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[Football] Arsenal’s Ben White



Pavilionaire

Well-known member
Jul 7, 2003
31,262
Yes Southgate should, but his hands are somewhat tied. The Chelsea and Man City players aren't joining the squad until after the Austria friendly and it's unlikely the Man Utd players will be involved in the first warm up match either. That's 11 players missing from the first friendly leaving a squad of 15 including 2 goalkeepers. They obviously need to have the 6 who missed out available for the friendly.

From Ben's point of view if he gets on the pitch its a good chance to show what he can do at international level and show Southgate he was wrong to leave him out.

Hopefully Lingard will score a hat-trick and expose what a shambles this selection process has been.
 




Sheebo

Well-known member
Jul 13, 2003
29,319
Half of the squad can’t play? Well that still leaves enough players to line up.

I’m sorry but I really don’t get leaving players out of a squad. But then having them play a friendly. Odd.

They’re only left out of the Euros squad. Very much part of the training camp and friendlies which is excellent for Ben. And no fatigue etc would be silly to play basically the same 11 outfield players in 2 friendlies within 4 days before the Euros!

It’s not Southgate fault 10 or so of our players played in the big European finals - literally nobody to blame here except covid maybe.
 


Eric Youngs Contact Lens

Well-known member
Dec 9, 2020
602
East Sussex
Half of the squad can’t play? Well that still leaves enough players to line up.

I’m sorry but I really don’t get leaving players out of a squad. But then having them play a friendly. Odd.

I can see some point, for a ben White, a bit of additional experience when others aren't ready, but southgate has suggested I think that Lingard could well start the friendly.. well if he has the game of his life, scores/assists etc, I just don't see that as helpful to GS or indeed Lingard - just further deepens the disappointment..
 




Sheebo

Well-known member
Jul 13, 2003
29,319
I can see some point, for a ben White, a bit of additional experience when others aren't ready, but southgate has suggested I think that Lingard could well start the friendly.. well if he has the game of his life, scores/assists etc, I just don't see that as helpful to GS or indeed Lingard - just further deepens the disappointment..

Good point. He’s the one who is most unlucky. However with Sterling, Foden, Mount etc in that sort of attacking mid position it’s tough. Maddison as well is very unlucky. I think we need to look at the fact theres 26 players in this squad and I’d imagine 15 will play in meaningful games (eg if we’ve already qualified some fringe may play in last group game) so often the squad selection is over hyped, given many on the periphery like Lingard, probably wouldn’t start etc if they were in the squad.
 




Eric Youngs Contact Lens

Well-known member
Dec 9, 2020
602
East Sussex
Good point. He’s the one who is most unlucky. However with Sterling, Foden, Mount etc in that sort of attacking mid position it’s tough. Maddison as well is very unlucky. I think we need to look at the fact theres 26 players in this squad and I’d imagine 15 will play in meaningful games (eg if we’ve already qualified some fringe may play in last group game) so often the squad selection is over hyped, given many on the periphery like Lingard, probably wouldn’t start etc if they were in the squad.

Oh I can see how he's been left out - the attacking talent we have is incredible. I guess this adds to the puzzling 4 right-back choices - could we have freed another space for an attacking option who is arguably in better form, currently, than Sterling, and Grealish albeit doesn't play if all are fit and firing. I think Southgate is having to inlcude defensive players who might do a job if any of the defensive midfielders who are struggling for fitness break down.. albeit I think that role suits ben white best of all!!
 


KeegansHairPiece

New member
Jan 28, 2016
1,829
Well, taking my blue and white striped specs off, I've heard independent pundits (ex internationals and broadsheet writers such as Rory Smith) talk this calendar year about Dunk on R5 and TS.

It crops up repeatedly "Unfortunately for Lewis, he plays for an unfashionable club. He would have better chances playing elsewhere".

In the same discussions, Villa and Everton are often mentioned favourably .... regarding GS's choices.

Personally I don't think that has anything to do with the club, but the position of the club. Success builds confidence and belief. Poor old Dunk's international chances have been hampered by our hanging around the PL bottom 5. The same arguments could be said for the Southampton and Burnley players - relegation battles aren't necessarily the player backgrounds you want for international tournaments.
 


Weststander

Well-known member
Aug 25, 2011
69,239
Withdean area
Personally I don't think that has anything to do with the club, but the position of the club. Success builds confidence and belief. Poor old Dunk's international chances have been hampered by our hanging around the PL bottom 5. The same arguments could be said for the Southampton and Burnley players - relegation battles aren't necessarily the player backgrounds you want for international tournaments.

Rice and Keane were included in England squads as their clubs flirted with relegation.
 




vagabond

Well-known member
May 17, 2019
9,804
Brighton
England’s Ben White

Personally I don't think that has anything to do with the club, but the position of the club. Success builds confidence and belief. Poor old Dunk's international chances have been hampered by our hanging around the PL bottom 5. The same arguments could be said for the Southampton and Burnley players - relegation battles aren't necessarily the player backgrounds you want for international tournaments.

Doesn’t ring true though with Ming’s selection last season with Villa in a relegation battle. Ditto Kelvin Phillips being called up without kicking a ball in the PL.

I know.. I will have to come to terms with Dunky missing out, I just like to see people get the rewards they deserve.

I will of course get behind the boys and enjoy the Euros 100%.
 




Weststander

Well-known member
Aug 25, 2011
69,239
Withdean area
So in the words of Ant and Dec's 'On The Ball':

It's Reece James to Walker
Walker to Trippier
Trippier to Trenty
Alexander-Arnold
Arnold to Mingsy
Played square to Stonesy
Stonesy to Pickford.
Oh f**k, own goal!

A riled GS just said “Basically they're all in the squad because they're all really good footballers and if I could have picked five or six right-backs I probably would have done.”
 






Weststander

Well-known member
Aug 25, 2011
69,239
Withdean area
Well, I didn't suggest that was an absolute rule. Dunk also got his cap flirting with relegation.

A combined 25 caps compared to Dunk’s 1.

West Ham have been shite until this season. Everton a perennial basketcase.

Rice deserves his place imho, Keane never, but I don’t think a club’s league placing should come into it in itself. A player might have class, but they’re just one cog in a team.
 
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Silverhatch

Well-known member
Feb 23, 2009
4,680
Preston Park
Coady (one decent season with Wolves) & Mings (not even a decent season with Villa) in front of Dunk, Webster, White, Mee, Tarkowski, Konsa, Tomori...

That is ****ing criminal.
 




KeegansHairPiece

New member
Jan 28, 2016
1,829
A combined 25 caps compared to Dunk’s 1.

West Ham have been shite until this season. Everton a perennial basketcase.

Rice deserves his place imho, Keane never, but I don’t a club’s league placing should come into it in itself. A player might have class, but they’re just one cog in a team.

Completely agree. But all England managers have to make a call, and sometimes you're looking at marginal criteria for why one player is in and another is out. I'm not saying Southgate is right, far from it, just don't believe his selections necessarily come through bias, poor judgement maybe, but not bias.
 


Ethelwulf

Well-known member
Apr 6, 2020
2,263
West Worthing
Gareth Southgate... a weak man. Bunch of players that, based on their season, got no business playing in the national team currently, while leaving out plenty of highly competent in-form players. Going to be punished.

Nail on head . 4 Right backs he bottled the TAA selection and taking Jordan Henderson is a massive massive risk as is Harry Maguire

Just wish we had an England manager for once that picked on form and not on names and what club they play for . James WP must be so pissed off not to be in squad of 26 while a player in Henderson that has not played since end of January is
 


Terry Butcher Tribute Act

Well-known member
Aug 18, 2013
3,672
My god our fans are precious, talking about not supporting England because Dunk isn't playing, WTF.

People really have been brainwarped by this new-Albion era of relentless PR on how amazingly wonderful everything is at BHA to the extent that they believe all our players simply must be better than everyone else's, it's mad. It's football - it is very rare for anyone to unanimously agree on football/ability of players (look at the debates on here about our very own GPot) so I'm not at all shocked there are a few question marks over the squad. Just because Dunk (and now White) haven't made it, support someone else? Give your heads a wobble.

It's encouraging to me that White has been recognised at an early stage of his career which probably means he's more likely to feature in future squads, unlike the older Dunk and possibly Webster too.



Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk
 


Weststander

Well-known member
Aug 25, 2011
69,239
Withdean area
Nail on head . 4 Right backs he bottled the TAA selection and taking Jordan Henderson is a massive massive risk as is Harry Maguire

Just wish we had an England manager for once that picked on form and not on names and what club they play for . James WP must be so pissed off not to be in squad of 26 while a player in Henderson that has not played since end of January is

TAA is a brilliant footballer, he put the one dip in his career behind him.

Ward-Prowse and Henderson have entirely different roles.

Rice, Phillips and Henderson protect the back 4.

Ward-Prowse is the Stains playmaker, running the midfield. With TAA, the two best set piece experts in the EPL. Very unlucky. I can only think that Southgate is wooed by pacey attacking CM’s/creators such as as Grealish.
 






Harry Wilson's tackle

Harry Wilson's Tackle
NSC Patron
Oct 8, 2003
56,068
Faversham
My god our fans are precious, talking about not supporting England because Dunk isn't playing, WTF.

People really have been brainwarped by this new-Albion era of relentless PR on how amazingly wonderful everything is at BHA to the extent that they believe all our players simply must be better than everyone else's, it's mad. It's football - it is very rare for anyone to unanimously agree on football/ability of players (look at the debates on here about our very own GPot) so I'm not at all shocked there are a few question marks over the squad. Just because Dunk (and now White) haven't made it, support someone else? Give your heads a wobble.

It's encouraging to me that White has been recognised at an early stage of his career which probably means he's more likely to feature in future squads, unlike the older Dunk and possibly Webster too.



Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk

:lolol: How very true.

That said I have other reasons for my diminishing expectations of Southgate. I admire the way he'll select young players, and accept his policy to largely disregard players emerging late (as regular starters in the EPL in their mid and late 20s - *cough* Dunk *cough*), even though it is a rather one-eyed approach.

But the problem for me is he's no Terry Venables (a coach with a smart eye for tactics and getting the best out of a squad). No, it's almost too easy for Southgate to busk his job by the approach he takes - select largely all the younger England players that are being talked about by the better journalists, tell them to play positive attacking football and, er, that's it. Easy to do, but does anyone truly expect he'll marshall a squad to a competition winning position? At one time I did, but then I lost my rose tinted spectacles.
 


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