Should us Arsenal fans really be so gloomy during the transfer window?

By Avenell Dave

I was speaking to @LeGrove yesterday and while we don't always agree, we were discussing the general feeling of doom and gloom around the club at the moment.

Whether it's down to the position in the table, drawing with Swansea on the FA Cup, not signing new players, ticket prices or the tedium which is the Theo Walcott contract situation, the fact is, there's plenty to complain about.

We certainly need to turn draws into wins in the Premier League and speaking to Citeh fans this week, they seem confident that their team will lose on Suday. Let's hope so. It would be a boost to everyone if we beat the big spenders.

Was drawing with Swansea such a bad thing? Not really. Yes we switched off, we always look vulnerable and our full backs have to remember how to defend again.

But Swansea beat the Ch*vs in midweek and if that doesn't underline how far they've come in the last three years, I don't know what does.

They're an example to us all of having a tight but flexible squad, a great ethos and responsible gambling over players.

Yes we can all lament not signing Michu and he looks to be a top top player, but you have to ask yourself why no one other than Swansea cam in for him when he was made available last summer?

The likelihood is that his form is erratic and no one wanted to take a punt on him.

The worst part of it for me is that quality strikers are hard to find. They're the gold dust that everyone wants and while I think Olivier Giroud is superb, he hasn't done enough to suggest he's world class. Yet.

I was philosophical about selling van Persie in the summer. His injury record, the fact that keeping an unhappy player when there was big money on the table made no commercial sense at all and the fact that we relied on him too much.

But as @legrove said, if we had dug our heels in, we could well be challenging for the title now. While Giroud adjusts, Cazorla and Wilshere would have provided just as many chances for the freescoring Dutchman as M*nure do now.

It's gone from a divorce from someone I couldn't care less about to one where my ex wife is now enjoying a happy life while still living in my street. If only he'd gone abroad.

Everyone wants us to sign players and while Liverpool signed Sturridge early, little other business has been done.

We need players and I actually think now is the best time to buy, because it gives new faces time to settle in for half a season.

Does Wenger or the club have a plan? He's certainly talking about the possibility of bringing in new signings in a way he doesn't always do and the fact that he is getting the likes of Djourou and Chamakh out (and maybe AA23 as well) means more funds for wages and squad places.

It's still early in the month and while previous windows would suggest that we aren't likely to do any incoming business, let's wait and see rather than moan.

We have a fully fit squad and while a couple of injuries could hamper us, especially with a busy schedule coming up, let's worry about that when we need to and get behind the team during what is going to be a criticial month.

Addict XI

Szczesny

Jenkinson Mertesacker Koscielny Gibbs

Cazorla Arteta Wilshere

Walcott Giroud Podolski

Comments

[Ronald v Rooyen]

Wenger has become every Arsenal supporter's'biggest frustration. He has completely lost the balance between financial welfare and success on the field. We don't wake up every morning paging the stock exchange papers and financial reports to see how we're doing...we turn to the sport pages to to see how well we've done and will continue to do!. Well, for now, we're not getting any good news whatsoever. Wake up Wenger!!!