Talk is cheap, so they say. It certainly seems to be when it comes to Arsene Wenger, the Arsenal Board, transfers and transfer deadline day in particular.
And yet again, it comes as no surprise for many of us to wake up this morning feeling deflated, let down and even betrayed.
It was a good start to the summer with lessons apparently learned from last year.
We splashed the cash and bought top notch international players in Lukas Podolski, Olivier Giroud and Santi Cazorla for a combined total of £35 million.
We were excited, hopes raised in anticipation that the season ahead would see us be genuine contenders for the title again. The Boss was talking about bringing in at least two more players, about transfer surprises and about continuing to strengthening the team.
But then we sold Robin van Persie to Manchester United and shipped off Alex Song to Barcelona for £39 million. On top of that, the management team tied the club down to protracted but ‘amicable’ negotiations over Theo Walcott for another 3 months, and who can now leave pretty much for free if he so chooses. In addition, Nicklas Bendtner and Park Chu-Young were packed off to Juve and Celta Vigo – not sold, but loaned out for the season, with the club allegedly retaining a large measure of responsibility for the wages.
But it was ok. The transfer window was still open, the Boss assured us everyone was still ‘working hard’ and that movement in the market would happen. With hindsight, we should have known better, particularly when, with 48 hours still to go, Arsene started trotting out his usual phrases about only adding ‘top, top players’. At least he avoided that wretched word ‘qualitee’, which he says in a particularly annoying voice when making a point to the cameras.
What happened? Nothing.
There were vague rumours we were in for a loan deal for Chelsea’s Michael Essien. But in the end, absolutely nothing ensued.
So yet again we finish the summer transfer window having sold, bought and made a profit. And in future, that is all we can and all we should expect from Arsene and the board.
It’s not about quality. It’s not about adding top players to the squad. They are out there, playing in France, Germany, Italy and Spain. The vital word missing here is ‘cheap’.
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USMANOV NOW!!!!!! REVOLT!!!!! Our club is a absolute joke now….. We have sold our best players for the last three years straight!!!!! WAKE UP PEOPLE they are laughing in our faces. This is our club and they are just the caretakers not the rulers and they need to be reminded now!!!!
JC on his bicycle. @ Royal Arse(nal), I’ll enjoy what I like and my season ticket in the cheap seats thanks very much.
If you’re a holder, give up your season ticket to somebody who will enjoy going to matches and will support the team and not boo or moan every time one of our players gets the ball and doesn’t shoot.
I don’t believe you are season ticket holder or ever go to any matches; you’re one of the mob that’s more content to bitch and moan and demand sugar paters as if they will bring success immediately.
Maybe you’ve forgotten that what it’s like to genuinely support a club that you grew up with – you take the good with the bad so you can celebrate the successes and look beyond the failures to the next game.
Let me hoof something in to the volatile blogosphere today; following a football club does not guarantee that the dividend from your support will translate in to success and trophies. There’s no covenant on my season ticket that holds the club promises to win trophies every season, let alone smash other teams 10-nil every game home and abroad.
Neither is there a set of terms and conditions that put an obligation on the club to spend money on players on the last day of the transfer window, or for that matter, consult me about which players it needs.
As much as many have ignored this simple brutal fact, the club frankly owes nothing to anybody, so the sooner people consider this fact, the better.
If anybody wants answers, then let me suggest they demonstrate outside the Emirates at the next home game or hand in a 100,000 signature petition to the administration DEMANDING ‘ANSWERS’.
Stop talking crap with you loser’s mentality and sticking your head in the sand! You are no better supporter than any of us. People have a right voice their disgust at what’s going on at OUR club if they so wish.
He’s not saying he’s better he’s just saying if you’re gonna support, support and stop bitching and moaning like a spoilt child. Just like you moan and whine and bitch and complain we can make our statement loud and clear also.
redanddread, so your point is you’re a whine and bitch sort yourself.
Well, at least RoyalArsenal can think and can envision a better present and future for his club. You must be the stiff upper lip sort who is satisfied with mediocrity – perhaps you would be more welcome at a club with less ambition. At the Arsenal we’ve always set the bar high and expect to be challenging.
Royal Backside of Gammon’s REPLY is spot-on!!!
…for those moaners…please stop being a football fan of Arsenal or any other club …because as a supporter, you have NO SAY WHATSOVER IN THE RUNNING OF THE CLUB…there is no football club for that matter…you can protest all you want…organised online petitions…go on a 100-hour hunger strike & die…wont change a thing even at my local club…
but if you insist on having a say in a club…i suggest you buy up the club…
you can buy up Arsenal…Rangers…RoyalArsenal Football Club…hire your own manager…buy the players you want at whatever cost & wages…DREAM ON..
but THE REALITY is…no one cares a damn about your moaning…pity your family members though as they will bear the brunt of your delusional complaints and whinings…until you are able to buy your own club!!!
Dude, you live in a dream world.
Yeah I dream of winning not this lack luster pile of crap they call a squad. Mediocre at best but you can sit there and enjoy this but I will not…..
Agree!
great-fuck off then. there are a multitude of fans out there that will.
You’ll be in for a surprise, there will be more empty seats this term. Nice passion though, mabybe Liverpool, they like to drink and say stupid things all the time.
There’s no point in moaning about what might have been. I agree with you. But I don,t think its A W’s fault otherwise he would have bought some ‘qualitee’. its this tosser from Walmart utd. I think the only way forward now is to accept our limitations and go for the top four trophy with a cup being a bonus. Its a bit like supporting Everton, sell to spend and settle for single digit million pound players and end up with quite a reasonable team. At least the spuds made the effort. It’s a fu***ng good job they didnt get Mouthino and a pity we did get dentinho (forgive the typo’s, I cant be bothered to look for the correct spelling. Top sum up, I expect us to outperform (for a mid table side). Also forgive the negativity, but after 7 years without a pot? what do you expect.
Well, which is it?
Are the board tight-arses for not spending enough and being too frugal, or are they free-spending and fiscally irresponsible.
Make your mind up! You can’t have it both ways!
The same people who complain that we don’t get market value for our payers, also want to complain when we end the window with a surplus.
If we sign crap, Arsene gets slaughtered, if don’t sign anybody, Arsene gets slaughtered. You can’t force players better than the ones you have to join, and you can’t force the clubs to be realistic in regards to fees either.
I too am disappointed that we didn’t sign anyone before the deadline, but to slate Arsene as if it’s all his fault or that he didn’t want to is ridiculous. I’d have been over the moon with Sahin, but without a transfer clause at the end, what’s the point?
If you want to support a club. That buys 2nd rate, over-hyped/over-rated players for exorbitant fees, I suggest you start following Liverpool.
Hi Chris,
actually – I think I can have it both ways, for three reasons –
1. There are plenty of ‘top, top players’ out there who aren’t second rate and who do fall well within our budget.
2. Combine this with the fact that Wenger was clearly up for buying another player, and by sniffing around Sahin and Essien it was clearly defensive midfield he was looking at. He knew we were light in that area, he knew we needed someone to come in and help with the link-up play from defence to the front line.
3. He said, more than once, that he was looking to bring in two more players and made a big thing about people ‘working hard’ in the background to make it happen.
Yet the window closed – and nothing. Someone, somewhere, isn’t telling us the truth. Either there is money or there isn’t. Either we’re in for a couple of more players, or we aren’t. But this perpetual lack of transparency has to stop!
Football is always about now , the club didn’t want to sign Sahin because they couldn’t make a profit on him if he made an impact , and decided to leave for more money or better prospects of winning trophies elsewhere at the end of season . If he helps Liverpool to take our top 4 place then not having signed him for financial and not football reasons will not look so clever.
Then again not much does look very clever at AFC these days – and that includes Wenger . Who I suspect will receive another reality check off Rodgers tomorrow – how long now before supporters start calling for a change of manager? Pep is out there waiting for some club to give him a call , him and Usmanov and Dein back taking over from tightass Silent Stan and dumbass Ivan ,and then we will be back challenging for trophies , rather than trying to appear as though we are.
@chris stupid comment from stupid fellow with manure in his head. U cant understand the simple fact that arsenal is declining. Go and hug a transformer and stop supporting arsenal because u are a disgrace to arsenal.
Well, which is it?
Are the board tight-arses for not spending enough and being too frugal, or are they free-spending and fiscally irresponsible.
Make your mind up! You can’t have it both ways!
The same people who complain that we don’t get market value for our payers, also want to complain when we end the window with a surplus.
If we sign crap, Arsene gets slaughtered, if don’t sign anybody, Arsene gets slaughtered. You can’t force players better than the ones you have to join, and you can’t force the clubs to be realistic in regards to fees either.
I too am disappointed that we didn’t sign anyone before the deadline, but to slate Arsene as if it’s all his fault or that he didn’t want to is ridiculous. I’d have been over the moon with Sahin, but without a transfer clause at the end, what’s the point?
If you want to support a club. That buys 2nd rate, over-hyped/over-rated players for exorbitant fees, I suggest you start following Liverpool.
Betrayed? Bloody drama-Queen!
yes if you sign crap you sure going to be slaughtered(park,chamak).and if you don’t sign anybody still you have to be slaughtered if you dont bring a silverware. AW somehow is to be blamed. i believe money is there and so he told those guys that he will do with the players that he has so as we make profit. even a blind man can see that we need a defensive midfielder.i will excuse right back position.but Aw always wants to be seen as a hero and we are fed up!
If your philosophy is to buy glory, go and support Chelsea.
Hi Arkadiy,
I don’t think anyone is asking to ‘buy glory’. I do think we are entitled to ask the club to replace the quality lost when players leave – and I’m sorry, but I don’t think the players we have brought in over the past two years have been the equal of the players who left.
Okay, but I don’t think any of us knows the real state of Arsenal’s finances. We have bought some decent players, so why can’t we all stop ‘boo-ing’ and complaining, and get behind the team, and give some support to our extremely loyal manager?
wenger is loyal to the fatest managerial paycheck in world football and he taint earning it mate!
“we are entitled to ask the club to replace the quality lost when players leave”
The recently sold players have all come from nothing to be considered big players. Giroud, Podolski and Cazorla are much better than any of the departures were when they signed originally. Players are always building bigger reputations at this club. In a year, who’s to say that Gibbs, Diaby, Walcott or even someone like Jenkinson won’t be considered “world class” players? Let alone the aforementioned players who already have big reputations.
If your philosophy is to let our club sink to new depths, go and support stoke.
give allot get fuck all… just spend a little money no one is asking for bankruptcy.. we have been two or three players short for many years now. just a little investment. and the key word is investment not spend. that is all we ask. miss out on champions league and they will soon rue their mistakes.. i hate to admit it but maybe it would do us good to finish 5th. i like our manger and he works miracles so if anyone is worth giving some cash to its him.
lol. Would you sell your soul?
meant that for The Royal Arsenal, below. Don’t know how that happened.
you mean like this manager and board already have?
Usmanov has 3 times more money at his disposal then Abrov at Chav land. Wenger’s last season is here…. He stated he had the money… 7 years seriously and you are ok with it!!!!!! All of you are spineless!!!!! I would rather spend his money and win trophies then have money and win nothing!!!! ITS ABOUT TROPHIES THAT IS IT!!! NOT ABOUT HOW WELL YOU WORKED YOUR BOOKS!!!
Ambition
“an earnest desire for some type of achievement or distinction, as power, honor, fame, or wealth, and the willingness to strive for its attainment:”
If striving for achievement is buying its delivery then fair play, go and support Man City or Chelsea.
The bottom line is that Wenger bought three players of quality, in Cazorla he bought 1 of top, top quality.
He let 1 top quality player go and 1 okish time player.
he also recognised a personal flaw and has made steps to address that. he has steve bould drilling the defence and that is worth 15 points to us this season.
So the question is:
Is Bould + Cazorla + Podolski + Giroud > RVP + Song + chaff
eh?
yes of course it is.
So shut up and support your team.
The only player that changed club on deadline day that i would want was Maicon.
but we couldn’t have competed for him.
Dempsey? pah
Modric + RVDV + Knobs > Dempsey + Siggardsson + Lloris + Gimps
enjoy the season. Shut up and support your club
At the Arsenal we don’t support mediocrity, not for long, find another club and take your own advice, thank you.
so Steve, who would you have bought?
What area would you have strengthened?
would you have bought a third striker before you had given podolski and giroud a chance?
Would you have bought a fabled Defensive Midfielder? despite the fact that Wenger never uses them. Song was our most attacking midfielder last season. Who would you replace? Cazorla? Arteta? Diaby? Ok so Diaby is injury prone but who would you have in his place that is good better than him but not quite as good as Wilshire, because when Jack gets back he is the great hope of english football and he will need to play football at some stage.
But we also love the ox so who do we get that wont put OX in the reserves?
We have just had two clean sheets in our first two fixtures so is there a pressing need to buy a defender? Jenkinson and Yannaris can cover til sagna gets back and Steve Bould seems to have couched the unit very well.
So who is the guy you want to replace, specifically who?
Or did you just want Signings?
We have had 8 or 9 of them in the last 14 months. At what point do you want to move out of transition?
Coz i want to see Serge gnabry get a chance at some stage, i want to see frimpong and coquelin get opportunities. I wish Afobe was on the bench.
I don’t want new players. I want to support the ones i have.
And when they don’t deserve the shirt, then i will want others.
But who amongst our squad has proven that they don’t deserve the shirt?
Noone.
so take your dissatisfaction and point it at the media who have been artificially creating a crisis at the club for over a decade now and are sowing seeds of desperation into our players and our minds.
Arsenal – Victoria Concordia Crescit.
Harmonise your bad selves Gooners
Pfft, so if current reports are true, and the board has just paid itself a nice, round dividend of 41 million quid, is that what you call class management and sound financial policy??
Why attempt to evade the real discussion here, do you have something to hide?
We’ve had 8 or 9 signings the last year and half and even more sales and loaned out players and your want more young players coming in? Why so we can groom them and sell them to put money in your pocket – you must be peter deadwoods neice.