We’re going to BREEZE through the news today because there’s a real lack of it.
BEN WHITE was spotted sneaking out of Colney yesterday. The English centre back, who wears white suits, and would definitely make a pass at your mum, looks set to join in a deal that is pretty damn mind-blowing for a club that was so skint last year they were growing vegetables on pitch 6 to stock the canteen.
So are we hyped for Ben? Absolutely. I’ve been breathing in some elite propaganda from around the internet and I’m all in on this lad.
Firstly, my uncle is a huge Leeds fan, he said the player had no real weaknesses, bar aerially, but he’s not shocking. ‘He’s a Rolls Royce of a defender, son’ is what he said.
Mr Bielsa won the Championship with the centre back playing nearly every game, conceding 35 goals across 46 games. Pretty decent when you consider how Leeds play.
More propaganda? Foden and Saka were asked who’d impressed them the most at training camp, they both picked Ben White. He wasn’t even in the full squad, so he must have been doing something right. How about Sergio Ramos IDing the player when he was on loan at Newport?
How about some data to inject right into the HYPE part of your brain? Chun Hang penned this piece over at Medium. I’ll steal one of his graphs.
Ben White isn’t just a good passer that can move the ball out the back with precision under pressure. He’s basically a midfielder that prefers defending.
‘Perhaps the real reason White is sought after by many is due to his ability on the ball. The defender exudes a sense of calmness as he strides down the pitch with the ball from box to box. His pace alongside his ball control has makes him untouchable at times, with defenders struggling to put a foot through him as he dribbles with the ball. His ball progression abilities help the Seagulls get the entire team up the pitch, instantly creating overloads which causes teams problems. Last season, White completed 0.69 dribbles per90, which is only second to his team-mate Dan Burn (0.74 per90), who played the majority of the season as a left wingback.’
David Luiz had this skill that was much more effective when he was younger, but imagine Arsenal having a centre back that can has progressive pass numbers up there with Harry McG, combined with the ability to break the lines on his own by moving at speed with tight control? That is a bag of unpredictability we don’t have at the moment. Arteta and Edu appear to be adding players all over the pitch that move the ball faster and give the team more options. Very good stuff.
We still need to move on other positions, the CAM is absolutely key. The ITK that dropped the Madders news is now backtracking that Arsenal might prefer to spend more money elsewhere, so he might not land at Arsenal. Makes sense, it’s what most of us suspected. Martin Odegaard for £35m seems much better value at this point and the stories coming out of Spain suggest the player love Madrid but he feels better at Arsenal.
I also want to clarify the idea that Odegaard can’t pick up positions out wide. He picked up 6 goals and 6 assists there during his spell at Vitesse. I’m pretty sure he’s said that he likes to operate there because he can attack more. Anyway, point being, there’s more flex in his game than people give credit.
No movement on a backup keeper, our right-backs are all still here, Xhaka still hasn’t moved… it’s very, very slow out there. Hard to be too savage on Edu, you can’t complain about the lack of sales if he’s telling clubs to f*ck off with their derisory bids. There’s not a lot of players moving at the moment, we’re either going to have a slow summer in general, or things will heat up as club look to deal with the savage deflationary pressures in the game. I suspect one of the things the club are cognizant of is our bloated squad and what that did to the club at the start of last summer… better to keep Xhaka than sign his replacement and have him benched. We need to have a lean squad come the end of the window so everyone feels they have a chance to play. Bloated positions combined with big names without squad numbers nearly ended Arteta last time around, there will be no such errors in this system this time… which is why I have big doubts on us spending on a right-back as things stand.
Anyway… let’s see if there’s big news coming.
Let’s see if there’s a Friday news drop. Until then, check out the podcast OR the video.
Financials*
At 23 if a player is 3rd or 4th string at CB in the brazilian national team… that’s not good enough for you????
😂😂😂😂😂
Benny bianco lol
China
No, and im not responding to your stupid bait. Tjat was the whole Point of me saying it the first time
Ben White officially confirmed!
Xhaka contract extension until the year 2525 (if man is still alive and if woman still survives) coming up next.
Exciting times!
Ben White is an official arsenal player Didnt know much about him. Trust he will do well.
White gets the #4,
Surely means Saliba is done at the club??
White wears number 4.
Sky Sport News: Granit Xhaka is back in training with Arsenal and he remains ‘key to Arteta’s plans’
Yikes
I guess the positive on ben white signing is that his cult of personality has a high ceiling here seeing as how everyone thinks hes garbage!
“White gets the #4,
Surely means Saliba is done at the club??“
Wasn’t it obvious before?
Never dull moment with Arsenal. Never dare get Arteta mad Ben.
Yikes indeed
77 million to prove a point.
Zach, no one ever said he was garbage, but I see where you’re going with it.
Thomas Partey should go into Mikel’s office and ask for a raise… if Xhaka gets a new deal. . based on all the extra running he will have to do when the double pivot turns into … a single pivot and a statue again.
Not to mention Lakonga just got demoted to Fa Cup/League Cup duties. Xhaka doesn’t get injured so you can just pencil him in for every match now.
Leave it to Arsenal to kill any enthusiasm for Ben White’s potential impact with some Xhaka training news.
Wasn’t it obvious before?
This number thing is a disgrace from the club, absolute disrespect to Saliba
Sky is reporting the xhaka news interestingly.
Extension ‘not ruled out’
But he is a quote “key part” of artetas plans w the phrase an unattributed quote
Welcome White
China1July 30, 2021 16:12:05
Benny bianco lol
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That was funny…
As opposed to Benny Blanco from Carlito’s Way..
Had me in stitches actually…
kounde,upa,konate are not internationals either but u want us to spend big on them marko. Arsenal fc are not obligated to buy players you fancy get a gripe ffs
Id go w Benny Blanco
Maybe a cheer to the tune of volaré or guantanamera
Zacharse
Nah mate never have watched a full game myself, have you?
Charlie
It’s a laughable comparison, not even a debate to be had.
Luiz’s been made out to be prime Beckenbauer by the usual suspects on here and it is so hilariously agenda driven and boring.
kounde,upa,konate are not internationals either but u want us to spend big on them marko
What are you talking about I don’t care about Ben White playing for England I care about him not being as good as others but going for more money.
like him or not luiz was our best defender
Arsenal is the only club that can get you very excited of players you didn’t know and at the the same time make you hate players you liked very much.
White wears number 4.
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Oh gosh PV’s number.Talk about sacrilege.
Heaven help me….
The best defender hands down starts 17 of our 38 PL matches.
Lol ok. Someone tell Tets please.
Zacharse
I don’t know what to say to you. Your arguments don’t make sense at all. Anyway, White is official now. Let’s see how much of an impact he has on our game. I personally feel his ability with the ball is highly overblown but yeah we will see.
white is as good as kounde and konate imo and arsenals at least
Patrick Vieira’s number 4-really?
The clouds will separate under Artedu.
Weagle
Oh fuck off with the usual suspects bullshit. Luiz hasn’t been made out to be anything other than our best CB – you can disagree all you want but it’s a view held by many.
Point he made was very simple, you lose your best defender you need to replace him like for like just as if you lose your best striker.
WengerEagleJuly 30, 2021 16:28:57
It’s a laughable comparison, not even a debate to be had.Luiz’s been made out to be prime Beckenbauer by the usual suspects on here and it is so hilariously agenda driven and boring
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It’s the point scoring WE…
He’s yanking your chain for some kicks…
Wants to embroil you in some fisticuffs…..He’s behind the vision of Artedu.
Didn’t you get the memo.
Ramsdale stats….The vision dude,the vision…
Gabriel is our best defender imo.
Weagle
Champagne CharlieJuly 30, 2021 16:35:27
Oh fuck off with the usual suspects bullshit
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He’s lost it.Finally cracked…
🙂
Before White was linked to Arsenal, Charlie scoffed at the idea of signing a defender. Charlie always consistent and objective, no agenda at all. Love him 🙂
It’s pretty obvious the Xhaka return is to call Roma’s bluff. They player still has 2 years on his contract so pay up or stfu.
Roma have been acting like first class pricks so Arsenal had to turn the screw.
Zacharse white wasn’t 3rd or 4th choice I think he was 5th and yes 50m buys you a World Cup winner with 4 CLs to his name just beginning his prime so yes I would absolutely say it’s silly to pay that for brazils 5th choice CB.
We paid about 25m for Gabriel who is likely considered a contender for 5th choice for Brazil (tho not yet capped)
ZachArse a fitting name for such a prat.
It’s amazing how people who keenly watched Brighton last season and NEVER noticed Ben White have become the biggest defenders of his signing
Same as the posters who admit they haven’t seen much of Ramsdale and yet post numbers to defend his pending signing.
TR7 I’ve been consistent I go along with the idea of a new starting CB coming in because I don’t rate holding and chambers highly and Luiz was leaving and I don’t necessarily mind Ben White he’s highly rated but for that price and in our current circumstances and with better CB’s going to better clubs for less it’s a bit disappointing.
Ginter for example has a year left on his deal at gladbach and has fantastic experience and quality.
White had a very good season with Leeds and they offered 25-30 million for him
His first season in the premier league with Brighton was middling at best so what has he done to DOUBLE his Arsenal valuation [£50 mill + 5 mill]?
So we’ve given up on a CM option as “internal solutions” wins again. I expect after his Euro exploits Xhaka will get a nice bump in his contract to bring him closer to Partey and the other top earners at the club. Hmm not a fan of this one at all. Dissenter – I sincerely hope you are right and this is just the usual transfer mind games from Roma Seems Maddison is now a pipe dream and we will spend £40M to £50M on bringing Odegaard back at some point this summer. It also looks like Ramsdale is Arsenal… Read more »
That Croatian lad caleta car or whatever his name is is another good CB probably worth half of Ben White. Tapsoba is another one. I just feel like 50 million should be getting us a Gimenez or Dias type but ah well
Marko
I know your stance on our CB options. Even though I don’t agree with you on Chambers and Holding at least you are consistent in your views irrespective of who is in charge (Emery/Wenger/Arteta).
Agreed left… I think too much credit!
TR7 you rate Balding and chambers?
TR7
I can understand the signing even if I don’t necessarily agree, are you really that dim?
The irony of you commenting on any sort of objectivity when you’re besotted with pathetic binary arguments.
China
Rate as in I am not saying they are world class players but they are not nearly as average/bad as people make them out to be. Holding and Mari were good in central defense last season. Chambers did well in some of the games he played as RB. We have Gabriel, Mari and now White too. We don’t need all our players to be Baresi or Maldini.
Charlie
Fuck off with what?
I have always been consistent with my views on Luiz, I used to bat for him on here on the regular vs Ishola who despised him.
But he’s being made out to have been far more influtential on the side than he has been this past season.
Comparing his influence to 2012 Van Persie is one of the most retarded things I have ever seen on here.
Charlie
Throwing buzzwords such as binary in every post doesn’t make you smart. Don’t pretend you are very subtle and nuanced. You should be the last person on this blog to talk about objectivity.
Varane, Upa and Konate were never joining us. White is been slandered for no reason other than his huge transfer fee. I don’t get why some get opinionated about a player before he even kicks a ball for the club. Allow the guy to settle first and at least draw your conclusion. Viera, Henry and Bergkamp are club legends when they bare featured for their respective clubs prior to joining Arsenal. It’s no guarantee that players rivals have signed will be hits. Naby Keita cones to mind.
Oh and regarding Xhaka, let me leave it here
New post you buggers.
Gabriel is our best defender imo.
No he’s not!
DissenterJuly 30, 2021 16:44:46
It’s amazing how people who keenly watched Brighton last season and NEVER noticed Ben White have become the biggest defenders of his signing
Same as the posters who admit they haven’t seen much of Ramsdale and yet post numbers to defend his pending signing.
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Yeah a bit weird that….
Magic roundabouts if you ask me.
I always say that stats must pass the eye test so I don’t think these tell a complete picture but here are some kinda interesting stats last season comparing luiz and balding Appearances Rob 30 Luiz 20 Goals Rob 0 luiz 1 Assists Rob 1 luiz 0 Total passes Rob. 1800 Luiz 998 % passes forwards Rob 34% Luiz 36% Pass completion Rob. 87% Luiz 83% Big chances created Rob 0 luiz 1 Through balls Rob 0 luiz 3 Clean sheets Rob 11 luiz 3 For blocks, interceptions, tackles, aerial duels won, successful tackles, clearances, headed clearances Rob averages give… Read more »
WengerEagleJuly 30, 2021 17:00:36
CharlieFuck off with what?
I have always been consistent with my views on Luiz, I used to bat for him on here on the regular vs Ishola who despised him.But he’s being made out to have been far more influtential on the side than he has been this past season.
Comparing his influence to 2012 Van Persie is one of the most retarded things I have ever seen on here.
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ROFLMAO
“Comparing his influence to 2012 Van Persie is one of the most retarded things I have ever seen on here.”
ROFLMAO
PhD2020 I think that you misunderstand Arsenal’s transfer business. At the beginning of transfer window the following positions in squad needed to be filled: GK [2ND STRING] To replace Ryan. CB To replace Luiz. White is the replacement. LB [2ND STRING] left vacant following departure on loan of Kolasinac. CMF To replace Ceballos. Lokonga is that replacement. AMF To replace Odegaard CF [3RD STRING] to replace Nketiah who will be sold if he does not sign new contract. Balogun is that replacement. So currently there are still two vacancies in squad to replace Ryan and Odegaard. There are three other… Read more »