Hector Bellerin

Image from: freelargeimages.com

Hector Bellerin Moruno





Current Club: Arsenal.

Previous Clubs: Barcelona.

Loan Clubs: Watford.





International: Spain 3 caps.

Trophies Won: FA Cup 2017, 2015. Community Shield 2018, 2016.





A few years after bursting on the scene as a lightning quick full-back who liked to charge forward at pace Bellerin is often being questioned now. There is a lot of disquiet about his performances since the early days, when his forward runs caused so much havoc in opposition defences. He has become a victim of his own success which created huge expectations for him to live up to.



Now he looks stifled in his play, he still gets forward, but it is not the same as it was when he first got into the team. He looks like a player who has been overcoached, losing the natural exuberance that made Bellerin so dangerous going forward, as he now looks to position himself correctly, rather than just getting into the box when he can.



However it is well known that there was a lack of coaching in Arsene Wenger's latter days with Arsenal, so the issue must be elsewhere, maybe just a case of a player trying too hard to fix his weaknesses, rather than looking to make the most of his strengths. Instead of just being that attacking full back that charges forward, he is playing to instructions, which are hampering his game.



Bellerin's strength is his pace and stamina, he has the ability to get forward at will and still being able to get back and defend. His defensive positioning has improved massively, though it is still not the best. Bellerin suffers from the typical modern day full-back problem of struggling to defend, though he has improved, he is still a little weak in the tackle and can be physically bullied by an opponent, though he is not too bad in the air.



Speaking of the air it does feel like the main reason for his performance dip is simply the changes up front, which have altered the way the team plays. Without Olivier Giroud up front to play the role of a target man, crosses have little value, as neither Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang nor Alexandre Lacazette really thrive on that kind of service.



There is also little hold up play happening, to allow him to burst down the wing early and receive the ball to then play into the box. Instead the forwards are running onto the ball, which means his early runs are negated by the defensive line dropping off quickly to deal with the pace and threat up front.



Bellerin is still an excellent full back with pace to burn but he now lacks the team shape to bring the best out of him. Now he has to play from a little deeper and hold his runs until the right time, which is not really suiting him. Though it suits him better than some of those outfits he wears!



Requested by - stoner