Arsenal’s relentless stupidity is their critical learning curve

We may devote a large portion of our lives to them, but a significant number football clubs in the sport are stupid. Very stupid. Arsenal have contributed to that troupe tremendously.

Not signing a striker in the January transfer window remains a grievance for many supporters. It will continue to throughout the remainder of the campaign, especially when Alexandre Lacazette blazes a sitter over the bar or Arsenal trudge to a 0-0 draw at home.

A glaring hole in the squad wasn’t tended to for one reason or another. But they did get rid of a lot of dross. It was a continuation of the previous few windows where they’ve rid themselves of further dross.

This is Arsenal’s great learning curve. The moment it all twigs. This football club has to stop being so outrageously stupid.

Arsenal’s relentless stupidity is their critical learning curve with outrageous transfer dealings costing the club millions and setting them back years

The departure lounge at airport Emirates has been littered with desperately mediocre footballers jetting off to destinations far less glamorous than the one they’re leaving from. Looking back across the transfers out of the club over the past eight or so years, how many of them went on to bigger and better things?

Robin van Persie’s move in 2012 near enough signalled the end. From there only a select few could argue they took a step up in their career path. And what does a large part of that say? That Arsenal have sanctioned a sea of brainless transfers for players who’ve contributed nothing – and kept them too long. Some move on to lesser clubs with Arsenal having extracted value for their initial outlay, but they’re in a minority.

In a single year Arsenal have had to pay off six players to leave. Six players.

For too long Arsenal has been seen as England’s retirement home. It’s been the place where footballers go to add to their Dubai apartment complex fund, jog around London Colney and head back to the comfort of their mansion in Barnet ready to sit on the bench all season long. Players aren’t clueless, they know this, and they’ve lapped up the opportunity of a fat contract taking them through well into their twilight years.

Other times the deals were simply mind-boggling: Kim Kallstrom and his broken back, Denis Suarez and his six appearances, Nicolas Pepe and his club record fee, Willian and his….Willian. The list stretches longer than the current first team squad.

This isn’t Manchester City or Chelsea where if one toy turns out to be crap you can just replace it with an equally expensive new one. These are critical mistakes that do not vanish unless you pay them to.

Arsenal have eyed atrocious short-term fixes in the past whose impact extends well into the long-term. It’s fortunate that Willian hated it at Arsenal as much as he did and was so selfless in how he left.

Mikel Arteta and co have played their part in this: Pablo Mari, Cedric Soares and company all fall under his tenure.

But at least there are people at this club who have woken up and smelled the roses. A realisation has set in that bang average footballers have collected their pensions while offering nothing in return, and finally they’re being led out of the door.

Yes these aren’t for fees or deals financially beneficial to Arsenal, but they’re gone. Their wages are off the bill and, crucially too, amateurism departs with them. No matter how ugly or violent this rebuild may be, it will never match up to some of the money grabbing merchants who’ve coasted through contracts without so much as a care in the world.

While this current first team group is tightly packed into a small group, the overwhelming majority of them are players the fans universally want at the club.

One need only to look at the respective teams who played Manchester City in the Premier League this season. Which one did we love, and which one did we loathe? The one containing more of those we love is the one that is staying.

We all want the best for our club, and the best for our club is for them to stop being so inconceivably stupid. Finally, finally, the penny appears to have dropped, even within the regime that has contributed to the panoply of examples already.

It’s time for Arsenal to evolve. To change who they are, and how they are perceived. For the first time in a long time, they’re on the right road.