Arsene Wenger has been an 'absolute shambles' says the Daily Mirror's John Cross
The Arsenal manager has made just three first-team signings this summer, bringing in defensive midfielder Granit Xhaka, forward Takuma Asano and young defender Rob Holding.
This has led to anger among fans who feel more reinforcements are needed, and Cross, speaking on the Sunday Supplement sympathises with those supporters, saying the manager has made some big errors in the last few months.
"I think the worry is for Arsenal and for Wenger is the disconnect between the manager and the club and the fans is growing ever deeper," Cross said. "I've always been a huge admirer of Wenger, but he really has lost me over this window. I think he's been an absolute shambles.
"I think it's been poor management, poor planning and I do think Arsenal fans have every right to be fed-up, frustrated and to voice their concerns.
"It's been a disaster for Arsenal this transfer window because I do think at the end of last season there was a bit of a talk of a revolution with talks of three or four out and three or four in, major changes, and they fell short.
"Yes, they were second in the table but to actually challenge and, particularly with the Manchester clubs bringing in two superstar managers, major change and major surgery was required.
"You go through the summer and their only major signing has been Granit Xhaka and it's just not enough. They need a striker, they started the summer by needing a centre-half and why-oh-why every year, do Arsenal go into August, something of a mess, a bit of a shambles, trying to drive a hard bargain on August 31."
Arsenal held current Premier League champions Leicester to a 0-0 draw on Saturday evening and Wenger took out his transfer window frustrations on the press, but Cross feels Wenger could be heading for an exit.
"It looks like Wenger's tenure is coming to an end and it's been a wonderful 20 years but football has moved on and Arsenal and Wenger have been left in the past and this summer illustrates that," Cross added.
"It wasn't too bad yesterday and drawing at the defending champions as a one off result, you have to say isn't a bad return. It's in the wider context of things that Arsenal fans are fed up with.
"We were told that they were moving to the Emirates to go and compete with the big European super powers and as such, that just hasn't happened. It is so clear that Arsenal needed an experienced, top quality centre-half and a striker and they haven't addressed that issue.
"It is all well and good for Wenger to say he is on a one-man crusade against the transfer market escalating prices and that is very admirable, but actually it is poor planning because if you had gone out and got someone like Shkodran Mustafi at the beginning of the window, he wouldn't be under this pressure that he is now.
"People look behind the scenes at their scouting and people making the transfers and trying to make deal, I don't think it's particularly their fault. I think it all comes down to the manager being dithering."
Another tournament next week so he has a chance to earn one.
