White’s position is certainly in jeopardy after Timber’s arrival
The signing of Jurrien Timber by Arsenal has raised questions about Ben White’s position in the team. Last season, White faced competition from William Saliba at center-back but showcased his versatility by excelling at right-back under Mikel Arteta.
However, despite being solid, White is yet to fully justify the hefty price tag the club paid for him.
Timber’s arrival from Ajax adds another layer of competition for White. Not only is the Dutchman regarded as a better center-back, but he also possesses greater versatility, arguably being more skilled as a full-back and defensive midfielder. This poses a challenge for the former Brighton man to elevate his game if he wants to secure his spot in Arsenal’s starting 11.
Kiwior will push Gabriel/Tierney/Zinchenko this season.
Timber will push Ben White/Saliba
Mikel is creating a monster at the carpet pic.twitter.com/K5xSEd3fND— Steve Ruigu Njuguna (@Joashnjuguna) July 20, 2023
At 22 years old, Timber is already receiving praise as a player destined for greatness, making it clear that White will face a tough battle to retain his place. The 22yo’s potential and abilities provide Arteta with more tactical options, making the competition for the center-back position intense.
White must rise to the occasion and prove his worth this season. To remain a key figure in the Gunners’ defense, he’ll need to push his limits and consistently perform at a high level. The pressure to keep his place in the team will be significant, and he cannot afford to be complacent.
This competition, however, can be a positive for both players and the team as a whole. It pushes White to strive for excellence and allows Arteta to have depth and quality in his defensive options. As the season progresses, the Spaniard will assess performances and make decisions based on form and tactical requirements.
For White, the arrival of Jurrien Timber should serve as motivation rather than discouragement. It presents an opportunity for him to grow as a player and show that he belongs at the highest level. With hard work and determination, White can prove that he is an essential part of Arsenal’s defensive setup and silence any doubts about his abilities.
Writer – Yash Bisht
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A very good signing understand he’s equally at depth on both wings.
But playing Timber as an inverted right back could also mean playing Tierney on the left with his primary responsibilities defending with Gabriel and Saliba.
If we play with an inverted-RB, I think Timber will change his position between the right DM and RB positions, depending on whether we have the ball or not:
…….………….……. Ramsdale
………. White .… Saliba …. Magalhaes
………………. Timber ……..… Rice
Saka . Odegaard . Havertz . Martinelli
……………………..…. Jesus
If we play with an inverted-LB, I think Timber will get benched for Zinchenko:
…….………….……. Ramsdale
………. White .… Saliba …. Magalhaes
……………….. Rice ……..… Zinchenko
Saka . Odegaard . Havertz . Martinelli
……………………..…. Jesus
I believe we’ll play with one of those starting lineups in the first half of the games and play with its counterpart in the second half
Very exciting! White, Timber and Tomiyasu will provide enough cover to last us through the season.. and the best part is that they can all play as RBs and CBs when needed. White was good at RB last season so I expect him to continue.
ION: I heard we are cancelling Pepés contract? Bloody hell, we sure have a lot of money these days.
I think the writer has overlooked the fact that White was consistently good at RB last season, and indeed he was probably our outstanding defender.To suggest that he has failed to live up to his transfer fee is not only irrelevant but meaningless in the crazy transfer market of the EPL where average players are costing 30m or more.The acquisition of the equally talented Timber,puts pressure on all our defenders as both he and White are capable of performing well at centre back where the Dutchman has played on numerous occasions for his National side.In essence White should not be under any more pressure than any of our defenders as one of two of them are vulnerable and error prone in my opinion.It’s up to Arteta to manage his selections in an equitable manner which he failed to do last season .
I agree with you Grandad. White performed well last season. The way he slotted in at right back with Tomiyasu having fitness issues. I would like Arteta to play Timber in midfield
Rice
Jorginho
Timber
Partey
We don’t need another signing in midfield and defense.
The attack is where we need to make a decision
Option 1
Sell Nketiah and Balogun
Buy Osimhen. A 120m pound bid for Osimhen
Option 2
Move G. Jesus to RW to provide competition for Saka
Let Nketiah and Balogun compete for the CF role.
I prefer Option 1 though.
Agree 1000% Pepe was (consistently) good at the start too until we messed with his head, signing Willian. Can’t afford to make the same mistake with Ben White.
Competition only works if the manager rotates, if he doesn’t it has the opposite effect on the squads morale….and when called upon they aren’t match fit.
We’ve seen it before often.
ARTETA SHOULD TRY TO HAVE “UNPREDICTABLE-TEAM & GAME SELECTION PLUS NO PERMANENT PLAYER ON POSITIONS” IN UPCOMING SEASON; THIS DOES NOT MEAN: PLAYER ROTATION SHOULD BE OUT OF THEIR POSITIONS; EXCEPT THE UTILITY ONES:
ASAP…I PREFER PARTEY, RICE, HAVERTZ OR ODEGARD MID-FIELD COMBINATION;
AGAINST BARCA FRIENDLY;
AND GAB,TIM,BEN,JAK; ON DEFENCE;
MAQUINHOS, TROSS, MART;
ON START!
Competition and rotation is essential to our success. White for me has been a great player, maybe Timber will be as well. Regardless, White has proven to be worth the money we paid for him without doubt IMO. My concern is not with White, not Timber for that matter, it lies with Arteta. He still doesn’t seem to grasp tge tactical aspect of substitution’s or tactical player selection for the opposition on the day. I hope he doesn’t persist with Havertz and Odegaard together, I think we give up too much tenacity.
Relax guys. There’s no such thing as first eleven anymore. With the new 5 subs ruling, teams will be fresher and more intense for the whole match. Nobody will play full minutes for the whole season. We probably had the best first eleven in Europe last season but massive fall upon changes. We need squad players to challenge first team players more than ever now.
That was nonsense to say White has not lived up to expectation
Jesus dropped off at a point last season
So did Martinelli
So did Partey
Even Saka sef (but SuperStar was overused and Arteta has started again with him, he’s starting all preseason matches, I don’t think we’ll be lucky this year and not have Saka go on injury. Why’s making the team over-reliant on him -OR at least be cooking something on that right that can be a planB)
Odegaard, Ben White were amongst those who were solid almost all through the season
And who was that posting that Kiwior will push somebody
That’s Way Too Funny !!!!
Let’s not lie he’s already close to our worst Defender, very close to Holding
Arteta should not lie to himself, the bar of the team has been raised higher than some buys that he hoped could live up: “Lokonga, Kiwior, Viera”