COMMENT: So Joe Gomez, thoughts? A penny for them, Conor Coady... just what were you lads thinking when the news involving Ben White and Steve Holland broke last week...?
The Daily Star led with the claimed bust-up inside the England camp and were soon followed by ESPN. So we have two sources. Two different outlets. And both stating reasons for Arsenal's defender being jettisoned from England's World Cup setup was a row with assistant coach Holland and a failure to muck in with teammates. As we say, if all this reporting is correct, then just how are those overlooked by Gareth Southgate now feeling?
This isn't about all the mystery around White's release. The doublespeak of Southgate. The opaque response of Mikel Arteta. All they're doing is adding to the rumour mill. But if we're to take the two-sourced story seriously, then what responsibility does White have to those he was selected ahead of?
Like White, Joe Gomez, the Liverpool centre-half, is comfortable at fullback. Conor Coady, Everton's on-loan Wolves defender, is another capable of playing in several roles thanks to his early career days as a midfielder. Then there's Fikayo Tomori at AC Milan. Newcastle United's Dan Burn. All players who would've had a good case to be involved in Qatar. But Southgate went with White. A selection that lasted barely a week.
This World Cup was a reward for White. For digging in. For sacrificing. The centre-half earned his place on England's jet with an outstanding four months out-of-position at fullback. He rallied to the cause. So many times we've seen talented centre-halves thrown to the wolves by their managers when played at fullback. But with injuries and suspensions threatening Arteta's plans, White accepted the challenge. He thrived in the role. And his contribution not only resulted in his team going clear at the top of the Premier League table, but also earned him a first World Cup selection.
So this should be celebrated, right? Of course. The sacrifice. The commitment. White deserves the plaudits. But in Qatar, how far did this approach stretch? It's claimed at the heart of his row with Holland was homework. Ahead of the group tie with the USA, White was caught out not knowing his own training stats and also the strengths of his American opponents.
Some claimed this was always going to happen, citing White's admission that he's no great football fan. He didn't follow the game growing up and still doesn't today.
"No I never watched football when I was younger, still don't now," White stated just days before his World Cup selection. "I just loved the game, I was always playing it - never watching it. So I don't know too much about older generations.
"I know [Vieira] was a very good player.
"But I wouldn't know the details. I'm quite busy, I'm always doing something.
"I watch myself for analytical reasons. I watch England, maybe. I just wouldn't just sit down and watch a game."
Innocent enough. But this isn't about White being a football fan. This is about a profession. A responsibility to his colleagues. To his seniors. Not being interested in opponents. In tactics. At the level that Arsenal and England are aspiring to, it's simply not good enough. He may not like it. He may not enjoy it. But for what the game has given White, he should be forcing himself to study up on what is required. Chasing a Premier League title. A World Cup. It can be a matter of millimetres. Every edge counts. And to be frank, White is never going to fulfil the natural talent granted him with such an attitude.
Possessing such a laissezfaire approach could work in certain circumstances. Indeed, it hasn't stopped White from getting this far. A multi-millionaire. Loved by fans around the world. He'd be forgiven for believing he has this football thing locked away. But that natural talent will only take him so far. To reach the very elite. The level of Kylian Mbappe. Of Leo Messi. To live with these players. Being 'too busy' to commit to matters beyond the training pitch is simply not good enough.
It shouldn't be so for White. Nor should it be for Southgate. Tomori would never get away with such an attitude inside Milanello. Just as we know the way Coady wheres his passion and character on his sleeve. But Southgate overlooked these two for a player well known for not being a football- (or is that a career?) obsessive.
Gomez. Tomori. Coady. If this two-sourced story is correct, then you can understand them feeling aggrieved. Just as you hope for White that this is a wake-up call. We're talking the level of Messi here. Of Mbappe. And he'll never get there (never mind stay there) by approaching this profession half-baked.
