What happened following the end of the transfer window would have to be regarded as vintage Arsenal, frustrating and infuriating their fans in equal measure.
With the club failing to recruit the centre-forward it was widely felt they needed on deadline day, there was at least some hope that the return of Danny Welbeck could spark their ailing attack into life.
However, the club then announced that Welbeck had undergone surgery on his troublesome knee and would be missing for a period of months. Groans from the Arsenal faithful could be heard reverberating through north London and beyond.
Most bewilderingly of all, the club admitted they had known about the injury last week, and that will have increased the fans' irritation. Failing to sign a striker is one thing; failing to do so when one of the three you have is out until at least Christmas is quite another.
If Arsenal knew about Welbeck's injury, their desire to keep it quiet is understandable. Publicising his prolonged absence would have driven the price up on any attacking targets. However, admitting after the fact that Arsene Wenger and his team knew of the problem is asking for trouble. It's merely adding fuel to the fire of disenchantment that swept through the supporters after the deadline passed.
That's reflected in the statement from the Arsenal Supporters' Trust, who said: "Arsenal are in a very strong financial position and it is of course disappointing that the transfer window has closed with just the signing of Petr Cech.
"Arsenal have built a strong squad and just one or two more good additions would have strengthened the chances of winning a first title in 11 years. No one wants Arsenal to buy players just for the sake of it, but we do want to see the money being invested to make the club stronger."
The AST do not speak for all Arsenal fans but their words are a fair reflection of the general mood. For Arsenal to be the only side across the top five leagues in Europe not to sign a single outfield player is quite extraordinary.
Wenger will point to the vast rebuilding work undertaken last summer but since then he has allowed Lukas Podolski, Yaya Sanogo and Chuba Akpom to leave the club either on loan or permanently. There was room for an addition in the forward department, and given the gravity of the situation, Arsenal should have done more to get something over the line.
Questions will be asked over Welbeck's medical treatment too -- it's not as if this problem is new. Had he had surgery when he first acquired the problem in April, the chances are he would have been fit to start the season. As it is, Arsenal have gambled on a non-surgical recovery and lost Welbeck for a further six months. Remarkably, the former Manchester United man has now been sidelined for more time in his year at Arsenal than he was for his entire career at Old Trafford.
This is a major blow. In the absence of a new recruit, expectations were raised about what Welbeck might be able to offer this season. His first campaign in London was mixed, but it was felt he might be able to oust Olivier Giroud and Theo Walcott as an all-round alternative at centre-forward. He's blessed with a wide variety of attributes, with composure in front of goal the only missing ingredient in his game.
Instead, Wenger must now fall back on Joel Campbell as his third-choice centre-forward, but the Costa Rican has had four loan spells since signing for the Gunners and seemed destined for a permanent exit this summer.
This is a big setback for the player too. Welbeck still has a lot to prove at Arsenal and after a bright start, the goals and starts began to dry up at the back end of 2014-15. Welbeck came to Arsenal to prove himself as a striker but it was noticeable that as the season wore on, he was increasingly deployed on the flanks. With uncertainty over who should lead the line at the outset of 2015-16, he will have sensed an opportunity to stake a claim for himself.
Instead, frustration abounds. Welbeck must bide his time and Arsenal must hope that they can cover for his absence.
The onus is firmly on Giroud and Walcott to start delivering the goals Arsenal have lacked so far this season. If they can't, the pressure on Wenger to amend the situation in January -- Welbeck or no Welbeck -- will be fierce.
Soccernet.com
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