Since joining Arsenal with such fanfare in September, Tobin Heath has still yet to complete 90 minutes for the club. In her three most recent starts, she has played 45 minutes, followed by 54 minutes, followed again by 45 minutes against Wolfsburg on Thursday where she was withdrawn at half-time.
It means that Heath has not completed 90 minutes since November 2020 when she was a Manchester United player. Heath missed the first half of 2021 with a long injury lay-off and at the age of 34, she is in the autumn of her glittering career, even if she remains a top-class player.
Following Arsenal’s Champions League exit on Thursday, Arseblog News asked Jonas Eidevall whether Tobin’s fitness is a concern or whether he expected her to essentially be a rotational squad player.
“I think there are a lot of reasons that it has worked out that way so far, if you look at the injuries she picked up at unfortunate timings,” he explained. “We haven’t been able to quite get her over them well enough to complete 90 minutes yet.
“It wasn’t part of the plan when we brought her in and I would have loved to see her play 90 minutes more often in this team because she is a great player with really great qualities.”
Arsenal need to dust themselves down after Thursday’s UWCL exit at the quarter-final stage against Wolfsburg. They play away at Leicester in the WSL on Sunday and are one point behind Chelsea at the top of the table.
“We have to look forward and let go of what happened on Thursday. We cannot change it now. It will be a very difficult game, Leicester play in a very different way and they will pose different problems and challenges for us, we have to be focused on that and not think about Wolfsburg.”
Eidevall dismissed the idea that being out of the Champions League could work in Arsenal’s favour as they chase the league title and the FA Cup, with Chelsea standing in the way of both objectives.
“We still have the same targets domestically, to win both trophies. Every football club wants to be in the Champions League, it isn’t a problem to play those extra games, it’s a challenge, it is inspiring to build that organisation and build a squad to cope with it.
“I want us to be ambitious and have success domestically and internationally. It requires a lot of resources but the club wants to go there, I want to go there and the players want to go there, so let’s do it.”
Heath and Parris have both been poor value for money. A waste. Heath will leave for the US and I doubt she will ever play 90 minutes for us.
Parris was free, and they never disclosed a fee for Heath. But she has an option for a second year, and always seems to be having fun. Also Heath scored or assisted in vital goals this year. And in merchandise sales also, has been value for the team.
Parris was not free she was bought out of her contract for70K, and sure as long as Heath is having fun picking up her salary at Arsenal and play 45 minutes here and there. Great value for money on them.
It was the same situation with Heath when she was with ManU–she was injured a lot and played very sparingly. I knew when she was signed that her constant injury issues would be a problem.
And what about Iwabuchi? She’s not been good value, either. She’s either been sitting or injured quite a bit herself. I thought she was brought in to help against the pressing that has so bedeviled the Gunners for a while.
Iwabuchi hasn’t played enough because of Jonas. It is not like she has always been injured, Jonas has kept her on the bench even in games she should be playing.
Does her contract lasts for another year?
I believe it was originally announced as a year with an option on a second year. A lot probably depends on what players they manage to re sign as several have contracts up.
Yes, at some point soon there has to be some news on Miedema, I would think.
I have to say I’m a little disappointed in this question. I’d have asked about Iwabuchi who has played even less minutes this season for us. But Arsenal are definitely a better team when Heath is playing. I’m hoping she plays another year.
Except against Wolfsburg. No one could possibly think Arsenal played better in the first half than in the second.
Jonas was asked about Iwabuchi by another journalist about a fortnight ago, but Mana has more minutes than Tobin. She’s also completed 90 minutes several times. Mana isn’t being selected due to form and she wasn’t brought in by Jonas, neither of those are the case for Tobin, which is why I asked the question. She’s a great player and I still think she had value as a high level squad player.
It looks like starting Tobin on Thursday was a “roll of the dice” that failed. Her signing was always going to be a gamble regarding fitness issues but imo she has benefitted the team/squad with her presence and undoubted enthusiasm and, ultimately, could that point she nicked at Citeh ultimately make the difference.
Exactly! You cannot put a price on having a player like Tobin in and around the squad whether or not she plays.
There is more to professional football than kicking a ball around a field for 90 minutes and far too many armchair expert commentators conveniently forget what goes on behind the scenes out of view of the fans and media!
He is out of his depth. We saw a better coached, better drilled, more tactical setup in Wolfsburg. Jonas had no clue what to do. Those girls are suffering without real coaching and direction.
What has happened to Souza is she still injured?
Tobin, Nikita, Foord, Laura and Mana doesn’t played much this season but they are having a very good delivery in performance and goals for the team in the few minutes they played, not the case of Jordan and Boye to be 100% honest, the team have to offer a contract to the first 5 and have a serious chat with the last two and take a fair decision based only in the future of the team.