Hector Bellerin says he’s pleased Arsenal can again call on experienced trio Laurent Koscielny, Olivier Giroud and Mesut Ozil following their extended break after EURO 2016.
All three players featured at the King Power stadium, Koscielny putting in a man-of-the-match shift from the start and the other two coming off the bench, as the Gunners snatched a 0-0 draw against champions Leicester.
Arsene Wenger’s were far from their best, particularly in the final third, and the lack of cutting edge is something the young Spanish right-back insists his teammates will put right in the coming weeks.
“The end product wasn’t good enough,” Bellerin told Arsenal Player at full time.
“We just need to keep going, keep playing with the same mentality we have been playing with and then hopefully we will see an improvement.
On the defence he noted: “I think there’s a lot of solidarity at the back and we got a lot of help from the midfield players because they defended well from the front.
“Sometimes it’s about starting from the back, having a strong team at the back and then being efficient up front. We weren’t efficient enough, but I’m sure that once we get into our rhythm, the goals will come.
“Definitely [we’ll improve]. There’s a lot of players who have missed pre-season after coming back late from the Euros. Every single player we have can compete on the pitch.
“Santi started and then when Mesut came on he created a lot of chances too. That’s the same with Olivier. It’s nice to have them back and as soon as the whole team is back, the performances will get better.”
Obviously, we can’t really afford to drop any more points. Having fallen five points behind Chelsea, Manchester United and Chelsea already we’re already playing catch up.
You wouldn’t expect him to say anything else. But it suggests the folks at the Emirates are feeling a little embattled when players are being pushed out into the media to make positive statements about the team’s prospects.
Ltd., Inc., Llc., Co., load of horse shit.
Giroud and Ozil have to start against Watford on Saturday!
Well, would be total disaster to keep “resting” them
Other teams are ready…why not us?
Because Arsene Wenger is with few exceptions reactive, not proactive in the transfer market when it comes to addressing squad needs. When you couple that with his preference for personal valuation of players over market valuation, you have a recipe for chronic unpreparedness.
I am afraid we will have an easy go at it against Watford and get a few goals and Wenger will feel as if all is OK in the striker department and not look to bring another one in.
Honestly, I don’t think results affect Wenger’s thinking at all. And that’s the big problem, isn’t it? Good results, bad results, gaping holes in the squad, nothing affects his thinking. It’s always the same with him. He only looks for players who will improve the squad, all the while ignoring countless players who could have improved the squad.
That’s true sir. He started this disease in 2006 after the end of the invincibles. Winning has completely gone out of his thinking. No hunger anymore. When people question him about that, he is angry and defensive; all signs of an aging tyrant.
That’s not always true.If he thinks top four is in doubt,he’ll spend.No better example than 2011 after the 8-2.E Even 2013,I doubt he would have gone for Ozil if we had a good start,although the eventual transfer itself was completely unplanned.
I think you are being overly optimistic about the Watford result mate!
I hate to say this but I’m ready for it to be May. Time to get a new manager in and start over. If you think we’ll compete for the title this season I’m jealous of you. Wish I could be so optimistic.
And when we start next season with our new manager the club will decide to change how they do things and spend huge sums of money buying many world class players. Our new manager won’t even care about money, he’ll just get rid of the players we don’t need with ease. Our new players will never get injured and make it possible for us to really compete for the title and our new manager will make sure they play to the best of their abilities. With these new powers combined we will take what is rightfully ours for years to… Read more »
So how do you see this team improving this season? What table position would that entail – 1st? Do you think the club’s transfer activity in the last 2 years represents ‘maximising what he can get out of the club’? I think we all know the answers to those last 2 questions.
Petr Cech, Alexis Sánchez, David Ospina, Mesut Özil – Great signings Danny Welbeck, Mathieu Debuchy – Unlucky injuries but good players Mohamed Elneny, Gabriel Paulista (and unlucky injury too), Calum Chambers – We don’t know yet.. If you add up what he paid for those players and try and buy around the same amount of better players, do you think we could have done a whole lot better? Maximising means making the most of what you’ve got, not spending more money by the way. We all pretend that Wenger can spend as much money as he sees fit but that… Read more »
It has always been a blame game. After every defeat, every last minute goal we concede, every substitution which doesn’t pay off, every transfer that doesn’t work… You can count many as Wenger has been with us for a long, long time. Some fans can’t isolate their opinion of Arsenal and our manager to the present. Wenger is of course not flawless. What he has achieved since getting funds just a few years ago is very positive though. Compare our last 4 years, the transfers, league position and trophy count to the previous 4 years. We are beating and competing… Read more »
utter rubbish, we don’t compete with these clubs anyway, the alternative is not worse it’s just different,
having faith in Wenger is one thing, believing he is bigger then the club is a sign of dementia…….
I agree with the first part, it would be different, it would most probably be worse. I’m not saying the Wenger is bigger than the club, I’m saying the owners/board are the real problem, they’re not interested in the chance of winning football trophies at the expense of spending a whole lot more than they need to right now. They want to slowly and cautiously improve the wealth of the club each year so they get what they want out of Wenger’s consistency and his ability to get a lot more out of players than almost every other manager in… Read more »
If you have a transfer budget that doesn’t get maximised whilst holding on to sub-par players paying them way too much for producing way too little all the while overlooking high performing thoroughbreds because you’re busy waiting for a unicorn to become available at a cheap price, then no…no you haven’t done enough.
Every club has players that are overpaid and players that did not turn to warrant their transfer fee. You’re talking about one player and it’s a player that I can’t stand either but he’s English and did show promise at times so we gave him an English pay-rise but he has largely turned out to be a bit of a dud. I’m sure Wenger would take cash for him in a heartbeat if someone offered a decent amount but obviously nobody wants him (understandably). We don’t, and if we can’t afford his salary who could, other than the top clubs… Read more »
We don’t have to top other clubs financially. We just need a change. Someone who sees things differently. Nothing wrong with that.
Look out! Drones are about! Hey, btw, didn’t Arsenal make more money than any other club last season? Didn’t we “break the 2bn mark”? And still you say “we can’t compete” because Wenger and Gazidis said so? Fans like you are the reason why our beloved club is going down a spiral. “A cataclysm after Wenger” spineless idiots who couldn’t possibly grasp a non stringy Arsenal with the likes of Löw at the helm!
Blaming fellow fans for showing support…. hmmmm I would prefer to blame those who didn’t get behind the team and those who created a toxic atmosphere at the Emirates.
2013-14 : 79 pts 2014-15 : 75 pts 2015-16 : 71 pts You’re right we’re improving. It’s not the club that is reluctant to spend,it’s the manager(they’re not the same you know).This is supported by any number of quotes by himself and the board in the past.His philosophy has become the club’s philosophy because there’s no one to question him on footballing matters(or any matter). That we have these injuries year after under the same Manager and fitness staff cannot be a co-incidence can it?Are you implying that Arsenal have some kind of curse with injuries that will continue with… Read more »
2013-14: 4th
2014-15: 3rd
2015-16: 2nd
Sorry but that’s bollocks. SureWenger is doing his best but in saying that I have to believe he is also either overworked, knows something we don’t or worse given his inability to strengthen where required, inexplicable team choices, total lack of sensitivity to the fans and consistently fragile team spirit in tough games he now needs to move on and let someone who can compete with an modern aggressive and unifying philosophy like Simeone take over. Either that or hire a sports director to take full responsibility for transfers and let Wenger at least focus on the pitch. Used to… Read more »
Yawn…
This is just lazy. At least with the Ornstein tweet, Arsenal’s PR team tried something different / new!
You do have to feel for players such as Koscielny and Bellerin – being forced to make statements to cover up the incompetence of their manager and Arsenal management
I reckon tomorrow’s story will be Giroud coming out to say how great the spirit is within the squad.
Will likely not be long before we get a “mentally tough” reference or two either.
I have found a lot of people downvote a lot of sensible comments like yours. I am very curious to know who they are and what their justifications are…
Because it’s just lazy to call it a forced statement everytime one of the players tries to be positive but it’s always by choice when they say we need reinforcements.
I can understand where you are coming from. However Arsenal TV is clearly not a platform for players to be able to speak their mind. Maybe they are not forced to say what they have said but I think we can agree they are only allowed to give an honest interview if it is not a criticism regarding transfers. Although he was fully in his right to do so Wenger’s response to Henry critisising the club’s transfer policy was to force him to choose between working for the club or his punditry.
Wenger gave Koscielny and Bellerin their chance and the platform to have great careers. Never mind the countless other great players he has nurtured. You seriously think they believe he is incompetent!? The word delusional springs to mind. We have one of the most respected managers in world football but if The Sun and Paul Merson mock him, it means he is useless?
My advice for gooners, put down the papers and ignore the online transfer bollox. The guy Robbie at Arsenal Fan TV looks like he will end up supporting Spu*s by the end of the window!
Wenger is obviously not incompetent. I am sure they and many other players are grateful to Wenger. However they and we all know that Wenger will develop their careers but if they want to win Premier League and Champions League titles they will have to move elsewhere. I don’t pay for the most expensive football season tickets in the world solely to see Arsenal develop young players I do so in the hope that one day we will a Premierleague or a Champions League. I expect the manager of the team to acknowledge and prioritise this.
Where are the goals coming from?
Campbell might get a few….oh wait, scrap that suggestion.
Hey maybe we should give Afobe a chanc…..oh yeah, we sold him to make room for Sanogo.
Not from Walcott, that’s for certain.
Theo’s already off and running with one goal.
Campbell has to contend with Gnabry, Ox and Iwobi all of whom have pace to add. Its not a zero sum game either. Should we sell Theo, we can also bring Joel back if he raises his game on loan to a different level. Plus if we are making the inane assumption (made by some on this site) that Campbell has played more hours than Gnabry and therefore is a better pick, consider Bellerin or Coquelin or Iwobi. None of them were clocking heavy hours with us and all transitioned into the team very well. Again, some people would deem… Read more »
Apart from he didn’t really give Coquelin a chance until he was forced to.
If it’s the board that’s not letting him spend then Wenger should man up and say that. He always goes on about principles and honour yet if the board are not making money available for transfers then he’s been stringing the fans along for a ride.
He’s not looking wistfully at man city at all
“Having fallen five points behind Chelsea, Manchester United and Chelsea already we’re already playing catch up.” – I think one of the Chelseas should be Manchester City. Cheers blogs!
I feel that the manager’s actions have made his position at the club problematic if the team does not put together a very, very competitive season on both league and champions league fronts. I am not ready to be as pessimistic as some, but it would seem that Arsene has put himself on some very thin ice and now must produce or step aside. I am willing to give him the rest of the season to show that he is right, but failure to win something big at this point will most likely be the end of his storied career… Read more »
win lose or draw, arsenal players give interviews to arsenal.com, if anyone is really trying to claim they are being forced to do so, or to say anything in particular then its really clutching at straws from those that like to find fault with everything the club does. I bet if Arsenal.com did not give player interviews after a defeat or draw they same people would be saying “oh look the club are not allowing the players give interviews now”
Well I am glad Bellerín speaks with reason and understands a solid back line is foundation to a solid team. Its progress, game 2, and a long season ahead of us. If he has faith in the team and rejected to join the “Pep” revolution at Citeh, then more reason to back the team. #COYG
We will get a striker, we will get a striker, we will get a striker…?
Bellerin, it’s one of the many wonderful players we have in the team and credit to Wenger, to first buy him and then give him the chance – someone like Mourinio would have dipped into the market, than the internal solution! However (there is always one isn’t it), it’s so frustrating that the couple of additions and the need to move on players that are so obvious, are the ones that Wenger and the club are dithering on! They are the easy one, as we know (or should know), who we need and have the money to buy. It’s not… Read more »
What did I say, that I’m moderated? Is it just the way I said, my voice, my expression so I said the above? 🙂
Can you not see the contradiction in your comment?
Wenger bought him….
Mourning would have bought someone…..
Lol
The goals won’t come if we have players who are told not to cross or shoot from distance. We have become clinical and less instinctive. The passion has been drained from this club.
?
We have been shooting from distance.
There were several shots from distance first half by Santi, Granit and Bellerin.
The logic has been drained from this fan.:D
Not to mention the Ox with a superb curling effort. That wasn’t exactly from point blank.;)
I feel we are lacking a bit of guile up front. Alexis is still trying out a new role which will take time and may not happen. Theo has now decided to go wide, in all respects perhaps its better to persist with him more centrally but his output for the full match in this role is suspect. Particularly, Theo IMO still tends to be too predictable. He doesn’t have the composure to trick his way around. Case in hand first half when he was in the box with the defender already on the ground, he elects to cross over… Read more »
Love Bellerin. Would prefer he speak less to the press and more to Theo about how to work better together. That’s how goals will come!
Wish we could have gotten Griezmann. He and Giroud look to work really well together as evidenced in the European Championship. Just don’t know why we couldn’t have gotten Higuain or Griesman. Frustrated. Could be a long season.
Because they both are in contention for their respective League titles and constantly go beyond the rund of 16 in the CL. That’s why we don’t attract players like them.
Add that to the fact that they’d cost huge amounts that Wenger wouldn’t spend on them.
“Obviously, we can’t really afford to drop any more points. Having fallen five points behind Chelsea, Manchester United and Chelsea already we’re already playing catch up.”
FFS ten points behind The Chavs already, already!
Someone out! 😉
Campbell is going because someone’s coming in? Draxler?
Gnabry more like.
Pay you that one.
Yes LoLo!
Btw doesn’t the Campbell loan preclude an incoming attacking player to cover that gap?
Personally I would also be happy to settle for a player like Johnny Evans if we were to spend big on an attacking player (Thumbs crossed its Draxler)
All the big teams we should be competing for trophies have assembled their strong teams in advance and ready to compete. For us at Arsenal we are in hands of a man who has been caught up with age, and winning mentality has been going down over the years. His hunger curve has been not positive. Still gambling about a difference of 1 pound on a transfer.
Match day 1: will not repeat the invincible season.
I think that’s what irritates most arsenal fans.
Has anyone seen lacazette on YouTube. Doesn’t look that impressive.
No rush
From where will the goals come from? With player like Giroud so unserious in the box. Arsenal need a serious striker QED.Walcott is a cut off our team.Alexis has given so much.
God I hope Arsenal backroom staff read these