By Walter Broeckx
Okay I hope my wife doesn’t read this and gets in to wrong ideas. No I still am the same my dear, still love you in the husband and wife life we live. But most football supporters have a player that they love as if it was their own son or brother. I don’t dare to say who was the last player I loved like that. The first and last player to be on the back of my shirt. Now I stick to my own name. Because I will never leave.
But Hector…. oooooohhhh the temptation to do it again is oh so big. And not just today when the news filtered through that he signed a new long term contract at Arsenal. I have seen mentioned that he has signed a new 6.5 year contract. Oh dear that should fend off some possible money wavers and dna-teams.
I must say that when he first signed as a 16 year old I looked at some video clips from his time at Barcelona. I am usually awful in saying who will make it or not but even for me it wasn’t that difficult to see that he had something special. At Barcelona he played the whole right flank but not really as a defender. And that is what Arsenal made of him.
But wait a minute. Don’t ever dare to say that Bellerin is a defender. In the discussion I had after the Tottenham match when I said the tiny ones played with 5 defenders people wanted to correct me. No, no they said it was a 3 man defence. Well for me Walker is a right back. And Rose a left back. Add to that 3 central defenders and in my maths that is 5 defenders.
For those who disagree I will now say that Arsenal always only plays with 2 defenders this season. Mustafi and Kos. Because if Walker is no right back, the Bellerin is no right back. And if Rose is not a left back, then Monreal or Gibbs is not one.
The reason is simple because both Bellerin and whoever plays left back will attack whenever they can. So those still claiming that the tiny totts play 3 defenders, we play two.
With that out of the way lets us place our attention back to Hector. I have bored you before with the story that a few years ago I went with a few board members of our supporters club to Dortmund to see the Arsenal youth league team. That was the first time I saw Bellerin play in the flesh. For about 60 minutes he played Dortmund off the pitch. I was drooling all over him. My vice-chairman was drooling over Jon Toral who had came over with Hector from Barcelona at the time. Hector then went off injured and suddenly Dortmund was the best team. His impact (from right back FFS!!!) was that big.
Then the loan to Watford more or less failed. But maybe it was more because at Watford they didn’t understood what they had in their hands. And maybe because Hector was just not ready enough to make the final step at that moment.
And then one year after seeing him shine in the youth league match at Dortmund he suddenly was thrown in the deep in front of the yellow wall. Sink or swim, they said. Well it wasn’t really swimming that he did. More drowning. But he just managed to reach the shore and got himself out of the water.
Most youngster might drop their shoulders and think their chance was over. But because of the injury to Debuchy and Jenkinson being out on a season long loan the only option was Bellerin.
And then came the speciality from Bellerin above water. Learning from your mistakes and do better next time. After seeing him play in the youth league cup I made a daring prediction. I said he would be our Danny Alves. The Brazilian right back who was famous for his attacking play at Barcelona. Despite hating him I can still admit when a player is one of the best in his job. And I said that Bellerin would do the same for us one day. That was four years ago.
And what Bellerin means for Arsenal can be seen when he is not around. I think one of the reasons our attacking didn’t work at Old Trafford is because of Hector being injured. I will not say a bad word about Jenkinson as I think he did an excellent defensive job. But offensively he is only a quarter of Bellerin.
I think even Jenkinson will admit this. Because that is something you have or don’t have. Hector has it. Lots of it. Jenkinson is more the pure defender. Hell, maybe even a better defender than Hector when it just comes to defending. But Arsenal is not about defending. It is about attacking and then defending.
Last weekend we couldn’t play or bring up the ball from right back as we usually do. That was a big handicap we couldn’t overcome. And that isn’t being critical about Jenkinson but this is just because… well …I think Bellerin is just about the best right back in the world of football. And he is still only 21 years young! Imagine the growth potential still there!
I don’t listen to rumours or read them but even I heard the rumours of Manchester City and Barcelona. And at times I feared we might lose him. But Hector just made my day, my week…. “Leaving never, ever crossed my mind,” he said. I must admit I went a bit emotional when I heard him say that.
How I would have loved to have been able to cheer from him next Sunday when I come over to the Emirates. But as he is injured he will not play I’m afraid. But he sure made me love him even more than I did. Give this Gooner a song of his own. He fully deserves it!
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Arsenal in November. Exactly how bad are we year after year? You might be surprised.
Man United – Arsenal : 1-1 Our beach saves the day
Man U v Arsenal – the teams, the pizza, the telepathy, the result
José Mourinho vs Arsène Wenger. As far as the media is concerned the teams are irrelevant
Wenger v “M”. Tactical naivety, blaming the medics,
Manchester United v Arsenal 19/11/2016 – The Match Officials
I think where Jenkinson is going to make a positive difference over Bellerin, is crosses from the right. Especially long crosses.
But, It was very nice to pull up the Arsenal.com web page earlier, and there was the news.
Thanks for the writeup Walter. And best wishes to your wife as well. It’s nice that you have (at least) two loves.
This is great news. It is so reassuring when he is there at set plays, on the half way line guarding against the breakaway. That and his desire to get forward without neglecting his defensive duties make him a real asset.
It’s a three ways love nest. Bellerin for personal & job reason wants to prolong his staying at Arsenal. And Arsenal value his professional service for them and have decided to keep him but at a high financial cost to fend off the players poachers. And we the Gooners are enjoying watching his exploits on the field of play for Arsenal. Hence, he’s loved.
Jenkinson was great in defending for Arsenal in the last Man U game. He came out to attack we he had to support the forwards in their attacking runs. And ran back to defend very well without committing error that could lead to a goal being scored against us. The fault for the Mata’s goal we conceded originated from Monreal left side and our 2 CBs who should have blocked Mata’s fast grounder were out of line. As someone has pointed out, Jenko crosses the ball better than Bellerin but Bellerin has a little edge in pace to Jenko. With time, both of them will improve their defensive and wingback quality for Arsenal to rival themselves for a regular starting spot.
Gord,
You got that right Jenkinson. Early crosses, first time high arc crosses are the strengths of Jenkinson. Bellerin is weak at normal crossing, except for the grounded ones, through which he has registered so many assists.
Walter,
It’s a sad reflection on today’s professional game, that contracts mean very little. No sooner have they been signed and sealed than in many cases, greedy agents begin seeking future wage increases in order to line their own pockets.
Contracts do not in any way discourage moves to unsettle wanted players and the once sacrosanct written word now means very little. 😉
An very happy that this young lad has agreed to extend his stay with us , and am very hopeful that he will be a great influence in our future , and in a very positive way.
Well done Bellerin.
Who pays the agents? I would think that the player would have to pay them and not the club?
At 6.5 years is this the longest contract ever offered to a player by anyone?
but there has been long contracts, remember
Pardew lifetime New Castle…hahahahahha
Wenger on Bellerin: “It just sends out the message that the media have to find a different name of somebody who wants to leave the club.”
LOL. Wenger is such a funny man beneath his serious face. 🙂
haha that’s Brilliant Walter Classy as usual Mr Wenger
Well done Hector Bellerin.
We all admire your football skills and your loyalty.
Brilliant news.
As for Watford, do not they even begin to understand the player Hector is, no disrespect, but they are and always have been a bit hoof, kick and rush
I think we gave Fabregas an 8 year contract… didn’t help much though!