Wenger: 'We Have A Good Squad'

So Wenger wants us to believe that he can only do one thing at a time? Why must we wait till Theo is tied up till signing someone? What if Theo f***s about till the end of Jan? It's not inspiring me with confidence to tell you the truth.

Won't it be easier if Wenger just came out to say "we shall not be doing any business in the winter window except ship out a few for game time" instead of persisting with these conflicting quotes as if he needs to put a spin to his failure to buy? Arsene. Stop making a fool of yourself and by extension, the club. We are big enough to say it as it is, please.

His posturing on matters to do with squad improvements reeks of taking a gamble all the time and this has been going on for a while now. it is almost like he delights in being hailed for "over-achieving" with an average squad when buying the right quality at the right time could make a difference. He reminds one of a toddler with filthy hands who has just been instructed to go wash up his hands; the kid's desire will be how dirty can he leave his hands and still get by, after making a right huge splash in the kitchen sink as he goes through the motions of trying hard to clean up. Wenger should know he doesn't kid most fans anymore and is fast losing even his most ardent of supporters. This squad is in need of a lift from an addition who gives hope; a skillful forward will do just nicely, for starters then we look at the DM position. In the summer, the job will then be easier to get a keeper (why didn't we get Julio Cesar?) and versatile defender. Of course, the Sale of bench Warmers must continue into the summer.

With the exception of the part about Usmanov, I agree Les, infact I was dicussing the subject on Twitter last night. If I had to speculate I'd say Arsene is taking a fall here, he loves the club very much and I reckon he's protecting it the best way he can. I find it hard to believe he could be so short-sighted regarding transfer windows when there is such a large pile of cash waiting to be spent.

It's not for the numbers though Amos, we need some players, our squad is ridiculously unbalanced. Arsene has to know this and can't believe the "spirit and mentality" line he keeps spinning. Surely?

If Wenger is to be believed then according to the quotes in the article above he knows exactly where improvements need to be made but thinks we're ok on numbers.

Agreed LD - We've managed to sign multiple players at once before, what's the difference between here? It's not like convincing Theo to sign is something that requires constant attention. We make him an offer, he mulls it over (of course it's a little more complicated than that, but you get my meaning).

Arsenal do have a very good squad - your midfield is up there with the best in the Premier League. Think what you lack is strength in depth, and possibly a real leader in defence.

You could have 25 over-weight pub players in there and the numbers would be ok, but the numbers of good players is too small.

Exactly what I said. No point signing players unless they're better than what we already have.

Even Wenger doesn't believe it's impossible.

Wenger: "find a player of his (Arteta) calibre in January? I wish you good luck". Isn't the point that we should have a player of his calibre already in the squad who can take over? What were the chances Arteta would last the season given his age and history of injury? If Coquelin is good enough and in the first team he should surely be getting more game time rather than us relying on a half fit Diaby.

Wenger certainly has this patter he comes out with that increasingly infuriate some of us fans. I'd like to give him the benefit of the doubt and pretend he doesn't mean to do it, but he's too intelligent for that. One thing you've never been able to criticize Wenger on is his willingness to comment. He comments on everything and the problem is its often taken out of context.

And Danny Fiszman literally gave the last few years of his life to Arsenal. He knew he was seriously ill, could have swanned off to Switzerland to enjoy his family, retirement and his vast fortune, but he stayed and worked his socks off for the club until he was sure that he was on a stable footing and that he could pass on his shares to the safest pair of hands available.

that "it" was on a stable footing.

Why would those players that've moved be available to move again? Speculation about what players gets very boring very quickly, all I know is that the squad we have is one of the weakest under Wenger, and i refuse to believe that it's impossible to improve on this month.

au contraire, because when we don't sign anyone this window, you'll "refuse to believe" that anyone was in fact available Fun.

@ shewore. What Amos said, basically. Nobody is in a position to say that we are not trying to sign or looking for anyone. You don't know where Dick Law is at this moment, you don't know what AW or IG are doing, all you know is that we haven't bought someone. That we haven't signed anyone yet, or that we end up signing no-one, would not prove or even imply that we were not trying. It would only show that we did not succeed.

Actually shewore I have a theory Fun is Amos. ;)

Le Grove also always tries to lump all those with an opinion that isn't as relentlessly cynical as theirs together as one. It kind of deceives them that they can reinforce their weak opinions in an Us against Them sort of way. Bit transparent though. ;)

I can categorically say i've never read le grove's blog in my life, i've seen him on twitter and he's exactly the sort of bloke i think is a tw@, pretty much down to a tee. And for what it's worth I think your approach to anyone who does take a cynical slant on things is exactly what he does, kind of inverted snobbery in the football internet forum world.

Jesus wept i've been saying exactly that in different ways for ages now - can you honestly say i haven't said certain players haven't had the competency to improve or be good enough for Arsenal before? Or worked hard enough (without the amount of "challenges" stats). And what exactly is the point? i asked a question about whether or not we need to improve in the short term - i.e. sign someone to improve the squad/team in Jan.

Conversely, when I find myself seeing anyone quoting him or using his stuff in arguments, I tend to take a very defensive position of Arsenal football club. You'll see i'm positive about some things at the club, just not a great deal at the moment, especially this season.

Is there an argument about whether or not we need to improve in the short term? You're telling FG not to say something that as far as I can see, on this thread anyway, he hasn't said. Then criticising and dismissing it as wishy-washy as though he has said it. You then have the nerve to criticise me for my approach and accuse others of not debating your straw man argument.

As you picked up in your earlier post referring to context Wyn Wenger recognised that 'we have a good squad' was 'swimming against the stream a bit'. He's not wrong on either count but the issue is not whether it's good it's whether it's good enough. He's just trying to manage expectations as best he can. It's all part of the job.

Amos, my concern is why Wenger needs to manage expectations rather than exceed it by stating from the off that the club will not be buying in the window; that way, should something "happen", there will be a few that will be positively enthused. By trying to manage expectations, he is unwittingly creating anxiety in even his players, who will feel insecure knowing the manager thinks improvements are needed and has promised to do something about it. Otherwise. Instead of talking, just get it done....like Chelsea did with Ba and like Newcastle are doing with Debauchy and maybe Remy? There are players available just as the manager admitted in his "let me give you my phone for 24 hours" comment, so why can't he just make up his mind and pick what he believes we need to do better?

Why should he state that he won't be buying if he thinks he might? And how could what you suggest be anything other than managing expectations Naija? Is it just a matter of Wenger making his mind up and picking from those that are available? Or should he decide first whether those available are really any better than he already has? It isn't about numbers.

Amos, I think for many of us the expectations are that fourth place trophy we keep hearing about.

@ shewore, why don't you change YOUR name to "I agree with Wyn Mills"? And no, I don't need exact details of contracts of players who have moved clubs, I just want from you examples of quality players who were definitely available. I'll start you off - Demba Ba. I could be mean and refuse to answer your question until you have answered mine, but after that win I am feeling magnanimous. You asked: "Do you think the squad needs strengthening in the short term?" Not urgently, no. A few days ago I opined that we needed a matchwinner - and I kind of think that we might still do. JW, Podolski, Walcott have the medium-to-long term potential to be that player, but not quite yet. Ramsey, too. They all have the mentality of a matchwinner. But I genuinely believe that we are two deep in quality in every position, except possibly GK, where I would prefer to have an experienced keeper to back up and teach Chesney. We are temporarily lacking numbers in the striker position, but if we got another striker I would prefer someone different to Giroud, not a straight back-up unless it's a kid for the future. Different options for the manager are what we want. Of the players from whom AW picks his matchday squad, who are the bad players? I don't see any. On international breaks, who is left at home? Arteta, Mannone, Santos and Squillaci. The squad's isssues are psychological. There is too much of the wrong sort of pressure on them and as a result many of them are trying too hard. Expectation from the fans that they will win or die trying is good pressure, but the open doubting that they are good enough for Arsenal is bad pressure and it is playing havoc with their minds. I think we see that most clearly in the finishing. They also need to start consistently defending as a unit again, they need to play on the front foot - we are an attacking side, we don't work when we are conservative. A critical mass of the squad have to find within themselves the strength not to take on internalise the doubting and the fans' insecurities. I know some feel we are unbalanced in midfield, but we have the personnel present to put that right. The flaws are coachable.

I've already said pure speculation on players gets boring very quickly - the same can be said of Ba, sure he'll stick a couple past us on Sunday though. My point is that as we didn't sign him, or Mata, or Cahill for example - means that we simply 'couldn't' in a lot of people's eyes, when i think that's worth questioning. I think the squad definitely needs more depth, Wenger doesn't trust his squad at all - last night he played Coquelin, who did well, why doesn't he give other players a shout? Answer - he doesn't rate them. He needs better players in the squad to step up when required.

I don't understand why Arshavin was on the bench for games like last night, i find it really weird, he's never on when we need to win, he's not on when we're cruising - may as well give a youngun a 5 min cameo (if we're cruising)

No i used Coquelin as an example that he should use more players from the squad. 'if they are not bought, it's for sensible reasons', so that precludes any other possible explanation, such as 1m here, 5k a week there, dawdling over offering a contract there, then. Anyone we don't sign is due to sensible reasons - that is exactly what i don't buy in to. I'm sure that's applicable to a lot of signings we haven't made, but i think equally we've missed out on some good signings because of more than just being 'sensible', 'totally risk averse' maybe.

You're not making much sense. In what way is Coquelin an example of anything? Because he used Coquelin he should be willing to use Frimpong more? I think he should use Rosicky more but every player he does use means some other player isn't. We know that the club isn't 'totally' risk averse because it takes risks. In what way isn't not offering £1m over the maximum you believe you can offer for a particular player sensible? Or offering £5k a week more than you think makes sense still sensible? You're arguing that it must be sensible to be prepared to offer more than you think is sensible and that it must always make sense to do so! I'm sure that we've missed out on some signings too, Michu perhaps, but right now I can't think of one deal in recent times that we might have lost because of dawdling over an offer. Can you?

No matter how I look at it I can't follow the Cahill/Metersacker/free signing references at all but it is tedious that Chelsea gazumped us for Mata. I'm assuming that even as conjecture you can't think of a deal we missed because we dawdled. That's fair enough. I can't either. Risk averse in the context of which football club? Chelsea? City? No we don't take the same risks they do nor should we with the resources we have. It's safer to buy Cazorla for £12m than to spend £30m on someone that isn't worth it or RvP for £3m for that matter. It's not only safer but sensible too. Of course you can focus on the players that cost little that didn't work out instead of those we spent a bit more on that didn't work out either like Reyes and Arshavin but it doesn't really show the club as risk averse does it.

Or if we can find a club that's in massive financial trouble each year - we won't need to spend big?

@ shewore - no conjecture required about WHO was available. Basically, you can't think of anyone who has moved in this window that we missed out on. Fine. You only say we dawdle because you don't know what is going on. Doesn't mean we're not doing anything, does it? Btw what is your issue with Merts? I think he's the best defender we've had for years, do you not rate him? Or are you just *****ed off because he cost less than Bolton wanted for Cahill? And what Amos said. :) @ Wyn Mills, absolutely true about fans' doubting not being unique to Arsenal. What is unique is the way the doubt is fed, echoed and amplified by the media and the Arsenal blogs. Arsenal blogs outnumber all other clubs' blogs, and they are mostly negative. There are more headlines about Arsenal than any other club in the PL (check newsnow) and the vast majority of headlines are negative because they get more clicks. However strong you are, a constant diet of "you're not good enough" is bound to have some effect over time. AW has said that the negativity does affect the team, and the young players especially. And of course the no trophy for eight years refrain can't help. As to your list, I think most of those players (obviously excluding those who aren't playing anyway) are coping well. But we agree to this extent: they can't stop it happening, so they will have to get over it somehow.