Is Ben White Arsenals secret weapon?
This season has been a consistent one for Ben White at right-back, especially since the warm weather trip to Dubai in the winter break. He’s managed to look better and better every time he puts on an Arsenal shirt. For a player who I think is fiercely underestimated, he has really impressed me and many others this season.
Ben White isn’t the first name that springs to your head when thinking about how Arsenal have become such a formidable force this season, but when you sit back and analyse the season, his form and consistency have been a huge asset for the club this season, playing a huge 47 games in all competitions this season, he’s been a vital part of our backline.
Picking up 4 goals and 5 assists so far this season, his output has improved a lot, and he just seems to be getting better as the games go on. I’m not sure if it’s down to Arteta and his coaching staff or the work he does himself behind the scenes, but whatever he’s been doing this season, it’s been working.
On set piece corners, White can be a menace. It’s got a lot of awareness of what’s going on around him and I’m not sure if it’s something that the set piece specialist have been working on with him but he looks like our secret weapon when it comes to these set piece chances. What he does off the ball is very smart, he gets up to a lot of antics in the box and manages to outsmart and distract the opposition players so he can create more chances.
Defensively this season, he’s been unreal. He shows up for every game and puts everything he has on the pitch, not matter who the opposition is, he seems to take everything seriously and looks to be a true professional.
Earning a new long term contract not so long ago, was completely deserved and clearly shows the level of trust Arteta has in the defender. I wondered for a while what Arteta would plan to do concerning White but it’s obvious that he recognizes the value in the defender and is planning for a future with him at the club.
It’s hard to pinpoint anywhere White has gone wrong this season, yes there have been odd mistakes and what not, but that’s all part of football and considering how much he continues to improve and make this squad better, I for one, can’t wait to see what more we get from him in the near future.
What’s your thoughts Gooners?
Daisy Mae
Secret set pieces weapons you mean. Not just Ben white, but also Gabriel Magalhaes (Arsenal’s equivalent to John Terry at set pieces headers) Gabriel is very tough and hard to mark. Ben White does his job blocking the goal keeper. So they are both are best set pieces weapons. You are spot on regarding White in your article.
I think so, if we see how he obstructed the opposing GK
I think it inevitable that sooner or later, probably sooner, possibly during next season, REFS wiLl begin clamping down on blatant obstruction of keepers in particular and also of other defenders.
Which will, with regret ,render Nick Jovers brilliance at manipulating currect “allowed stategies” as null and void.
Just my take, but I WILL BE MAJORLY SURPRISED if it does not happen at some time.
I think sooner is more probable than later!!
I think it likely that Ben White is simply more intelligent and clued up about life in than most footballers.
I see him as an independent thinker; the refusal to play for England shows that starkly, when you OBSERVE him PROPERLY.
Personally, I am attracted towards the intellect of independent thinkers!
Your first sentence sums it up for me. Ben is probably my favorite footballer.
Although opposition players can take up any position they wish at corners, it’s still illegal for them to touch the keeper, so I don’t know how he gets away with it.
To be fair he does seem to have got contactless obstruction down to an art. That business with Spurs keeper’s glove was funny though.
Jax, Its it also “illegal” under footballs so called, self important, “laws” of the game, to actively OBSTRUCT an oppoent . But simply put, those basic laws are ignored almost all of the time and in many situations too, not only within the penalty area.
A culture has been allowed to exist and grow, where refs ,INSTEAD OF FIRMLY APPLYING THE RULES(oops, silly me, of course I meant “laws”) try only to manage the game and try only to enforce those laws they think players will accept and adhere to.
Obstruction, as White and other players do so craftily, seems to be widely accepted as NOT passing the “players will accept it” test!
Respect for and accepance of refs as the sole arbiter of decisions has been undermined for a great many years, exacerbated by the foolish introductionof VAR(until automated tech,instead of humans, would make it speedy and almost always right.)
Personally, I LONG for the return of those days when the REFS decsion was final, with no appeal allowed. Sigh!
He gets away with it through intelligence simple. He deliberately gets on the nerves of the opponents, BW would have gotten into the head of Luis Suarez and probably got bitten IMO
Ben white is arsenal’s own ivanovic
Hardly a secret anymore after all the publicity given to his tactics on Sunday.
Had reservations about him when signed,but for me I would say he’s probably been our most consistent player for the last 2 years and when fans talk about so called world class players in our squad,I would probably have to add him to that list ,goes under the radar because of his position but I would put him up there with Lauren and sagna (who were both exceptional players ) top top player who I rated in our top 3 last year and would do the same this time around as well .
A fine and intelligent player indeed, to be honest. However, his slow decisions at throw-ins is so annoying. Otherwise, I reckon he is a neat and tidy defender who goes about his business quietly.
Must say I was warning everyone that his play would tail off at the end of the year because he was being overplayed in a demanding position. I was wrong. He was overplayed but has maintained his levels. Imagine how good he’ll be once Timber plays and White can get days off.