Arsenal may have put in perhaps their best performance of the season so far in beating Stoke City 3-0 on Sunday but supporters are still not totally satisfied.
In fact, every Gunners supporter in the Football Transfer Tavern agrees the January transfer window is always an especially disappointing time to be an Arsenal fan.
The Gunners sit 13 points adrift of Chelsea at the top of the Premier League in a season where Arsene Wenger was expected to build a side capable of mounting a sustained title challenge.
As it stands, any hope of silverware will come via the cup competitions whilst the second half of the Premier League season will have that all too familiar feeling of fighting for fourth.
And the general feeling amongst supporters is that this would not have to be the case had Wenger just spent the cash that was in front of him.
Here we have identified five reasons why Arsenal fans just can’t can’t seem to get along with the January transfer window.
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Click on Arsene Wenger to reveal 5 reasons why Arsenal fans hate the January transfer window.
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The injury curse always strikes – and there are never any replacements
The gripe for many Arsenal fans is that everything has become a bit predictable. There will be an injury crisis, failure to bring in new talent and a fight for fourth or a collapse as winter turns to spring.
The injury crisis at the Emirates Stadium every season is like a bad joke. Whilst Sunday’s win over Stoke City was pleasing, Mathieu Debuchy suffered an injury that will see him ruled out for three months.
With the Gunners already short of defensive options, you would expect Wenger to go out and find a replacement. However, history has taught us not to hold our breath.
Major rivals always strengthen
The teams Arsenal are aspring to at the moment – as painful as this may be to some – are Chelsea and Manchester City. And the top two have never been afraid to spend big in January if needs be.
City are way ahead of Arsenal and in the hunt for the Premier League title and have still just splashed £30 million on a new striker in the form of Wilfried Bony.
The frustrating thing for Arsenal fans is that the money is there to be spent. But for whatever reason, the club seems content to sit back and watch their rivals do the business.
There’s always a ‘derisory bid’ of some sort
Arsenal often seem to make a bid of some sort just to show they are trying but they always seem to be dismissed out of hand and described as ‘derisory’.
They annoyed Liverpool with their bid for Luis Suarez in the summer of 2013 – £40million and £1 and all that – and did the same last January with Newcastle United and Yohan Cabaye who eventually went on to sign for PSG.
Even when the Gunners are given a release clause to meet as they were last winter with Schalke’s Julian Draxler, Wenger’s attempt to get a cut-price deal always end up in disappointment and Gunners fans glued to the screen on deadline day in the hope of a major arrival see their hopes dashed.
Just bid what is being asked of you if the money is there Arsene!
When Wenger does make a signing – he proves a major flop
Arsenal were hoping for Julian Draxler last January, yet they got 31-year-old Kim Kallstrom instead. The Gunners were in the hunt for the Premier League title this time 12 months ago. A couple of top clas additions could have seen them over the line.
Instead, Wenger signed a defensive midfielder on loan for six months who did not appear until late March anyway due to injury. The deal made Arsenal something of a laughing stock and proved typical of Wenger’s recent transfer record.
Wenger is still wearing THAT coat
With it being the January transfer window and all, it’s pretty cold. That means Arsenal fans still have to watch their manager struggling with the zip of his giant blue worm coat, in a month where their title challenge usually falls apart and all the speculation of star names about to arrive prove to be false.
Why oh why have you never asked for a new coat for Christmas Arsene?
