Is Bellerin REALLY ready to step up for Arsenal?

Bellerin Ready for the Next Step at Arsenal! by AT

Arsenal’s inability to adequately bolster the defence in the summer has quite evidently cost them very early on in the new campaign. News has broken out today confirming that Mathieu Debuchy will be on the sidelines for the next three months, leaving Arsene Wenger’s side with no recognized right-backs.

While Calum Chambers is very much capable of putting in a shift at right-back, the young Englishman cannot be tied down to that spot as he’ll have to his duties at central defence as well, Mertesacker and Koscielny cannot be expected to start every game, there are bound to be injuries.

But with that being said, there is a very hungry 19-year-old who is anxious to make the jump to the first team. Hector Bellerin started his first real senior game against Borussia Dortmund in the 2-0 defeat, and while he may not have delivered a man of the match performance, there were certainly signs that he was ready for the big step.

Going into attributes, the most notable is his electrifying pace, the young Spaniard is said to be faster than Theo Walcott himself. Besides that, he certainly has the ability to play a killer ball into the box. His defensive side of the game is pretty efficient as well. While his decision-making and positioning aren’t quite up to the mark yet, I firmly believe that he will learn should he get a few top flight games under his belt.

In my opinion, Hector Bellerin is ready for the next step in his career and while I’m not suggesting that he be played in every game, I do think that he’s ready to be slowly integrated into the first-team picture. Looking at his rate of development, it doesn’t seem long before the former La Masia trainee ties down the right-back position permanently at Arsenal.

Tags Chambers Debuchy

31 Comments

    1. Why isn’t he ready? Because he has no experience? I thought he did well against Dortmund considering he got no help from his “experienced” team mates, who were all rubbish on the night.

      Debuchy is a big miss, but I’m looking forward to seeing Bellerin play more often, although we’ll likely see Chambers at RB for the time being.

  1. Clubs will just target left side specifically when going forward. He will get slaughtered in the PL against any opposition. If this is a learning curve for him then it matches a mountain in steepness quite frankly.

    Not Bellerin’s fault though, apparently Wenger is the only one who didn’t see this scenario coming.

    1. No, Arsenal cannot recall Jenkinson until West Ham have an opportunity to replace him, which will be in January.

      Here is the scenario: The league title is being decided on the outcome of Chelsea’s last 3 results of the season. They have no first team defenders fit and are relying on 4 loaned defenders from Arsenal. The Gunners are 2 points behind Chelsea, the third place team is 10 points behind Arsenal.

      Arsenal recall all their loaned players to Chelsea and leave the Brompton lot without any defenders ….. It’s best to know your facts before answering a question.

      Here is another question none of you know the answer to ….

      If a team Substitutes their striker Smith with Jones from the bench, can the manager later in the game sub Jones with Smith again who has just had a good rest on the bench? The Manager has only made that one substitution. Good luck guessing the answer.

  2. Again, this was Wenger’s stupidity by selling Vermaelen, loaning out Jenkinson and NOT getting additional quality defenders this summer.

    How could he not foresee the possibility of injuries?

    Don’t get me wrong. Debuchy and Calum were excellent signings. Especially Calum who can play RB and CB. But Wenger should have at least signed one more quality CB.

    We shouldn’t have to rely on a 19 year old if we have both RB and CB injured. If say Koscielny gets injured. Bellerin will be RB.

    Very poor planning by Wenger

    1. Totally, we should not rely on 19yo…..

      Wenger never learns from his mistakes by relying on 19yos……from 19yo Viera to 19yo Fab…..

      he should stop relying on 19yo….

    2. Wenger seems to have planned on using Monreal as the 4th CB. The failure to sign more defenders is particularly upsetting when you look at the injury history of Monreal and Gibbs plus the fact that Kos entered the season with an Achilles problem. Only 6 defenders, two of them injury prone and one with a nagging injury that has to be monitored. That was inexcusable negligence.

    1. which is why the signing of Fab would have been usefull…

      they can rotate and provide competition for each other

    1. @Greg
      Exactly. He was blooded against Dortmund and did have decent considering he didn’t get much help from our forwards. He’ll do us good, just let him loose on Soton…

  3. mmmm idk man. its hard to say.

    he didn’t have the best game in dortmund but then again the signal iduna park is arguably the hardest away fixture any english side will see. the game at southampton will be a better fixture to asses him but as of right now he might still be too naive.

    hoping he proves me wrong tho! go on son!

    1. Funny how fate plays its part.
      Jenko was number 2
      for 3 seasons and
      played very little.
      Bellerin is number 3 and is playing
      against Dortmund at 19.
      Campbell has waited 3 years to
      make the Arsenal squad
      but is struggling to get a start.
      Podolski world cup winner hardly plays.
      Gnabry was near to breaking through
      after the game at Swansea. 10 months
      later he is way down the pecking order.
      Some one like Willock or Maitland – Nles
      could wizz straight past him.
      We did not buy a 3rd CB but maybe Hayden
      or Ajayi could emerge as a great talent for the club.
      Really looking forward to the naming of the Squad for Tuesday.

      1. i completely agree with you!

        as if our lack of depth in the defensive area wasn’t bad enough, we loan out our #2 rb with plenty of epl experience. now bellerin is forced into the spotlight rather than walking into it when he is 100% ready. and with the ridiculous talent we have sitting on our bench, the boss refuses to rotate the squad. i am glad we did not loan out campbell but at this rate he couldve had about 6 games under his belt if he had gone out on loan. we are stunting his growth as a player. gnabry has been hurt since april. but where has he been between november and the day he got hurt? playing with the under’s instead of testing himself on loan or even in the first team.

        i hope the kids get a lot of minutes on tuesday. the more experience they get, the more depth we build by incorporating them into the first team.

        1. You know what happens with most of our Academy players? When they reach 21 they will have to be named on the 25 squad list. That is when 90% of them will get sold or let go. This is a league cup, a perfect place to give some of our academy players a chance. Lets see how Bellerin & Hayden perform tonight. Lets see if Akpom can score goals against Southampton.

          1. although we lost, i actually think hayden had a decent game. neither of the goals against us can be traced back to him. i was hoping to see a lot more of akpom which is a real shame.

            but you are right. for the amount of time that wenger claims to commit to building a strong youth structure in the academy, hardly any of them ever seem to actually make it to the first team.

  4. If ppl referencing the Dortmund game for him not being ready.
    1. Per was also complete crap that day, not helping Bellerin at all
    2. Ozil was in front of him. Hardly any defensive cover. Not smart planning
    3. When you start a 19 yr old kid who has never played for the 1st team before at the most intimidating atmosphere in all of Europe against the best counter attacking team in Europe, when our whole team is embarrassingly out of form, what do you expect to happen?

    Debuchy is going to be out till the new year so whether ppl like it or not Bellerin is going to get another shot and I think he’ll do fine.

  5. I have no doubt he (bellerin)will get better from playing in the Dortmund game, it amazes me how we always seem to want other teams 19 years old and do not have any faith in ours. I for one think we still need a center half and though it was ridiculous to loan jenkinson. But like any other team our youngster will have to play sometime and i have n doubt they will do well with experience players are around them.
    By watching some of their matches they have played in they are not only going to be future stars for arsenal , but present day stars

  6. This is why i didn’t want aurier at arsenal. When he leaves for ACON these 2 inexperienced RB’s would have to step up. Oh and Bellerin vs aubameyang was never a contest .

  7. Just play him.He might as well learn in one of the lesser cups.Where taking a bigger risk playing Diaby than Bellerin.COYG.

  8. Bellerin can handle it…perhaps not quite at Debuchy’s level yet…but more importantly…Abou Diaby! There’s only 1 Abou Diaby! Aaabouuuuu Diaaaaaaaby! There’s only 1 Abou Diaby!

  9. Wenger must play a winger in front of Bellerin who will track by and help out on defense (like Sanchez). He should not play Ozil in front of Bellerin like he did against Dortmund.

  10. Tbh i know we didn’t fare well gainst dortmund because they wanted that win more, they were more dedicated and their fans were intimidating, hope i see a switch at emirates,

Comments are closed

Top Blog Sponsors