Arsenal's shambolic window shows moving deadline won't change Premier League disorganisation

There was so much shock and bewilderment in Spain at Barcelona’s chaotic behaviour in the transfer market this summer that the club took the extraordinary step of calling a press conference on Saturday, the day after the Spanish window closed, in a vain effort to try to explain their muddled thinking.

What ensued merely reinforced the view that a club that has always given the impression of having a plan was still suffering from an affliction probably best described as Premier League-itis.

Albert Soler, a Barcelona director, had attempted to explain the reasoning behind the departure of “Lionel Messi” before being corrected by the club’s technical secretary, Robert Fernandez. “You mean Neymar,” he said, as the room collectively cringed.

Here’s the thing, though. Barcelona at least appear to recognise there was a problem. Can you imagine Arsenal’s board inviting the press to discuss the colossal mess they have made of one of the most important summers in their recent history?

They are more likely to congratulate themselves on keeping Alexis Sanchez when the stark reality is the Chile striker would have been sold to Manchester City but for their failure to sign, in advance, a replacement for last season’s top scorer.

Arsenal tried to look strong by telling City for much of the summer that Sanchez was not for sale when it was clear they were for turning and where did that get them? Stuck with a player who desperately wants out and cannot be relied upon to again plaster over the cracks he sought to hide last term, set to lose a £60 million asset for a lot less or nothing, and snubbed by Thomas Lemar, the Monaco midfielder for whom they bid twice the £45 million they were offering a month earlier.

Premier League clubs are due to vote on Thursday about whether to bring forward the transfer deadline so it closes before next season starts but how do they think that will solve any problems when the currency for many remains poor planning, warped logic and negligence on a scale that would not be tolerated in most billion pound industries?

If anything, there are clubs who should be grateful the window remains open a few weeks after the season has started. It at least offers an opportunity to try to belatedly correct shortcomings exposed in the first few games that had either not been addressed or identified by bungling executives and managers who should be looking ahead and deciding what areas of the team require attention long before the problems become so acute that panic takes hold and everyone else in the game knows they are desperate.

Arsenal are worthy of an inquiry all of their own but their shambolic approach to the window should not mask the flawed thinking at some of their rivals. The more grounded Anfield observers are unlikely to get too carried away by the backslapping that greeted Liverpool’s 4-0 victory over Arsene Wenger’s hopeless side when a 3-3 draw at Watford a couple of weeks earlier provided a reminder of their enduring problems in defence.

Only West Ham have committed more errors leading to goals over the past two campaign than Liverpool, who had the worst defensive record of the top six last season behind, can you guess? Yes, Arsenal of course.

Both Arsenal and Liverpool failed in trying to land Virgil van Dijk and neither didn't found an alternative Credit: {A

Yet how many defenders did those two clubs sign this summer? Two, and left back Andrew Robertson cannot currently get in Liverpool’s side. How many of note did they let go? Four. Mamadou Sakho, for example, left Liverpool for Crystal Palace despite Jurgen Klopp failing to land either Virgil van Dijk or Michael Keane, even though the recruitment of a centre-half seemed to be the priority at the start of the summer until being strangely overtaken by the pursuit of more offensive players.

Chelsea have looked no less scattergun and even at Manchester City, after a £220 million splurge, Pep Guardiola remains an injury to Vincent Kompany away from a serious defensive headache. So why was the same importance not attached to the recruitment of West Bromwich Albion’s Jonny Evans or another central defender as the pursuit of three full backs and a goalkeeper, particularly given the manager’s preference for playing with three at the back? No wonder the clarity of thought at Manchester United has resembled a rare oasis of calm amid the frantic scrambling of rivals.

Barcelona may not be enjoying the current inquest but they at least seem to recognise there are questions to answer.

Moment of the weekend

Jose Mourinho was the star of the show on and off the pitch at the Game 4 Grenfell on Saturday, the charity match held in aid of those affected by the Grenfell Tower tragedy.

The Manchester United manager had revelled in the role of pantomime villain when he came on for a surprisingly impressive turn in goal.

And he later had just as much fun in the Sky Sports studio when he placed a hand on the thigh of Mo Farah, gloriously mimicking the moment a shocked Thierry Henry touched fellow pundit Jamie Carragher in October 2015 when news filtered through that Liverpool had sacked Brendan Rodgers.

Good weekend for...

Ben Woodburn. Woodburn’s Wales debut was only five minutes old when the 17-year-old Liverpool striker scored a stunning goal against Albania to clinch a vital 1-0 victory and provide Jurgen Klopp with a timely reminder of his talents in the process.

Bad weekend for...

Italy. Gian Piero Ventura’s ambitious 4-2-4 formation backfired against Spain as Isco’s double led La Roja to a comfortable 3-0 win and means the Italians will probably have to negotiate a play-off to qualify for next summer’s World Cup barring a dramatic turn of events in Group G.