On this season’s evidence we need something along those lines more than ever. As has been pointed out, it’s fair to say, by nearly every Arsenal fan on this rocky, water-covered ball, our squad at the moment is clearly a) anorexic and b) riddled with injuries and this combination does not bode well for the immediate future. We’ve had parts one and two of our ‘MegaMonth’ (C) and unless something is sorted out soon I fear we won’t get to the end of it with smiley face emoticons still ‘lighting up’ our

I want signings. Yes, I do.

I want big, fat, shiny, presented in a gold box, ‘Look who we’ve got now you bastards!’, bionic-limbed, world crushing signings. And plenty of ‘em.

So do you, I’m guessing. 

I’m guessing you want dazzling, in your face, straight into the first team, ‘Cesc who?’, trained by Jesus, broke-the-mould-and-hand-crafted-a-new-one-just-to-smash-it-again, era defining signings. That’s understandable.

On this season’s evidence we need something along those lines more than ever. As has been pointed out, it’s fair to say, by nearly every Arsenal fan on this rocky, water-covered ball, our squad at the moment is clearly a) anorexic and b) riddled with injuries and this combination does not bode well for the immediate future. We’ve had parts one and two of our ‘MegaMonth’ (C) and unless something is sorted out soon I fear we won’t get to the end of it with smiley face emoticons still ‘lighting up’ our Twitter feeds.

But if we want signings that badly – a bunch of day jobbing outsiders with no real logical dependency on the club – imagine how much the actual players actually in the actual Arsenal squad want those signings. The correct answer is ‘OMGlikeSOOOOObadly!’, and we can only hope that Wenger answer those requests in due time. And time is absolutely and finally due in thirteen days. That’s 13 (t-h-i-r-t-e-e-n) days.

Why do our squad want and, indeed, need these signings so much? For three important reasons actually. Which I will now list. Below.

Quality

Arsenal primarily need signings to inject some much needed quality into the first team. Whatever your thoughts on our departures – and plenty were calling for Cesc and Nasri to be sold – losing two of your most influential players is going to leave a massive creative hole in your team. A hole that everyone in the squad can see and even stick their hand right through and look around the other side and see their hand. That’s not good for morale.

So what we need now is a bit fat plug. The time for Polyfilla has passed and the bare minimum is one or more players who are going to come in and fill that hole, and then some. In terms of existing players, an injection of quality will improve their confidence in the team, it will help them to score goals (or not concede) and win matches which will improve their confidence more. It will also take away some of the (especially creative) burden on them which will in turn decrease the pressure they feel. All massive positives with no hindrances whatsoever.

Injuries

I’m just going to come right out and say it: injuries are bastards. Injuries are bastards not only because they take one of your players out for a number of games but because the effect of a single injury is actually a lot larger than it seems. It can even be exponential. Which is a nice word to say but bad, bad thing for it to be. 

If a player gets an injury then he is ruled out for X number of games. But the longer that is the longer he will take to get fit and on form once they return. So even if they are out for 10 games the effect may last 20 games or 30 games or even the whole season or further. Nightmare.

Meanwhile, while that player is injured another, probably less skilled, player takes his place. But instead of being rotated in and out to keep him fresh and fit he had to play every minute of every game and in doing so he gets tired, loses form and confidence and, eventually, gets injured from being overworked. 

So now you have you two players in one position injured so you have to use a player from a different position to cover. They aren’t as adept in that position so they don’t do as well and lose confidence. As there is no-one to cover for them they again play too many games and the whole process repeats.

And while that is happening the first player realises that the squad needs them desperately and so is trying even harder to rush back from injury so they can help the team out. Cue injury part deux.

This is why it is vital to the entire squad that we have plentiful available cover in every position – some of which will be provided by those playing presently if quality new signings arrive. Knowing that there is adequate and decent quality cover is good for the squad because they again feel less pressure and know that they can be rested without worry for a game or two. They also feel less pressure to return from injury and the rest of the squad knows that they will do fine in their absence. Win/win/win/win/win/win situation.

Younger Talent

One thing we are not really short of is potential. We have a lot of young talent with a whole lot of potential and that is a fantasteriffic thing. So far so good. 

But for all Wenger’s talk about ‘killing’ younger players with new signings nothing is going to kill them more than being thrust into important games when they are not ready to do so and playing badly. Not only will playing badly affect their confidence internally but with expectations at Arsenal higher than the uppermost box in a pile of boxes in God’s attic they are also likely to feel the scorn of a few thousand Arsenal fans which will in many ways be more damaging. 

And if Arsenal aren’t winning then they won’t learn to win and they may become trapped in a cycle of mediocrity. Then we will have ‘killed’ a whole bunch of youngsters who in other circumstances may have turned into the world-beaters we all hope they will become.

Rather than ‘killing’  our young stars it is quite evident that new signings will in fact help them out in a number of easily understandable ways. 

Firstly, players who we sign as starters will allow us to ease the younger talents into the team at a more steady and reasonable pace. Secondly, the team will hopefully win more games with new signings in the team and this will help to creative a positive atmosphere for the young ‘uns to develop in. Thirdly, kids learn from adults and quality signings will give them people to look up to, aiding the development of our mini-talents no end (think of all the ‘I learned so much being around Vieira/Bergkamp/Henry’ comments). Fourth, once those kids are all grown up and good enough to start they will find their route blocked by those same adults and will have to try even harder to get a place in the team – this is the essence of competition.

So, in the basicest of basic terms, signings are needed. Very soon. Not big names or big transfer fees but just big, big ‘quality’ – which is the Sesame Street word of the day for those who are interested.

Continuing the season for much longer without these signings would be a huge error but as I’ve been saying all day this need is now so glaringly obvious that I cannot possibly for even one tiny second believe that Wenger will leave it unaddressed. 

We’ve had obvious problems before. Obvious problems that have been ignored. But this is run up to you from six miles away at the end of a straight country road on a clear summers day shouting your name over and over just to smack you right in the face with a large mallet shaped like the word ‘obvious’ obvious. And that’s pretty damn obvious.

Since I refuse to entertain the thought of anything else happening, I guess all that remains to be seen is which quality player(s) Wenger will bring in. With Liverpool, Udinese and Man U up next let’s just hope it gets sorted in time.

WB

Follow on Twitter: @WengerBoy1