Footballistically speaking: Rob Holding

Because of William Saliba’s injury, before kickoff yesterday pretty much everyone expected Arteta to start Rob Holding in William Saliba’s place. And there were more than a few folks who were worried about it.

Holding has had a special place in Arsenal lore for quite some time. Seven years ago Arsene Wenger uttered a now famous quote about Holding, during part of a larger rant about reporters who only want to see teams spend big money. After an early season match against Leicester (2016, 1-1 draw at the King Power, Leicester were the reigning champions), reporters asked Wenger about spending money in the transfer window and whether he was afraid to spend big. His response was pure Wenger:

“If I buy you for £45m tomorrow, does it mean I have done well? If I listen to you then I will have done well because I spent the money, but spending the money in itself is not the quality!

Spending the money and getting a top player; that is different and we are ready to do that. I will spend £300m if I find the player, if I have £300m. We are a club who have 600 employees, who need to have a responsible attitude as well.

It is a bit surprising that we come out of a football match and we do not speak about the football, we speak about money. Nobody is speaking about the performance of Rob Holding today. You should be happy; he is English, he is 20 years old, but I’m sorry he didn’t cost £55m, so he cannot be good.”

https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11670/10545895/arsene-wenger-hits-back-at-arsenal-critics

Ironically, that summer Arsene spent over £100m bringing in Granit Xhaka and Shkodran Mustafi. Mustafi cost Arsenal £40m and went a LONG way toward proving Wenger’s point: just spending money isn’t the answer.

Pretty much every day since he arrived at Arsenal some fans have ridiculed Holding. “Holdinho” is what they call him if he tries to make a dribble.

Bottom line for Holding is that he’s an incredibly useful backup center back to have on a team like Arsenal. He’s powerful in the air and very good passing the ball, as evidenced yesterday in the 4-1 win over managerless Crystal Palace: he led all players in progressive passing with 460 yards and made 9/10 long passes.His pass for Martinelli in the 3rd minute led to a good chance for the Brazilian and he did it again in the 24th minute. Those big switches from right to left and back again are a hallmark of Arteta’s Arsenal this season and Holding performed excellently in his role as deepest lying ball player.

Holding was also 7/10 in aerial duels yesterday, again a very useful trait to have in a center back. He’s fearless in those duels as well, putting his head in where other “more cultured” CBs might not go.

Where Holding is probably ripe for criticism is in his foot speed, situational awareness, and ability to dribble out of trouble. On two occasions yesterday, Palace got into a counter attacking position and just outran Holding. That’s where having someone like Saliba is so important: he can catch up to even some of the fastest players, I’ve seen him track down Mbappe – who is a human rocket. Saliba is also incredibly assured with the ball at feet (sometimes TOO assured!) and can take on a player and dribble out of trouble. And Benjamin White was brought in specifically because of his ability to get forward and consistent ability to drive with the ball at feet – which Holding isn’t great at. Though I will stop myself here: yesterday Holding was 2nd on the team in progressive carries with 140 yards. I will say that he didn’t LOOK like he carried the ball forward a lot and I wouldn’t want to trust him to do so under pressure.

The point of all this is to say that Holding is a good backup CB and great team player for the club. I would even go so far as to say that he would be a regular starter on most mid-table Premier League teams.

Another thing to point out here is that Bukayo Saka cost the club £0 in the transfer market and Martinelli cost just £7m to transfer from Brazil. Those two players are leading the team in goals and assists with a combined 25 and 12.

I’m obviously also not suggesting that buying players is bad! Yesterday’s starting lineup had the following transfer costs:

Gabriel – £26m
Ramsdale – £28m
White – £58m
Zinchenko – £35m
Holdinho – £7m
#5 – £50m
Xhaka – £45m
Ødegaard – £35m
Martinelli – £7m
Trossard – £24m
Saka – £0m

And that doesn’t even count the costs of all of the subs, which is SUBstantial!

Qq

33 comments

  1. Rob “Holdin’ back the years” had a very good game. I agree he is an excellent squad player. We must be realistic in the abilities of our supporting cast, and whether certain players will even be willing to play that role. Supporters often don’t act up to the label, unfortunately.

    MCMBD.

  2. I watched an interview of Aaron Ramsdale where he had to describe each of his teammates in one word. For Rob Holding, he said “Glue”.
    Even in the Arsenal’s training videos, I see him keeping spirits up and I appreciate that he has not become bitter after seeing his spot get taken (rightly so, of course). He seems to get along so well with everyone. It’s difficult to analyse and measure his contribution to team chemistry but it’s certainly tangible. Mo Elneny is of a similar mould and I’m so happy that they stayed.

    He’s definitely made rash mistakes in too many league games in the past. But
    I will never forget his contributions on our way to our last FA Cup. Here’s hoping that he raises his level (seems like that is happening already, by association with newer, hungrier teammates).

  3. I know he played well yesterday (after a nervous start), but I still think this is an area we can upgrade. Especially if we can get a decent fee for a player who, as you rightly say, starts for most midtable teams. Palace we’re largely poor and we dominated them. But if we are now title contenders for the next few years, you expect that from your first choice backup. Would you trust him against Pool, City and Newcastle away? I’m not there, and if we finish 2nd this year then those games are where it’ll happen.

    Teams outgrow players and that is no slight on those players. Tierney was one of our best, now he’s decent squad player trying to adapt. Tomi was first choice RB and now he is 2nd choice. Not sure what Cedric was but now he isn’t. As we grow, some players will be left behind. It’s not a major priority (backup/competition for Saka and Partey are), but this is definitely an area for improvement for me.

    Also, not to be especially nitpicky but your prices for Xhaka and White (possibly others) are in Euros, not pounds. So it’s less in pounds – in today’s rate, around 40m and 50m respectively.

    1. And before y’all come at me, I accepted his contribution to the dressing room and that are great, and I’m not hating on him. I’m just saying I can see us improving on him without huge fuss. And no, it doesn’t have to be someone world class. If you index your starter (Saliba) at 100, what do you want your backup to be? 80? Is Holding 80? Sometimes, but on average probably less. That’s all. He’s 27, strong at defending, very attractive to clubs who probably have 30m to spare.

      1. I don’t think anyone is going to “come for you”! You make a reasonable point. If we can get 30m for him and replace him with another, younger, English, more versatile CB, then I think it’s a good upgrade.

        1. I SED WOT I SED AND NOW I’M GOING TO BED

          In all seriousness tho, I don’t mean to piss on chips after a good result and performance. Just trying to keep perspective. Eddie killed Man Utd and got two songs, then dropped off some. Totally normal. I’m just wary of revisionism. I think your take is very measured and good, Tim.

      2. Who? Who’s this young brilliant English cb who may be on the rise that will come and sit on our bench?

        1. I think this is the issue. Sure there are better CBs out there than Holding. But how many English ones that would be willing to come and not start. Very few to none. Probably some foreign, but not sure we have a lot of wiggle room on the number of foreign players.
          This would be wayyyy down the priority list for a variety of reasons.

      3. I’m not sure it’s a reasonable point at the moment. Here is a few things to consider.
        – He is English and considered homegrown; we would need to replace him with another homegrown player. Who in the UK is available?
        – Defenders usually improve with age; he matures pretty well.
        – What would you get for that 30 mil? Is it worth it? The more expensive player might upset the balance of the team and demand to play; if not he might be unhappy.
        Arsenal is currently leading the league, and it’s not a coincidence that a tiny part of the team coherence plays a role in this.
        I’m perfectly happy with him as a backup.

        1. They’re all good points. My reasoning is obv based on getting someone in. English may be a problem, but otherwise I trust our scouts. Kiwior was brought in with minimum fuss. I think we all have faith in him coming good. Fresneda was touted at RB as high potential, decent fee. I think it’s possible.

          I’d also be open to him staying. Like I said, not top priority.

        1. Thanks fir the post StevieM. Rather interesting and shows reds are human after all. I remember Tim in 1 of his post’s back in the day, saying something that I never knew but has stuck with me forever. “Referring is subjective”. There are guidelines but ultimately it comes down to the ref’s interpretation of how thay saw the incident. Made sense then, makes even more sense now.

          1. What I found particularly fascinating was how often the referees were in disagreement with decisions themselves. For example, when they do the VAR training, one incident they analysed had basically a 50/50 split on whether the decision should go one way or another.
            It really opened my eyes on how we can’t expect perfection and how we should be careful concluding bias against the Arsenal.

    2. I get your broader point but people just talk all these talk about improving every area of the pitch and having excellent back up as if Nacho hasn’t being a Madrid for many seasons now and won the biggest trophies in world football with/for them. Is Nacho a better defender than Rob Holding?

  4. 1. Holding did his job yesterday and put in a shift. That’s all you can ask of any player, whatever their level of talent and ability. So yeah, I don’t get the hate.

    2. According to Saka, the name Bukayo was given to him by his grandmother and it means ‘God has added joy to my life’ in Yoruba (one of the main languages spoken in Nigeria). He has added joy to the life of every Gooner, so his name is perfect for what he brings to this team and his supporters.

    3. Ian Stone said something that made me laugh out loud on the “Handbrake Off” podcast. He said that there were 60,000 people at Emirates Stadium and millions around the world watching this last match before the int’l break and not one of them hated Tottenham more than Antonio Conte! WtF was that post-match press conference? Clearly he’s listening to the Jose Mourinho Greatest Hits album.

    4. Wilfred Zaha was a beast yesterday in albeit, a lost cause. I was impressed.

    5. It’s getting harder to deny that there’s a bit of destiny about this team when Ramsay does a Martinez and it doesn’t bounce of his head and into the net but instead manages to go just inches wide.

    6. Ooh, it’s good to be a Goonah…

    1. 3. Conte basically did a ten minute rant on “itsa the history ofa the Tottenham!”
      4. Zaha is far from a beast. I’m so glad we didn’t sign him. He’s a head case and I hate watching him play. He’s have gotten 10 red cards playing for Arsenal.
      5. SMALL MARGINS!

      1. Regarding the…ah…spikey nature of Zaha’s style, I think we need to give Ben White his proper due. Cue Tom Petty’s “I Won’t Back Down”.*

        You know that in the Wenger era, that ball would have rebounded in the back of the net off Szcensy’s head.Such was our luck.

        We don’t want that kind of luck on the run-in. Citeh, Liverpool, away. Please, let’s do this.

        (*The song goes beyond it’s immediate reference to romantic stubbornness and can speak to more than just relationships.)

    2. Zaha was good in attack, but a complete liability in defense. Two of the goals were significantly due to his poor defensive effort.
      I was at one point a fan of getting him, but not after that match.

  5. Rob Holding will always be a hero for pocketing Diego Costa. Locks for days, lockdown defender. Undeniably better than Cannavaro.

    1. This. I couldn’t remember that dbags name. Holding has moments/games where he is borderline top class, but on average, a better than average centerback. I’m happy with him as backup. There may be a better option out there in the future, but I don’t know an English centerback willing, and apparently happy to play his role of sub and genuine good guy teammate.

      1. Harry Mcguire mate lol. But then who’d take him if he wanted off? Ahh the tiny tots that’s who

        1. Maguire might be a little better in the air. Otherwise, he’s no better than Holding, and might be worse in some regards.
          But a worthwhile comparison, since at least in their club teams, both are now backups. Would I take Maguire instead? Probably not, and certainly not if we had to pay more for him.

  6. I think NoFuture is spot on here. It would be hard to replace Holding at a reasonable price, and his contributions extend beyond what happens on the pitch. He undoubtedly had a strong showing yesterday. Still, as we look to next season and think about CL, I suspect another right-footed CB will be on the shopping list. Holding’s lack of speed has been a liability against top tier squads. He can perform well against lower level teams but will struggle against elite talent (Spuds away last year comes to mind). Depending on Tomi’s recovery timeframe, we could be looking for an RB and CB. The dropoff from Saliba to Holding is more significant than any other position besides Partey to Jorginho. Not saying I know who the replacement is, but I think that position can and should be upgraded in Summer. Just because Holding is pretty good doesn’t mean we can’t do better.

    1. I suspect we go back in for Fresneda and Tomo becomes a sort of utility man covering RB, CB, LB. I’d be up for that.

  7. For a backup CB who is actually Ok with being a backup CB at Arsenal, there is NO player better than Rob Holding. He’s better than most starting CBs in the bottom 10 sides of the PL, and better than 75% of starting CBs in the other leagues. That’s a rough estimate but I stand by it. We are spoiled to have a player of his quality on our bench, never complaining, ready to step up when his number is called and put in performances like that. That’s SO valuable. Not only that, he is a glue guy who knows the system inside and out, he knows the club inside and out, he’s been here through all the hard times and he won’t let the others forget. Every winning club needs guys like that.

    I say this all the time but it’s worth repeating: players are people too, not just commodities, and they all have flaws. We know what Rob can do and we know what he can’t do. He can’t live with Hyung Min Son in the open grass. We can go out and spend $50 million on Levi Colwell and upgrade on Holding. He’ll come in feeling insecure, out of place, needing to prove himself, wanting a place in the first XI. Rob Holding has none of that baggage, and the club can spend that money elsewhere. He CAN lock down most “classic” style CFs and be an excellent stopper against most outlets when we play against a block.

    1. I think we’re stuck in the mentality of worrying about who’d be ok with a backup role when the new reality is we are suddenly the belle of the ball. Who wouldn’t want to join the best young team in football? We should be striving to have 2 guys competing for every position vs. wondering if anyone would be ok with sitting on the bench. I want the dude who believes he can challenge Saliba for playing time, not the guy who’s content to ride the pine. If we win the league, MA8 will be thinking, “I want to be the greatest team ever.” Looking for a double or treble next year. Not just competing. You need excellent depth to do that, not guys who are just about good enough. Maybe that’s wishful thinking but I guarantee that’s Arteta’s mindset, and I’m not betting against him.

      1. The argument is sound and I do agree in principle. Ideally in a well rounded squad there are not only two guys at similar levels at each position, but they each offer something a little different so the coach can pick the most desirable trait for the match at hand.

        I just think we have so many other more pressing needs. Xhaka should be a backup or alternate, not a starter, so we’re are looking for an elite level player there. Partey needs a long term backup because Jorginho is just a stopgap and Sambi doesn’t look like he’s going to be ready next season. We need another player on the wing who can replicate what Saka does because Martinelli’s profile is that of a striker or inside forward (similar to how Walcott, Overmars or Aubameyang was deployed from the flanks) and because Saka can’t always be that guy. That’s three top, top players we need this coming transfer window. Let’s say Moussa Diaby, Declan Rice and Moises Caicedo. Add those guys to this team… project goes supersonic.

  8. Well, I have to say that was a sad-sack Palace press if ever I saw one. They nominally lined up in a 1-3 but those four stayed narrow, didn’t close down with much enthusiasm, and their FBs didn’t back them up so Arsenal always had an out ball. The effort levels were intermittent from the wing players, particularly Zaha. Their midfield was also too passive and we bypassed them with ease. Watch Arsenal’s press when Palace had the ball in the same places, and you’ll see that every Palace player is marked, and more often than not they have to go long. That’s where Holding, White and Gabriel (and Partey) gobble them up in the duels and get Arsenal on the ball again. In some ways, Holding is better at that than Saliba. It’s a beautful thing.

    We should have won this game 7-0 with the amount of time we got behind them, but their last ditch tackling was good and we hesitated too much in good positions.

    Benjamin White had an outstanding game, particularly on the ball. He fed Saka some perfectly weighted throughballs that I wasn’t sure he had in his locker, and his movement against the only occasionally switched on Zaha caused havoc.

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