Categorized | Transfers

Was it good for you? Deadline day disappointment

Posted on 01 September 2012. Tags: ,

Written by: LadyArse on September 1, 2012.

We waited all day. We hoped that a striker would come in to replace the 50 we had sold or sent on loan. We wondered would we get a midfielder, who would it be? Who could it be?

As the day wore on hope ebbed away as no names appeared, Arsenal were linked with no-one. I monitored the press from around Europe and beyond, nothing was to be heard. It was the quietest day of the entire transfer window so far.  All hope that we would sign that ‘top top top’ player became ‘will we sign any player’ which disintegrated in to ‘please sign somebody.’

The only name which stuck all day was Michael Essien and that was only because no-one dismissed it. I don’t think they could be bothered if I’m honest. No new information was added, and then Sky Sports said there would be no loan deal for Essien. Our one single, solitary, temporary crumb had been squashed.

But wait! Roberto Di Matteo confirmed that yes, Essien had indeed been left out of the Chelsea side as he tried to sort a loan move to an unnamed club. Could it be? This is what we had, once again, been reduced to. But then this single, solitary crumb was chewed up and spat out as it was confirmed that yes, Essien would go out on loan but no, Chelsea would not be letting any of their players go to Arsenal.

That was it.  The deadline came and went. From Arsenal there was nothing.

Questions need to be asked about why, once again, when we had an obvious need, it wasn’t sorted.  It has gone beyond a reason that can just be assigned to Arsene’s stubbornness. I think our team is stronger this season than it was last but our squad is weaker. We are once again at the mercy of the injury gods and we all know that they haven’t been too kind to us over recent years. As I write this now, heading in to game week three of the Premier League, Arsenal are top of the Injury League and we’ve been there since the season started.

We have a team and squad that will challenge for fourth and maybe enjoy a cup run but, once again, we are two or three players short from really challenging at the top.

I understood our reluctance, even inability to spend through years one to six post stadium move but it becomes even harder to fathom now.

Many people had asked if we had signed Cazorla, Podolski and Giroud yesterday would we have felt better about things. Apart from the fact that there would have been mass murder committed amongst Gooners had we sold our captain to Manchester United and Song to Barcelona and reached deadline day without bringing anyone in, I think that misses the point.  We have replaced, not reinforced, no matter when we bought the players.

Cazorla is an upgrade and Podolski and Giroud are both quality players, of that there is no doubt. But now we have to ask Francis Coquelin to step up, to hope that Wilshere can get his form back after being out for over a year, hope that Diaby’s injury worries truly are behind him, and pray that our back line doesn’t crumble in a way which saw us having to play centrebacks in the fullback position last season.

We have no room for error or injury and that is, I think, what is the most disappointing thing for many Arsenal fans today, even me, the most optimistic of optimistic Gooners.

It remains to see if Arsene was right. Perhaps we didn’t need to buy, and there is certainly no value in reinforcing simply for the sake of reinforcing.  Results will tell us what we need to know and I certainly don’t claim to ever know more than Wenger himself.

What has happened, however, is that the fans have now been given licence to turn on the manager and the board with the first hint that things aren’t working on the pitch.

First up Anfield. Then Manchester City.  By then we should have a better idea.

[Cheer yourself up with an amazing Arsenal September fixtures wallpaper.]

[Arsenal current player's contract expiry dates]

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  • Deanodoes

    Wenger out, sack the board and get people in who are in touch with modern football. I seriously doubt the quality of Giroud and Poldolski to be honest. The selling of Somg is insane, we have no one of that quality, people who say Diaby clearly don’t realise he will be injured once again. Most expensive tickets in the league, second rate squad that will never challenge for any of the trophies available. It’s a disgrace!

  • Pingback: Wengers aims to prove doubters wrong | LadyArse Gossip

  • Family Enclosure Man

    I suspect the way AW is looking at it this: compared to who was available to the squad last year, we’ve lost Benayoun and Song, but bought Cazorla, and re-gained Diaby and Wilshere: in attack we’ve lost RvP and Park, and brought in Podolski and Giroud; there’s been no change in defence – but we’ve got Bouldy to teach the art. Looked at that way, things don’t look so negative. Personally, I’m most concerned about the attack now – not so much because I have doubts about Podolski and Giroud (who both look pretty good to me), but because of a lack of strength in depth. I reckon Wenger would have brought Mirallas as cover if he could have done, but the player preferred his chances at Everton; and even so he might still have signed a striker this week if he’d managed to ship out Chamakh and Arshavin, but he didn’t, so in reality the options up front are Podolski, Giroud, Chamakh and perhaps Walcott or Arshavin. Not terrible, in truth, but not exactly many great options on the bench if we’re chasing the game. They’ve got until January to show that they can cope.

  • Family Enclosure Man

    Meant to add that none of the attackers are going to score as many as RvP did last season, so it is going to be crucial that forwards and midfielders chip in with a good number of goals this season.

  • Pingback: Wenger aims to prove doubters wrong » Leanne Hurley

  • @arafa88

    I’m raging to be honest. What promised to be a somewhat promising or different transfer window turned out to be just a scam. We’ve been cheated again.

    I’m not flipping out or anything I know that once Wilshere is back then we would have one of the best midfield in the world MK8/JW10/SC19. It’s like emulating barca’s system of Arteta playing like Busquets ,wilshere like xavi and Santi like iniesta. Potentially, this team can go very far just like all Wenger’s teams, however, this team is not based around kids which is more encouraging. At the back, we look more solid and up front we have to be patient.

    You look at this team and feel that with the addition of 3 players we will definitely challenge for the title. Just spend 35m on the squad and turn them from good to world-class. We need at least 3 players!! Cover DM, Real Full-Back cover and a winger or striker. All can see that except the board who are satisfied with….

    PROFITS. We’ve made profit instead and we look pretty disillusioned from the reality of the talent in our squad. Wenger said “I have a clear idea of what I want to do”. WHAT? struggle with Spurs and Liverpool for fourth all year.
    But it doesn’t matter because we have made profit this year. Since season 06/07 we’ve made profit every single year (except one) with a cumulative of over than 100 MILLION POUNDS.

    Please don’t talk to me about we couldn’t find a top top top top player because that is hilarious really. We have to find players who can make our squad better not average players is sickening. When Wenger talks about average players, some of the current crop instantly come to mind like: Chamakh, Gervinho, Diaby, Ramsey, Jenkinson. And if you believe that these players are better than: Loriente, Mountinho, Navas, Dembele, M’Villa, Van der Wiel…etc (who were all available this summer) You need to watch some football.

    Reality check: Make Profit…No challenging for title….Target top 4……transitional period….there is always next year…sell players….make board rich

    We need change in the board. Stan & co should get out

  • Me

    I thought it was hilarious that anyone would actually EXPECT Wenger to show some bollocks in the transfer market – the most tediously dull, unambitious football manager (accountant sorry) is clearly far more in touch with the financial needs of the board than driving this club forward. What is needed is that Arsenal must flop this season and finish nowhere – for huge amounts of pressure to be poured onto Kroenke not to spend money but to leave, bring Usmanov and and push that dilapidated old fart Wenger out – this is what needs to happen. This club is in a terrible rut and nothing will come good of it..

  • Pingback: Was it good for you? Deadline day disappointment » Leanne Hurley

  • OMGARSENAL

    What a pack of whiny, pessimistic plastic fanboys on this site! We have a better starting 11 than we’ve had in years with 3 new signings and 4 returning stars, as well as 3 youth players ready to show their stuff over the next 10 months but all you pitiful lot can do is howl your ¨disappointment¨ at Wenger and the BoD?
    We are stronger up front overall, soon to be very strong in midfield and will have the best back four available since the invincibles but all you cretinous crybabies can do is piss all over AW and AFC because you didn’t get any new shiny players yesterday!
    It is 2 games into the season….give the team time to gel and find their rhythm…or bugger off and cheer on the Spuds….they’re doing well once again!

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