Arsenal FC: Oxlade-Chamberlain Signing Shows Wenger Doesn't Know What He's Doing

I have lost faith.

I used to believe in Arsene Wenger. I still really want to. But after blindly following and supporting him for so long, waiting for some great, master plan to reveal itself, I no longer believe that is the case.

Truth be told, though, I was on the brink of total disillusionment for some time. Like many fans, I became increasingly frustrated at the repeated failures of the team, as well as the ridiculous excuses.

All I really needed to totally lose my support for our increasingly inept management was a straw to break the camel's back so to speak. One signing so unnecessary and ridiculous that it completely exposed the hopelessness of Arsenal's situation under current management. That signing has arrived.

Ladies and gentlemen, I introduce Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

There are so many things wrong with signing, so many faults to be found in signing a player in the mold of Oxlade-Chamberlain that it is only natural for a realistic supporter such as myself to severely question the man who orchestrated it.

First, and most obvious: What on earth is Arsenal doing by going out and signing another kid winger? There are so many attacking options at the club, all of them very young.

The boy is not even 18-years-old, yet Arsene Wenger is talking about thrusting him into the first team and allowing him to help the squad. Pardon me, Monsieur Wenger, but do you seriously harbor ambitions of winning the league if you plan on throwing 17-year-olds at Manchester United?

At a time when the club is overflowing with young attacking talent, is it really necessary to spend all this money to add to our embarrassment of riches in that department?

With Carlos Vela, Theo Walcott, Andrei Arshavin, Samir Nasri, Gervinho and possibly Ryo Miyaichi available, I would say we are pretty well stocked.

But perhaps more importantly: what is Wenger doing by spending £12 million on a 17-year-old in the first place?

I keep hearing that the club has limited resources and Arsenal must be reserved in their spending, and must spend wisely in order to continue their self-sustaining financial model.

Well, it then seems difficult to justify spending millions upon millions upon millions of pounds on an unproven lad who has no top-flight experience and cannot help the squad in a meaningful way for years.

It seems this allergy to spending only applies to the defence, which Wenger continuously neglects, bringing me to my final, and most important question for our increasingly inept manager, and one that is difficult for Wengerites to rebuke:

Why is it that Wenger has spent £22 million on attackers this summer, but has not addressed the one glaring need in the squad?

After all, after witnessing countless horrendous displays at the back end last season, and watching the defence ship away enough points to win us the title, how can a competent manager ignore this problem, see the same frailties yet again in preseason, and still not do anything about it?

The common answer to this is that we should only judge Wenger on September 1, and we do not know what is going on behind the scenes.

But at this point, assuming that quality reinforcements will be brought in between now and the end of the transfer window is pure fantasy. There is no precedent for it, so why should i believe it now?

Remember who Wenger brought in as a defensive addition late in the transfer window last summer? None other than Mr. Heart Attack at the Back, Sebastien Squillaci. Wenger said at the time that Squillaci was "quick...with an aggressive edge to his game."

After watching this "hugely experienced" player attempt to ply his trade at Arsenal for one season, I can definitively say that I no longer trust Wenger's opinions on defenders at all.

What all this really boils down to, though, is that Arsene Wenger has his priorities totally wrong. Yet again, he has shown himself unable to pull himself away from the lure of flashy young attackers, and in doing so completely neglects the foundation of the club: the back four.

The Oxlade-Chamberlain signing in itself is not awful; I appreciate the effort to make the squad more English and the boy may well turn out to be a great player.

However, the immediate needs of the squad must be addressed before any extra gambles can be made on prospects that do not immediately help the team.

For me at least, it is quite hard to justify buying a 17-year-old winger prospect over Christopher Samba when their fees are equal. One might help the team in an area that is already strong in 5 years, while the other provides desperately needed reinforcements right now.

So, while there is a slight chance Arsene can redeem himself, I see no evidence indicating he will take the necessary steps to do so. Though it is sad that I should be forced to say this, I no longer have a choice.

In Arsene we rust.

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