Welcome to Tuesday y’all. We’re now officially on a one week countdown before the transfer window has slammed shut and unsurprisingly, there is no news, which isn’t at all like the saying. It’s not really good at all.

Of course we have to reserve judgement until the window has closed, but based on the data we have – i.e. Last summer – we know that is certainly not within the realms of impossibility that we won’t be signing anyone at all. Mustafi was on the bench yesterday, but Valencia are already sounding a little pissed off and briefing people that the full £42million will need to be paid to prize Mustafi away. 

He was on the bench yesterday, probably because Valencia don’t want any deal scuppered by a knock to him, but also because he’s been returning from injury. But nevertheless, he’s there, he’s within touching distance. Yet Arsenal are reaching their arms out, but not budging forward at all to take his hand and pull him away. It’s like my three year old niece, who will say “you come here”, then when you tell her to come to you, she makes a whiny noise before you eventually give in and walk over to her. That’s what Arsenal are. They’re a whiny three-year-old.

Then you’ve got the farce that is a potential move for Jonny Evans for £25million. If he’s worth that, then think how much we’d have to pay for anybody half decent? If this is the world we’re living in now, when average Premier League figures can be slapped with those prices, then no wonder Arsène has gone a little loopy. 

So imagine what chance we have of getting the ‘madness’ signing? None whatsoever I’m afraid. This is going to end horribly. This is already ending horribly. We have a need to bolster our forward line. We need goals. Yet we will fall flat on our faces. We have history. Higuain. Suarez. Vardy. Benzema. We’ve tried them all and failed. Because we want to be the whiny niece again. We want perfect conditions for everything. 

If Arsène was to bleat on about the market being unfair, he’d be damn right, because it’s unfair, unrealistic, farcical and not reflective of real life. But it is football. The football world is batshit crazy and so we just have to suck it up and deal with it.  Because it’s football.

But the ‘madness’ won’t happen now. There is no top-notch striker who will be allowed to move this close to the end of the transfer window. Many thought it was Griezmann and perhaps the club were working hard to see if they can pull it off, but that isn’t going to happen now. No chance. He’s already said he’s happy with Atletico and has no interest in leaving Simeone. And Atletico would be bonkers to offload their prized asset. This isn’t a Bale/Özil situation folks. This doesn’t have an outside chance in my opinion. 

And when that window shuts, when our squad is fixed until January with no new deals or perhaps just one defender in, we’re back to square one with this uncomfortable relationship between the manager and the fans. Every time we go behind in a game, there’ll be chants for change. Every time a match is lost or drawn there’ll be boos. Every pre-match drink will be dominated by an apathy or feeling of general malaise amongst the people I go to the pub with. 

I don’t want to feel like that. I want to have the belief that Arsène can do it. I want to believe he can stick two fingers up to all of the other ‘big name’ managers and show that there’s life in the old dog yet. But I just don’t believe he can any more. My faith has been ebbed away and only the final embers remain. 

The only positive I can think of right now is that my mood – when it comes to The Arsenal – is one that is dominated by results on the pitch. So when that transfer window is shut, if the team picks itself up and goes on a winning streak, my faith can be restored somewhat. 

So that’s what I’m holding out for right now. Three points against Watford, a result against Southampton, then a streak that enables us to feel happy about the club again.

Until tomorrow.