[Football] Ben White - Sings new FOUR year deal.

[Kalimantan Gull]

There are better defensive midfielders (more specialist) at the club or potentially coming. With Ben's skills coming forward, I'd have him at CB and let his amd Webster make their forward probing runs as an when the opportunity presents.

He certainly has the potential to be a great ball playing CB, but he has to work on his defensive game first before I would trust him there. Calvert-Lewins goal for Everton, Man Utds winner, West Broms equaliser are all examples of where his defensive side has been short of what is expected at this level. He's a good DM right now and moving into the back four is something ball playing DMs tend to do with experience, eg Dier at Spurs, Fabinho at Liverpool

 

[blue-shifted]

He certainly has the potential to be a great ball playing CB, but he has to work on his defensive game first before I would trust him there. Calvert-Lewins goal for Everton, Man Utds winner, West Broms equaliser are all examples of where his defensive side has been short of what is expected at this level. He's a good DM right now and moving into the back four is something ball playing DMs tend to do with experience, eg Dier at Spurs, Fabinho at Liverpool

Latitude must be given for his age and experience of course.

I'd certainly "trust him" at centre back. He won't get better there by reading a book

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

That lineup would be great against the bigger sides but would struggle against the likes of West Brom and Burnely. White and Bissouma are not creative enough to play next to each other.

We made a lot of chances with that pair in the team against Burnley and WBA, but not taken. A solid DM is pretty essential for us with the vulnerability we've shown in recent seasons to the counter attack. So if we think that pair isn't creative enough it's Bissouma I'm looking at more, as I don't think he can play the sweeping DM role that effectively himself. However I do think there is more to come from Bissouma creatively and if he can establish a partnership with White I'm sure he'll get into the box more. Of course Potter may have different ideas with Moder and maybe Caicedo joining us.

 

[blue-shifted]

We made a lot of chances with that pair in the team against Burnley and WBA, but not taken. A solid DM is pretty essential for us with the vulnerability we've shown in recent seasons to the counter attack. So if we think that pair isn't creative enough it's Bissouma I'm looking at more, as I don't think he can play the sweeping DM role that effectively himself. However I do think there is more to come from Bissouma creatively and if he can establish a partnership with White I'm sure he'll get into the box more. Of course Potter may have different ideas with Moder and maybe Caicedo joining us.

The conventional wisdom is that two sitting midfielders in front of a back 3 is stodge overkill. Southgate gets murdered for it. But I think this is Potter's plan and I think it's a good plan.

The idea for England is to free wing backs from having any particular defensive duty, (knowing that when they are bombing on overlaps, one of the deep lying midfielders can slot into a back 3 and a centre back can shuffle over to protect their space).

It's exactly the same with us. Lamptey and Solly are our main providers of width and pace. We need them to be able to attack fearlessly. Moder / White / Caicedo can provide the cover

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

Latitude must be given for his age and experience of course.

I'd certainly "trust him" at centre back. He won't get better there by reading a book

Of course. But in our position in the league, and with the three current CBs playing well defensively, and all good with the ball at their feet on their own merits, I wouldn't want to play him there now purely for his development, especially not when he is doing well at DM. The training ground is the place to develop defensively at his age. I'd hope and expect to see rapid development considering his innate ability, and he'll be getting stronger all the time as he gets older. DM is arguably a role where he can have even more influence on a game, so it's worth considering we'll get a better return by developing him there.

What we all know is that we have a hell of a player on our books, wherever he ends up.

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

The conventional wisdom is that two sitting midfielders in front of a back 3 is stodge overkill. Southgate gets murdered for it. But I think this is Potter's plan and I think it's a good plan.

The idea for England is to free wing backs from having any particular defensive duty, (knowing that when they are bombing on overlaps, one of the deep lying midfielders can slot into a back 3 and a centre back can shuffle over to protect their space).

It's exactly the same with us. Lamptey and Solly are our main providers of width and pace. We need them to be able to attack fearlessly. Moder / White / Caicedo can provide the cover

Yeah, I completely agree with your interpretation about the wing backs, and also wouldn't want to go too 'stodge'. England have played Phillips and Rice there, Man U have set up with McTominany and Fred against the better teams with similar criticism. I believe that Bissouma has more attacking merits than any of those four, which I hope will come to the fore more if he is released from the deepest midfield role. Or Potter agrees with the 'stodge' sentiment which is why Biss didn't start against Leeds. We will see I suppose.

 

[Badger Boy]

I think the issue we have at the moment is that our good players don't necessarily dovetail easily into a functioning team. By using White in midfield, we get all his talents plus Webster playing in his more comfortable position on the right of the CBs. So we're getting more from White and Webster using them this way than as two of a back three. Ben White has a football brain like nobody else we've ever produced, he's extraordinary. I don't think being used all over the pitch will hurt him in the long term and may even help him.

 

[peterward]

Great game tonight, and one for the Leeds fans from.... 3 Ben White!

[tweet]1357093406087008258[/tweet]

 

[Frankworthington]

Guilty.I thought we should have taken the money and invested in a striker.

How wrong i was

 

[SimpKingpin]

"NEVER BEEN PROUDER"

Leeds supporters on suicide watch.

[tweet]1357093406087008258[/tweet]

 

[peterward]

"NEVER BEEN PROUDER"

Leeds supporters on suicide watch.

[tweet]1357093406087008258[/tweet]

My thoughts too, "leeds through and through".....quite a statement for a hostage!

 

[SimpKingpin]

My thoughts too, "leeds through and through".....quite a statement for a hostage!

There's a lot of juicy Leeds replies in that twitter thread

 

[vagabond]

"NEVER BEEN PROUDER"

Leeds supporters on suicide watch.

[tweet]1357093406087008258[/tweet]

[emoji38]

 

[Sheebo]

Old Ben loves tearing into the knobhead Leeds fans on Twitter Cracking tweet. Now just needs a new agent who doesn’t lie.

 

[Bry Nylon]

Old Ben loves tearing into the knobhead Leeds fans on Twitter Cracking tweet. Now just needs a new agent who doesn’t lie.

Sadly, the software only allows me to give you one 'thumbsup' for that Sheebs, but bank another 99.

 

[Sheebo]

Sadly, the software only allows me to give you one 'thumbsup' for that Sheebs, but bank another 99.

Accepted sir hope all’s well x

 

[Bry Nylon]

Accepted sir hope all’s well x

Trying to keep looking up and not down, as a good friend tells me

 

[DarrenFreemansPerm]

I’ve been thoroughly enamoured with the young man since he made into the first team, but sometimes I felt a little like he didn’t feel 100% part of the team, that may be his demeanour or might just be me being rubbish at reading people’s body language etc, however, once I saw his little face after the Spurs you could see what it meant to him and that he is fully part of this team. Imagine the pressure the young lad has been under, so much fanfare surrounding his return to the club and he proudly felt a huge weight of expectancy on his his shoulders. Delighted for him.
As a side note, he must be enjoying playing with proper centre backs in Dunk and Webster.

 

[blue-shifted]

I’ve been thoroughly enamoured with the young man since he made into the first team, but sometimes I felt a little like he didn’t feel 100% part of the team, that may be his demeanour or might just be me being rubbish at reading people’s body language etc, however, once I saw his little face after the Spurs you could see what it meant to him and that he is fully part of this team. Imagine the pressure the young lad has been under, so much fanfare surrounding his return to the club and he proudly felt a huge weight of expectancy on his his shoulders. Delighted for him.
As a side note, he must be enjoying playing with proper centre backs in Dunk and Webster.

enjoying and learning a lot

 

[peterward]

I’ve been thoroughly enamoured with the young man since he made into the first team, but sometimes I felt a little like he didn’t feel 100% part of the team, that may be his demeanour or might just be me being rubbish at reading people’s body language etc, however, once I saw his little face after the Spurs you could see what it meant to him and that he is fully part of this team. Imagine the pressure the young lad has been under, so much fanfare surrounding his return to the club and he proudly felt a huge weight of expectancy on his his shoulders. Delighted for him.
As a side note, he must be enjoying playing with proper centre backs in Dunk and Webster.

I had similar feelings about demeanour before, so it's not just you. Watching back goals on sky highlights, you often wouldn't see him in the frame after a goal or it was just a muted pat on the head...... Now he's very much a part of everything, loved the emotion at the final whistle v spurs and the big girlie hug with Webster last night.

Dunk/Webster or League 1 Liam Cooper next to you!