Transfer deadline is usually a quiet time for Arsene Wenger. The Frenchman more often than not gets his business done early by the time the bi-annual mad scramble begins.
But in this most disastrous of starts to a season Wenger knows he must deliver ahead of Wednesday's deadline or risk the rest of the campaign imploding all around him. Those who bet on the Champions League are already placing Arsenal as vast outsiders.
If you look on the bright side, you could say that things can't get much worse than a 8-2 defeat at Manchester United – the history books now tell us that. But what it also did was highlight the glaring deficiencies in the Gunners line-up. Well, to many of us we already knew where their weaknesses lay but Wenger now surely can't keep on stubbornly denying anything is wrong. I wouldn’t bet on relegation coming to haunt the club, but for a team that usually keeps such high standards, their recent fall from grace is alarming.
A defender is needed desperately, someone with some grit, determination and leadership. Wenger may want to build a team like Barcelona but even they have Carlos Puyol directing things at the back.
There is a huge Samir Nasri and Cesc Fabregas shaped hole in the midfield and with £60million in his back pocket following the sale of those two players he has no excuses about not finding a replacement.
Finally, a striker is urgently needed to provide back-up for Robin Van Persie. The Dutchman is a proven world-class talent but is too injury prone to be relied upon for a whole season.
Wenger though is notoriously - and I have to say to a certain extent admirably – careful with money and last minute shopping is exactly the sort of situation he hates being in.
Clubs, scenting a few extra quid, will inflate transfer fees, sensing the club's desperation. Will Wenger swallow his pride and cough up the extra cash required to plug the gaps? Or will he stubbornly prefer to keep what he has got in order to maintain his prudent approach to the transfer market?
It's going to be a fun 24 hours.
2 comments:
I hope he makes the right decision.
surdic: wenger we fans in nigeria are arshame of u. pls buy young player so that they can coordinate the little ones. at they can coordinate the little ones.
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