Hector Bellerin has thrown his support behind Mikel Arteta by insisting his compatriot has Arsenal on the right path.
Against a backdrop of stuttering league form, the manager recently acknowledged that his managerial honeymoon period is over but pleaded for continued patience from supporters as he continues to reshape the playing squad in his own image.
Having witnessed Arteta’s work at close quarters, Bellerin has no doubts that the Gunners have the right man at the helm and that the team will get back to winning ways after a tough November.
“When Mikel came we knew a change was needed in terms of not just the way we play but the culture and identity,” he told the BBC’s Football Focus ahead of Sunday’s game with Sp*rs.
“On and off the pitch, that is something you don’t achieve in one day or one week. It is important to keep going because, even though results are not coming, we are doing so many things much better. I really, really believe the results will come.
“The way he [Arteta] turned it around after the lockdown, winning the FA Cup and Community Shield, showed the capacity he had as a manager.
“When you want to change the whole culture of the club for the better, that is something that takes time. But I truly believe we are on the right path; we are all fully on board.”
In a separate interview with beIN SPORTS, Bellerin was asked about the criticism that has been directed towards Arteta in recent weeks.
“So unjust. So unjust,” the full-back said. “We have to, as players, take responsibility for this because I think we all know that Mikel and his coaching team give us all the tools that we need to win all the games.
“When you lose a game it’s always very easy to blame the coach. But also when the coach gives us the tools we have to be the ones to step up.
“The way that Mikel plans these games, all the knowledge that they give us before we step on to the pitch is second to none.
“Sometimes it’s not that easy, depending on the opponent, but that’s why football is beautiful. If you play the games on the tactics board, then it will be a completely different game.”
I am sorry but the last part is total bollocks. What knowledge are they giving the players before the games? Clearly not working, too dull and slow. To be honest I don’t think we play with ANY tactics. Our best weapon is David Luiz long balls. Pepe trying to take on 4 people, playing wide most of the games away from the opponents goal? I would love to see or know or understand what are the tactics he is talking about.
I feel your frustration. But it’s a really positive thing that the players are buying into the project and trying to enforce his commands. I think this is the start of a long road. Many of the players remember Emery and Wenger before him and this is very different. Arteta is nothing if not a manager of specifics. He isn’t malleable in his philosophy. At the moment the players aren’t giving him what he wants and needs. He’s not telling them to go out there and pass backwards and never create an opportunity. The question is: Is Mikel so used… Read more »
I would love to be positive too, trust me, we all want Arsenal and Arteta to do well. I know we won the FA Cup with Arteta which was amazing. But the problem I see ahead is Emery has better stats than Arteta in the League. I am no fan of Emery, but Arteta has to improve us, not make it worse than Emery. The question is how long should we give Arteta? When should we expect an improvement? The fact that players keep passing the ball back tells me they dont have many options up front, so the next… Read more »
I personally think any less than a full season would be a big mistake.
I know it’s anecdotal but when a player like Willian, who has been coached by some of the absolute greats and Jose, says he’s something special then we have a good chance of having a great, contemporary coach on our hands.
Let’s not run the risk of making Arteta the managerial equivalent of Serge Gnabry.
And besides, who’s out there that is going to magically sort this mess of our own making out?
You would love to be positive? So speaks the most negative supporter who’s never showed an ounce of positivity 🙈🙈🙈
Ever heard of School of Hard knocks? There are somethings that are learned the hard way. The gold is for the furnace. Things may not look good, but we will come out looking better. Have some faith in the process.
Press Secretary Bellerin is half right on this. It is known that Pep Guardiola decides what his players do in details up to the final third. He then allows his players to use their talent to manage to score the goal. I guess our players fail miserably in that last part.
I think you’re thinking of Mou
No, Pep himself said it. Henry said the same thing talking about Guardiola’s tactics. In fact, Henry gave the example of a game where he was really dominating and was replaced at half time because he wasn’t doing what Guardiola asked him to do before the final third.
Our players don’t even know one another well enough to know what kind of passes they are looking for. It’ll take time, at least one season (as it did for Pep), to get the squad running smoothly.
Very nice analogy. Some of those Pep quality players attribute their improvements to Arteta. I believe that if given time he will turn midfield into the best part of our squad. He certainly got the most out of his own abilities when playing. I remain somewhat propitious.
Great word! Never heard that before. Added to the vocab arsenal!
Just because YOU don’t understand the tactics and believe that Arteta doesn’t develop a tactical plan, and despite the fact that one of our players explains he prepares extensively and gives the players a tactical plan, you still choose to believe there is no tactical plan says enough for me on your football opinions.
I can only comment on what I have seen and the facts and the results. Since I have no football knowledge, and you know best, I would love for you to explain what the tactical plans are based on the games you have watched? I have been fortunate enough to watch every Arsenal game under Arteta live, so please feel free to refer to any games and I will go back and check it out? Very curious if I missed something and look forward to your response?
Can you have some patience? It’s just 10 games into the season.
You are right we are only had 10 games into this season. Emery was sacked with 51 games in the League and we finished 5th in his first full season. Arteta has only had 30 games. So he deserves another 21 games before we compare apples to apples.
Here come the rationality!! offcourse there is no fucking pandemic ravaging the world and everything is rosy and green!! Now please enjoy your football will you!
You fking enjoyed the Villa game? Tell me u did? Did you enjoy the first half at leeds? Did you enjoy wolves game? Did you enjoyed finishing 8th last season. Do you enjoy our league position? I could go on….but you must be too busy enjoying your football.
And a trophy in his pocket!
You think Aubameyang stays if Arteta doesn’t do any tactics? You think Ceballos demands to come back of Arteta is useless as you say? You think Tierney & Bellerin would both talk separately about how much they love the detail Arteta goes into just because they both have decided to make stuff up for fun? The results are bad and the performances are too, but this all feels a little hysterical. The big difference between this year and past is it’s clear Arteta still has the backing of the squad. If he’s got that then he can still turn this… Read more »
Actually it’s a pretty solid explanation as to why it seems like we have The Gooner Squad instead of The Arsenal. Too much to think about for now. The players don’t know one another all that well yet. Settling in and whatnot. Give them a lot of information on partnerships and tendencies, weakness and stratagems against a team that a player is going to think “WE NEED TO WIN”, then they tend to self-destruct…
I think Pepe should be leading the line alongside Auba. Have a flat back-4 and slightly adjustable midfield diamond. Pepe trying his tricks away from our goal would be alot better than him trying and winning some away from opposition goal.
I really really hope you are right.
Bellerin is on his way to become a club legend
I’ll give you club stalwart. He’s got a LONG way to go to get to legend status.
Is he better than Sagna? I would say no because of his injury record. Maybe a bit better attacking but nowhere near as good as Sagna at defending.
Sagna was the best right fullback in the prem for several seasons, and first choice for France. Everything I have seen, taking account of the huge injury setback, is that Bellerin will reach that level. And, more than likely, become captain. You can never be sure, but that is what it looks like to me.
Loved Sagna, but also love Hector. He’s been playing pretty well recently
Have a rec.
Sagna was 100 times the defender Bellerin is. I like that in my Defenders.
Bellerin is pretty good going forward, I wouldn’t say amazing. His crossing pretty good, not amazing. Sagna’s crossing was good in the early years, so-so in the later years. But he had wheels, man that dude could run and run and run. Fast!
I’d argue that Sagna is our best ever right back, ahead of Lauren, Dixon and Corporal Jenkinson.
It’s no slight against Bellerin to think he’s not as good, but he is more captain material. Sagna was more of a Wenger “many captains” type guy.
Great player but the Lauren tackle on Ronaldo gas him as our clubs best ever right back Even though he was bought as a midfielder Great players you’ve mentioned but stick Pat Rice in there too He was an Arsenal legend if ever there was one
Honestly, i think we could do with an upgrade at his position. The team is so bad at the moment that his fairly limited football ability (we still need 5 at the back, but he provides a burst of offense every 3 or 4 games) plus his positive PR words and personal style endear him to fans.
Players more often than the manager are more responsible for shite form. I should remind myself to check back to this reality before finding every fault with managerial decisions.
Let’s not confuse reality with the experience of reality… Just as no one flicked off our champions league lightswitch, no one can simply flick it back on. Our fortunes dimmed and dimmed over several years of mismanagement and complacency until the filament simply couldn’t light again. Arsenal’s brightness must be rebuilt over time, with tinkering, and through parts replacement. In the course of this work, we get white-hot flashes of what we once were and will be again, but we’re not currently built to sustain those moments…they are not illusory…they point towards glories past and future. But…we’re here. The work… Read more »
You are so on point and I couldn’t agree more. The point is the age we are in is the problem, the age of instant gratification and so called “facts”. The same time we forget quite easily that Arteta has spent almost all of his time with us without any fans in the stadium amid a pandemic. The way almost everyone has suffered during this period which is still ongoing unfortunately, players too get affected and so is the manager. Sometime the comments by some fans seem like emotionless and disregard to another fellow human living through the same problem.… Read more »
And it’s going to be something like 17 months in the job before he gets to have a proper training camp (and who knows how that will be disturbed by players off in various summer international competitions). You just know he’s desperate for that opportunity to try to actually implement more of his ideas.
Yes, sir!
V.C.C. – “Victory Grows Out of Harmony”
Supporters are a necessary part of that harmony. Let’s stay in-key people!
In Arteta we trust
I really hope so. Mind you, I remember the many posts on this site saying exactly the same thing about Emery in the earlier stages of his tenure – but we didn’t in the end. Results will determine Arteta’s future, as it does for every manager sooner or later. Unfortunately, it’s not whether the fans trust, or don’t trust, the man in charge at any club it’s whether he retains the confidence of the board/owner -whoever runs it. We’ll know more come the New Year. That will probably be enough time for Arteta to show he’s got things under control… Read more »
Believing is fine – it’s good to believe, but it helps if everyone would pull their collective finger and replicate the form in the EL (with all the caveats about the more moderate opposition there so far etc.). The gulf in performance between the two competitions is staggering – nearly three times the shots on goal last night than against the last two PL teams we’ve played combined …! Also, he mentions the cup win last season being a pointer to Arteta’s ability to get out of the current problems. This isn’t really relevant. Domestic cups and the league are… Read more »
What a loyal and spirited player Hector is.
We’re lucky to have him.
He wears loyalty to this club on his sleeves. He makes mistakes like everyone-else but we saw last week how committed he was when he lost the ball but tracked back to make a brilliant block. Frankly I see him as captain material if he can get more consistency to his own game but the fear is we may lose him next summer if Barca get their act together (Fortunately the Catalans look all out of sort) If we can achieve a higher finish this season (and there is still time), it will prevent leakage in terms of capability. I… Read more »
And people were calling for him to be sold during the summer.
I certainly wasn’t one of them.
“The blame is on me” said Artera everytime we’ve lost. That level of accountability is rare to see. To his credit, Im no longer anxious when opponents charge at our defence. It’s the first time that can be said in many years. It’s come at the cost of attacking fluidity. We have the finesse in the front, the form is lacking and some recruitments and constant awesome coaching will make it happen. In Artera we trust
I don’t think its rare.
Wenger and Unai use to say the same.
Many Managers take it on the chin.
It depends if Arteta continues to second guess himself or just go back to basics he was successful with when he first came in and had to tailor to the deficiencies in squad still there today. I hope he reverts to Back 3. We look for more secure and comfortable at the back (With BIGCaveat we were up against far lower level opponents midweek) but it also provides us a familiarity for the players to build on. Stable base, stronger attack. The other thing I would take away from midweek is not that AMN is suddenly the dog’s bollocks everyone… Read more »
I really, really think you should keep your head up, look for the pass to the winger outside of you who is often open – rather than consistently cutting inside to a crowded midfield.
Well, for the time being, I’m keeping faith with the manager – despite his ridiculous decision to omit a certain player whose creative talents are something the team clearly lack. Seems to me that the players are getting behind the manager – and who am I to argue? Performances in the Premiership have been rubbish, the ‘football’ has been dire – but you’ve got to give the manager a fair crack of the whip and keep faith at least till the end of the season – unless something really drastic happens and it becomes clear to one and all that… Read more »
Get your hear cut.. you are in better form when you are not focusing on your hair