They bay for the manager's head, the board, the players who leave, even the players who haven't left yet but they believe should.
This is the black and white of football fans, the very sentiments that so called news media are reaching out to with Silly Season's shameless speculations.
It's not like Arsène Wenger or the board have been sitting idly by, watching players leave without considering their replacements. The facts available suggest that this summer, on the contrary, probably has been the busiest for years.
When the management at Arsenal are asked to get their fingers out, the ones shouting the most have no understanding of how a deal is made.
And some deals have been finalised. Gervinho and Carl Jenkinson were expected to arrive, even though Gervinho's French employers needed some more persuasion than Arsenal thought. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain chose Arsenal over other offers, knowing that a young player has a better shot at the Premier League there than at other clubs.
Joel Campbell finally signed for Arsenal after a late bid from a rival almost turned his head. Other players in the same situation chose differently.
Remember Phil Jones? Before he signed for Manchester United, Arsenal were another club to meet the fee in his release clause. Jones spoke of sporting reasons for choosing Old Trafford. But as reporter Matt Dickinson in the Times reminded us today: Jones nearly chose Arsenal after meeting Wenger. When Aaron Ramsey left Cardiff, the opposite happened and the player chose Arsenal after nearly accepting United's offer.
In the Sun today, Juan Mata explains that his choice of employer also was founded on purely sporting principles. As if. Several reports suggest that a contract with Arsenal was very near completion when Chelsea rode in and upped the ante. Roman's wages turned the agent (and Mata) and there was no longer any point for Arsenal to make a bid. Tottenham did anyway, only for Mata to turn them down in an instant.
But while Campbell was persuaded to join Arsenal anyway, the lure of the rubles was too hard for Mata. I don't think text messages from Fernando Torres, or the prospects of partnering Frank Lampard, was as important as he claims today.
The money of Manchester City and Chelsea, and also Manchester United, make this summer's transfer market highly unpredictable. Wenger reminds us of an absolute truth when he says:
" ... we are not in a supermarket where you go to a shelf and you ask where are the centre backs or the strikers."
The fact that a transfer deal has three parties, two clubs and the player, is sadly and completely lost on former legend Ian Wright. He's portraying himself as the clown of Arsenal's Silly Season in his Sun column today:
David Villa would have been brilliant for Arsenal.
David Silva would have been brilliant for Arsenal.
Wesley Sneijder would have been brilliant for Arsenal.
Edin Dzeko would have been brilliant for Arsenal.
Phil Jones or Chris Smalling would have been brilliant for Arsenal.
All those players have been available recently and a great club like Arsenal should have been out there competing fiercely for their signatures.
"Available recently," eh? Not only does Wright actually believe in the supermarket, he also thinks he can go in and buy what he wants with Dad's credit card without settling later.
Jones, as I mentioned, picked United after negotiating with Arsenal, as did Chris Smalling in the January window. It happens.
David Villa cost more than Cesc. David Silva and Edin Dzeko were linked with Arsenal, more or less seriously, but are now among several teammates on about £200k/week at Manchester City. That's twice as much as Arsenal have paid anyone ever.
Wesley Sneijder har recently scared both Manchester clubs - yes, even City - away with wage demands even higher than that.
When Arsenal's representatives go out in Europe to compete with that kind of money, they have to pull out. You have to have Ian Wright's attitude to debt to not understand that.
Of course Arsenal tap up players, too. There is no need to climb a high horse, as everybody does it. A club representative approaches agent, or vice versa, they negotiate and settle on approximate terms, and only then is the offer made to the (would-be) selling club. It’s not just to put an extra pressure on unwilling sellers, it’s just that it saves everyone time and money to avoid haggling over deals that won’t get through anyway (like Tottenham's offer for Mata).
When asked about Mata and the much hyped release clause deadline, Wenger couldn’t openly admit that Arsenal never can offer what Chelsea can. That would surely end any hopes of major buys this window.
Phil Jagielka and his people seem to use a different approach. It seems to me that the negotiations have been intense, even though just one bid has been made from Arsenal to Everton. It’s been reported that Jagielka’s not interested, that he sees Arsenal as a move sideways. But that may just as well be his people speaking anonymously to put pressure on Wenger and suck more money out of the deal.
Typically, I think Everton will only receive another bid if Arsenal have the personal terms sewn up. Like with Mata and Jones, the buyers speak with the agents first.
After all, why do you think Nasri's personal terms are public property already, when Arsenal accepted a fee only today?
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