You can make all the excuses you like, blame the Gods, miscommunication and the unwillingness of clubs to do business but at the end of the day, Arsene Wenger and the Arsenal board have failed the club massively.
The late, late final bid for Thomas Lemar to replace want away Sanchez has been nothing short of embarrassing. The player clearly didn’t fancy going to the club, preferring a move to Anfield and cited lack of time to consider the deal.
That’s a nice way of saying thanks but no thanks in my book because Lemar had been sounded out and sought for the whole duration of the transfer window. So what are we meant to make of it all? Well, it’s a case of collective incompetence and lack of communication.
Wenger is known for his dithering in the window and has said on many occasions that it’s a distraction. He’s reluctant to spend and identify the players he wants and needs before the season commences and suddenly realising you are in a hole is a lame excuse.
As a lifelong supporter, I’ve known some wretched times during the transfer window but this by far is the worst. Failing to list your targets, the areas that need bolstering and then securing replacements before a ball is kicked is crucial, yet Arsenal are again the late comers to the party.
Lacazette was a fine purchase but where is his feed? Ozil ? Disgruntled Sanchez? The fact is that you can’t see at the moment where he will get his goals from.
The squad is light, muddled and unable to function in the Arsenal way and this is not a sudden revelation, it’s been going on for years.
It’s all good and well saying that the players need to take responsibility but those at the very top of the club have sold the club short again. Failing to reinforce, dispatch unhappy players and look at the big picture.
If Wenger fails to win consecutive games from here on in, it will cause damaging unrest and leave Wenger on a knife edge. He’s not alone in this tragic tale, Gazidis has failed to support him and the board are unfit to take their seats.
We should have seen it coming, it happens every year and yet again they are reaching for the excuse book and frantically looking for new clichés. The war chest that was mentioned was more of a piggy bank, the revolution we were promised was a wet firework and the back room staff and structural changes were nothing but smoke and mirrors.
What a shambles and one suspects that Aaron Ramsey meant the club rather than Oxlade-Chamberlain in a recent tweet, even though the Welshman made a full if unconvincing explanation on social media.
We can only expect that there is more to come as the drama unfolds and the club heads into a tail spin.
Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola did their major dealings early and look to be in the driving seat this season. Klopp did a reasonable job to bolster a squad in need of a re jig, making sound purchases even if they weren’t spectacular.
Spurs had a late flurry and added to key areas, not that much was required but Arsenal? Same old story that we’ve watched a thousand times. The noise from Arsenal fans is becoming louder and it’s becoming a dire spectacle, something that turns the stomach and fuels the anger monkeys.
Here we are, looking towards January for reinforcements when Sanchez is likely to get his wish and the season is beyond repair.
It’s almost like the club is imploding and the mammoth job of fixing the problem may yet be given to someone else. At least that way the club has a legitimate excuse for failure on and off the field.
