It's a fraction over 2 weeks until the transfer window slams shut. So far we have

[Peter]

This shouldn't surprise you, Rich. Anyone who believed the 'catalyst for change' nonsense hasn't been watching Wenger for the past 20 years. His fatal flaw is his combination of arrogance and stubbornness, there was simply no way he was going to look at players like Coquelin, Ox, Theo, Ramsey* and Wilshere and say to himself 'I got it wrong so I'm going to sell, take the proceeds and the cash the club holds and buy high quality replacements'. If he was capable of that, there would be no Wenger Out signs all over the Emirates and we would be challenging for the league more frequently.

The sensible conclusion at this point is that the incomings are done and that some of the excess you refer to you will be sold at a cut rate price and as you suggest, we will probably have to pay some of the wages.

And yes, City and ManU and others have left us behind, yet again. It's why we'll finish 4th or 5th and be out of the league by February, yet again.

* this may or may not have been for SW's benefit

True, he isn't going to change. We knew that. Moving to a back three must have been hard enough for him.

I think the one key area where we are light is midfield, where we pretty much know we are going to struggle again for periods of the season as the usual suspects struggle for fitness and form.

The players you all mention will mostly end up going on loan for a season. We are not going to be able to sell all of them/any of them because they are either ****, constantly injured or hugely overpaid- sometimes all three.

The squad is a bit better than it was. Can’t really ask for much more than that. The nagging problem is that we kind of know the problem isn’t just about the players. We know how, why and more or less when our season is going to stagnate/blow up and we know we will finish between 4th and 7th. I doubt that activity in the transfer market in the next two weeks is going to make any real difference to that.

[Rich]

True, he isn't going to change. We knew that. Moving to a back three must have been hard enough for him.

I think the one key area where we are light is midfield, where we pretty much know we are going to struggle again for periods of the season as the usual suspects struggle for fitness and form.

The players you all mention will mostly end up going on loan for a season. We are not going to be able to sell all of them/any of them because they are either ****, constantly injured or hugely overpaid- sometimes all three.

The squad is a bit better than it was. Can’t really ask for much more than that. The nagging problem is that we kind of know the problem isn’t just about the players. We know how, why and more or less when our season is going to stagnate/blow up and we know we will finish between 4th and 7th. I doubt that activity in the transfer market in the next two weeks is going to make any real difference to that.

I'm fine with finishing between 4th and 7th with the occasional cup run. It's the failure to challenge for any sustained period that is frustrating. I think if Arsene bought in 2/3 £50million players in the next two weeks, we'd be able to give it a good shot. Instead we will end up with a front three of Rhys Nelson, Giroud and Theo at some stage this season. Inspiring stuff.

Central midfield seems OK - We have Ramsey and Xhaka, we have Wilshere who played for the yoofs the other day. We have Elneney and Coqulein. We have Maitland Niles. We have Santi Cazorla who is going on cross trainers again. So this area is positive.

[Pokster]

I'm fine with finishing between 4th and 7th with the occasional cup run. It's the failure to challenge for any sustained period that is frustrating. I think if Arsene bought in 2/3 £50million players in the next two weeks, we'd be able to give it a good shot. Instead we will end up with a front three of Rhys Nelson, Giroud and Theo at some stage this season. Inspiring stuff.

Central midfield seems OK - We have Ramsey and Xhaka, we have Wilshere who played for the yoofs the other day. We have Elneney and Coqulein. We have Maitland Niles. We have Santi Cazorla who is going on cross trainers again. So this area is positive.

I'm confused now... you are happy to finish between 4th and 7th but think he should spend £100m in the next 2 weeks???

[Rich]

I'm confused now... you are happy to finish between 4th and 7th but think he should spend £100m in the next 2 weeks???

I would like him to spend in order to formulate a challenge. Finish 4th but only a few points off top, having given it a really good go until April/May and I think most fans would be happy. One way to achieve this scenario would be to purchase some new talent (for which we must pay the going rate).

Capitulate to 8th in Feb and finish the season well to claim 5th on the final day and they will not.

[SWv2]

I would like him to spend in order to formulate a challenge. Finish 4th but only a few points off top, having given it a really good go until April/May and I think most fans would be happy. One way to achieve this scenario would be to purchase some new talent (for which we must pay the going rate).

Capitulate to 8th in Feb and finish the season well to claim 5th on the final day and they will not.

The fortune to spend to which you refer does exist having already spent 50m of AL and having had bids of 40m and allegedly a lot more turned down by Monaco for Lemar and Mbappe. Okay, I know the Mbappe one is utter nonsense but let’s just play along.

As it stands, if the media are to be believed and to be fair it sounds plausible, he is now being somewhat restricted by having to offload players before buying, players who by decisions he has made are now turning out to be very difficult to offload. Players who perhaps would be easier to offload, and of course supporters are split on whether they should be sold or not, he is apparently refusing to sell.

This of course could yet turn very sour in events which would make last season seems like a kids party. Another failure to qualify for CL football and the resultant financial impact, then coupled with > 100m of assets walking away from the club for nothing in summer 2018 could see future spending even further restricted.

[Peter]

I'm fine with finishing between 4th and 7th with the occasional cup run. It's the failure to challenge for any sustained period that is frustrating. I think if Arsene bought in 2/3 £50million players in the next two weeks, we'd be able to give it a good shot. Instead we will end up with a front three of Rhys Nelson, Giroud and Theo at some stage this season. Inspiring stuff.

Central midfield seems OK - We have Ramsey and Xhaka, we have Wilshere who played for the yoofs the other day. We have Elneney and Coqulein. We have Maitland Niles. We have Santi Cazorla who is going on cross trainers again. So this area is positive.

Wilshere is a complete and utter waste of space. If he does end up hobbling on to the pitch for us at some stage this season he will utter dog****. Even Arsene seems to have more of less given up with him. I watched him a few times last season for Bournemouth and couldn’t believe what I was seeing. He plays like he is 37.

Cazorla is obviously a wonderful player but the chances of him coming back and staying fit look very, very remote. If he did, midfield would be sorted.

Ramsey is just Ramsey- frustrating, sometimes menacingly idiotic, sometimes surprisingly good. But never reliable, and an injury is always just around the corner.

Elneny and Coquelin are quite reliable but limited. Neither is an ideal partner for Xhaka.

We know how all of this ends.

[Rich]

Wilshere is a complete and utter waste of space. If he does end up hobbling on to the pitch for us at some stage this season he will utter dog****. Even Arsene seems to have more of less given up with him. I watched him a few times last season for Bournemouth and couldn’t believe what I was seeing. He plays like he is 37.

Cazorla is obviously a wonderful player but the chances of him coming back and staying fit look very, very remote. If he did, midfield would be sorted.

Ramsey is just Ramsey- frustrating, sometimes menacingly idiotic, sometimes surprisingly good. But never reliable, and an injury is always just around the corner.

Elneny and Coquelin are quite reliable but limited. Neither is an ideal partner for Xhaka.

We know how all of this ends.

Wilshere was Bournemouth's most creative midfielder last year. He made so many goals for the team and hit the woodwork 6 times (more than any midfielder in the league). He suffered when Howe went 4-4-2 as he was usually the luxury player within a central midfield 3. If he can stay fit then he's a sublime addition to the squad and will indeed feel like a new signing.

Agree on your other points. We should just give Nice £36million for Seri and be done with it. Though he said that he struggles to train in countries that are cold.

[Peter]

Wilshere was Bournemouth's most creative midfielder last year. He made so many goals for the team and hit the woodwork 6 times (more than any midfielder in the league). He suffered when Howe went 4-4-2 as he was usually the luxury player within a central midfield 3. If he can stay fit then he's a sublime addition to the squad and will indeed feel like a new signing.

Agree on your other points. We should just give Nice £36million for Seri and be done with it. Though he said that he struggles to train in countries that are cold.

I feel bad for Jack but I just don't think that player he was is still in there. There was one spark a couple of years ago. He came on as a sub late in the season, after a long lay off, and looked sharp, with that little change of pace back in his game. Briefly I thought there was hope.

Would love to see him back and firing but it just isn’t going to happen.

[Burney]

I feel bad for Jack but I just don't think that player he was is still in there. There was one spark a couple of years ago. He came on as a sub late in the season, after a long lay off, and looked sharp, with that little change of pace back in his game. Briefly I thought there was hope.

Would love to see him back and firing but it just isn’t going to happen.

The 'player he was' was an occasional contributor who had one decent game in three and then got himself injured, though.

[redgunamo]

The 'player he was' was an occasional contributor who had one decent game in three and then got himself injured, though.

Wilshere's different though, a rather exceptional case as he's the kind of central midfielder England simply doesn't produce. Now we know why, I guess