The press are doing far too much on Ben White marking the goalkeepers. Hasn’t this been in the game for years, yet it’s now that there’s something wrong with the tactic?
I’m not quite understanding the fuss, but I’m ready for the commentary team to highlight it tomorrow versus Bournemouth. I’m also ready for one of our corner kick goals getting disallowed.
The conspiratorial take is that the press wouldn’t be making nearly as much of a big deal if Luton or Sheffield were doing stuff like this because small teams get graded on a curve. It’s “okay” for Stoke or Burnley to push the envelope of physical play or the “dark arts” because aw shucks how else can they be expected to compete?
I just think Arsenal drive insane amounts of clicks so it’s being covered a lot and then the coverage itself drives more coverage.
No-one else cared about the Brentford away game start of the 21/22 season when from a long throw the defender wrapped his arms around our keeper and they subsequently scored.
God forbid Arsenal use similar (but legal) tactics ourselves.
It’s nice to see the media have moved on from criticising us for over celebrating and have quite rightly turned their attention to White and his disgraceful sleeve touching antics.
Southgate has more attacking talent at his disposal than any other manager, yet England play with very little flair so why would a top attacking FB like White play for a boring manager like him?