Morning all.
Let’s start with the new deal for Takehiro Tomiyasu, because otherwise we might get dragged into more tedious Ben White England nonsense. When the men decrying our fantastic right-back are the likes of Danny Mills, Harry Redknapp, and their ilk, there’s just not much point trying to provide any counter-argument to the garbage they’ve been spouting. Gareth Southgate can continue to pick Harry Maguire and Jordan Henderson and see how that works out for him.
#TeamBen
Anyway, back to Tomiyasu, and the news reported yesterday that he has signed an extension at the club, that will take him to 2026, with an option for another year. Firstly, I think he’s a genuinely exceptional player so on that basis alone it’s good news. I don’t know if there’s anyone out there capable of playing right-back, both centre-half positions, and left-back as well as he can. His versatility was part of why we brought him in, although at the time he was primarily seen as a right-back, but I didn’t think he could basically be a defensive Swiss Army Knife.
That said, it’s impossible to talk about him without discussing injuries and availability. There’s no doubt he’s had some problems during his time with us, as his record shows:
I have a fairly strong suspicion that without the Asian Cup this season, his most recent absence would have been shorter. I don’t think he was fully fit going away, he picked up another knock because of that, and has barely played in 2024. However, the club must feel relatively confident he can get back on track, simply by virtue of offering him an extension, and I also think the deal reflects that to some extent. It’s not a four year contract with an option for another year, it’s two years, so it demonstrates some caution – most likely because of his problems. Nevertheless, if there’s some measure of risk, it’s calculated, and based on what he can bring to team when fit.
He’s 25 now, so heading into the best years of…
Source link : https://arseblog.com/2024/03/good-news-as-tomiyasu-signs-a-new-deal/
Author : arseblog
Publish date : 2024-03-21 07:47:22
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