on loan. Also 2 of his defenders could still leave, 1 permanent 1 on loan.
This is getting beyond a joke now. Every week a new player leaves and we have no suitable replacements coming in. I am a Wenger supporter but it is getting harder and harder to keep the faith when the team is so evidently poor and lacking any strength in depth. Nasri and Fabregas, our two key playmakers gone, Wilshere out injured and no inspiration in midfield. I am worried for my club and regardless of the reasons we find ourselves in this predicament, something needs to be done and done quickly. Another poor performance will see us eliminated from Europe and i fail to understand why with only 9 days left of the transfer window we have failed to do any major business when we clearly need to.
Dark days ahead I fear.
Well written, reading the comments on here, yes we all want trophies but looking at the bigger picture 6 years isnt as long as the emdia make out. They dont comment on Spurs or Everton, but only becuase those clubs arent even coming close, but we are. Therefore what Wenger has done to keep us competitive and fighting for CL and EPL is fantastic. What I cant take any more of is taking beatings from clubs we used to hammer because weve got too little experience or squad members, its shocking. Like the author, everyday I check if weve signed somebody…and we never have. Getting to the point that I dont care if we start signing non-human players, just facking sign someone. Not world class, ok, but at least sign someone to do you a job. So many Vanacies Arsenal are fast becoming a banged out brighton B&B.
Don’t know what 2 say anymore; weve missed out on Hazard nd i hav no idea what we can do now. I am a passionate and loyal Arsenal fan but facing realities, we are likely to struggle against Udinese and we are definitely going to struggle against Man utd this weekend…. Sign anyone. ANYONE!!!
I agree completely Gazidis needs to get his finger out, it’s going to be difficult to sign a player if you offer a club half of what they want. Dein is the man we need by at the club, no messing transfer negotiations and someone knows arsene arsene trusts and has faith in. That would allow arsene to concentrate on coaching the team. #bringbackdein