Arsenal: Lamenting Hector Bellerin The Same Old Too Little

Hector Bellerin has lamented Arsenal’s first half display against Liverpool. However, the comments are the same old too little too late from the Gunners.

The predictability with which Arsenal have faltered year on year is perhaps the most damning indictment of the team and Arsene Wenger. It is now no surprise to see them fall in the latter stages of the season thanks to defensive deficiencies and a weak mentality.

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The worrying signs came all the way back in December when two successive losses saw the Gunners slip nine-points behind then league leaders Chelsea. Since then, they are yet to find their best form, succumbing to Chelsea and Bayern Munich in particularly discouraging displays.

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And now they have added to their ineptitude with an insipid first half display against Liverpool on Saturday with their top four place well and truly on the line. There have been many questions asked about the lethargy that plagued Arsenal early in the game – many have rightly pointed to Wenger’s ridiculous decision to drop Alexis Sanchez as a root cause – and now there are answers, and they are not particularly convincing ones.

Speaking in an interview with Arsenal player after the rather fortunate 3-1 loss to Jurgen Klopp’s side, a side that had won just one Premier League game all calendar year before Saturday’s dismantling of their opponents, Hector Bellerin lamented the lack on intensity and energy that the team showed from the very off:

"“We’re very frustrated with how the game went. We need to realise that it’s just not the way to go. We need to push harder, to start the games with a better attitude and just go for it because we showed that when we go for it and want something, we can do it. It doesn’t matter about the other team, when we have the ball and push hard, we can score goals. It’s up to us to start the games with that desire, that motivation, and then we can get good results.”"

Whilst such comments are nice to hear, in all honesty, they are little more than the generic ‘we must try harder’ propaganda that is spouted after a damning loss. Although it is harsh to single out Bellerin, his comments show an underlying issue in the Arsenal squad; they are reactive, not proactive.

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Simply put, it’s all too little, too late. Bellerin and his teammates must show a winning mentality, a grit and determination, at least a little fight before and during games. Not in cushy interviews afterwards. A change in attitude is desperately needed. And this same old spout will most definitely enact it.