Shava tweets....

"I don't watch Transfer deadline TV, I play for Arsenal there is no point.. ;)))"


There are often times when writing my missive on Sunday/Monday for publication in the Irish Examiner on a Wednesday is a complete pain in the arse. This is one of them!

Mind you, as a Gooner, I've hardly got cause for the proverbial "hold the back page" proclamation. I can't seriously imagine there were many of us who were watching Monday night's transfer madness on Sky Sports (unlike Arshavin), actually expecting anything of any Red & White relevance to occur.

We've grown accustomed to transfer deadlines coming and going during AW's tenure without le Gaffer shuffling his pack. In truth, with hindsight, even Arshavin's atypical last-minute arrival was probably a deal which was mostly pushed through by Ivan Gazides, as the Gunners new broom attempted to prove his worth, by demonstrating his immediate impact on the club with the Arsenal's biggest ever outlay to ensure the capture of the diminutive (and many might say, somewhat indolent!) Ruski.

Nevertheless as a decidedly weak winter transfer market was suddenly topped up to over £200 million (quite frankly an obscene amount in the current parlous economic climate, compared to a relatively thrifty £29mill last winter!) with the mega-money deadline hour deals done for Torres, Luiz, Carrol & Suarez, it was hard not to feel just a tad envious of those fans who will be turning up for future matches, eagerly awaiting their first sight of some superstar signings, especially when it would appear that compared to so many of the Arsenal's competitors, the club's finances are comparatively healthy and unlike so many other clubs, it's not like we can't afford to bolster our squad in those areas of such obviously diaphanous depth!

But then you know that Arsène's perfectly happy to stick, rather than twist and doesn't feel any pressing need to even pluck out some obscure cut-price red herring as the transfer clock ticks down, when the only false scent found by the tabloid trash involved the unlikely likes of an infirm Jonathan Woodgate and a decrepit Sol Campbell.

I only hope le Prof is proved correct and that with the Gunners still fighting on all four fronts, he doesn't end up regretting his parsimony, as injuries and suspensions begin to take their toll.

Arsène's confidence in his first XI doesn't appear misguided, as we all know that on our day, our best players are perfectly capable of giving anyone a game. But as was all too obvious against Huddersfield on Sunday, as far as I'm concerned, our pusillanimity becomes patently clear the moment le gaffer makes more than the odd change to the starting line-up and sends out half a dozen of those players who've been flattering to deceive for far too long now - you all know who they are!

But then with the Arsenal's customary habit of playing their cards as close to their chest as possible, we don't really know what's been going on behind the scenes. For all we know, they've been slaving their backsides off trying in vain to obtain certain specific targets? In fact only yesterday my neighbour at the Emirates was speculating as to whether Carlos Vela's proposed loan move to Bolton was called off out of spite, perhaps because Owen Coyle wouldn't budge on flogging us Gary Cahill and as a result Vela has ended up loaned out to the Baggies instead?

Although if there's anything to this theory, personally my feeling has always been that if Arsène truly believes we're short in the centre-back department, then surely it makes sense simply to stump up sufficient moola necessary to bag the best available candidate (myself I've not seen enough of Cahill to be convinced). As evidenced from the apparent scramble going on amongst those clubs either fretting about, or striving for a precious seat at the European top table, from a strictly economic point of view, surely it's got to be good business. What price Arsène's apparent inactivity, if heaven forfend, injuries to the likes of Vermaelen, Djourou or Koscielny end up with us being pipped for fourth place?

Meanwhile if we're frustrated by our failure to bring in some new blood through the front door, what about all the very best of our fringe youngsters exiting out the back on assorted loan deals?
Perhaps there's an argument for blooding Jay Emmanuel-Thomas with the Bluebirds, but why risk sending Aaron Ramsey to Wales with him, when (in my humble opinion) Aaron could be doing a far better job than a diffident Denilson.

But that's more than enough of my waffle. Besides which, it's hardly a day for whinging, when I've just bought a ticket for my first Wembley final (since the redevelopment). Mind you, while we're laughing at Tottenham (and Harry's failed late bid for Charlie Adams) and bragging about an apparent banker of an FA Cup Draw against the Orient, I've been led to believe that we've drawn the O's on three previous occasions, each of which ended up with us losing in the final!

Come on you Reds
Big Love
Bernard

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