Category Archives: Arsenal

Arsenal building a “defence for the future” with Ben White signing

3 Replies

There is are valid questions to be asked over Arsenal’s signing of Ben White.

The first is why are we investing so heavily in a central defender when we had one of the best defences in the league last year.

We could have gone into this season with Rob Holding and Gabriel starting, backed up by Calum Chambers, Pablo Mari and William Saliba.

There is also the question over the fee for White – £50million.

When you compare this to what Manchester United are Paying for Raphael Varane, it does feel excessive.

Varane is at the peak of his powers and is one of the best centre backs in the world.

The flip side is Varane has one year left on his contract – had he had 3 years you would probably be looking at a similar price tag to Harry Maguire.

When you also consider that the likes of Lewis Dunk and James Tarkowski have been linked with moves in the region of £35-40m, then perhaps £50m for a 23-year-old English centre back is not a bad deal.

So what does Ben White bring to Arsenal?

A defence for the future

Ben White – 23

Gabriel – 23

Kieran Tierney – 24

If we replace Hector Bellerin with someone in the same age bracket, we potentially have a back 4 for the rest of this decade.

White is not a short term option like David Luiz. He is part of the new long term transfer strategy at Arsenal.

Replacing David Luiz

Last season David Luiz played 11 passes into the opponents final 3rd per 90 minutes. The next nearest Arsenal defender was Rob Holding with 8. Gabriel just 6 passes into the opponent 90 and Mari 4.

Ben White averaged 10 passes into the opponents final 3rd per 90.

With Luiz going, we lost the ability to go from front ok back quickly. That has been replaced with White.

Forward thinking

Last season over 40% of Ben White’s passes went forward.

This is more than Luiz (36%), Gabriel (35%), Holding (34%) and Mari (31%).

Whilst style of play does impact these statistics – Arsenal tend to play about either it at the back with sideways passes a lot – this shows that Arsenal have secured a defender whose thought is to get the ball forward rather than play an easier pass sideways to his fellow centre back.

Fitness

For too long, Arsenal’s seasons have been curtailed due to having too many injury prone players.

Samir Nasri, Tomas Rosicky, Abou Diaby, Jack Wilshere, Robin van Persie, Mesut Ozil and Theo Walcott are amongst a long list have missed a lot of time in an Arsenal shirt due to injury.

For those who have an interest in football out of Arsenal, many of these suffering injuries would not be a surprise as they were also often injured at the clubs we signed them from.

Last season Ben White played 36 Premier League games for Brighton – 3,194 minutes in total.

The year before he played all 46 games for Leeds United as they got promoted.

To have missed just 2 League games in 2 years is incredible.

Arsenal are getting a player that can be relied upon physically.

Interception king

Many people look at how many tackles a player makes to see their defensive contribution. This is wrong.

A player only makes a tackle as a last ditch attempt to win the ball.

Fabio Canavarro rarely made a tackle.

Where Canavarro was a world leader was in interceptions.

There is no need to make a tackle if you read the play and get to the ball first.

Alex Ferguson sold Jaap Stam After the amount of tackles he made per game dropped significantly. What they failed to realise in the early years of data is that his interceptions had dramatically increased.

Last season Gabriel averaged 1.17 interceptions a game. Holding was as low as 0.84.

Ben White averaged a huge 1.75 interceptions a game.

Interestingly whilst Holding averaged the lowest interceptions of the 5 centre backs discussed here, he averaged the highest tackles per game – highlighting that his game reading is not as good as the others.

Summary

So in Ben White, Arsenal are getting a defender that sets forward and wins the ball before it gets to the attacker and whose first thought is it to get the ball forward.

Add in his fitness ability to pass the ball into the final 3rd, you fee he ticks a lot of boxes that Mikel Arteta wants in a defender.

John Stones grew as a defender last season with his best year in a Man City and England shirt.

White is a younger version of John Stones.

Now we just need to add the right back of a similar profile and we have our defence sorted for the forceable.

Keenos

Cut-price Sam Johnstone a better option for Arsenal than overpriced Aaron Ramsdale

1 Reply

I was tempted to title this blog “Arsenal in for cut-price England Euro star” or “Arsenal chase ex-Manchester United keeper”.

Both of those headlines would have got me loads of clicks and earned me about 50p.

But for years I have criticised those blogs that are there are as the “most read Arsenal story” who hide players names behind things like “6’4” stopper” and other bollocks.

They are usually the blogs that make very little contribution to the Arsenal conversation, and spend there days regurgitating transfer speculation for a few quid.

So Arsenal have been heavily linked with West Brom’s Sam Johnstone.

The 28-year-old keeper was a called up to England’s Euro 2020 squad.

Being linked to a recent relegated keeper is fairly uninspiring. But there is plenty of logic in there.

With Bernd Leno set to stay next season, a deal for André Onana is unlikely (Onana’s contract is set to expire next summer so our interest might be revisited ).

So as it stands Leno is first choice, and recently promoted Arthur Okonkwo will be 3rd choice. What the plans are for Rúnar Alex Rúnarsson is unknown.

So Arsenal need a second choice goal keeper.

In recent weeks we have been linked to Sheffield United’s Aaron Ramsdale – who was also part of Gareth Southgate’s squad. But it looks like Sheffield United’s asking price – £30million – is a little steep for Arsenal.

And Arsenal would be crazy to spend that one someone who would be 2nd choice keeper considering our financial restraints following Covid and finishing 8th. There are more important areas of the team that need addressing.

So why has Edu and his team landed on Johnstone?

Home Grown

A 2nd choice keeper will likely see very little game time – in David Ospina’s last 3 seasons in red and white he played just 11 games.

With a lack of European football, our 2nd choice keeper will probably only play in the League Cup and potentially the FA Cup. He could then play as few as 2 games.

So Arsenal would be crazy taking up a non-home grown playing spot with someone who will play so little.

Being home grown was one reason why Emi Martinez got promoted following the departure of Petr Cech and Ospina, and ended up getting his chance.

Sam Johnstone is basically England’s 4th best keeper (behind Jordan Pickford, Nick Pope, and Henderson).

If we are looking for home grown, there is probably not anyone else available for cheap.

The Price

Ramsdale was clearly ahead of Johnstone on Edu’s wish list. But £30million for a back up keeper for a team with no Europe is silly money.

Johnstone meanwhile could be available for a fraction of that.

In 2018, Johnstone signed for WBA for £6.5million, agreeing a 4-year deal. That deal is due to expire at the end of this season.

A situation Arsenal have found themselves in a few times in recent years, WBA will have a choice of letting Johnstone got for cheap, or lose him for nothing at the end of next season.

Taking into account the impact Covid and relegation will have on their finances, they probably could not afford to lose him for nothing.

So this could open the door for a move to Arsenal.

WBA recently turned down a £10million bid from West Ham – who have moved on to Alphonso Areola. They are reportedly demanding £20million.

Even at £20million, Johnstone is already cheaper than Ramsdale. But Arsenal would expect to drive the price down further.

Arsenal may well be willing to do business at £12-15million. Or lower with a player perhaps going in the other direction on loan (maybe Runarsson or one of the U23 lads).

Better Than Ramsdale?

Johnstone was in Southgate’s original Euros squad whilst Ramsdale was a late call up to replace the injured Henderson.

Premier League Ready

Okonkwo showed against Hibs that is important to have someone with experience as 2nd choice.

Johnstone played 37 of 38 games for WBA last season, and did not miss a Championship game for them in the two previous.

Prior to joining WBA he was Aston Villa’s first choice in the Championship playing 45 out of 46 games in 2017/18.

Over 280 senior games to his name, he would be more than capable to step up n Leno’s absence.

Summary

If we signed Johnstone for £12million, there will be plenty who will say “getting Johnstone for £12million when Onana is available for £10 is bad business”. But worse business would be having a foreign keeper as 2nd choice with no European football next season.

Johnstone might be unwilling to be a number 2, which would probably sacrifice his chances with England in Qatar – but there are not many Premier League clubs looking for a number one.

His best hope would be joining someone like Arsenal and then, when we are back in Europe, getting 15-20 cup games in during a season.

Johnstone would be a good deal.

Keenos

Donyell Malen set for a big move – but there is a reason it has taken him 4 years since leaving Arsenal

Leave a reply

Former Arsenal academy prospect Donyell Malen looks set to join Borussia Dortmund. This will trigger the idiots on Twitter who say “Arsenal let go a superstar again” without actually having seem him play either for Arsenal or in Holland.

We have seen it before with the revisionism of Serge Gnabry’s departure (short version: Arsenal wanted to keep him. He wanted to return to Germany) and I imagine we will see the same happen with Malen.

Malen left Arsenal back in 2017. Joining PSV for less than £1million.

The then 18-year-old engineered a move out of the club under the guidance of his agent – Mino Raiola.

Many Arsenal fans who saw him play were disappointed that he left, as he was clearly a talent. But they also understood the situation.

Here was a player who had come to Arsenal at 16-years-old from Ajax. Within 2 years of being at the club refused to sign a new contract and decided to move back to his native Holland to find 1st team football.

It actually took him a season to find that 1st team football as he spent a year at Jong PSV – the reserve team of PSV Eindhoven.

He was a talent within Arsenal’s youth team, but he was by no means the brightest star.

Capable of playing across the front 3, Malen was in direct competition with the likes of Eddie Nketiah, Reiss Nelson and Stephy Mavididi.

Malen often found himself playing 2nd fiddle to those 3 players. Usually only playing within his age group when they moved up a group or were involved in the senior team.

Only Mavididi – who has since joined Juventus and now at Montpellier – was older than Malen.

Back in 2017, Malen was down the pecking order for the 1st team action he demanded.

2016/17 none of Nelson, Mavididi or Nketiah got any senior game time as Chris Willock, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Jeff Reine-Adelaide and Chuba Akpom were the youngsters given the chances in the cup games.

So Arsenal had a talented young player; who was not more talented than players the same age. Whilst the club did not want him to leave; they also did not stand in his way.

Malen has now been in Holland for 4 years, scoring 40 goals in 81 Eredivisie games.

So in the most basic of terms, it has taken him 4 years to develop a game good enough for Dortmund to be interested in him. So 4 years previous he was no where near good enough to be involved in first team action.

Most will consider Nelson and Nketiah as “not good enough”. However how many goals would the pair of got had they gone to Holland? Probably not to dissimilar to Malen.

The Dutch league is a similar level as the Championship.

During Malen’s time in Holland, Mason Mount spent a loan period there, scoring 14 goals. The next year he was in the Championship where he scored 11 goals. Last season he scored just 6 Premier League goals, despite being 3 years old, wiser, stronger and better.

So we shouldn’t be getting our knickers in a twist of Malen scoring 5 goals against Vitesse. For every Luis Suarez that comes out of the league, you get 2017/18 top scorer Alizera Jahanbakhsh who failed to score a league goal for Brighton in 2018/19.

In his time in Holland, Malen has been outscored by the likes of Luuk de Jong (0 goals in 12 games for Newcastle), Steven Berghuis (0 goals in 9 games for Watford) and Dusan Tadic (ex-Southampton). Even the likes of Robin van Persie and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar outscored him even though they were well past his best.

So some will cry that Dortmund are signing an ex-Arsenal trainee 4 years after he left the club. But there is a reason why it has taken him 4 years for a bigger team to come calling.

He simply was not ready for the big leagues when he left us.

Keenos