Hector Bellerin: Renaissance Man

[GDeep™]

He’s not even hit the heights of Eboue, who was one of the best full backs in Europe the season we got to the CL final, they were comparing him to great Brazilians.

 

[Football Manager]

Remind me of the Cycan Arsenal highlights video to "I need a hero" showing all the very few good thing he did rsther than the much more mistake he did.

Or MOTM day highlights of Alex Songs last season where they will show him do one good long ball to RVP and Lawrenson would compare him to Pirlo and they would neglect to show the dozen plus over hit and missppaced passes throughout that match.

Defensively, he can improve, but is far from disastrous.

In attacking, he makes all the correct decisions on his movement/passing. Like a Barcelona player to me. He is a lot better on the ball than Niles. And his delivery always ends up very dangerous.

 

[MartiSaka]

Feel like his been decent recently. The hate towards him seems to be more based on his out of football activities and him being vegan.

I think the essence of it with regards to fans (underneath all the fashion/vegan related stuff) is that he doesn't "live and breath" football like a lot of fans. You sense he doesn't have that raw passion for it (i.e. its more of a job and his interests lie elsewhere) which can get fans offside if a player is not playing well.

On the other hand, Tierney is so well liked (even independent of his playing ability) because he does "live and breath" football

 

[Mitch]

He’s not even hit the heights of Eboue, who was one of the best full backs in Europe the season we got to the CL final, they were comparing him to great Brazilians.

I would say he's more of a Gibbs that outstayed his welcome at this level but that insulting to Gibbs. Traore is a more fitting comparison (cant even say Jenko because at least he had work rate).

 

[Riou]

Some of the criticism is exacerbated by his off the pitch stuff, which is unfair to a degree.

But at the end of the day...if you haven't been performing on the football pitch for a long period and you say stuff like "footballers should care about more things than football" ...you are kind of opening yourself up to get hit really.

If he was playing as well as he was in 2016, then no one would care about his fashion ****.

 

[Football Manager]

I would say he's more of a Gibbs that outstayed his welcome at this level but that insulting to Gibbs. Traore is a more fitting comparison (cant even say Jenko because at least he had work rate).

Gibbs? Gibbs was terrible when running foward. All he did was run farward without putting thoughts on moving into dangerous areas or playing passes to combine with his teammates. He was not a good dribbler. His delivery was so bad, often way off target/over or under-hitting crosses. Gibbs also has poor defensive positioning too, and he makes some costly mistakes once in a while.

However, Gibbs was quick, a good runner that can run up and down (without the football brain to make use out of it) and a good tackler.

Bellerin is so much better on the ball. And his decision making on where to run into (his attacking movement) and the decision on his passing to combine with his teammates were always good. His delivery always ends up in dangerous areas and aimed accurately.

Bellerin is not Gibbs and definitely not Traore. I think you are into too much of these shxt English style fullbacks. Bellerin is not that. He is rather technical player (for a fullback), and have better offensive game.

 

[Mitch]

Gibbs? Gibbs was terrible when running foward. All he did was run farward without putting thoughts on moving into dangerous areas or playing passes to combine with his teammates. He was not a good dribbler. His delivery was so bad, often way off target/over or under-hitting crosses. Gibbs also has poor defensive positioning too, and he makes some costly mistakes once in a while.

However, Gibbs was quick, a good runner that can run up and down (without the football brain to make use out of it) and a good tackler.

Bellerin is so much better on the ball. And his decision making on where to run into (his attacking movement) and the decision on his passing to combine with his teammates were always good. His delivery always ends up in dangerous areas and aimed accurately.

Bellerin is not Gibbs and definitely not Traore. I think you are into too much of these shxt English style fullbacks. Bellerin is not that. He is rather technical player (for a fullback), and have better offensive game.

I prefer my full backs to have defensive positional awareness hence why i have always citied as Maldini and Lahm as being the best and why i considered Carlos, Marcelo and Alves overrated in comparison to these guys. Bellerin is up there with worst possitional awareness Ive seen from an Arsenal full back with probably only Traore and Santos being worse in that aspect.

Offensively Bellerin more often than not looks to play the "safe option" for pass rather than progressive and even then he often gives the ball away with his loppy passing.

 

[Football Manager]

I prefer my full backs to have defensive positional awareness hence why i have always citied as Maldini and Lahm as being the best and why i considered Carlos, Marcelo and Alves overrated in comparison to these guys. Bellerin is up there with worst possitional awareness Ive seen from an Arsenal full back with probably only Traore and Santos being worse in that aspect.

Offensively Bellerin more often than not looks to play the "safe option" for pass rather than progressive and even then he often gives the ball away with his loppy passing.

Possession football is not playing safe, it’s passing with a purpose to break down the opponent defence. It’s not about always passing backwards, it’s about making a backward pass so that you can have better forward passing options. Pep’s Barcelona/Bayern/City they were all playing possession football, but it’s very attacking and definitely not playing safe. They are just being patient to create the best space to exploit. Many Brits have problem understanding this. They think counter attack with passes always goes forward is adventurous. To them, possession football is playing safe. Which is totally wrong. The truth is, counter attack is defensive and boring. And possession football is attacking and entertaining.

And Bellerin plays exactly in this style so I think his decision making was pretty good most of the time. I prefer my fullbacks to be more capable in attack and so I wouldn’t think Carlos, Marcelo, Alves are overrated. Also, they are all highly skilled Brazilian, with great attacking attributes, all played in the spainish league so I assumed you don’t like that style of football rather than the actual player.

 

[Legend14]

Bellerin is a defensive liability in a defensive position. This is why he is targeted every match. We can do better.

 

[Trilly]

Couldn’t you have let my post breathe ffs.

Having said that, seeing Trent so high up there is confusing.

 

[MartiSaka]

Bellerin does have that mentality to take risks and attack, even in the big games. I guess its how he learnt in Barcelona. Its probably his best attribute now his pace is reduced. I don't think he is an ultra elite attacking player, and overall, I don't think this makes up for his liability in defence i.e. he will cost us more goals than create them overall.

 

[#254]

Bellerin does have that mentality to take risks and attack, even in the big games. I guess its how he learnt in Barcelona. Its probably his best attribute now his pace is reduced. I don't think he is an ultra elite attacking player, and overall, I don't think this makes up for his liability in defence i.e. he will cost us more goals than create them overall.

The issue of costing us more goals is dependent on the kind of forwards you have. With Bellerin, you can be sure that he will create at least 2 half chances and in a single game with his crosses. The difference is Martinelli, Saka and Rowe ( Auba to some extent) will react and position themselves in areas that would provide sufficient threat to the opposition.

 

[Legend14]

The issue of costing us more goals is dependent on the kind of forwards you have. With Bellerin, you can be sure that he will create at least 2 half chances and in a single game with his crosses. The difference is Martinelli, Saka and Rowe ( Auba to some extent) will react and position themselves in areas that would provide sufficient threat to the opposition.

Have you seen Bellerin’s crosses? They have no pace or purpose. Bellerin is ok at overlapping, but that is about it. He does not offer much in terms of offense. His decision making and timing are below average when he has the ball, especially when there is any pressure.

The idea that he is strong offensively is misguided. Occasionally he is a free body in our attack, but his execution is poor.

 

[Football Manager]

Bellerin is a defensive liability in a defensive position. This is why he is targeted every match. We can do better.

How do you explain Alves, Carlos and Marcelo if fullbacks are defensive position? Centre backs and central midfielders need to protect the central area of the pitch so more defensive qualities are required. Fullbacks have more offensive duties in modern attacking football. 09 Barcelona for example, defend as a team, keep your team shape and the opponent can’t do much harm. And also, attack is the best defence, it’s better to be capable to keep possession for your team so your team receive less defensive pressure, rather than being a good defender but always lost the ball in attack so your team is always being attacked.

Brits loves hard tackles. But there is nothing wrong to back off a bit so that you wait for your teammates to get back to help. That's defending too. That's the way a lot of Spanish teams are defending with, to defend as a team, keep the shape and the opponent will have a hard time to break your team down. You don't have to have a good work rate or tackling ability. These attributes are way too overrated here.

 

[Football Manager]

Have you seen Bellerin’s crosses? They have no pace or purpose. Bellerin is ok at overlapping, but that is about it. He does not offer much in terms of offense. His decision making and timing are below average when he has the ball, especially when there is any pressure.

The idea that he is strong offensively is misguided. Occasionally he is a free body in our attack, but his execution is poor.

His crosses are well aimed and always looks dangerous. His decision making is pretty good most of the time.

 

[Legend14]

How do you explain Alves, Carlos and Marcelo if fullbacks are defensive position? Centre backs and central midfielders need to protect the central area of the pitch so more defensive qualities are required. Fullbacks have more offensive duties in modern attacking football. 09 Barcelona for example, defend as a team, keep your team shape and the opponent can’t do much harm. And also, attack is the best defence, it’s better to be capable to keep possession for your team so your team receive less defensive pressure, rather than being a good defender but always lost the ball in attack so your team is always being attacked.

In football everyone attacks, everyone defends. This is well known. It is also well known that RB is a defensive position.

Regardless, Bellerin is not even close to the caliber of players you mentioned, who could both attack and defend well. If he was not in the lineup, we would not miss him.

 

[Legend14]

His crosses are well aimed and always looks dangerous. His decision making is pretty good most of the time.

Ok, we’ll just disagree. I can just look to last game as example of poor Bellerin crosses lofted to the keeper.

 

[Football Manager]

In football everyone attacks, everyone defends. This is well known. It is also well known that RB is a defensive position.

Regardless, Bellerin is not even close to the caliber of players you mentioned, who could both attack and defend well. If he was not in the lineup, we would not miss him.

You are so funny mate. When did I say he is?
I just use those players to explain its a rather attacking position.

And by the way, I am not the one whose the first to bring these players up in this conversation.

 

[Jack_the_boy]

 

[Macho]

If he was not in the lineup, we would not miss him.

Whilst it is not ideal that he is a key player, I would disagree.

I think Newcastle was proof of that. Also when he came off the bench against Vienna along with Auba to save our blushes.

For all the grief Bellerin gets if he's up to it on the day we tend to win. Him and Tierney are just so integral to our attacking play.