Was telling you niggas that he ain't as bad as you were making him out. I insisted that he was tall and actually fast as well. His major problem is that he isn't aerially and physically dominant (because he hasn't added muscle to that frame of his) and goes to ground too often.
His aerial issues and tendency to go to ground often can be fixed by coaching, easy. Don't forget how easily Arteta improves individual defenders. Made Holding look manageable and Mustafi was looking like a good player at some point.
Once he fills in his frame, though. >>>>
Ben White at 26 should be one of the best defenders in the league, easy. He'd be built like a brick shithouse by then. His defensive issues flattened by coaching. And his progression/nimbleness will still be there. Don't forget he's a leader type defender, too.
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I have always maintained that if Arsenal get a break (a sugar daddy financier + or a world class coach), they would be one of the most attractive sports brands around, up there with Real Madrid, Barcelona and Manchester United.
Chelsea, despite years of consistent success and the continued decline of traditional top clubs, have not come close to touching the cultural and commercial appeal of a post-Ferguson United because they are fighting for an identity that doesn't belong to them.
I do not claim to know too much but I believe that United own the identity of perennial winners. Chelsea under Abramovich are also trying to base their identity on that. That space is contested in the minds of fans. Even at that, Chelsea lack a distinct footballing style.
People don't get it. That, after the worst league season for Arsenal in several decades, Mikel Arteta is going to be backed with over 150m in the transfer market says all you need to know about how incredibly rated he is.
Arteta's hive is shut. And we will be ahead of the curve.
Football is a hugely contextual sport. Variance is a norm. But a manager who can instill all of the right fundamentals and keep them will ultimately succeed.
Arteta is the youngest coach in the Premier League and will be one of its best for years to come. It's not a dream.
Rival fans will be wondering how this happened in 2 years time. He will be the next Jurgen Klopp, a reference for trusting the process at other clubs. Even an incompetent Arsenal board will not stop him.
Camavinga is already one of the most gifted tacklers I have ever seen in football. Has that Kante, Busquets, Fabinho octopus-leg tackle where their feet go so long and wrap up space such that it becomes so difficult to get. Kante adds acceleration to his tackling, too. France!
Everyone knows I am all for another RCB signing. People are insisting on giving Saliba a chance, but we will be resting all our hopes of being able to pin teams back and play out cleanly ONLY on a talented 19-year-old. Which other top club would do that?
A LITTLE THREAD.
My only problem with the Ben White signing is how late it is. Last season, he was absolutely class in the Championship with Leeds. Clubs should have got him then. Opportunity windows are important when picking up players. Sven Botman was a 6ft Ajax CB I knew two seasons before
I was wondering how good he could be at Championship level. Numerous soccer blogs were picking him up then as a potential gem. Only Lille exploited the opportunity window. Opportunity windows when acquiring players are important. Buendia and Pereira should not have stayed with
People don't realize it. Arsenal are definitely going to get back to the top and one of the major reasons for that is the astounding quality of the youngsters in their academy setup.
One of the most misunderstood things in football is the impact of legacy. A THREAD.
A golden generation or footballer at a club is not just an inspiration to youngsters but also an eye opener for coaches and managers at the club (other clubs to an extent).
Enter Thierry Henry. One of the ways in which Thierry was so impactful on a whole generation was his style
But Henry was notable not just because he was extremely gifted but by how he played. He was trademark, instantly distinctive on the pitch, devastatingly effective too. He caught the eye by where and how he played the game.
Modern inside-forwards mostly trace their roots to him.