HomeSteak The worst thing is in recent weeks despite the set backs our performances have been good. Against Villa, Utd and Newcastle created enough chances to win the games comfortably.

This despite us being down to our bare bones. In the end stuff like this may not matter but look at city, they lost their best player and imploded. Liverpool are a Salah/VVD injury away from collapse. We’ve had much much worse yet I still despite that we are still second and still not out of this race.

Liverpool remind me of us a couple years back, if we manage to put the pressure on I think they’ll fold. We just need to get our players back.

JazzG We just need to get our players back.

We won't, though. Saka may well be done for the season. Jesus is done as well, not that it really matters.

Qwiss Yet investment last summer was practically non-existent.

Off the top of my head we still spent the best part of £100m (gross) and even then we seriously wanted to sign Williams and Sesko but neither came off. None of that suggests a lack of ambition to me. Similarly the suggestions already for this summer is that we'll go back in for both players and have already sealed Zubimendi.

So I really don't agree with the narrative that the Kroenke's have given up investing. As Burnsy suggested, I think the only thing that's happening (if anything) is the club are starting to be more critical of the fees/wages we've been handing out willy nilly (which, I think is fair enough).

Don Pacifico fair enough for what?

Coombs fair enough that they want to get more bang for their buck (if they are in fact more intensely scrutinising the deals we're making now).

Don Pacifico I don't think they can legitimately expect more. They can hope, but expectation would be deeply unfair to Arteta and the squad. The spend is not at a title-winning level.

Coombs I'm talking fees and wages. You may disagree but I'm not alone in thinking we can do more (ie. negotiate) to get more for our money.

Don Pacifico aren't we 4th or 5th in wage spend? @Coombs is right the investment isn't enough to expect a title. Arteta has his flaws but he's doing very well with the resources he's been given. If they want more bang for their buck they should have better structure around the transfer team too and maybe don't sack all the scouts.

JazzG Petit always comes across as ride or die arsenal. he's critical of us at times, but it always seems to come from a place of affection

Qwiss this isn't a criticism of Arteta for what it's worth, it's a criticism of our recruitment team (specifically negotiations). Ultimately, I think we've overpaid in a few instances and whilst you accept that when you have gaping holes in your team, there comes a time where you need to tighten things up.

Our net spend over the last 6-7 years is pretty mega so whilst we can obviously do more to recruit in attacking positins, I also don't think you can say that Arteta hasn't properly been backed at a squad level. If we get tighter on getting more bang for our buck, that will help as until things evolve commercially, we're not going to be able to spend more than the biggest spenders.

Don Pacifico interesting. bits i agree with, some bits i would disagree with

• on overall transfer spend, we are 4th since Arteta joined, behind Chelsea, United, and Spurs. We are just ahead of both Pool and City who had better stars and an established style when Arteta joined. so it is hard to say that we have spent a ton relative to our peer set
• this is especially true when you look at our age profile. we probably need to move on Partey and Jorginho from an age standpoint, but the other players are a good age, and you'd only move because you can do better - e.g, Jesus
• where you do have gaping holes is that we have a relatively small team. i used to be of the opinion that we needed one more, but i actually think now that this team probably needed two more (minus Sterling - who is a sack of wine), for us to have survived that tough Sept-Oct fixture list. That's what derailed us. Williams + Wood or something like that, would've made a difference. i still think we needed the players we bought (Merino, Cala); we just needed more up front.

We had to break even right?

Should also add what a glorious head of hair Petit still has, fantastic.

Qwiss the sudden stop is what makes no sense to me. Kroenke gives Arteta money for years when we looked God awful with little signs of improvement, he still did last summer to allow him to buy Merino and Calafiori which together cost close to 80m already but now there's nothing to fill up the forward line?

Makes perfect sense if they think he can't be trusted in the market, Sterling for significant wages and he gets garbage minutes, 500 defenders and goalies signed. But if you don'T trust him get rid of him and get someone in you can trust and who might even be able to get more out of the current batch, not doing anything at all right now makes zero sense.

There was talk that the owners were not happy about how we were not getting good money for sales. They have spent a lot of money in the past 3 summers so maybe the plan was this summer to reign that in. There was talk about becoming more PSR compliant. Liverpool didn't spend much either and neither did City.

Also I think as a club we are quite fussy when it comes to signings, we tried for Sesko and Williams hard in the summer and was a bit disappointing we didn't have a fall back option to either. The striker thing unlike many I can still live with, we really needed a wide player.