[Football] Ben White and our Gareth

Harry Wilson's tackle said:

Yeah..... fair enough.

I know Slabbers hasn't been embarrassing lately but when was not being embarrassing lately reason for an England callup?

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GloryDays said:

Yeah, I think HM has probably just about done enough to be recalled. But I totally agree. And it must be really annoying for players such as Dunk, Dawson, Kilman etc etc to know that your club performances have meant naff all for the last 2-3 years.

Trashford has also conveniently just started bothering again as we approach a tournament. Funny that. So one of the talented CF's we have in form will be overlooked for him this summer too. A shame for an in-form Solanke, Bowen, Watkins since they can't all go. Also a conundrum with Cole Palmer and Phil Foden who both, IMO, deserve, not only to be on the plane, but in the starting 11. So will be very amusing to see Henderson reprise his mezzala / DM role as we limp out in the QF.

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Easy 10 said:

I know Southgate always gets a fearsome slagging on here, but under his watch he's produced a vibrant England team that has consistently made an impact in tournaments. It also seems to be a happy camp.

White, for his own reasons, clearly doesn't fancy it. But its a short career, and you would THINK that a player of his talent and versatility would be very much up for being involved in having a pop at winning an International tournament which (despite the usual unending grizzlers) we do have a decent chance at achieving, or at least going deep again.

White seems more interested in transforming himself into a portuguese pirate though, which is fine. His choice. But I wonder if in 10 years time, when his career has gone, he'll look back on binning off England, and have a few pangs of regret. Especially if we do win something. Could've been a legend.

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edna krabappel said:

Plenty of England cricketers have declined to go on tours, or dropped out, citing "personal reasons" and they don't seem to get too much stick about it. It doesn't mean they don't care about the prestige of playing for their country.

I'm not particularly a fan of White- always comes across as a bit of a My Little Pony to me- but perhaps he's one of those people who really struggles outside of a familiar environment. Maybe he suffers from anxiety, some sort of neurodiversity or mental health issue, and he's not comfortable spending weeks on end with a bunch of blokes he doesn't know that well. I'd be really reluctant to join the pile-on when none of us know what's happening in his world (nor do we have any right to).

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Bry Nylon said:

For me this is probably it. Personally I could think of little worse than being picked for the Euros and having to spending a month in a hotel with Phil Fodden, Jordan Pickford, Kyle Walker et al, with all their shit ‘lads bantz’ and having to bet a grand or multiples thereof on anything and everything that happens in a day.

I would genuinely hate that and maybe BW feels similarly.

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Easy 10 said:

I know Southgate always gets a fearsome slagging on here, but under his watch he's produced a vibrant England team that has consistently made an impact in tournaments. It also seems to be a happy camp.

White, for his own reasons, clearly doesn't fancy it. But its a short career, and you would THINK that a player of his talent and versatility would be very much up for being involved in having a pop at winning an International tournament which (despite the usual unending grizzlers) we do have a decent chance at achieving, or at least going deep again.

White seems more interested in transforming himself into a portuguese pirate though, which is fine. His choice. But I wonder if in 10 years time, when his career has gone, he'll look back on binning off England, and have a few pangs of regret. Especially if we do win something. Could've been a legend.

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METALMICKY said:

Oh bless him! I can't help thinking a lot of the sympathies on here are skewed by his connection to us. What happens if Walker gets injured and/or we need cover at right back and the form player is nowhere to be seen. Will people be quite so sympathetic?

Personally, I think he's much better served to actually put it out there as to what the beef is with Southgate. Otherwise, despite Southgate denying it we're all left thinking he got the hump about a bollocking he got in front of his teammates at the world cup. And in the world of football that's way too precious. I suspect the real issue may not put him in a good light.

And now let's address the elephant in the room. White's reticence to explain fully just feeds the rumours about his sexuality. As of course does his tanned pirate look with socks pulled so high as to look like suspenders! Guess what Ben, none of us care about that! We just want the best man for the England team.

I also think Arsenal announcing his new contract on the day that the squad naming happened was a cheap shot.

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dejavuatbtn said:

like, White, I couldn’t give a toss. Southgate has loads to choose from who aren’t pressed men. Just leave the bloke alone and let him get on with his life how he wants to get on with his life. It’s probably good for his mental health.

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Jackthelad said:

He's inherited some of the best players England have produced for a good while. Southgate has done nothing special, on paper this England team should be winning comps.

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Seagull27 said:

The whole thing about him 'not liking football' - didn't that all stem from a comment when he said he doesn't really watch football at home?

That doesn't mean he doesn't like football, just that it's not his entire life.

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Pevenseagull said:

I may be wrong but I think Rory McIlroy wasn't that fussed about the Ryder Cup when he was young.

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Javeaseagull said:

I remember Gary Neville saying, after he retired, that he often wondered why he had bothered with playing for England. Loads of talented players but they never won anything. Maybe Ben took his words to heart. Not everyone is a tub-thumping, bawling patriot. Anyone who says “My country, right or wrong” is to be viewed with deep suspicion imo.

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Easy 10 said:

Maybe so. But a golfers career lasts a lot longer than a footballers.

White is now 26, so he's not going to have all that many tournaments left in him. If he wants to bin all that off then thats up to him of course. Just seems a bit weird, as elite players are just driven to compete and perform at the very highest level - you don't get to play in the Premier League without that drive.

Everyone's different though. So he doesn't give a shit about England, thats his right. Feels like a waste though, he'd be really, really good.

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Jackthelad said:

He's inherited some of the best players England have produced for a good while. Southgate has done nothing special, on paper this England team should be winning comps.

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Bry Nylon said:

I reckon if he could go and live in a rented house or apartment between training sessions / matches - like tennis players do, he’d probably go. But of course that isn’t tenable in a team sport. I genuinely believe it’s all the down time at the hotel and the Team England stuff he can’t stomach.

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AmexRuislip said:

Do you also think that Dunk is into the clique team England thing

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