Transfer deadline day proved yet again that it is the day on which we see clearly which clubs are well run and which are badly run. City take the prize in the well run category because we had no need for any other activity than sitting with feet up to watch the chaos. Our transfer window began at about this time last year and picked up pace as last season turned to disappointment. By the end of the season those running the club knew what changs were going to be made to our style and which players would make it possible. We knew how much we were prepared to pay for them and when the window opened Txiki et al got cracking and came up with the goods, except, presumably, Pogba who may well come next year. We weren't interested in B lists or second choices to distract us from the main aim and we spent a lot but got a lot of top quality players.
This is in stark contrast with our rivals. Mourinho has apparently been shocked by the poor form of some of his key personnel, but the acrimonious window they have been through speaks rather of "issues" between manager and owner and being caught napping as to the identification of targets and the time available to get them. They pride themselves now on beating a dopey United to a player not good enough to get in Barcelona's team. United began well and were held to have "won the transfer window" before it opened! Then it appears to have fallen apart as they had money burning a hole in their pockets and no idea on whom to spend! Reports haven't yet told us if Martial is still speaking to van Gaal or whether he's thrown his lot in with most of the other players. They're still trying to explain how they hoped to sell de Gea by filling in the transfer forms for Donald Duck! Which brings me to Arsenal. Wenger announced that there would be no "marquee" signings early and this dismayed gooners. It would have dismayed them more if he'd told them he wasn't buying non-marquees either. The window always seems to take Wenger by surprise. In active years he sniffs around looking at who's available, and in the last two years Ozil and Sanchez have had to seek other clubs at a time when Arsenal have a free run. This is approaching the window as though it is the second hand bookstore at a jumble sale. At others he dithers and "targets" go elsewhere because Arsene won't pay the price. This time he had no idea who he wanted and seemed to feel he had been a naughty boy and pinched the pennies from Stan's piggy bank in the last two windows. For Arsene the window begins in summer - for City PLANNING began in January.
