COMMENT: If you could decipher what Arsene Wenger was trying to tell us with his latest moaning about UEFA's Financial Fair Play, please do us a favour - and let us know down below.
From what we can gather, the Arsenal manager is upset with UEFA for weakening FFP. He admits Arsenal now have the resources to buy any player in the world. He also concedes Arsenal have a shortage of players. But, for some reason, relaxing FFP is to blame for his failure to successfully work the summer transfer market.
Is that clear enough for you? No? Well, the feeling's the same at this end.
Before Saturday's win at Newcastle United, Wenger complained that "FFP is gone" before adding, "Maybe it will change here one day. I've said to you all the time it is not a shortage of money. At the moment it is a handicap to us because we have the resources, just a shortage of players."
So he has the money. The past restrictions of UEFA's ridiculous FFP laws are gone. Basically, Arsenal can spend what they like on who they like. That strong defensive midfielder can be attained. The experienced, free-scoring striker can be bought. Yet, something is holding Wenger back... or so he says.
This droning on about UEFA and FFP is ringing hollow - and has to be getting tiresome for Gooners.
You can be sure Massimiliano Allegri, who took Juventus to the Champions League final last season, would love to get access to the budget Wenger enjoys. And what about Diego Simeone, Atletico Madrid and the previous season? On an even smaller budget than Juve's, Atletico not only reached the Champions League final, they also clinched the Spanish title ahead of Real Madrid and Barcelona.
All the while Juve and Atletico were scrapping and competing, Wenger was sat in his London Colney office, waiting for Michel Platini and UEFA to bring everyone else back to the pack. It appears in Arsene's world, if you dare to fly high, you deserve your wings clipped. Unless, of course, you're the man himself, picking off the latest whizkid from Southampton or Aston Villa's academies. Or who was it this week? Harry Clarke from Ipswich Town? So the big spending of Manchester City and Chelsea isn't fair... but Arsenal taking a gem off Ipswich with the promise of better coaching and facilities - all financed from a bigger budget - is?
He's got some front, that Wenger. The very day he's banging on about UEFA turning their back on his idea of 'fair play', Arsenal are nicking Harry Clarke away from Portman Road. Why is Clarke moving to Arsenal? Because he likes the colour red?
Arsenal boast superior training facilities, superior coaching staff and can offer Clarke better professional terms - all thanks to better financial resources than Ipswich.
But the money gap between Arsenal and Ipswich is far greater than what exists between the Gunners and City.
And the one player signed by City, who'd have made a difference for Arsenal - Fabian Delph - was available for £8 million. Yet, Wenger gave City a clear run at the former Aston Villa captain - twice. Arturo Vidal was allowed to swap Juventus for Bayern Munich. Jackson Martinez left Porto for Atletico Madrid. Carlos Bacca joined AC Milan from Sevilla. The list goes on and on. Geoffrey Kondogbia (Inter Milan), Edin Dzeko (Roma), Giannelli Imbula (Porto) ... they all were available this summer and all would've made a difference to this current Arsenal squad.
Does Wenger still have it in him to compete for the signature of such players? Petr Cech fell into his lap this summer. The former Chelsea goalkeeper wanted to stay in London and join a Champions League club. Arsenal were the only show in town.
It's far easier convincing a Dan Crowley at Aston Villa, or a Yassin Fortune at Lens, about what Arsenal can do for their careers, than it is competing for a Vidal or Martinez.
Or to put it in Wenger's terms, strong-arming Ipswich to let go their top teen is far less demanding than actually having to compete in the free market with the rest of the heavyweights for the world's best players.
By his own admission, Wenger has at his disposable the money - and the need to spend. But perhaps, in those comments on Friday, the Gunners manager let slip he no longer has the capability to compete on a level playing field.
INJURY TIME
As passive as Arsenal have been this summer market, beneath the first team, the contrast couldn't be more stark.
A massive - and aggressive - overhaul of talent has occurred at academy level, with players arriving from all across Europe in recent months.
Jeff Reine-Adelaïde has made the headlines after his impact in the Emirates Cup. But his former Lens teammate Yassin Fortune is also tipped for big things. The striker chose the Gunners ahead of Manchester United earlier this year.
Romania U16 captain Vlad Dragomir was snapped up from Timisoara ahead of AC Milan. Former Arles midfielder Ismaël Bennacer was convinced to choose the Gunners over Manchester City. And Donyell Malen had Wim Jonk, Ajax's youth chief, complaining publicly when he was tempted away last month. Malen is already training with Arsene Wenger's first team.
Gunners coaching staff are also patting themselves on the back after convincing Chris Willock to commit to pro terms earlier this year. Willock is rated the best of his generation in England and had Barcelona and Manchester United, where older brother Matty is on the books, urging him to leave London.
Willock, still 17, was part of Arsenal's preseason tour squad of Singapore.
