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[Football] Talking point Ben White







Eric Youngs Contact Lens

Well-known member
Dec 9, 2020
602
East Sussex
As others have said, ben White in a back 4 is not yet playing to his strengths. His obvious weakness is in the air, and in a 4 that is a real challenge. Arteta must surely have known this and I would expect him to change things in time. .. That said, White can handle himself to some degree, having battled through with Leeds and Newport but the danger is the quality of the players around don't allow you to not win the first ball and rely on 2nd ball. White will do Ok vs. Teams who play on the deck : the best teams (and us!) . I expect he will do OK vs. Lukaku, simply because Chelsea won't lump the ball and play on the break in the same way as other teams will. He will struggle vs. those teams where he is isolated with a big player : Everton, West Ham, Burnley, Palace
 


Simster

"the man's an arse"
Jul 7, 2003
54,947
Surrey
We've got a wheelbarrow full of cash.

I care not a jot.
I'm not sure about this. Has anyone checked that £50,000,000 would actually fit in one wheelbarrow? It just feels Bloom might have needed 4 or 5 wheelbarrows to take it all away and even that assumes we are talking £50 notes which I'd be surprised if the club accepted?
 




stss30

Registered User
Apr 24, 2008
9,546
He was in a perfect system here, in a 3 at the back alongside Dunk and Webster who are great aerially and good communicators. Allowed him to do what he does best - i.e play on the deck more and step in midfield spraying passes. In a 4 at the back system he will be a bit of a liability I think, really won't play to his strengths whatsoever.
 




KeegansHairPiece

New member
Jan 28, 2016
1,829
White is going to come under huge pressure because Arsenal still don't defend as a team.

Then, lacking that bit of extra threat going forwards, they've lost their 'top 6 free hit' status where the rest of the league is seeing them as a genuine chance for points, especially when playing them at home.

Brentford away was a horror show of a debut, no hiding from that. He lacked conviction, decisive decision making, and imposing any authority whatsoever that eventually led to the hideous moment he let the ball bounce for their second. However, it's far from White's fault that from front to back, Arsenal don't defend out of possession with any real bite or urgency.

Going to be tough for him because with Chambers and Tierney, they're all finding their way at this level. It is what it is for White, you've taken the money and the pressure of that tag that comes with it. To be honest, given it was Brentford's big day in the PL, I think he got off really lightly from pundits and press etc. who had other things to concentrate on.
 


Is it PotG?

Thrifty non-licker
Feb 20, 2017
25,452
Sussex by the Sea
I'm not sure about this. Has anyone checked that £50,000,000 would actually fit in one wheelbarrow? It just feels Bloom might have needed 4 or 5 wheelbarrows to take it all away and even that assumes we are talking £50 notes which I'd be surprised if the club accepted?

We're gonna need a bigger wheelbarrow

istockphoto-183254722-170667a.jpg
 


Nobby Cybergoat

Well-known member
Jul 19, 2021
8,622
As others have said, ben White in a back 4 is not yet playing to his strengths. His obvious weakness is in the air, and in a 4 that is a real challenge. Arteta must surely have known this and I would expect him to change things in time. .. That said, White can handle himself to some degree, having battled through with Leeds and Newport but the danger is the quality of the players around don't allow you to not win the first ball and rely on 2nd ball. White will do Ok vs. Teams who play on the deck : the best teams (and us!) . I expect he will do OK vs. Lukaku, simply because Chelsea won't lump the ball and play on the break in the same way as other teams will. He will struggle vs. those teams where he is isolated with a big player : Everton, West Ham, Burnley, Palace

True, but in every match he'll face a stern test from set pieces. Arsenal don't have loads of grunt throughout their side. Leno is moderate at best on crosses.

We should be fancying our chances when we play them
 








Greg Bobkin

Silver Seagull
May 22, 2012
16,027
I'm not sure about this. Has anyone checked that £50,000,000 would actually fit in one wheelbarrow? It just feels Bloom might have needed 4 or 5 wheelbarrows to take it all away and even that assumes we are talking £50 notes which I'd be surprised if the club accepted?

This might do the trick...

Wheelbarrow.jpg
 




Perkino

Well-known member
Dec 11, 2009
6,051
I am certain he will become an England regular in the near future. He has many desirable attributes and will grow into the Arsenal side over the coming weeks
 


nwgull

Well-known member
Jul 25, 2003
14,532
Manchester
Playing in a back 3 alongside at least one physical centre back and in front of a keeper not afraid to come for the ball fits Ben White like a glove. If anything had happened to Kyle Walker during the Euros, he'd have seamlessly slotted into the England back 3 next to Maguire and Stones and looked class. I'm amazed Arsenal have spent 50m on him without realising this.
 


Stato

Well-known member
Dec 21, 2011
7,366
I'd like to see him excel in his next few games. We really don't want Arsenal considering whether he may have looked under pressure because he was playing behind Xhaka and not behind Bissouma. After the transfer window closes, my only hope will be that he performs well enough to ensure that his value remains at a level that will mean that the league's bottom side, struggling Leeds United can't afford to sign him.
 




ConfusedGloryHunter

He/him/his/that muppet
NSC Patron
Jul 6, 2011
2,410
It may be that this move has come a season or two too early for him. Two more seasons learning from Dunk and Webster with far less pressure and scrutiny would have set him up nicely. Not his fault and not our fault that Arsenal moved for him when they did, so now he has to get really good at the defending side of his game really quickly. He seems like a nice lad so hopefully he is successful (except two horror shows a season against us of course) and if it doesn't work out I'm sure Leeds will take him off of Arsenal's hands to spearhead their promotion campaign in a couple of years time.
 


Mellotron

I've asked for soup
Jul 2, 2008
32,468
Brighton
It is astonishing that Arsenal have jizzed £50m on a defender that doesn't solve their biggest issues. They need a modern day Steve Bould or Tony Adams. If they got one, they'd get the best out of White and would probably look a completely different side. Maybe they will still get that player, but for now White looks a clueless signing.

Baffling signing from them, but a typical Arsenal signing really - lovely on the ball, neat, maybe not tough enough.

They should’ve thrown everything at signing Lewis Dunk.
 


Thunder Bolt

Silly old bat
Arsenal have already got that player in Gabriel Magalhaes.
He's out injured at the moment after picking up a knee injury when winning the Olympic Gold medal with Brazil.
He's expected to be out for about a month which is rather unhelpful to Arsenal.

White and Gabriel will make a great partnership.


Let's just wait and see, before writing him off.
 


Uh_huh_him

Well-known member
Sep 28, 2011
12,110
He's a quality defender, he'll be alright.

He reads the game as well as anyone.
I'm sure he will develop to compensate for his weakness in the air.
He played in a 4 in the championship and excelled, so I'm sure he will be able to adapt accordingly

Not sure why White was a priority for Arteta.
If your spending £50m on a defender, I would have thought it would be because his style, maps into the formation you want to play.

Time will tell if that is the case or not.
 




Couldn't Be Hyypia

We've come a long long way together
NSC Patron
Nov 12, 2006
16,716
Near Dorchester, Dorset
I'm not sure about this. Has anyone checked that £50,000,000 would actually fit in one wheelbarrow? It just feels Bloom might have needed 4 or 5 wheelbarrows to take it all away and even that assumes we are talking £50 notes which I'd be surprised if the club accepted?

£1m in £20s looks like this - so even in £50's, it would take a very large wheelbarrow.

one-million-pounds.jpg

Apparently £1m in £50 pound notes would weight 22kg. So £50m would be about a tonne.
 




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