This Silly Season has it all. The clamour for Arsenal to sign someone - anyone! - has been heard throughout the summer. It has been countered by more reasoned voices arguing for the more cautionary regime to continue signing players within the means of a sustainable club. Today's 2-8 defeat at Old Trafford, three days before the end of the transfer window, will turn the eyes of the whole football world towards Arsenal.
Manager Arsène Wenger had to apologise to the fans on the BBC, and refuse to consider his position on Sky Sports. The humiliation was complete.
While the defeat wasn't just down to lack of experience - the substitution of Francis Coquelin on his league debut arguably decided the game in Manchester United's favour - there is now huge pressure on Arsenal to sign real reinforcements.
Off the back of his worst defeat as manager, in the worst spell of league form in 15 years, Wenger has never been under more pressure.
He admitted that the signing of Park Chu-Young from Monaco probably is done by tonight. But the gap in class between the reigning league champions and Arsenal's B team is even bigger than could be expected. One backup forward won't be enough.
That's why the next few days will see Arsenal linked with everyone under the sun, and perhaps doing deals that the club wouldn't do in other circumstances. Every price in the international transfer market will go up with a buyer looking desperate.
For the fans, these are extreme circumstances. For the manager, the pressure has never been worse.
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