No matter which way you look at this summer’s transfer window, it has been a disaster. To be the only club within the top 5 leagues in Europe to fail to buy an outfield player is nothing short of a disgrace.

A side that last season finished 12 points behind the Champions. A team that won just 4 out of 16 games against sides in the top 9. A side that clearly needed strengthening. That for the last 3 years has needed a new striker. For longer than that has needed a defensive midfielder.

And here we sit, on the 2^nd of September, with only a new goal keeper for company.

Monday night,  I tweeted that if Arsenal do not sign anyone within the next 24 hours, and go on to fail to challenge for the Premier League title, then Arsene Wenger must go at the end of the season. He must fall on his sword.

We have the money in the bank to spend. Back in the late 00’s / early 2010’s, when we did not have bucket loads of cash to spend, I backed Arsene Wenger. He was doing the best job capable under the financial constraints put on him. However, over the last 3 years things have changed.

The disaster of 2013 was saved by the signing of Mesut Ozil, but it still did not mask the fact that we tried to sign Jovetic, Higuain & Suarez, and ended up with none.

A year later we spent a lot of money. The kind of money that we had available this summer as well. However, it was only a deadline day signing of Danny Welbeck that stopped us having Yaya Sanogo as 2^nd choice striker.

And now we come to 2015. It has been a shocker. And it is down to Wenger.

Now I do not expect Arsenal to win the title every year. That is ridiculous. No side has the “right” to win things. 13 league titles in over 125 years. We do not have a right to win the title. However, what I do expect is to compete for the title.

We have one of the highest turnovers in European football, and the highest ticket prices. These two together is why  I expect to compete. And if we are not competing, we are doing everything we can to try to compete.

“Doing everything we can” means ensuring we have the best we can. The best training centre, the best academy, the best scouting system, the best medical team, and the best players. I am not asking for the best in the world. It is silly to expect us to be better than the Madrid’s, the Barca’s, and the Munich’s of this world. They are light years ahead of us. The move to the Emirates was supposed to put us a few steps closer to them. Also the Manchester City, PSG’s & Chelsea’s of this world with the money they have. But I expect us to be the best Arsenal that Arsenal can be. And we are not.

With £60+ million sitting in the bank available for transfer (it is not £200m, let’s be fair with the debate), we are clearly not doing everything we can to win or compete for the league title. Now I do not expect us to be like Manchester City and Manchester United, spending £100m on De Bruyne and Martial. That is just silly. However I do expect us to have spent sensibly.

The problem is, Wenger is clearly reluctant to spend. He has looked at the market and decided that there is no value. That players, in his eyes, are overpriced. But what he does not respect is the market has changed. It has moved.

Back in the late 90’s, you could go and buy Nicholas Anelka, Luis Boa Morte & Christopher Wreh for pennies and hope one makes it. Now you see players at similar stages in their career, Romelu Lukaku (when Chelsea signed him) and Anthony Martial, going for many millions. And prices have increased from youngsters upwards. Players are more expensive. And Wenger has to move his valuation up. He nerds to keep up.

Wenger and Arsenal clearly banked on FFP. It has failed. It feels like that as it has failed, Wenger has decided not to play anymore. He has picked up his ball. The only problem is he has not told anyone that he longer want’s to play. And at £8million a year, it is clear why.

If Wenger is not willing to play, not willing to spend big, he should go, and someone else who is willing to spend that money should come in.

Now it might not guarantee success, but at least it will be trying to succeed. At the moment we are not trying.

All we ask is to try to the best of our abilities, using all the resources we have to compete. And currently we are not.

Now as a side note, I do not think like some that Wenger should go now. It should be at the end of the season.

The rationale of this is simple, it is my belief that Wenger is still the best man to get this current squad into the top 4. He has built the squad, and done it before. Moving him on now, with the transfer window shut, would be too big of an upheaval and risk our top 4 place, creating an even bigger challenge for future managers.

By leaving Wenger in charge until the end of the season, it would ensure that a new manager comes in with money to spend, and Champions League football. Getting rid of Wenger now would be detrimental to the club over the next season.

Arsene Wenger has let us down this summer. Some will say not for the first time. If he fails to mount a challenge with the current squad, he must take the blame and fall on the sword. He must step aside and let someone else take over.

Keenos

Follow @KeenosAFC

I had a nightmare last night. That nightmare has scared me stiff, and it could well come true. As I was having my usual dreams of chocolate rivers and ginger bread houses, in my dream world where diabetes and obesity does not exist enable myself to eat what I desire, the TV came on. It was an Arsenal press conference with Arsene Wenger and he said:

“Having bought Petr Cech to the club, we have decide that concludes our transfer activity for this summer. We believe that we have sufficient quality in the current players in our squad, and do not need to spend any more money.”

With that, I woke in a pool of sweats (and sweets, the bowl of jelly beans I took to bed for a midnight snack had tipped over).

Whilst it was just a dream, the real scary reality is that I could picture Arsene Wenger saying this in the real world. And his dithering over strengthening the squad could cost us a shot at the title.

At the end of last season, everyone agreed that we needed to sign at least 3 new players. A keeper, a defensive midfielder, and an attacking player (wide right forward or striker depending on your persuasion). We have the keeper in the bag nice and early. Result.

However, the other two, there is a realistic chance that Wenger’s dithering over the squad could result in us missing out on our main targets and, even worse, missing out on all targets, as Wenger decides to stick rather than twist.

This will be his rationale thinking.

At defensive midfield, we saw the development of Francis Coquelin last season. He was a real break through player, and showed tremendous discipline and ability. And his stats (we all know Wenger loves stats). The tackles, the interceptions, the duels won. They are amongst the best in the Premier League. Compare him to Morgan Schneiderlin. Coquelin outperformed him in nearly every key area last season.

Why buy Schneiderlin when Coquelin out performs him? No need. Let’s allow him to go to Manchester United, whilst we explore other players. Arturo Vidal maybe, or how about Javi Martinez over at Bayern Munich. At worst, that Carvhalo bloke at Portugual. Not the old balding centre back, the centre midfielder.

Worse case scenario though, we still have Coquelin. If they above are too expensive, even though we can afford them, we could stick with Coquelin. After all, we still have Mikel Arteta at back up. Might as well give him an extra year on his contract whilst we are at it. And let’s not forget that Jack Wilshere has done a job there for England.

Coquelin, Arteta & Wilshere. Why buy anyone? Might as well save the money.

Back in reality, it is a situation that mirror’s the summer of 2013. We needed a new striker. We started off at Steven Jovetic. A good young talent. Not quite the finished article. Then we heard Gonzalo Higuain was available. A proven striker. Available for only a few million more than Jovetic. Drop the interest in Jovetic, let him go to Manchester City, and chase the Madrid striker.

Then we get told about the Suarez release clause. With Napoli showing interest in Higuain, pushing the price up, a deal for Suarez is only a few million more than the new Higuain price. Drop the interest in Higuain, let him go to Napoli, chase Suarez.

Then Liverpool did not honour the release clause, basically telling Arsenal and Suarez to take them to court to enforce it. This was never going to happen. The result? Arsenal lose out on Suarez, allow their other two targets to go to other sides, and end up with Yaya Sanogo.

Back into Wenger’s mind we go.

Upfront we have Olivier Giroud. He proved last season that he is a very good striker. Despite a lean patch at the end of the season. Had he not got injured, he would have got 20 league goals. So who is out there who is better than Olivier Giroud?

Always fancied a bit of Karim Benzema at Real Madrid. He could be available. But Giroud keeps him out of the French national side. It would be hard to keep control of two ego’s, battling out for the same place in the starting 11 for their country, also battling it out for the same place for the club. Won’t be easy to keep them both happy. Not worth the hassle.

Same go’s for Alexandre Lacazette. Good player, scored a lot of goals last year in France. But so did Giroud when we signed him. Why splash the cash on a player who again, is behind Giroud for his country. Would these guys really improve us? Might as well stick with Giroud.

And let’s not forget Danny Welbeck. He has all the physical attributes to be a top striker. Just needs to learn how to finish. And it has always been said that Theo Walcott will be a striker. Maybe this will be the season he finally moves up front. And it is well known that Alexis Sanchez was signed as a striker. That is 4 we have.

Plus Yaya Sanogo (I kid, I Kid).

Looking around Europe, there are not too many strikers. No point spending £20-30m on someone who might improve us, might as well stick with what we have.

And suddenly my fear becomes a reality. The two scenarios above about a defensive midfielder and a striker are realistic.

It might not be as bad as this. We will buy players. But the dithering as he decides what to do could cost us. Whilst he makes up his mind on if Coquelin is good enough, Schneiderlin will be off to Manchester United. that is one less target on the market. And the same will happen upfront with Lacazette. Whilst Wenger dithers and assesses his options, he will go to Liverpool or A.N Other.

Yes, I full well know that it is the 8^th of July. That the transfer window has only been officially open for 8 days. That is still has the good part of 8 weeks to go. That the lads are only just back in pre season training. That the season does not start for another month (month today infact). I know this. I know there is nothing to worry about. But even the most hardened Wengeritte would admit that the above scenario is possible. That it could happen.

We will buy the players we need to win the league, I am confident of that. I think Wenger has a plan, and that plan will be executed, and we will win the league next season. But there is a small part of me that is fearful that the dream could become a reality. That after Cech, Wenger could dither, and our title chances would be up in smoke before the season has started.

I am scared.

Keenos

Follow @KeenosAFC