By Mark Finlay
Think what you like about Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger the man has earned respect around the world and is held in high esteem everywhere he goes.
In fact he would be the perfect ambassador for the sport, never late for a press conference, and always ready to answer a fans question or to sign an autograph, yet as meticulous, and as likeable as Wenger is, fans are once again starting to call for the Frenchman to leave Arsenal.
It is begging to become obvious to all in the world of football that when it comes to making moves in the transfer market the 63-year-old Wenger needs some help as he is not the same man who put together the Arsenal team known as the “invincible’s”, but a ditherer who second guesses himself when it comes to making a deal.
Perhaps now that he is older the neurons in his brain are firing in all the wrong places leaving him not knowing how to close a deal.
Money wise Wenger treats the club money as though it is his own refusing to pay the high street price for goods either waiting for them to go on sale or shopping at the pound store.
This dithering and fear of spending has left Arsenal where they are today with a weak squad that might be nice, but are not strong enough to mix it with the bigger clubs who when they know what they want go out and get it rather than making a polite phone call, and then sitting back to wait for that return call.
Players agents, football lawyers, and everyone else that is involved in the transfer market talk of their frustration of being kept waiting as the Frenchman try’s to make a decision, and while no one should cry a tear for these scoundrels Arsenal fans themselves should be crying about all the missed opportunities that the dither has let slip by.
It is time for the Arsenal board to act and to address the situation by putting a person in place above Arsene Wenger who is not in awe of the man, or feels indebted to him for his job like Ivan Gazidis who is nice, but just like the team not tough enough.
Arsenal missed the perfect opportunity to bring in Patrick Vieira and Brian Marwood, Arsenal people who are now helping Manchester City rather than their former club.
Even Real Madrid have Zinedine Zidane to tell club president Florentino Perez which players to sign, and once they have decided they go after their man as in the case with Gareth Bale.
Arsenal rivals Tottenham have Franco Baldini to assist manager Andres Villas-Boas as to what players the club needs, and a tough negotiator in Daniel Levy to get the job done.
As the market enters the last two weeks Wenger is still yet to sign any players, and after the fans reaction to the loss against Villa on Saturday, any buys he makes now will be a desperate move to try and put a lid on the dissent.
Every other club knows that Arsenals desperation to sign players means that they can play hardball, and ask for more money than they originally would have got, because they know Wenger has to buy players.
The Gunners travel to Turkey on Wednesday for their first round Champions League match against Fenerbahce with Wenger knowing that they at least need to come away with a draw or see the anger of the fans demand a change at the club.
