Benjamin White: Ben and Gone

[fute]

Played hurt last year, played hurt this year. No complaints, just puts in a good shift nonetheless.

Unsung hero of the club.

 

[Macho]

Played hurt last year, played hurt this year. No complaints, just puts in a good shift nonetheless.

Unsung hero of the club.

I don't really rate that, especially listening to his interviews and his casual approach to rehab and self care.

Managed to find time to go on holidays but not tend to his issues during the summer especially as he's currently not an international. I used to moan about it, but I can see why people get onto him about not liking football he's essentially a casual who got lucky.

 

[db10_therza]

I don't really rate that, especially listening to his interviews and his casual approach to rehab and self care.

Managed to find time to go on holidays but not tend to his issues during the summer especially as he's currently not an international. I used to moan about it, but I can see why people get onto him about not liking football he's essentially a casual who got lucky.

Bit harsh that isn’t it?

He’s not a physician. It shouldn’t be up to him to “tend to his problems”. The club medical team should be doing that.

I think we read too much into this stuff. Surgical intervention is usually a last resort. I’m sure the club (and Ben) were hoping whatever it was would heal on its own, and it clearly hasn’t so now they’re getting stuck in.

 

[Macho]

Bit harsh that isn’t it?

He’s not a physician. It shouldn’t be up to him to “tend to his problems”. The club medical team should be doing that.

I think we read too much into this stuff. Surgical intervention is usually a last resort. I’m sure the club (and Ben) were hoping whatever it was would heal on its own, and it clearly hasn’t so now they’re getting stuck in.

I'm usually the first to stick up for players (and he was starting to win me over last season), but nah the guy strikes me as a massive casual.

 

[db10_therza]

I'm usually the first to stick up for players (and he was starting to win me over last season), but nah the guy strikes me as a massive casual.

I’m just talking about this injury specifically not his general demeanour which you could well be right about, ( but only to a point. You don’t luck into a pro football career, it takes a lot of dedication from a very young age).

What do you expect him to do exactly - operate on himself? Go against club doctors and get a 2nd opinion / operation done?

 

[Thrice]

I'm usually the first to stick up for players (and he was starting to win me over last season), but nah the guy strikes me as a massive casual.

If he was he wouldn't be playing through injuries. He would be sidelined half the time cashing in an easy paycheck.
It takes some dedication to play through pain and discomfort.

 

[Macho]

You don’t luck into a pro football career, it takes a lot of dedication from a very young age).

Pretty sure he fell into it and pro football is 100% a lottery.

What do you expect him to do exactly - operate on himself? Go against club doctors and get a 2nd opinion / operation done?

Club doctors are under pressure from Arteta to get those players out there, so who really knows where their allegiances lie. This is a reach anyways, no I don't expect him to operate on himself.

Hearing him freely admit in his Ben Foster interview that he's one of the least professional in the squad in terms of aftercare - its not a stretch to suspect he does the macho thing and hobbles out there without even bringing to light the extent of his niggles.

 

[Red London]

This just seems like one of those seasons. Can’t keep our entire squad fit, or close to it.

 

[Gooner Zig]

Now would be a great time for Tomi to come back and give us some minutes

 

[El Duderino]

Would there be a reason why this wasn’t scheduled during the summer?

Can only hope Tomi and Cala are back given we have 8 games in December.

Probably down to Tomi always being injured and Timber fitness being iffy while he fully recovers the year he spent sidelined.

 

[BergMan]

Why is he made to play when he’s not fit? It’s not like there are no other options. Happened last season too. Cedric was fit but nope Arteta must ruin his favourites rather than listen to common sense.

 

[Entropics]

Now would be a great time for Tomi to come back and give us some minutes

10 min vs Sporting to close out his season

 

[Mrs Bergkamp]

Played hurt last year, played hurt this year. No complaints, just puts in a good shift nonetheless.

Unsung hero of the club.

To play through the pain barrier for a handful of games I'd one thing but he's had this issue since around May last year. If it doesn't heal up in 6 months on its own, it's likely going yo need surgery. Hopefully he returns without any deficits.

 

[Dennis_Bergkamp_10]

Why is he made to play when he’s not fit? It’s not like there are no other options. Happened last season too. Cedric was fit but nope Arteta must ruin his favourites rather than listen to common sense.

You call playing Cedric common sense? I'd start White with an ACL injury on crotches over Cedric..

Anyway, I think White and the doctors had a big say in him playing as well.

 

[Trilly]

Would there be a reason why this wasn’t scheduled during the summer?

Can only hope Tomi and Cala are back given we have 8 games in December.

Only thing I can think of is he did a Shaq and wanted to enjoy his holidays.

‘Injured on club time, rehab on club time’ type energy. His general approach/attitude to football supports this theory but who knows.

 

[BergMan]

You call playing Cedric common sense? I'd start White with an ACL injury on crotches over Cedric..

Anyway, I think White and the doctors had a big say in him playing as well.

Be realistic. Cedric was Arteta’a signing. You chave an experienced full back (euro cup winner too) on the bench but would rather play an injured Ben White? That’s what makes zero sense.
As for now, there was the opportunity of playing Saliba at right back and Kiwior at centre back. Wasn’t taken. Instead Arteta runs White into the ground.

 

[BBF]

Cedric... jesus christ. Had to look him up and of course he doesn't have a club yet.

I wonder where he would have ended up had we not done Southampton a favour.

 

[Dokaka]

Pretty sure he fell into it and pro football is 100% a lottery.

Football is less of a lottery than the vast majority of other careers. You can get extremely far on merit alone. White isn't even that gifted athletically so it's not like he's just living off unreal pace, quick feet or something like that. Listening to him speak it's clear he treats football like a job but he's dedicated to his profession.

 

[Macho]

Football is less of a lottery than the vast majority of other careers.

Seeing the talent where I grew up/fell out of academies and guys like Havertz running around at Arsenal I strongly disagree. I think many pro ballers are fortunate, right place, right time, right opportunities etc.

I'm not saying cream doesn't rise to the top, or White didn't work hard but he is incredibly fortunate.

 

[Dokaka]

Seeing the talent where I grew up and guys like Havertz running around at Arsenal I strongly disagree. I think many pro ballers are fortunate, right place, right time, right opportunities etc.

I'm not saying cream doesn't rise to the top, or White didn't work hard but he is incredibly fortunate.

The guys you see playing for Arsenal right now would absolutely **** on everyone you thought was good, the levels are absolutely insane. They look worse because they're playing against the absolute best players in the world and have almost no time on the ball, really can't express just how little time you have to think and execute at the level Havertz is playing at.

Not to mention on-ball ability is only a part of what makes you a good footballer. I've played alongside people I'd say were top class on a technical level but they completely fell apart with their reading of the game, their movement and/or their work ethic.

There's obviously an element of fortune as there is in any profession. Right time, right place, know the right people, all that stuff matters. But the main difference in football is you aren't locking down a spot in a team if you aren't actually up to the standard, unlike - just as an example - someone who greased their way into a leading role within a company or something along those lines. You have to produce tangible results every week on a public stage and the entire system is built around winning; every single part of the operation benefits from winning, so the cream definitely rises to the top more often than not.

I'd say most of the luck in football comes from the same place as any other profession, namely your genetics and upbringing. Once you're actually good enough to land a spot in an academy, it is like 98% merit from there I'd say.