[Football] Ben White and our Gareth

Thunder Bolt said:

RDZ and Arteta are managers of professional clubs that pay player wages.

The national team don't. It is supposed to be for the honour of playing. It wasn't even Southgate but the coach. I suspect being away somewhere like Doha doesn't help when you are couped up in a hotel and training complex all the time.

Fans forget there is a mental health aspect to this. I know of a goalkeeper who came off the pitch, sat the dressing room and said I can't do this any more (and hadn't shipped loads of goals before anyone quips) He just couldn't stand the job any more.
I also know of a player who was on his own in a hotel room, and just decided to give up league football to play non league because it was better for his health.

Don't judge until you've been in their shoes.

Edit to add, I haven't read one criticism from Arsenal fans. They seem to be behind him.

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Iggle Piggle said:

What a bunch of fannies. Holland needs to stick to putting cones out, Southgate needs to do some actual management and White needs to learn to work with people he thinks are dickheads. We all have to.

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Herr Tubthumper said:

If I was doing some extra work for another company , in effect for free, and someone in authority was a twat I’d probably decide maybe this isn’t for me as well.

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Herr Tubthumper said:

If I was doing some extra work, in effect for free, and someone in authority was a twat to me I’d probably decide maybe this isn’t for me as well.

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Iggle Piggle said:

What a bunch of fannies. Holland needs to stick to putting cones out, Southgate needs to do some actual management and White needs to learn to work with people he thinks are dickheads. We all have to.

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Iggle Piggle said:

What a bunch of fannies. Holland needs to stick to putting cones out, Southgate needs to do some actual management and White needs to learn to work with people he thinks are dickheads. We all have to.

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Beanstalk said:

It's not quite the same as some extra work for free is it?

There are a huge amount of financial benefits that come from being an international footballer. It is a pathway to becoming a much higher earner at club level, it brings in huge sponsorship deals, often around tournaments, and more importantly in the modern age, it's a vital part of building a brand to maximise earnings. More importantly, it's not really just extra work, it's being selected as the best in your industry. If you were in an industry and were selected to represent that entire industry at national level, with all expenses paid for, it obviously would become a bigger deal than doing a little bit extra for free.

Obviously, Benjamin should still expect to be treated with a little more respect if the story reported is the "whole truth", but he should also arguably have taken his selection with a tad more seriousness than has been reported. As I said previously, there are no winners here and it's really not that big a story. No chance White would've started this summer regardless of all of this.

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dazzer6666 said:

….or White needs to tell them to stick it because they are dickheads. Which he has done. Good for him. Be fascinating to see whether he plays once Southgate gets sacked after our inevitable poor showing in the Euros.

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The Fits said:

Yup. Agree with all you recent posts about this.
Just to add a few things - calling players out during or after a game is different. Using what is basically social media noise to attack a player is not that.
White has proven time after time he is a fully commited footballer. On his loans where he always excelled. When he knuckled down for the season here. When he lost his place in the Arsenal team, and was then moved to RB. And even here, seems he has been professional. Brave enough to say 'actually I don't think I (and perhaps some mates) have been treated fairly' without turning into a social media circus.
Some people won't hear anything negative about Engerland and anyone connected to them but clearly this coach (a supposed brains of the team) has totally misread the room on this one.

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dazzer6666 said:

….or White needs to tell them to stick it because they are dickheads. Which he has done. Good for him. Be fascinating to see whether he plays once Southgate gets sacked after our inevitable poor showing in the Euros.

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dazzer6666 said:

….or White needs to tell them to stick it because they are dickheads. Which he has done. Good for him. Be fascinating to see whether he plays once Southgate gets sacked after our inevitable poor showing in the Euros.

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JBizzle said:

Given our performance in the last 3 tournaments are semi-finals (fourth-place), runners-up and quarter-finals in Qatar, what's inevitable about a poor showing under Southgate? Not winning?

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Iggle Piggle said:

Without checking White has a Championship winners medal to his name. This is a good opportunity to add to that. I just think it's a shame he couldn't find a way to get back in the squad and it maybe a possible source of regret when he retires albeit I can't judge by my own standards as we are all different.

Holland has probably been a bit of a knob but at face value I've seen worse arguments in Come dine with me and it's one that Boutros Boutros- Southgate should have been able to handle.

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Herr Tubthumper said:

Im certain he will play once Southgate has gone.

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Beanstalk said:

It's not quite the same as some extra work for free is it?

There are a huge amount of financial benefits that come from being an international footballer. It is a pathway to becoming a much higher earner at club level, it brings in huge sponsorship deals, often around tournaments, and more importantly in the modern age, it's a vital part of building a brand to maximise earnings. More importantly, it's not really just extra work, it's being selected as the best in your industry. If you were in an industry and were selected to represent that entire industry at national level, with all expenses paid for, it obviously would become a bigger deal than doing a little bit extra for free.

Obviously, Benjamin should still expect to be treated with a little more respect if the story reported is the "whole truth", but he should also arguably have taken his selection with a tad more seriousness than has been reported. As I said previously, there are no winners here and it's really not that big a story. No chance White would've started this summer regardless of all of this.

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dazzer6666 said:

Yep, we’re favourites

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JBizzle said:

Fair enough. So I guess my next question is that, given we're favourites, have a great squad and a manager with experience getting us the the finals of the Euros, why is a poor showing inevitable?

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BiffyBoy100 said:

He just signed a new 4-year contract with a team that could win the PL and more. I'm sure he's doing okay financially and his ambitions are fulfilled. You could argue he's already playing at the very top of the game, albeit in a club vs. national setting.

I actually think the commercial risk is a lot higher playing for England! - a player has a bad tournament, makes a mistake, misses a penalty, a red card and the Ingerland fans are all over you!

We don’t have a great track record in this department.

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