Arsenal FC: The Banter Era

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Arsenal FC: The Banter Era

Postby Trequartista » Thu Oct 22, 2015 7:47 am

Our lengthy trophy drought from 2005 to 2014 has been well documented in the media. This was a period marked by austerity, a playing staff rife with absolute dross, tactical naïveté, the humiliation of losing our best players to rival clubs year after year, the disgraceful 8-2 ransack by Man U, and the debacle of the Cup Final in 2011. But this era also witnessed some great moments and achievements: the 2-1 defeat of Barcelona, Arshavin’s 4 against Liverpool, van Persie’s heroics in the 2011-12 season, Wilshere’s perfect Wengerball goal against Norwich, and, dare I say it, finishing in the top 4 every season despite the superior resources of our rivals.

Having brought in players of the calibre of Alexis and Ozil, and won back-to back FA cups, it seems safe to say we have left the “Banter Era” behind, and are entering a new period in the club’s history. So, now that the pain of the so-called Banter Era is receding into hindsight, I would be interested to hear your thoughts on this period: what sticks in your mind the most, what was our worst moment, what are your best memories, which player encapsulates the era best (Squillaci? Bendtner? Fabregas?), has your opinion of what was going on at the club changed now that your perspective of the period is different?
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Re: Arsenal FC: The Banter Era

Postby Trequartista » Thu Oct 22, 2015 7:48 am

To kick things off, I would have to say that I was deluded about the quality of our players. I essentially spent many years trying to persuade myself that bang average players were quality, and attempting to justify massively inferior players as “not that bad”. But on the flip-side, it now gives me a perverse sense of joy to think how much we over-achieved with a squad relying on players like Chamakh, Gervinho, Senderos, Almunia, Santos, Silvestre, etc. etc.

I’m glad we still have Sanogo as a kind of Mascott to remind ourselves of the banter era ;)

And isn’t it great to see Walcott, pretty much the one player to have endured the entire barren spell, now an integral part of this successful side?
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Re: Arsenal FC: The Banter Era

Postby Dubs4Sam » Thu Oct 22, 2015 9:24 am

This Era was summed up in one moment for me when Arsenal lost faith in the playing squad and our famous proud tradition of being a club with high standards was all blown up when Eboue was heckled and booed off the pitch by his own supporters against Wigan.

The team was savaged by injuries he was only back from injury himself and not fit - came on as a sub and was taken off shortly after. A low for me - even the Gallas Sit Down Pitch protest was bad but as a fan base we let ourselves down that day.
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Re: Arsenal FC: The Banter Era

Postby Va-Va-Voom » Thu Oct 22, 2015 9:36 am

Worst memory is Eduardo's leg break because if that doesn't happen we probably don't let the lead slip and Gallas doesn't have his meltdown in the center circle. The league was lost once our leader broke down in tears for the world to see, to this day I can't believe he did that. WOAT captain.

If it weren't for that match/meltdown I'm convinced we would've won the league and the "banter era/barren spell" would never have existed. And obviously we wouldn't have lost all those players who left in search of trophies.

Other traumatizing moments include the League Cup Final loss to Birmingham and the 8-2 decimation we suffered at the hands of United.

The worst thing about that was the match happened during the Notting Hill carnival so I was just on some rammed road watching people skank and some yardie DJ just kept updating the crowd with the score, "Man United 5, Arsenal 1...Man United 6, Arsenal 2...Man United 7, Arsenal 2" etc. I was just thinking "is this prick taking the piss?", alas, he wasn't.

This was a period of failure so while we had some brilliant individuals, I ultimately associate it with the players who were the embodiment of our mediocrity at the time: the anti-Brazilian Denilson, Squillaci the saboteur , Agent Silvestre, Almunia, Lord Bendtner, Djourou, Gervinho etc.

I guess Fabregas would be the poster boy of that era though Van Persie was our best, too bad he was such a gimp.

Shout out to Walcott and Rosicky aka the Last Dons. Been with us the for the entire barren ride.

Best moment is obviously ARSHAVVVIINNN vs Barca.

Walcott running through Liverpool and setting up Adebayor to put us on the brink of the CL semi's was amazing for about three minutes until Babel dived and won a penalty.

I also enjoyed the entire 06/07 Carling Cup run, loved beating Spurs en route to the final. Baptista and Aliadiere were basically Henry and Bergkamp in that competition.

I convinced myself that we would eventually take our rightful place upon the throne of English football. I bought in to "Project Youth" and was convinced our young core of players would just naturally improve season after season and ascend to the title. I always thought "this is our year", didn't happen.

Dark days those were, glad they're behind us.
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Re: Arsenal FC: The Banter Era

Postby Trequartista » Thu Oct 22, 2015 9:57 am

Va-Va-Voom wrote:I convinced myself that we would eventually take our rightful place upon the throne of English football. I bought in to "Project Youth" and was convinced our young core of players would just naturally improve season after season and ascend to the title. I always thought "this is our year", didn't happen.


Exactly this.

In 2010 I really thought we were coming out of the dark days, but in reality night was only just falling. I thought that in Vermaelen, Song, Fabregas, van Persie, we had a really good, relatively young spine with a lot of supporting talent in the form of Nasri, Arshavin, and an emerging Wilshere. The problem was, every time a player developed to a certain level of performance they were immediately nabbed by Barca or Man City. I still wonder sometimes whether that group would have won the title, had we managed to keep them together another couple of years.
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Re: Arsenal FC: The Banter Era

Postby Va-Va-Voom » Thu Oct 22, 2015 10:11 am

Trequartista wrote:
Va-Va-Voom wrote:I convinced myself that we would eventually take our rightful place upon the throne of English football. I bought in to "Project Youth" and was convinced our young core of players would just naturally improve season after season and ascend to the title. I always thought "this is our year", didn't happen.


Exactly this.

In 2010 I really thought we were coming out of the dark days, but in reality night was only just falling. I thought that in Vermaelen, Song, Fabregas, van Persie, we had a really good, relatively young spine with a lot of supporting talent in the form of Nasri, Arshavin, and an emerging Wilshere. The problem was, every time a player developed to a certain level of performance they were immediately nabbed by Barca or Man City. I still wonder sometimes whether that group would have won the title, had we managed to keep them together another couple of years.


I think we would have in the 09/10 season. Almunia made an error against Birmingham which resulted in a draw, after 32 matches we were 4 points back - should've been two.

Anyway, my point is we were in contention late into the season but the crucial factor (as normal) was Van Persie. Only started 14 matches that season, made 16 appearances overall. He could've plausibly made up the difference if he wasn't injured so often.
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Re: Arsenal FC: The Banter Era

Postby Trequartista » Thu Oct 22, 2015 10:17 am

Va-Va-Voom wrote:
Trequartista wrote:
Va-Va-Voom wrote:I convinced myself that we would eventually take our rightful place upon the throne of English football. I bought in to "Project Youth" and was convinced our young core of players would just naturally improve season after season and ascend to the title. I always thought "this is our year", didn't happen.


Exactly this.

In 2010 I really thought we were coming out of the dark days, but in reality night was only just falling. I thought that in Vermaelen, Song, Fabregas, van Persie, we had a really good, relatively young spine with a lot of supporting talent in the form of Nasri, Arshavin, and an emerging Wilshere. The problem was, every time a player developed to a certain level of performance they were immediately nabbed by Barca or Man City. I still wonder sometimes whether that group would have won the title, had we managed to keep them together another couple of years.


I think we would have in the 09/10 season. Almunia made an error against Birmingham which resulted in a draw, after 32 matches we were 4 points back - should've been two.

Anyway, my point is we were in contention late into the season but the crucial factor (as normal) was Van Persie. Only started 14 matches that season, made 16 appearances overall. He could've plausibly made up the difference were if he wasn't injured so often.


Wasn't that also the season where we also contrived to blow a 2-0 lead against Wigan to lose 3-2? Absolute joke. I remember I was listening to the game on the radio (I know, retro, right?) and I picked up my radio and smashed it against the wall... :rofll:

Moments like that make winning trophies so much sweeter in the end.
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Re: Arsenal FC: The Banter Era

Postby Cripps » Thu Oct 22, 2015 10:21 am

Trequartista wrote:
Va-Va-Voom wrote:
Trequartista wrote:
Va-Va-Voom wrote:I convinced myself that we would eventually take our rightful place upon the throne of English football. I bought in to "Project Youth" and was convinced our young core of players would just naturally improve season after season and ascend to the title. I always thought "this is our year", didn't happen.


Exactly this.

In 2010 I really thought we were coming out of the dark days, but in reality night was only just falling. I thought that in Vermaelen, Song, Fabregas, van Persie, we had a really good, relatively young spine with a lot of supporting talent in the form of Nasri, Arshavin, and an emerging Wilshere. The problem was, every time a player developed to a certain level of performance they were immediately nabbed by Barca or Man City. I still wonder sometimes whether that group would have won the title, had we managed to keep them together another couple of years.


I think we would have in the 09/10 season. Almunia made an error against Birmingham which resulted in a draw, after 32 matches we were 4 points back - should've been two.

Anyway, my point is we were in contention late into the season but the crucial factor (as normal) was Van Persie. Only started 14 matches that season, made 16 appearances overall. He could've plausibly made up the difference were if he wasn't injured so often.


Wasn't that also the season where we also contrived to blow a 2-0 lead against Wigan to lose 3-2? Absolute joke. I remember I was listening to the game on the radio (I know, retro, right?) and I picked up my radio and smashed it against the wall... :rofll:

Moments like that make winning trophies so much sweeter in the end.

Yes. The day I turned on Wenger.
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Re: Arsenal FC: The Banter Era

Postby Trequartista » Thu Oct 22, 2015 12:09 pm

Cripps wrote:Yes. The day I turned on Wenger.


Genuine question: what about that game made you turn on Wenger specifically? I honestly don't remember too much of the game, first of all because all I remember is the overriding rage, and secondly I was just listening on the radio, didn't actually see how we played. Did he make ridiculous substitutions, or play a stupidly open formation when we should have closed up shop?
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Re: Arsenal FC: The Banter Era

Postby Sims » Thu Oct 22, 2015 12:25 pm

Banter XI

Almunia
Eboue - Squillaci - Silvestre - Andre Santos
Denilson - Eastmond
Park Chu Yong - Chamakh - Gervinho
Bendtner
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Re: Arsenal FC: The Banter Era

Postby Trequartista » Thu Oct 22, 2015 12:33 pm

Sims wrote:Banter XI

Almunia
Eboue - Squillaci - Silvestre - Andre Santos
Denilson - Eastmond
Park Chu Yong - Chamakh - Gervinho
Bendtner


Haha, I feel Eastmond is a bit harsh, as we shipped him out when he was still a young lad and only played like 5 games for us. Although, granted he does now play as a semi-professional in a pub league, so he should never have even got to put on the shirt. Personally, in my XI, I would have Johan Djourou seamlessly slipping into a defensive midfield role instead. Exactly the kind of ludicrous banter we had to put up with, such as Nicklas Bendtner playing on the wing for half a season....
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Re: Arsenal FC: The Banter Era

Postby Va-Va-Voom » Thu Oct 22, 2015 12:37 pm

Sims wrote:Banter XI

Almunia
Eboue - Squillaci - Silvestre - Andre Santos
Denilson - Eastmond
Park Chu Yong - Chamakh - Gervinho
Bendtner


Subs: Mannone, Djourou, Traore, A. Bischoff, Diarra, Merida, Jay Emmanuel Thomas
Last edited by Va-Va-Voom on Thu Oct 22, 2015 12:41 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Arsenal FC: The Banter Era

Postby UFGN » Thu Oct 22, 2015 12:38 pm

You say banter, I say bullshit

Never fell for any of it, got plenty of stick for calling it bullshit at the time

Wenger out
Corinthians 15:57; But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus

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Re: Arsenal FC: The Banter Era

Postby UFGN » Thu Oct 22, 2015 12:43 pm

....and btw its still going on now

Bellerin is the best right back yadayada
Walcott is great so we didn't need a striker
Cech is a world class (not just good) keeper
Welbeck, er yeah
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Re: Arsenal FC: The Banter Era

Postby Va-Va-Voom » Thu Oct 22, 2015 12:52 pm

UFGN wrote:....and btw its still going on now

Bellerin is the best right back yadayada
Walcott is great so we didn't need a striker
Cech is a world class (not just good) keeper
Welbeck, er yeah


Cech is world class, though.

De Gea is the only keeper in the league possibly better, both are better than Courtois.

Neuer is most people's pick for best in the world but lo and behold his cock up gifted us the game. All keeper's will have shockers.

The first couple games aside Cech has been solid and is only getting better now that he's accustomed to our defence (3 straight clean sheets).

Also important to note he's been outstanding in most of our big games this season (Liverpool, United and Munich). Big game player.
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