Mikel Arteta admits Hector Bellerin’s performances can improve but was quick to point out his compatriot has been hampered by injuries.
The right-back spent eight months on the sidelines recovering from an ACL injury that required surgery in January 2019 and not long after his return picked up a hamstring problem that kept him out for another seven weeks.
He appeared to be getting back in the groove before the Covid-19 lockdown but a sluggish performance at Southampton has seen people asking questions of his form.
Indeed, that’s exactly what happened in Mikel Arteta’s pre-Sheffield United press conference, when it was put to the boss that the player was looking off the pace.
The boss says the club are trying to help the player.
“He’s had a lot of injuries in the past season that hasn’t allowed him to be very consistent, even in training and the games he’s played,” said Arteta.
“When that happens, the level of consistency in performance always drops.
“But, you know, the effort he puts in, the commitment he’s shown to the club out of the players is always at the top and his performances can be improved.
“Of course, they can do. He’s trying hard to do that and we’re here to help.”
Having started three games in a week since football’s restart, we’d be surprised if the 25-year-old features from the off at Bramall Lane on Sunday.
Bellerin needs a good pre-season and he’ll be back to his best…or something pretty close to that. Who knows with the ACL? He may have lost a yard of pace for good.
Comparing Tierney to Bellerin is misleading. The team shifted into 3-4-3 with Salad/Bellerin as wingbacks for big chunks of the game so the relevant comparison is Mustafi-Bellerin. Bellerin’s starting position is higher to help win the midfield battle. Pepe is also the other side of the equation, didn’t show for the ball or offer an outlet whereas Saka was a livewire. Bellerin will come good, Arteta shouldn’t give this oxygen by commenting on it.
Saka/Bellerin, damn autocorrect…
Salad/Bellerin, like oil and vinegar.
Bellerin is a great player when our team is on the attack and dominating other teams. We saw this under Wenger when we were beating most teams outside the top 6. I am sure his injuries haven’t helped, but I don’t think the tactics of Emery and Arteta suit Bellerin. Defending is not his strongest ability. He always struggles when we sit deep and have fewer shots than the opponent every game. If we are going to be more defensive minded, then we need a stronger right back. Like a RB/CB player.
Attacking isn’t his strongest point either apart from pace. Let’s face it he hasn’t really progressed as much as we’d hope even without injuries. Even under Wenger his form was questionable and we were all getting frustrated with him. I hope he turns a corner though because I think he’s a good bloke.
I’m already fucking sick of listening to all the arse-kissing of Liverpool. I just wish that we would get our act together and produce a decent team.
I can’t see us winning the title any time soon.
We can if we spend. Arsenal need to look at Mikel as the young Pep. When Pep came to City he recruited his squad in 3 windows and won the league in his second season. If we are really a big club we should start closing down on that gap. We need to sign quality players. If they give Arteta money to spend in the next 3 transfer windows we might be closer to closing the gap. That’s what big teams do. Otherwise we will become a mid table table.
You do realize the money Pep spent, don’t you? The petro gazillions he had at his disposal? No? 1 Rodri Rodri Defensive Midfield Atlético Madrid Atlético Madrid Spain LaLiga 03.07.2019 £63.00m 2 Riyad Mahrez Riyad Mahrez Right Winger Leicester City Leicester England Premier League 09.07.2018 £61.02m 3 Aymeric Laporte Aymeric Laporte Centre-Back Athletic Bilbao Athletic Spain LaLiga 29.01.2018 £58.50m 4 João Cancelo João Cancelo Right-Back Juventus FC Juventus Italy Serie A 06.08.2019 £58.50m 5 Benjamin Mendy Benjamin Mendy Left-Back AS Monaco Monaco Monaco Ligue 1 23.07.2017 £51.75m 6 John Stones John Stones Centre-Back Everton FC Everton England Premier League 08.08.2016… Read more »
Lol. Sadly we are the club that’s so stingy that we ask our players to take a pay cut.
Along with most other teams
actually were the only team that did it.
and we didn’t ask them, afaik bellerin came forward with the idea.
Pep inherited a team with a golden generation of academy players coming through. Barcelona also had the second largest budget in the league. Arsenal have a quality bunch of academy players coming through but none are players who we’re likely to build a team around. We don’t have the budget of a Man Utd, the owners backing of a Chelsea, City, the recent success of Liverpool. We’ve effectively the 5th choice club in England for any player. As fans we’ll have to be patient and hope the club gets it right both on and off the field. Only then can… Read more »
Whatever is happening in the club is not the coach,is not the team its the entire board of directors who are too mean with money football is competive it needs money to buy quality players who will make the star players we have to shine more and groom the young ones
Pepe performs better when Maitland Niles is playing as the right back and Torreira right side of midfield. When he plays with Bellerin he look lost, they don’t create enough chances compare to the left side of field. Arteta need to find a balance on the right that will support Pepe. If the right creates the same number of chances as the left side, we will attack better. I hope Soares and Torreira bring that balance to the right. It need to fit Pepe because he should be starting most PL games next season.
To be honest it’s been a while since bellerin was used as a traditional right back. Perhaps if we move back to a normal back four with two wide men (and a playmaker in the hole), then Pepe and Bellerin can flourish together.
Did anyone look at Adrien Clark’s brief, but very enlightening, analysis of this issue, on the official website? He showed how Arteta wanted Bellerin to play more centrally almost like a right-sided deep midfielder, in order to allow Mustafi to be able to pass directly to Pepe to bring him in. Whereas on the other side, Tierney dropped back as a third centre-half and Saka was allowed to move forward.
We’ve waited years for him to get fully fit, I’m not sure I understand the immediate focus on his form now of all times. A player like him in a role like his that relies so much on his athletic prowess, there’s obviously the real possibility he never quite regains that, but even that’s alright. We’re about to start what should be a pretty seismic rebuild of this club. A 6/10 RB (at his current form), tied to a long term deal who has shown massive loyalty and leadership for the club in difficult circumstances is good bedrock… Read more »
Very sensible analysis. I’d still take 30M if it was offered though
you are kidding? 30m is what normal clubs get for average centerbacks.
Bellerin is worth atleast 45m…but then we never get what they’re worth.
There’s no takers for Bellerin at 30M and there’s probably no direct replacement for less (wasn’t Max Aaron’s being talked about at around 40M?)
For replacements, I’m a bit surprised not a lot of the big clubs have been looking at Lukas Klostermann from RB Leipzig. Pretty good player, has explosive pace for a guy his size, is adept on the ball and can play CB pretty well too. Very much a Kyle Walker type player, I’d argue even better without Walker’s concentration lapses from time to time. Him and Halstenberg are very underrated by most people outside Germany, it’s why I feel they rushed it with Cedric’s contract (Kia might have had something to do with that) but I’m pretty sure he would’ve… Read more »
I really appreciate this analysis and agree. His performances can improve but I admire his work off the pitch and commitment to the club as well. There are other kinks in the armor that must be remedied first before we look at Bellerin.
Right, glad it’s not just my opinion. I know the modern game the fullbacks very important and all that, but I don’t look at the last 3 performances and think “man, if only we had a better right back we’d really be cooking”.
I didn’t think he was as poor as some people imagine. Tierney also made a couple of poor passes. Bellerin did not have the benefit of Saka helping TIerney. Pepe did his job but not quite the same. Plus we are (HAVE been) traditionally stronger on left. Pepe again largely missing for large spells but for a couple of opportune moments. We need a strong creative force right side that can also help shield. Bellerin weighed in with at least one good (IMPORTANT) clearance and whilst he was disjointed going forward, I feel the overall brief for… Read more »
At the moment AMN offers more than him.
He needs to pick things up and improve.
Never been good in attack, which he needs to really pick up on, especially crossing.
He’s an ‘inside right back’, not the type that excels at crossing from the byline. Meaning that He’ll be better with a Reiss nelson ahead of him
Pure class…… he will be back , it takes time.
Look at Rob for Gods sake…..
Hector played most of a season with an ankle injury before he suffered the ACL, and he’s never had decent cover so plays too many games. Hopefully Cedric is a decent back up so that Hector can be managed properly, he’s just played three games in ten days and should be rested on Sunday. With proper game management I think he’ll be back to his best, the pace is there, check out that clearance.
Then he will fail. Favoritism, playing player based on rep and not actual ability. Good, not even great clubs don’t do that.
Let’s hope he does – though after an ACL he may never return to his early form. Honestly, he was pretty awful against Southampton & it wasn’t just due to a lack of pace.
Bellerin hasn’t been good lately but so has the whole team. It’s not like he’s been letting down prime Barcelona. Pretty sure everyone will ignore the ACL and mention it when other players in a similar situation have a bad game, spell, or more.
He’s 25 though and one of our captains and he needs to recover fast