The Transfer Window Tango – Arsenal style

The thing about blogs is right now there are so many out there that inevitably a subject you plan on tackling is likely being tackled by someone else. That leads you to the inevitable thought process of whether or not to proceed with yours.  Case in point is the focus of today’s piece on the craziness that is The Transfer Window

Now before I proceed, Tim Stillman of Vital Arsenal and Arseblog wrote this stellar piece along the same lines and tone I plan on taking.  When I originally read it I thought damn – now what? Well, I figured I’d start writing and see wher it takes me. So forgive this free form regurgitation and let’s both hope it actually leads somewhere

The transfer window isn’t even open. Did you know that? Most likely you did. But you wouldn’t know it by te fact that we are inundated with an endless barage of rumours, inuendo, and everything else in between. It’s a constant rythymic to-and-fro that than only be called the Transfer Window Tango. To set the mood, a little Tango Music if you please Maestro

Say our squad be a flame, not an ember,
Say it’s the strikers that you want to dismember.
Blacken their eye,
Set fire to their tie,
As we dance to the Transfer Window tango.

At the press’s command
Rumours fly off of the newsstand,
My heart is in my hand. (ecch!)
Living here with every rumour  I must be.
My heart entreats,
Just read those savage beats,
And go on writers put on your cleats
And come and trample me.
Your feelings for us is hard as stone or mahogany,
That’s why I’m in such exquisite agony.

Your rumours cast a spell that bewitches.
The last time I needed twenty stitches
To sew up the sore
That you made with your transfer lore,
As we danced to the Transfer Window tango.

I hope you caught the sublte massochististic undertones that permeated through my poorly edited version of Tom Lehrer’s Masochism Tango. But that’s what the transfer window is like for us. We all want to know what’s going on. We are hungry for so much information that we begin to rely on so-called “In the Know” types on social media.

We are led down pathways and we hope it’s true but we’re jaded just enough to doubt. But we continue to implore for information. Someone tell us something. Anything. We need the information. In the end we all wind up with heartache and pain because it’s never whom we’re told it is, or if it is, they aren’t who we really want or who we really need (in our couch managerial minds,)

Social media and the 24 hour news cycle has led us down this vicious pathway that has helped increase the level of cynicism of the typical football fan. And as a Gooner it’s been especially loathsome and painful as we’ve had to endure endless cycles of the tapping up and eventual selling of our best players.

We’re all tetchy.

This year it’s especially hard. All the signs are there that Arsenal have for the first time in a while to be active in the transfer market. We’ve been told by both Ivan Gazidis and Arsene Wenger that there is a plan and in the words of the manager “3 signficant signings” will be had.

Now as cynical as we’ve become a good majority will argue that those little enticing words are needed to get ST holders to resign up. A word about that – those people who renew are going to renew regardless of the signings or lack thereof. What is really driving people to NOT renew is the escalating costs associated with going to a football match. And it’s just not Arsenal – it’s widespread.

But back to our dance.

In reality my heart tells me that no one knows jack shit about what is going on in the halls at Arsenal. Speculation in social media is just that speculation. We hear rumours of Stevan Jovetic, Wayne Rooney, Ashley Williams and now Cesc Fabregas (more on that in a bit). I’ve no doubt that social media has a few people who may have been given some actual information but really when it comes down to it, only Wenger, Dick Law, and Gazidis as well as some of the scouts know for sure

But the press as it it pesters agents (who NEVER have their own agenda) will tell us of whom we are in for and how much we are likely to spend and because we so desperately want to know we follow. Sadly some of us when it doesn’t turn out how we wanted – suddenly attack those who offered up the information.

I don’t mind the press offering up rumours, or even the ITKs on social media. It makes it interesting – to a point. But it also gets maddening with the fever pitch that ensues with accusations, piss poor behavior and general knobbish behavior.  There are those out there who deliberately intend to decieve and make up rumours to prey on a supporter’s desire for more information. And when they get found out or if another well-intentioned person gets it wrong – we fume but in the next transfer window or on the next rumour we all go back to that rythmic dance of pressing for more information.

For me I want to know and I am just like everyone else I do tend to look for any transfer story. But I’ve torn up my dance card and refuse to do the tango. I’m hopeful that Arsenal are going to do the business this season and make susbtantial changes to the squad. But I am no longer going to do the tango. As much as I want information I’m firmly enscoonced at a table off the dance floor waiting for our transfer targets to appear holding up an Arsenal shirt.

Cesc Fabregas.

Only fitting with any transfer-related story is a discussion of the rumours circulating our former Captain – Cesc Fabregas. In case you missed it we’ll break it down for you:

• Cesc is reportedly unhappy at his limited playing time at Barcelona. How are those Camp Nou pastures Cescy?
• Manchester United and Manchester City both want to bring him in
• Arsenal have right of first refusal or stand to gain 50% of any transfer fee Barcelona have
• Arsenal want him back

Only one of those bullets is actually close to be truthful. I think it’s all rather moot – I think Barcelona keep him. The squad are aging, he is slowly moving into is prime and he is still WORLD CLASS – albeit without much playing time.  I think he’s got at least another year at Barcelona before he really wants out.

And then the question that has be asked – if you are Arsenal do you want a player who didn’t want to be here back at the squad. I cannot deny his talent. He is definitely a player that any squad would be stupid to turn away.  But let me say it again – HE WANTED TO LEAVE. If in the end it hasn’t worked out for him at Barcelona he has himself to blame. He shouldn’t have forced his way out anyway.

While I have a difficult time accepting that the club would welcome back a player who didn’t want to be here, I’m no fool, and I believe if offered they’d likely take him back – he would be one of the best players in the Premier League instantly. And if the club take him back – I’d support him. Not because I have this love of all things Cesc Fabregas but because I love the club and I support those who play for it.