Richard Buxcey
Our worst start to a league campaign for 58 years was predicted by many, myself included, and - of course - is now a harsh reality. Yet still the AKBs insist on continuing to support our broken man of a manager. Arsėne has become a gaunt and haunted figure, who clearly has no idea why everything he tries, at the moment, ends in a spectacular failure, and I have little sympathy for the man now.
Once again Saturday’s latest shambles was all too predictable. The moment Gervinho failed to play in RVP at 2-1, I knew we would pay for that missed chance. How many times have we said that, and how many more times will that happen this season? The frailty at the back is pure Sunday league. Nearly every time the defence comes under anything like a period of reasonable pressure, the end-result is a goal conceded or a reckless tackle, resulting in a caution or a red card. To concede an own goal can be considered unfortunate. To concede two is careless beyond stupidity.
The whole summer’s farcical transfer dealings have compounded the issues that have dogged our club for the past five years. It has been clear for two years that Cesc wanted to go home. He should have been sold as soon as the window opened, but, once again, the board were arguing over a torn fiver. In the end, we still didn’t get what he was worth, so what was the point in dragging it out until August? The same with Nasri. He clearly wanted to jump ship early doors, so why delay until almost September? Then, to make things worse, bring in five new first-team players on the final day of the transfer window and expect them suddenly to fit in like a hand into a glove?
What baffles me more are the transfers that didn’t happen. We pay £12-13m for Alex Oxlade Chamberlain, another very young untested winger from Southampton (sounds familiar) and then offer Bolton £6m for an experienced, quality, English centre-half in Gary Cahill. Who is conducting these contract negotiations? Who decides on the fees offered? Why is every transfer at Arsenal so long and drawn out?
Man Utd, Spurs, Chelsea, Liverpool, in fact nearly every other club, simply offer the correct value, offer the wages, job done. Anything else is a false economy. As a direct result of a wasted summer, we now have five new deadline-day players who will probably drift in and out and disappear after a few seasons. Arteta looks good, but will be plagued by injuries. Mertesacker is too slow for the premier league, simple as that. Beniyoun is here to play first team football, but will he really care too much?
It will be interesting to see the fans response to Saturday come the Carling Cup match v Shrewsbury. I predict no more than 35,000 will attend, even at low prices, and with more matches going on general sale than I can ever remember, I predict the supporters will continue to vote with their feet. And so it goes on.
This situation will be papered over as always, and a few home wins and Wenger will have us all believing “We have turned the corner”. Not me. Not any more.
