Morning all.
After a quiet week, issues will begin to construct up once more as we speak as Mikel Arteta meets the press forward of our sport in opposition to Chelsea on Sunday. I don’t fairly know what harm information we’re in search of updates on, maybe Bukayo Saka who went off late within the North London derby, however aside from that the one points I can consider are Kai Havertz and Ben White, who weren’t within the squad final weekend.
We had a query about Ben White and his future on yesterday’s Arsecast, and whereas clearly that’s extra of a difficulty for the summer time, it has been notable that he hasn’t performed as a lot this season as we’d have anticipated. For me, the one actual rationalization for that’s to do together with his health, as a result of whereas Jurrien Timber has been implausible, he’s additionally been on the verge of being over-played. And if there’s a reluctance on the a part of the supervisor to make use of White, it may possibly solely be bodily.
I don’t suppose there’s any world through which Arteta has any doubt in regards to the high quality of Ben White as a participant, solely his means to be on the proper degree by way of match health. The accidents haven’t helped, clearly, and it’s arduous to construct rhythm and kind if you’re being managed rigorously. He additionally put himself by way of so much for this membership. When Timber was injured on the primary day of his debut season, he performed 51 video games that season, beginning 46 of these for a complete of over 4000 minutes.
The next season he picked up a knee harm which required surgical procedure, which meant Timber needed to do what White did the season earlier than and play virtually each sport at right-back, earlier than the Dutchman then picked up an harm which meant Ben slotted in for the ultimate a part of the season. Again in August White began our 1-0 win over Man Utd at Outdated Trafford, missed two video games, then spent the subsequent 10 video games with out getting off the bench as Timber basically performed 90 minutes in all of them.
It’s most likely too early (or perhaps even too late) to say classes have been realized, nevertheless it was telling that at 2-1 up within the derby on Sunday, Timber got here off after an hour to get replaced by Cristhian Mosquera. Would it not have been Ben White if he’d been match, or are we taking a look at a sort of passing of the baton right here? I assumed Mosquera did rather well final Sunday, and I believe Tim Stillman’s descriptor of him as a sort of Takehiro Tomiyasu sort participant proper on the pod was actually fascinating.
I doubt we’ll see him at left-back, however he can play right-back and has performed on each side of the centre of defence already this season. And whereas I do know some folks would possibly discover the comparability with Tomi somewhat tough due to the accidents he had, I don’t suppose there was ever any doubt as to his high quality as a participant. For me, he was one of the crucial completed pure defenders I’ve ever seen at this membership. To have the ability to carry out at a excessive degree in each place throughout the back-line is so, so uncommon, and it’s such a disgrace we had been robbed of that due to a fairly tough and critical subject together with his knee.
So, if Mosquera can get anyplace close to that degree on a constant foundation, and I believe he’s proven that that’s not an impossibility by any means, we’ll have a hell of a participant on our arms. Anyway, I’ve sort of gone off on a tangent right here, however let’s see what the story with Ben White is later. I really feel like his Arsenal story deserves a second. If we do obtain some tangible success this season, I’d like to see him make a telling contribution in a sport. Clearly as a defender it may be an unimaginable sort out or block, however is it an excessive amount of to ask for an essential objective, maybe accompanied by some basic Ben White shithousery within the celebration (e.g kicking the ball off the again of Pep’s head on the Etihad or one thing)?
I don’t suppose it’s. Come on universe. You owe us, and Ben White, at the very least that.
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I discussed this yesterday, however as we speak is the twenty fourth birthday of arseblog.com. It’s virtually ridiculous to suppose that so a few years in the past I sat down at my laptop in a city outdoors Barcelona, and produced the primary weblog. Again then, a hand-coded HTML web page relatively than utilizing any running a blog software program.
Rather a lot has occurred within the meantime. Expertise has modified, the world has modified, Arsenal has modified, not all of it for the higher, however right here all of us are. Nonetheless. Each day. And it’s essential for me to inform all of you who’re studying this, how a lot I respect you being right here. I do know you recognize, and I do know you recognize I do know, nevertheless it’s value repeating: none of this may imply something with out you and your constant assist down the years.
When you’d mentioned 24 years in the past that Arseblog would nonetheless be round, and be what it’s as we speak, I’d have laughed, as a result of it simply was not attainable again then. It has turn into one thing I by no means deliberate for it’s, however as time goes by you study and also you adapt and make selections after which you end up doing what you’re keen on as your precise job. I’m very fortunate and privileged to be doing it with implausible folks too, the Arseblog group has grown through the years as nicely, and with out name-checking everybody, I hope they understand how a lot I really like working with them, and past that how a lot they imply to me as associates.
As I mentioned, the world has modified dramatically over these 24 years, however not all change needs to be damaging. In addition to doing our greatest to carry you the perfect Arsenal content material, with precise folks relatively than expensively harmful digital slop, we strive our greatest to present again and put some good out into the world. Since 2022, we now have given €221,000 to good causes, and as is now custom, we’ll add to that in our April donation drive.
I really feel very strongly for those who, as a person or an organization, are lucky sufficient to have the ability to accomplish that, supporting these in want, whether or not it’s regionally or internationally, is an absolute necessity. If Arseblog, a mad web site began by an Irishman residing Spain, can do it, then so many extra can, and I hope others can comply with go well with.
Once more, all of that is attainable due to you. Our readers, listeners, and Patreon subscribers. Our dedication to you is to hold on doing what we do to the perfect of our means, and to indicate that the ability of a neighborhood to do good ought to by no means be underestimated, even when generally it’s arduous to see past probably the most damaging headlines and poisonous on-line interactions.
Due to you all, I really like you. And now I’ve to think about one thing large for 25.
Andrew ❤️
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So, that’s it for this morning. We’ll carry you press convention tales on Arseblog Information in a while, and we’ll have a Chelsea preview pod on Patreon this afternoon too.
Have an awesome Friday of us.
