Summer Transfer Misery 2017/18

[Letters]

You need to start thinking ahead. You’re dismissive today but as the season unravels, it will suddenly dawn on you. We’re not in good shape at all. The fact that we’re owned by Silent Stan and Wenger was just given a new contract says it all. We’re fucked.

And yet, despite all you've said (some of which I agree with), in the last 4 seasons we've finished 4th, 3rd, 2nd and 5th and in 3 of those seasons we've won a trophy.
You're talking in very vague terms "bad shape", "we're fucked". What do you think that means in practise?
For years people have been doom-mongering about Arsenal, saying we'd slip into mid-table. We never have. Last season was our worst placed finish under Wenger and we still ended with a trophy.
With a better manager we would be up there challenging in my opinion.

The worst I see is that under Wenger we won't push on and be challenging for titles and if and when we get a better manager we are pretty well placed to do so. Losing Ozil and Sanchez would of course weaken us, losing RvP weakened us, but we didn't suddenly crash in to mid-table. Say what you like about Wenger, he's always kept us there or thereabouts and I think the squad this year is good enough to do the same.

[selassie]

Chelsea, City, etc don’t have to depend on youth because they go out and buy what they require for whatever price as it’s needed. We don’t and that’s the point. Teams either develop their youth and throw in some unknown cheap gems to win titles or they go all out and buy the top players for the position they need. We do neither.

We’ve needed a striker since RVP left. From the day we signed Ozil, for anyone that has argued that we’d get more out of him if we had a better striker, it’s taken up to the last year of Ozil’s contract for us to sign the type of striker he’d arguably flourish with. That’s way too long to address a problem.

As said, we’re so slow to react, we end up losing the players we’re building a team around because we’re too slow to build around them. We don’t have a team good enough to win the title. You need to watch more of our games. We’ve needed a striker for a long time but we’ve needed a world class CM for much longer. Our defence is in bad shape as well with no leadership. That’s as it stands now.

If we lose Ozil, Sanchez and Ox with no replacements, we’re weakened. If we keep them, I can’t see a scenario where Wenger doesn’t decide to bench them or they take the piss and pull sickies. We’ve seen how Wenger has benched contract rebels before to probe a point and I’m sure we’ll see it again. You need to start thinking ahead. You’re dismissive today but as the season unravels, it will suddenly dawn on you. We’re not in good shape at all. The fact that we’re owned by Silent Stan and Wenger was just given a new contract says it all. We’re fucked.

This season for me is already a write off.

Wenger can't and won't fix these issues.

[selassie]

We have a squad good enough to challenge for the title (in my opinion) and the stadium and global fanbase to sustain that, it's not that bad.

We have a manager who can't win us the biggest trophies and a board who don't care though, so that is not good, and there's no prospect of that changing any time soon.

Are Chelsea, Liverpool, City or Utd teams full of players from their youth systems? I don't know the answer to that but the amount clubs are throwing around to buy in players I'm guessing not.
Obviously it is desirable to develop players rather than buy them if possible though.

We are stagnating, that's the worst thing for me. But I don't think as a club we are in a bad position were a new manager to come in. We already have a squad good enough to challenge, or very close. We will probably lose Sanzhez in the next year or so but losing key players has happened before and we have rebuilt.

You have been saying this for about 5 years now. The quality of our squad means nothing if we don't have a manager who is good enough utilise it. This has gone much further than a Wenger out debate for me, it's now about damage limitation. It's about ensuring Wenger does the least amount of damage in his final? 2 years left at the club.

[Power n Glory]

And yet, despite all you've said (some of which I agree with), in the last 4 seasons we've finished 4th, 3rd, 2nd and 5th and in 3 of those seasons we've won a trophy.
You're talking in very vague terms "bad shape", "we're fucked". What do you think that means in practise?
For years people have been doom-mongering about Arsenal, saying we'd slip into mid-table. We never have. Last season was our worst placed finish under Wenger and we still ended with a trophy.
With a better manager we would be up there challenging in my opinion.

The worst I see is that under Wenger we won't push on and be challenging for titles and if and when we get a better manager we are pretty well placed to do so. Losing Ozil and Sanchez would of course weaken us, losing RvP weakened us, but we didn't suddenly crash in to mid-table. Say what you like about Wenger, he's always kept us there or thereabouts and I think the squad this year is good enough to do the same.

What do you think it means?

You don’t even watch the football and have given up your season ticket. You’re not alone. The majority of posters on GW aren’t watching as much as they used to and have even stopped posting. That extends beyond GW and I find the same sentiment echoed all over the place amongst Gooners. The fans are losing interest. That’s’ the bigger picture and goes beyond winning any title or trophy.

You can’t be this stupid. I can only assume you’re trying to give GW some much needed CPR by dragging out this conversation but let the sight die with some dignity.

[Niall_Quinn]

...You’re dismissive today but as the season unravels, it will suddenly dawn on you.

Until the season after, when it all starts again. Groundhog Day. Everything repeats and in the end you are guaranteed to get fucked.

[Letters]

You have been saying this for about 5 years now. The quality of our squad means nothing if we don't have a manager who is good enough utilise it.

I don't entirely agree. The quality of the squad is a factor in how we are doing as a club which is what we are discussing.
I hoped that Wenger would deliver one last title, we all hoped that, surely? It's increasingly clear he won't and I wish he'd gone out on the relative high of having won the FA Cup.
But I can't agree that as a club we're in bad shape. I think our squad is good enough to challenge - we need a better manager but I don't think we're far off, squad-wise.
We have the money and global fanbase to sustain that.
We have a manager who can't deliver the biggest trophies and a board who don't care so long as the money keeps rolling in, so that's not so good.
I think if a new manager came in tomorrow we would challenge for the title (well, depending on who that is) so I don't think right now we're in that bad shape.
Where we'll be in 2 years time remains to be seen, if Wenger goes then what shape will we be in then? We can't know that but there is no clear downward spiral, we're just stagnating as we have done for years.

[Letters]

What do you think it means?

If I knew what you meant by that then I wouldn't be asking. Stop avoiding the question. You said it, I'm asking you what you mean.
What do you think will happen at the club in the next 5 or 10 years that justifies you saying we are "fucked"?
Stop using the lazy tactic of calling the other person stupid.

There is an increasing amount of apathy on here but this board is not representative of the fanbase at large. Are the fans losing interest? It's easier to get tickets than it used to be but the stadium isn't half full each week, is it?
I think there's a long way to go before we see that.

[Power n Glory]

If I knew what you meant by that then I wouldn't be asking. Stop avoiding the question. You said it, I'm asking you what you mean.
What do you think will happen at the club in the next 5 or 10 years that justifies you saying we are "fucked"?
Stop using the lazy tactic of calling the other person stupid.

There is an increasing amount of apathy on here but this board is not representative of the fanbase at large. Are the fans losing interest? It's easier to get tickets than it used to be but the stadium isn't half full each week, is it?
I think there's a long way to go before we see that.

I swear you have a reading problem. Did this not register?

You don’t even watch the football and have given up your season ticket. You’re not alone. The majority of posters on GW aren’t watching as much as they used to and have even stopped posting. That extends beyond GW and I find the same sentiment echoed all over the place amongst Gooners. The fans are losing interest. That’s’ the bigger picture and goes beyond winning any title or trophy.

Even in your own post.....

We have a manager who can't deliver the biggest trophies and a board who don't care so long as the money keeps rolling in, so that's not so good.

Does that not spell out why we’re fucked overall? I’m not even sure we have an owner that only cares about money, definitely not short term gains because if he were he’d have sacked Wenger the day we dropped out of the top 4 and when he looked over the contract debacle we have on our hands. Even today, common sense should tell him to make sure Sanchez and Ozil sign new contracts for whatever they want in order to attached a ridiculous buyout clause that will still attract bidders.

In terms of the stadium and having our finances in order, we’re in good shape. But do you give a fuck about that? Should you? Also, with the crazy fees being waved around this year for players, we have no idea what it will cost to replace the dross we’ll be left with in two years times. £45m for Sigurðsson for goodness sakes! What’s the market going to be like in 2 years’ time? Who’s to say this is Wenger’s last contract as well? By the time he leaves, we may have to drastically change our transfer strategy just as we had to when Chelsea and Abramovich arrived in 2003. Prices going through the roof fucked us back then and we weren’t prepared for it and it doesn’t look like we’re prepared for when Wenger has to leave.

[Niall_Quinn]

Asked for an update on Sanchez's contract situation ahead of Saturday's Premier League trip to Stoke City, he said: 'We have not progressed on that front.
'At the moment he is a player that goes into the final year of his contract and we make no progress on that front.
'It is a consequence of what I say unfortunately but we have to make a choice between efficiency on the field and financial interest.
'In this case, I prioritise the sporting side.'

COCK!

If you want Alexis to stay then spend the fucking money that's rolling in from the TV contracts. Stop fucking about with lowball bids. You haven't gone head to head with any of your rivals in the transfer market and won. Ever. Cheapskate!

Alexi wants to go because this club shows zero ambition. Why is he going to sign a new contract when the same old shit is being repeated again? Lemar was there to sign. You fucked it up. That would have shown the ambition required to persuade a player like Alexis to stay. But you fucked it up AGAIN. As usual. A 50 mill bid a month ago and Lemar would be in an Arsenal shirt today.

But we know what you really think about this whole transfer business. You'd prefer it if the transfer window never opened.

'I think for the regularity of the season it is better. As well for psychological comfort of the manager and the focus, it is better to start the season with everyone on the train and we stay on the train.

'You spend your whole summer on the transfer market, we had 10 weeks. People will adapt. When there are just 3-4 days to go, everyone comes out of the bushes, says we are alive, we are here and we want to buy.'

COCK!

WTF are you on about? Make some sense. Stop talking shit. DO YOUR JOB!

[Letters]

I swear you have a reading problem. Did this not register?

I actually responded to that , so I don't think it's me who has the reading problem.

Does that not spell out why we’re fucked overall?

Well, those things are of concern and it's why we're not as competitive as we should be given our squad. But contrary to some people's opinions I don't see us in a terminal decline. We are stagnating and have done so for years.
I care about our finances only in as much as it's important in the modern game.
We are treading water while Wenger remains with us but were he to leave now I don't think we'd be in bad shape for the new manager. Whether we will be in 2 years remains to be seen but past performance indicates we are unlikely to terminally decline under him so I'm not sure there's reason to believe that we'll be in a worse (or better) stage when he does leave. Possible that we will start to decline under him but we haven't yet despite people's predictions that we'd be in mid-table by now.