Arsene Wenger has called for a close of the January transfer window, with fears over players performances in the run-up to Christmas.
The Frenchman endured a tough summer window, with a number of players pushing for the exit door, and he now fears his players will have their heads turned in the run-up to the winter window.
‘What’s happening is the players know the transfer window is closed. September will be OK,’ he said.
‘The players who do not play or the players who are tapped up in October they already start again to think, “Where do I go in January?”
‘That’s not the way to be on board with the football club. And I believe we have to realise that.
‘We are here to entertain people, and you can do that with people who are really on board, together, to achieve something together, and not every minute that it doesn’t go well to think, “Where can I go next?’”
‘I believe that we have to bring some decency, and we all complain today that it has become too much business. But we can do something about it. We have that responsibility as well in the game.’
He continued: ‘You cannot have a player preparing for a football game that is today vital because nobody accepts anymore to lose a football game and still be at 4 o’clock on the phone, “Do I go or not? How much is it? When do I have to go?” It’s impossible.
‘These boys are all under high pressure, well paid, you want them at least to have a normal preparation for a football game.’
He added: ‘The ideal situation would be to have a transfer period that is closed 48 hours before the first game of the championship, and to close it completely until the season after.’
Will our players lose motivation from October onwards? Will we lose a number of players in January? Should the winter window be closed?
Pat J
So golly Arsene, given that you apparently fully realize the possibility for distraction and motivational issues, at least as early as October (I would say continuing on from the summer if not earlier), do you think perhaps it might have been a good idea NOT to let so many players go into the final year of their contract without sorting out their situations definitely one way or another?
I just read an article claiming there has been no discussion on contract matters with Ozil since April or May (if I recall correctly). Does it seem like at least the occasional conversation on the matter might have been worthwhile?
I hate to sound like Mr Obvious, but there seems an apparent lack of common sense at the club in recent years, so I go ahead and ask these blatant questions.
I love this, well said Turbo.
Just shows how much this man has lost touch with reality and every aspect of football. It also shows instead of adapting and working within the system, how this man would want everything to work accordingly in his own favour, hence wishfully thinking the system would change and adapt for him. That is exactly why we are not moving forward and one of the many problems at the club contributing to our regression.
Do they even have the desire and commitment to get us through September, even with the potential tapping up of our players Arsenal have the tendencies to lose concentration, not just on the pitch but from the board and the manager, that is why we are in this mess, no one concentrating on the short or long term planning of our club.
Its the second time Wenger calls for the January transfer window to be closed,while every manager is busy preparing their squads he is concerned of loosing players whose contracts he f****d…funny Wenger indeed!
It sounded like he has lost the support of the players.
U left short of time to get lemar and you want to shut the transfer period before…it is awesome how wenger is moaning every year about the same…its pretty obvious that where other teams seems the oportunity to get better on the transfer period, arsene only see an oportunity to lose valuable players eho are tired of his incompetence
Yes, he is always nagging when things are not going his way but you wont see that happening if it isn’t.
The more I read about these philosophy and morality from Wenger, the more I think about how he is not suited for the modern football and the ability to adapt with the changing times. We at Arsenal have become a philosophical club which inadvertently had become an excuse and escape to justify for for non-performance. The only way I can see this benefiting is smaller clubs who cannot keep hold of their players. Whilst other clubs are focused on winning and competing in football matters as well as acting, we are playing with words. Fact is football is how it is and in order to compete then you have to cover every angle and through all means necessary. If you don’t then you are losing a competitive edge.
If wenger is suspecting player heads to turned and thinking of the Jan transfer window then this speaks volumes about the star on mind of the players and club. A happy player will want to stay and do well.
My suspension a few weeks back that Wenger has lost (or is losing) the dressing room seems to be about right.
I wish I can see wengers man management style and be a fly on the wall of any one to one meetings he has with the players (assuming he does talk to them), might speak volume about why the club appears to have so many issues at the moment.
Let’s hope the players have some pride in themselves if they have no respect for the manager.