Are Arsenal truly A Banter Club or are other more ‘Banterous’ than us?

Is it really Arsenal that’s the PL banter club?

Yes, we’ve had some comical instances which other clubs haven’t had in recent years. City didn’t lose 10-2 on aggregate to Bayern. Spurs haven’t had “Poch In/Poch Out” fights in their stands. Liverpool did win more than just one away win from Jan to May 2018. And Chelsea hasn’t been stereotyped by AFTV’s presenters, and their attitude and conduct.

Our last tie in the Champions League to date was a disgrace.

However, all of the other top six have their own banter issues, and in some cases, are worse off than us.

Tottenham

Ah yes. Our good friends from the neighbouring London Borough of Haringey. Incidentally, Arsenal, for those not acquainted with the London local government areas, is in the Borough of Islington, which is immediately south of Haringey borough.

Yes, they’re higher in the league than us.

And they have some genuine world class players (Kane), and many good ones (Son, Eriksen, Alli).

But they’re not exempt from banter status.

Up close and personal – Poch in Mike Dean’s face after losing at Burnley.

Didn’t we complete our ground on time and on budget?

Didn’t we also not rip off some of our fans in season ticket pricing? What about their new ground being the only place in London to see Champions League football? This may not even be accurate since there is no opening date as yet for their new ground.

I guess they’re building a brewery since they continually lack the bottle. They literally wish to make them get the bottle. Hence why we don’t continually bottle semi-finals as they do.

And their manager hates winning trophies, eh? It’s a shame our current boss has won many, and our previous manager won many too. He won more leagues with us than they’ve ever won.

So Spurs, and Mr. Poch, are admittedly looking good. And their new ground will bring much-needed revenues. But at what price? Not at the mass alienation of their fans, which isn’t right, surely.

Chelsea

The West Londoners have their issues, and it’s pretty funny since they’ve spent years laughing at us.

Carragher said they’re becoming like us – which I for one at least didn’t find insulting.

Maurizio Sarri has been Maurizio Sorry at Chelsea

Their manager, Mr. Sarri, has only one style of football. Sounds like a noted ex-manager of ours, doesn’t it? But they’re playing Kante out of position, and their star regista isn’t prospering.

Moreover, they’ve just been banned from signing anybody for two transfer windows, and still after decades have numerous issues with racism. Raheem Sterling was racially abused in a recent game there with Man City.

They may have won the league only two years ago, but then the manager who did such was ousted in part due to player power and losing the dressing room.

It’s clear that their culture as a club and institution stinks, and let’s not forget their inability (or perhaps unwillingness) to play youth.

Liverpool

Will this be another mantra this season? We’ll see.

This may be an unpopular opinion.
But then I don’t mind it if Liverpool wins the league this year.

As a great football club, with a long and noted history, in a way they deserve it. Liverpool and Arsenal are kindred spirits in a way, given history and success, but also our fans. We may be demanding, but we cannot really help it, but we both like to see our clubs perform in the right way and do things organically.

But then if they bottle the league, and given the fact that they haven’t won it since 1990, it will surely make them banter. And in some ways rightly so. They have arguably been the best team this season in terms of quality of football, and Salah stands as a world-class talent and potentially amongst the all-time great African players (with Weah, Eto’o, Drogba, Kanu, etc.) Firmino is also a top-level player, and van Dijk is arguably the best centre-back in the world at the moment.

But there would be epic jokes and memes, if Liverpool doesn’t win the league. Klopp’s future may also be called into question – since he’s spent big money and thus far hasn’t had the return on it.

Manchester United

Woodward thought that getting Alexis was a coup, but then it hasn’t worked out thus far

Whilst Mourinho going has led to an immense reversal of form under interim manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, this masks deficiencies in the structure higher-up. Ed Woodward, their executive vice-Chairman, still hasn’t appointed a director of football, but then Solksjaer has said that Sir Alex Ferguson would give their team-talk before the Liverpool game. For them to rely on their best-ever manager, when he suffered a major health condition only a few months ago and is officially retired, is telling. Yes, Solksjaer is only the interim manager, but they should move beyond Sir Alex, even if he is now a director and would always be a major figure at the club for evident reasons.

Also, form is temporary. A few bad results, and the “sixth” meme may well resurface.

But Alexis’s signing has been a failure, and this isn’t sour grapes on my part, since he had every right and need to leave. But to spend that money on his wages, even if they can afford it, is funny. They also bought him just to spite Man City, but they won the league in record fashion, and could well retain it this season.  So on various

Manchester City

City look reinvigorated around this time, and could feasibly win the quadruple. At the time of writing, they’re due to face Chelsea in the League Cup Final, and are odds on favourites to win it. But if they bottle the title, despite having the best manager in the world, best striker, and best squad, they would look extraordinarily silly.

City has invested for the long haul – and Pep’s own reputation is at stake somewhat. The fact their women’s team rivals ours now is testament to this, as is their youth development Campus.

One doesn’t spend hundreds of millions in transfers and not dominate the league. It’s thus imperative City retain the league, and if not, questions must be asked.

Aguero is one of the best strikers in PL history – but it would look bad for him and City if they don’t retain the league

Us for Arsenal?

Well we’ve had issues this season. But so have other clubs from our league and country:

• Not said that Harry Redknapp winning “I’m a Celebrity – Get me out of here!” is like winning an actual trophy
• Not had a manager who bemoans that others don’t respect his achievements enough
• Not parked the bus in big games
• Not said that snow has caused negative results
• Not had fans banned for racist gestures and/or comments
• Not had public spats on video between the manager and his star player

So chin up, it’s not all bad.

This is in jest, naturally. But then whilst we’ve had issues lately, others have too. If one looks in other countries, maybe Real Madrid is a banter club in Spain. They recently lost to Girona, which is like City or Liverpool losing at home to Cardiff City. Juve also lost to Atletico, though even despite going down 2-0 could reverse things at home.

Though we need to focus on our own issues, and not of other clubs.

That said, we are progressing both on and off the pitch. Other top six clubs arguably need more change than we do, and it’s good that we have football people in our top management levels.

With getting our footballing house in order, we have every chance of getting back into the top four and challenging in years to come.

Marble Halls

MarbleHallsTV is an Arsenal social media account on Twitter, Facebook and Youtube. Been a Gooner since the 90s, inspired by Ian Wright, then Bergkamp, Vieira, Henry, Pires, Campbell, Rosicky, Koscielny, Ozil and Sanchez. A digital marketer/entrpreneur by profession, born in UK living in the Americas now.