Well, the last few days has certainly reminded us, if any reminder was required, just how balanced, level-headed and non-reactionary, we Gooners are!
No big money signing to bolster a threadbare midfield, but instead a cheap, seemingly last minute, trolly dash to our usual second-hand discount store in West London for a bargain.
Or rather that is how many have viewed the signing of Jorginho, who has signed an 18-month deal.
Alongside the evident frustration, we have seen fans demanding that Arsenal part company with the abject failure of Edu.
The technical director who has facilitated the arrivals of Gabriel Martinelli, Ben White, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Gabriel Jesus, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Leandro Trossard (for peanuts) and more.
To me, it seems to fall into the category in ‘Monty Python’s Life of Brian’ of “Yes, but apart from that, what have the Romans ever done for us?”
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After all, why concentrate on all the positives when there are one or two negatives we can all magnify?
Don’t get me wrong, I was not thinking of or hoping for Jorginho at the start of the window, or at any point during it.
But given time to consider and rationalise, I find myself relaxed.
This is a player of undoubted quality, one who only 18 months ago gave our main summer target, Declan Rice – who will cost £80million plus – a complete footballing lesson in the Euros Final.
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Yes, he is now 31, but we are buying him as an experienced back-up, not as a regular Premier League starter.
And we have two players in Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey who are only one and two years younger and who are dominating the Premier League.
The Brazilian-born, Italian international is the same age as Ray Parlour was as an understudy for the 2003/04 Invincibles team.
Had Partey actually been injured, as we feared when he left the pitch last Friday, I doubt his deal would have been the one sort, or sanctioned, by Mikel Arteta.
However, the Ghanaian is fit and ready to go for this weekend.
So, the Chelsea “veteran” is arriving as a cover player, and bringing with him bags of know-how, experience and a winning mentality.
Like Jesus and Zinchenko, Jorginho doesn’t just have recent experience of winning the top prizes in football but has also been instrumental in those triumphs.
And we have already seen the impact the two Manchester City players have had on this squad.
There is a valid concern, expressed by many, that the Italian international lacks the pace and mobility of Partey and having him as our deepest-lying midfielder will return us to the days of Xhaka being there.
I do accept this to a degree.
But when Xhaka was playing as our defensive midfielder, it was not only in a different formation, and crucially the Swiss star did not have Zinchenko tucking in alongside him as Partey does now.
It was always the argument for those defending Xhaka’s frailties in the double pivot that he never had a partner with the legs alongside him, but today Jorginho will have.
Our defence is also now far superior to the days when Xhaka was playing back there.
Therefore, whilst accepting that Jorginho is not and never will be a Partey, he can be a valuable understudy in certain games when Arteta wants to rest or rotate.
He is a metronomic passer who seldom gives the ball away cheaply and will be a more than proficient springboard to attacks against most opponents.
I particularly see huge value in playing him instead of Partey in the next few rounds of the Europa League, where his technical prowess will come to the fore with a less demanding pace and pressing style compared to the Prem.
Deploying Jorginho in the next few Europa rounds, and potentially against lesser domestic opponents at home, will allow Arteta to wrap Partey in cotton wool and ensure he and Xhaka are kept fit and fresh for the true tests to come.
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This deal, like those of Trossard and Jakub Kiwior, also plug gaps in the squad and undoubtedly improve us between now and May as we push for the Premier League.
It also will not hinder any bigger, higher ticket moves for longer-term targets in the summer.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
