[Football] Arsenal’s Ben White

[Hugo Rune]

I'm struggling with the versatility thing myself, why would England need a Centre back who can play midfield when they have ample cover in midfield better than Ben White.

Assuming we play with two DMs in a 1-3-2-4,
we have Rice, Henderson & Philips all returning from injury. That is a massive risk. Bellingham is only 17 and surely along ‘for the ride’ and Ward-Prowse is a world class set-piece taker but a very average EPL midfielder beyond that.

I also think that White is better going forward than any other CB in the squad including Stones. With a 26man squad, White is a good insurance policy if we get multiple injuries of suspension in the centre of midfield or defence.

 

[Deleted member 2719]

Webbo is our only properly two-footed player - there's a table somewhere showing this* and he has something like a 60:40 split, whereas almost everyone else is closer to 80:20 or even 90:10.




* I think from Albion Analytics

Thats interesting, have you got a link to those stats please?

 

[maffew]

Already plenty of tweets from Leeds fans saying if White had stayed he'd be a shoo-in for the 26.

They are almost certainly right IMO

 

[Perfidious Albion]

Let’s just hope that our players return uninjured from the tournament and not knackered for next season

 

[Dorset Seagull]

You see it visually also.

I saw him bend the ball both ways with his left peg (with plenty of power, pace & control) in the warm-up vs Sheff Utd (normally I’m guzzling beer in the WSU so hadn’t really concentrated on a warm-up before). I decided he was a natural left footer and it took some convincing that he wasn’t but I looked at his various ‘right footed’ profiles online & it seems that the right peg is he preferred foot.

Every professional footballer should be 2 footed. In my youth I practised with my weak left foot until I was able to score goals with it. I played Sunday league football and didn't have the luxury of training 7 days a week as professionals do. There are no excuses

 

[Questions]

Every professional footballer should be 2 footed. In my youth I practised with my weak left foot until I was able to score goals with it. I played Sunday league football and didn't have the luxury of training 7 days a week as professionals do. There are no excuses

It seems easier for right footers to go a bit left than vica versa.

I scored some of my best goals with my left foot even though I was right footed. It was natural to control it with your right and then drag it onto you left to get a shot off quick. Lefties always seemed to only use their right for standing on though.

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

I don't like waistcoat man but that's unfair. Which proven experienced players that were in his squad 3 years ago that are now in the form of their lives has he left to pasture in favour of untested yoof? Aside from Dunk (albeit Dunk wasn't part of the tournament squad then either)? Are you thinking of Delph, Alli and....Wellbeck!?

That's not what I mean. What I mean is that after three or four years of building a squad to compete, we find ourselves picking uncapped players on the eve of a major tournament, and with 18 of the 33 having fewer than 10 caps. Shouldn't the team be a bit further along by now?

 

[AmexRuislip]

Southgate, thinking he's got off easy, by giving an explanation as to why he picked White ahead of Dunk.
The man's an utter buffoon

 

[Eric Youngs Contact Lens]

Every professional footballer should be 2 footed. In my youth I practised with my weak left foot until I was able to score goals with it. I played Sunday league football and didn't have the luxury of training 7 days a week as professionals do. There are no excuses

I am absolutely with you on that. I always sound like an old fart, but I cannot believe players reluctance to do almost anything with their weaker foot. I am sure for many of them its probably better than they think, but so many turn away from that option. Although, I was boring my son with exactly that point on Sunday, saying I could still defend against pepe as he will only use his left foot, and then he hit one with his right foot through Sanchez' legs!

 

[Questions]

I am absolutely with you on that. I always sound like an old fart, but I cannot believe players reluctance to do almost anything with their weaker foot. I am sure for many of them its probably better than they think, but so many turn away from that option. Although, I was boring my son with exactly that point on Sunday, saying I could still defend against pepe as he will only use his left foot, and then he hit one with his right foot through Sanchez' legs!

It’s actually harder to hit a static ball like from a free kick with your wrong foot than when it’s moving imho

 

[HantsSeagull]

Pleased for White
Gutted for Dunk
Disgusted by Southgate

 

[Berty23]

That's not what I mean. What I mean is that after three or four years of building a squad to compete, we find ourselves picking uncapped players on the eve of a major tournament, and with 18 of the 33 having fewer than 10 caps. Shouldn't the team be a bit further along by now?

I agree with this. Why are we looking to build for the future when we have a very winnable tournament. Didn’t we try to build for this tournament too? Maybe by the World Cup we can build for the next euros. By always picking players for the future you remove the accountability of the here and now. Surely you just pick your best fit players now. Building for the future ignores that players lose form, get injured etc. I simply can’t compute not picking your best players because others might be better in a few years.

 

[Eric Youngs Contact Lens]

Sorry, off topic, but England related - see Grealish is in the squad.. I will be haunted as to whether to appreciate him playing for England and the excitement he can bring, vs, the frustration I have for his diving/antics. I see the Chelsea skipper (cant spell his name) who was sent off for "fouling" him on Sunday has had that over-turned.. no mention of subsequent action for Grealish though, Obvs!

 

[Icy Gull]

Sorry, off topic, but England related - see Grealish is in the squad.. I will be haunted as to whether to appreciate him playing for England and the excitement he can bring, vs, the frustration I have for his diving/antics. I see the Chelsea skipper (cant spell his name) who was sent off for "fouling" him on Sunday has had that over-turned.. no mention of subsequent action for Grealish though, Obvs!

Agreed, but he is some footballer. Hopefully he will not be at Villa next season, they really struggle without him.

 

[banjo]

Southgate couldn’t even pick his rather large nose.

Glad for Ben White though. Throughly deserved to be considered.

 

[Wardy's twin]

There is logic in that. It means 'one is good, the other is also good but has more potential to get even better'.

It’s less that we see White ahead of Dunk, but more that Lewis hates Palace.”

 

[Pavilionaire]

I'm really pleased for the Ben White but I'm also pleased for the club. This is a huge moment because it shows that the Albion player development programme works, i.e. academy > development team > lower league loan > higher league loan > Premier League matchday squad > England squad. We've had England full internationals, Under-21s and Under-23s before, but no one who's future has been so carefully nurtured through the system.

Whoever picked him up as a discard from the Southampton youth team should feel very proud tonight.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

I'm really pleased for the Ben White but I'm also pleased for the club. This is a huge moment because it shows that the Albion player development programme works, i.e. academy > development team > lower league loan > higher league loan > Premier League matchday squad > England squad. We've had England full internationals, Under-21s and Under-23s before, but no one who's future has been so carefully nurtured through the system.

Whoever picked him up as a discard from the Southampton youth team should feel very proud tonight.

Nor forgetting our Academy Spanish squad goalkeeper.

 

[One Teddy Maybank]

I'm really pleased for the Ben White but I'm also pleased for the club. This is a huge moment because it shows that the Albion player development programme works, i.e. academy > development team > lower league loan > higher league loan > Premier League matchday squad > England squad. We've had England full internationals, Under-21s and Under-23s before, but no one who's future has been so carefully nurtured through the system.

Whoever picked him up as a discard from the Southampton youth team should feel very proud tonight.

Well said.

 

[maresfield seagull]

Sorry, off topic, but England related - see Grealish is in the squad.. I will be haunted as to whether to appreciate him playing for England and the excitement he can bring, vs, the frustration I have for his diving/antics. I see the Chelsea skipper (cant spell his name) who was sent off for "fouling" him on Sunday has had that over-turned.. no mention of subsequent action for Grealish though, Obvs!

If you mean Azpilicueta I believe he s known as Dave up the bridge