It's the same old narrative for Arsenal fans. Look good before Christmas, get your hopes up for a top-of-the-league finish, then have your team decimated by injury or under-performers, drop points you absolutely should not, finish in 3rd or 4th at seasons end. It's scary how accurate this chart is:
Every transfer window fans cry out for top players. There are obvious holes in the team. A world-class striker is among the most obvious. Olivier Giroud is a very good forward, and gets a lot of unnecessary hate simply because he's not Thierry Henry, or even Robin van Persie. But the Gunners have lacked that deadly front man since RVP left in 2012. We sign players like Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez who are world-renown and we can't give them a top rate finisher? Again, Giroud isn't bad, but he won't win you titles as the go-to man up top. He'd be a fantastic super sub, spot starter, or even second striker.
So this past summer when teams really spend big, Wenger splashed early. For nearly $14.6 million he grabbed up a top rate goalkeeper in Petr Cech from rival Chelsea. Everyone thought that would be the start to a wonderful summer window. We were linked to solid defensive midfielders (Grzegorz Krychowiak, Victor Wanyama, Morgan Schneiderlein) and strikers who would be difference makers (Edinson Cavani, Robert Lewandowski, Karim Benzema and Gonzalo Higuain for the 100th time). Tech was the only signing. It was reported in the summer Wenger had a $292 million war chest at the ready for any signings he wanted. And he spent just 5% of that.
Then in the winter, with the squad underperforming and injuries taking hold, there was looks of spending big again. It started with the purchase of relatively unknown Egyptian midfielder Mohamed Elneny, a 23-year-old from FC Basel in Switzerland. It seemed like a good base; a young player that could start now and help bolster the midfield. He looks to have the tools of a top player that would benefit from being under Wenger's tutelage.
And then the window ended without another first team move. What have Wenger's responses to lack of moves been in the past? To paraphrase:
"No money to spend." That's false.
"No top players available."
False. Those are all players Wenger could have gotten.
And you know what? If they say they're not available, you offer enough money to MAKE them available. You're Arsenal , a supposed soccer giant with an illustrious history. You have cash, now spend it. You aren't Billy Beane, Arsene. No saber metrics will win you a title. You need to look like Scrooge McDuck.
And then turn your transfer targets into Scrooge McDuck.
But until that happens, it's 4th place again. Dear God, just please, please, PLEASE do not let Tottenham finish above us.
It's time to overhaul the squad. We can no longer rely on Jack Wilshere. If he's lucky he'll turn into Rosicky. A player that had so much potential, a club favorite, and was too injured all the time to ever fulfill it. He can come off the bench and show flashes of brilliance only to be sidelined for another 6 weeks. Our defense is looking horrible. Per Mertesacker looks like he couldn't beat a legless man in a race and his turns look like a doomsday scenario (aka the Earth's rotation halts). Laurent Koscielny is having a poor season. Mikel Arteta, Rosicky and Mathieu Flamini are all likely gone this summer. Nacho Montreal is getting older, and Kieran Gibbs, his heir apparent, cannot be trusted. Santi Cazorla is coming off injury and has 2, maybe 3, good seasons left. Cech is old, but has a few good years left as well. Walcott, Ox and Ramsey slip out of form so easily you'd think they were trying to walk up an icy hill. Like I said before, Giroud is above average, but we need more than that. Danny Welbeck is oft-injured as backup.
We have Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez in their primes, and we give them garbage to try and win trophies with. Cech, Alexis, Joel Campbell, Coquelin, Nacho, Gabriel, even Santi; those are players with the attitudes we need. Determination, grit, work ethic, just plain WANTING it. Giving their all. Even Flamini does that, even though he's no where near as skilled. It seems like Elneny has that as well. Wilshere is another pitbull, but he's too injury prone to be included among the others.
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