Héctor Bellerin

Hector needs to spend some serious time in the gym and bulk up a little. The way he gets pushed off the ball is ridiculous. Happened multiple times against Burnley and while he was up against a tough physical side, he was hardly putting up a fight. He is a defender first and foremost and cannot afford to be brushed aside by forwards like he was yesterday.

Come on they forwards were huge

U-turn much?

Zero U-turn here, another matter is that your reading comprehension isn’t up to standard.

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a season ago you said wenger was tactically inflexible for not playing 3 at the back…

Now he’s done it and 3 at the back is a gimmick?

Indeed. I suggested him using 3 at the back during an injury crisis and given the state of our personnel. I am now criticising him for using 3 at the back inflexibly. It’s really the same argument just the logical extension of it. There’s no incompatibility or u-turn in the arguments.

3 at the back isn’t a gimmick, it’s a formation like any other, as I said to you a year ago when we had this argument. Wenger is using it in a somewhat gimmicky fashion though, not really understanding the point of it and using it with ill-suited personnel/style.

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I’m confident he’s using it exactly as you wanted him to lol. But cool, stay contrary.

I don’t think any (or most) coach switch formation within the season.

I’ve not seen him in the youth, but since he broke through in the first team I never really thought Bellerin had (the potential for) a very polished offensive game. I wouldn’t have mind at all it if we managed to sign Sidibe if that meant sacrificing Bellerin, but he chose for Monaco.

He has changed his hairstyle though :xhaka:

Don’t see any improvement from him for 2 years… and he still heavily relies on his speed to cover his other flaws.

Bellerin is fine as a RB.
As long as you defend well, it doesn’t matter if it was done by relying on one’s pace.

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Correct… a fine RB.

Unfortunately, 3-4-3 is Wenger’s favorite formation ATM, and Bellerin did not expand his game to fit and contribute in this formation.
Basically he is just “another player” under 3-4-3. Nothing special, not catching eyes, not able to cross, doesn’t do enough (or not at all) give and go, doesn’t dribble much and dribble pass defenders successfully
.
He did more when he was actually a RB.

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Completely agree.

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He’s playing as a wingback which is essentially a fullback 3-4-3 or not. There’s not many wingbacks in world football with a great final ball because they’re essentially still ‘runners’ or ‘water carriers’ and usually failed wingers. You might get a better final ball from a converted winger but usually they can’t defend very well because their stamina isn’t as good.

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That would be my original question and concern.
Bellerin does not have the final ball abilities (I assume you meant “crossing”/attack from wide position here), but playing as a WB.
That is doing us no good.

As a RB, the job is very clear.
But as a WB, what do you expect from him?
For myself, I expect him to do more on attacking, contribute more on the final third.

Classic WBs were like Cafu, Roberto Carlos… the Germans were Andreas Brehme, Christian Ziege, Philip Lahm…
They were GOOD defenders (maybe not great), but they also have the skill set to contribute on the offensive end.

Bellerin… ATM he is not good enough as a WB. He is NOT really a good defender, and he offers nothing on the final third.

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Don’t hold your breath for any significant development under Wenger.

I see little reason for young defenders to come here other than a decent wage.

Be honest, I don’t have any hope on Wenger.

I was just surprised that, after playing for the senior team for a couple of seasons, playing along with some good and experienced international players like Per, Kos, Debuchy… Bellerin’s defending skill and positioning should have obvious improvement, especially he was so raw when first started.

With or without Wenger, I had higher expectations on him. At his age, he should have improved a lot, or able to expand his game to another level.
Unfortunately, he did not.

I don’t see a big differentiation in the role of a wingback and fullback in either of our systems. Even in a 4-3-3, the fullback was given loads of attacking freedom and was our only wide outlet. Our wingback still is arguably the last defender on his side of the pitch even if he has centre backs covering him, they also have to cover our midfielders who in turn are higher up the pitch than they would be in a 4-3-3. Look at how far forward and involved Mendy gets for City, he isn’t playing a more defensive role by any means than Bellerin.

Carlos and Cafu were 2 of the best ever attacking wingbacks/fullbacks and were given so much leway they were often offside. Not only did they play behind 3 centre backs, they also had 2 holding midfielders in 2002 giving them more freedom to not defend.

Expecting that level from Bellerin isn’t happening. You have to compare him to his contemparies and the only attacking fullback offering more key passes per game I’ve found in the PL is Mendy. Kolasinac actually offers slighlty less key passes per game, 0.8 vs 0.9 and Moses/Alonso both deliver less key passes.

Now perhaps the quality of key passes isn’t as good as they aren’t translating into assists yet but he is producing chances even though he isn’t in form. But he has got 5 assists per season in the last 2 prior seasons playing as a fullback/wingback which is high for that position and he’s only 22. He is also one of the quickest with the most stamina in that position, which always counts for allot.

Maybe Chamberlain would have offered more as an attacking fullback. He didn’t want to play there though

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Yet he’s arguably developed the best centre back in the league in Kosceilny.