COVID-19 has locked down both society and sport with football fans seeing nothing of the beautiful game in England since mid-March. The gates are closed, the stands and terraces are empty, the fans are forlorn. Whilst COVID-19 might have locked down English football, FIFA20 has saved it, in some respects.
There have been tournaments run, with players getting involved, that have used FIFA20. Leeds United have simulated their postponed games using FIFA20 and have been attracting online crowds into the many 1000s. For many, it is the console football game of choice.
However, FIFA20’s makers, EA, are causing more than a spit of anger from Leeds United fans for their player choices in the EFL’s ‘Team of the Season So Far’ (TOTSSF). Yes, influential midfielder Kalvin Phillips is included – indeed he is the top-ranked EFL player with a 92OVR rating.
The furore that is growing amongst Leeds United fans is that Ben White has been omitted from the console game’s representative offering covering all three of the EFL’s leagues. Instead of White, the centre-back pairing are former Rotherham teammates Michael Ihiekwe (Rotherham United) and Semi Ajayi (West Bromwich Albion).
White has been a revelation in Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds United side that is currently topping the Sky Bet Championship table. He’s featured for every minute of the Whites’ 37 games of the 2019/20 Championship campaign. He’s drawn the attention of Premier League sides Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United. He’s not in the FIFA20 TOTSSF though and that rankles Leeds United fans.
As soon as Leeds United tweeted this on Friday (below), you knew that Whites fans would be all over it like ants on jam:
👏 Kalvin is named in EA’s ‘EFL Team of the Season So Far’ which is available now! #TOTSSF #FUT20 pic.twitter.com/t3jLOKnFKF
— Leeds United (@LUFC) April 24, 2020
As sure as night follows day, Leeds United fans were quick to respond. Here are some of these responses to the news that Kalvin was in but Ben was out.
FIFA20 decision causes stunned disbelief amongst Leeds United fans
Ben Whites been robbed
— j a c k (At 🏡) (@jackleeds_) April 24, 2020
As good as the rest have been, leaving @ben6white out is criminal
— Richard Brown (@browny280881) April 24, 2020
Ben white is a figment of my imagination?
— Harrison Hurst (@HarrisonHurst4) April 24, 2020
ahem@ben6white pic.twitter.com/XNZ6bw0Fhw
— James LUFC💛💙 (@_jamesamitch) April 24, 2020
White should be in that all day long and that’s not even a biased opinion it’s a fact
— Dave Duracell (@DaveDuracell) April 24, 2020
— Ben Jones (@BenJonesLUFC) April 24, 2020
White robbed so greatly
— john smith (@john118smith) April 24, 2020
No Ben white. Are they on crack!!! Wtf
— Reece Price (@Reece7Price) April 24, 2020
Full FIFA20 EFL TOTSSF
- GK – Marek Rodak – Fulham (86)
- RWB Randell Williams – Exeter City (86); CB Michael Ihiekwe – Rotherham United (85); CB Semi Ajayi – West Brom (87); LB Joe Jacobson – Wycombe Wanderers (85)
- CDM Kalvin Phillips – Leeds United (92); CAM Eberechi Eze – Queens Park Rangers (88); CAM Matheus Pereira – West Brom (91); LW Said Benrahma – Brentford (89)
- ST Aleksander Mitrovic – Fulham (92); ST Eoin Doyle – Swindon Town (87)
- SUBS: GK Alex Palmer – Plymouth Argyle (83); RB Matty Cash – Nottingham Forest (85), LM Ronan Curtis – Portsmouth (85); RW James Henry – Oxford United (84); RWB Fankaty Dabo – Coventry City (84); CB Charlie Goode – Northampton Town (84); CM John Swift – Reading (87); CDM Ben Whiteman – Doncaster Rovers (84), LW Charlie Kirk – Crewe Alexandra (83)
