Arsenal banter 5

04 Feb 2026 18:55:37
Good Evening

Can anyone explain this, what has gone on?

" I want to sincerely apologise to my teammates, the coaching staff, and our fans. These messages were private and I never intended for them to be made public - I deeply regret the distraction this has caused for Arsenal. "

Martin Odegaard.

04 Feb 2026 19:47:00
Banbury where has this come from?

{Ed001's Note - is this from the leaked WhatsApp messages in 2024?}

04 Feb 2026 19:49:40
Perhaps that's where all the rumours he is moving on in the summer have come from Banbury?

04 Feb 2026 14:03:07
We are an ungrateful bunch. We are in the final top of the Premier League and Champions League. Still the FA cup.

However, if we never complain, then would there be any need for improvement?

We will be Champions at the end of this season, mark my word and many seasons to come.

Once the boys taste sucess they will understand what is required to achieve it, and then we will truly be untouchable.

04 Feb 2026 11:06:39
Can I just say I love ed25 the way he looks after us and is always around. I don't disagree with him but I have a different reason for the way we are going to break our duct

Anyway thanks Ed please keep looking after us🇮🇪🇮🇪🙏🇮🇪🇮🇪.

{Ed025's Note - i do really like the Arsenal crew Mal, i want Arsenal to win things as well mate but would like it done with a bit more style...instead of me turning over at half time to watch "The Good Ship Murder".. :)

04 Feb 2026 11:46:16
Haha Ed if you notice on live chat when we are playing bad the conversation goes totally away from football

Ei know everything about RG's bowl. Movements

I always knew he was full of shyte😂😂.

{Ed025's Note - too many of them penny chews and chocolate mice will do that to you Mal.. :)

04 Feb 2026 12:37:46
Ed- jumping on the boring Arsenal bandwagon?
Since the start of 2026 we’ve played 10 games in all competitions - lost 1, drawn 2 and won 7.
We’ve scored 22 goals across those games (and 2 of them were 0-0 draws! )
We’re not boring, we’re doing what is needed to win things instead of burning out in the last quarter of the season.

{Ed001's Note - every time I watch you, you have bored me, I have to say. There is a bandwagon for a reason. At the end of the day, it won't matter if it brings you the title at last. No one will remember that you were the least entertaining team or if you were the most entertaining, it is irrelevant. Liverpool in their heyday of late 70s and early 80s were often boring, but who really cares about that? The only thing that matters is winning those trophies. Being boring only becomes a problem when you aren't picking up trophies.}

04 Feb 2026 12:50:44
Holy Feck Ed025 I didn`t realise we were that bad! The Good Ship Murder? Whatever next Hetty Wainthrop, Rosemary and Thyme or worse watching the Spuds? I genuinely believe MA is just trying to get that first monkey / trophy off his back then he can relax and we will entertain a bit more. Maybe too cautious (we have slammed him in the past for Man City a couple of seasons ago and Liverpool away this season) but for me this season is all about the win however we get it if only as a side benefit it shuts other fans up for a while re bottling / bridesmaids etc etc.

Long wait for Prem and with lots on the line including his job I understand the caution ( although we have the best defence we have second number of goals to Man C£ty who have a 20 goal striker! Seem to be doing okay so far COYG Good Ship Murder good grief!

{Ed025's Note - i only said that because Crossroads got cancelled years ago SUSSEX, unfortunately you are a terrible watch mate but if im honest most of the top teams are, i can see that winning something is paramount and you have more than a good chance of at least a couple but i still think you are miles better than you are showing at the moment...i just wish you would show it..

04 Feb 2026 18:00:50
For years Arsene was slaughtered for trying to win every game 5-0, for not playing ultra defensive when we had built a lead to protect, for attacking in games like this where we were already winning on aggregate and had no real need to attack, for not playing for draws against the big teams.
In comes Arteta, we are pragmatically leading the competition that matters most, and everyone who ever slated Arsene is now slating Arteta for the opposite reasons.

It's not thrilling but it is winning, and that they said was all that mattered.

{Ed025's Note - i might feel different if it was my team SirW i must admit, but when you look back at the great sides its not just how they won but the style in which they did it, im a bit of a purist i suppose and love a bit of flair and excitement but maybe thats just because i support Everton mate.. :)

04 Feb 2026 19:09:33
Honestly ed0025 I preferred the Arsene way, and am hoping that is merely the George Graham phase that preceeds it.
However every man and his dog demanded we win above all else, and credit to Arteta he currently looks like he could deliver.

{Ed025's Note - i think he will deliver at least one SW and maybe even two or three, we all know they can get the job done mate because of the great squad you have but i would like to see it done with a bit more style i must say, maybe when the first one is in the bag he will take the handbrake off..

04 Feb 2026 20:12:32
Ed, you are right. We have had some good performances but more exceedingly boring and negative performances. I don’t sign up to him changing next year if we win this year - he’s just more afraid of losing than wanting to win. Look at his signings and lack of goal scorers upfront Vs hard workers. He might get the job done this year but it won’t be pretty but it does put a trophy in the cabinet….

I wish he would be more adventurous.

{Ed025's Note - so do i SY, and the baffling thing for me is that you have the players who can and im sure want to entertain, the players will not want to be playing this tripe week in week out im sure, maybe the first trophy will change things then when the monkey is off Arteta,s back things will improve style wise, but im not putting any money on it mate.. :)

04 Feb 2026 09:59:38
Can't disagree with you Mal, but the player ( Defender ) and Manager that I was, I will always look at what we can do better.

I will give you an example.

We won away in Italy 3-1 recently, yes I am pleased with the win BUT, I look at how we conceded and If I was Arteta, I would praise all the lads on the win but then focus on the goal we conceded.

Have a look and watch how Zubamendi bottled the tackle and was scared of the ball hitting him, I would be addressing that, privately with him, in a game where you need to block a shot to win the game, it would be crucial.

It's constructive criticism, just as it was with the crazy goal we gave away at Bournemouth and the one at home to Man U.

We are all gooners and some of us have seen some dreadful and disappointing games and also some fantastic ones.

I was at Anfield that superb evening and was at Wrexham on that woeful afternoon.

But still keep coming back

Up The Arsenal.

04 Feb 2026 08:19:54
We were dreadful BUT BUT BUT, I thought Chelsea are improving, we stood strong and defended very well.

As a fan living through the 1-0 to The Arsenal days, I will take that. If we win all of our remaining games I will take.

We have a chance to make history, let's be boring then BUT just do not lose.

It's when we lose and people stand up for the team that does my nut in. as you all know. LOL.

04 Feb 2026 08:45:45
Banbury as you know I'm a bit of an old timer
I just don't get the negativity, let's get the huge burden of not winning anything of our backs and go from there
I'm a 110% confident this is the problem with our style of play get the first cup in the cabinet and the flair will arrive.

04 Feb 2026 09:05:13
Hello Banbury, Mal and everyone. I have been critical of our tactics and Mikel game plans. We aren't pretty to watch at times but Mikel isn't going to change for anyone.
Banbury has already said about 1 nil George Graham years and 6 trophies in 9 years says he must be doing something right. Bertie Mee, s double season, fans Like Saga, Mal and myself will remember churning out the 1 -0 wins through March and April, not very pretty to watch but if you was at WHL when we won the league and 5 days later when we beat Liverpool and done the double, how we won it goes out of the window.


Just like to say about last night's game, Chelsea knowing they had to score didn't really lay it on the line did they
Take care everyone.

{Ed025's Note - hi Bill, i dont think any of the top sides are good to watch mate, the flair seems to have gone out of the game and its all about win at all costs, this is why there is so much cheating and diving nowadays mate and the ballers are being replaced by athletic 6ft 6inch monsters, i dont think its a good watch but maybe im just living in cloud cuckoo land..

04 Feb 2026 09:49:18
I think that's a fair minded view Ed mate, the diving is of epidemic proportions, and players hurt their selves more by the dive than the original tackle.

{Ed025's Note - its getting beyond a joke now Bill, i cant speak for other people but im finding most of the football a very difficult watch mate, mind you if you are a Gooner i dont suppose you care if you are getting the results and in the mix for 4 trophies.. :)

04 Feb 2026 12:25:15
Tactics were spot on last night. We didn’t need to go out and put a show on and risk conceding- we did that in the first leg.
We won a semi final at a stroll, no one got injured and it didn’t look like we tired ourselves out. It’s all about the marathon, and we’re still in all competitions.

04 Feb 2026 07:11:42
I'm sorry if I offend anyone

I couldn't give a rats arse how we are playing at the moment

We are going to Wembley end off

EIE.

{Ed025's Note - and thats fair enough Mal..

04 Feb 2026 08:34:28
We're playing a boring but effective kind of football this season. In this particular match Chelsea deserves most of the blame though. They were the team trailing and should have done more in attack. We looked comfortable. Our attack was suited to counter but since they didn't riski it we ended up just strolling through to final.

03 Feb 2026 22:29:19
That was a game for the neutral or football lover - did that win you over Ed?

Job done - stood firm and nice finish from Kai. Well done son.

As Rice says - not many players get to Wembley finals so we appreciate it and get after our first bit of silverware for a while!

Well done on getting there but no thanking you for the bore fest this evening.

{Ed025's Note - yeah it was poor SY, i really want Arsenal to do well mate but its getting harder to watch by the week, i try to defend them to others but im running out of excuses now, you really could be so much more and have all the talent in the world but its turgid to watch, i dont know if it is nerves or the way Arteta sets the team up but you are losing the neutrals because of it, but i dont suppose you give a jot if you start winning things...and why should you?..

03 Feb 2026 23:10:14
I do actually care as I love watching top players performing sport at top level it’s a joy to behold. It’s pointless playing great and winning nothing but I wish he would be a bit more entertaining. I’m glad he’s given us backbone, dark arts and difficult to beat but as Wenger once said - we are in the entertainment game….

{Ed025's Note - absolutely SY, i have always respected teams that play great footy mate like the Invincibles, Liverpool in the 80,s, (as much as it killed me) Utd in the 9o,s and even City, even when Everton lost to sides like them i appreciated that we were beaten by the better side and that i was entertained, now i dont want to rain on your parade but bar from the odd occasion Arsenal are awful to watch im afraid, and its a shame you know because you have an excellent squad and even if you do win trophies you will never be remembered as a great team i fear..

03 Feb 2026 22:10:28
Hushhhh… Wembley!

03 Feb 2026 22:08:03
Finally a final to look forward to COYG.

03 Feb 2026 22:07:33
That was a hard watch, but through to the final. il take that… nice break away goal at the end. on to the next one, one game at a time. COYG/VTH🔴⚪️❤️.

03 Feb 2026 18:57:26
Just seen tonight's line up
4231👍👍.

03 Feb 2026 20:57:52
What a dull game though, what are we doing?! Looks like we are playing for a 0-0 to get through on the first leg score. This is what irritates us, get into their faces score goals and finish off the tie. If they get a goal it will be a nervy affair and we may not deal with it. Hopefully, second half will be different.