Hector Bellerin admits he would have been ‘angry’ with Arsenal this season in a fan’s pair of shoes – but is confident that everyone will be smiling come the end of the campaign.
The Spain full-back has been able to enjoy some warmth in the UAE by helping out at Arsenal Soccer Schools Dubai, though no Gunner had a sunny disposition just a few weeks ago.
Having been beaten twice by Manchester City in quick succession, the club slumped to a fresh nadir in defeat to Brighton – losing four games on the bounce for the first time since 2002.
However, they responded to their critics by beating an in-form AC Milan home and away in the Europa League.
As an active player on social media, Bellerin gets it in the neck more than most and recently hit out at the opinionated YouTube channel ArsenalFanTV for ‘feeding off failure’.
But the 23-year-old insists he can handle criticism – and use it as a positive force.
“I feel like fans have the right to speak their mind and I would be angry sometimes at the players as well because Arsenal are a team that have always had a lot of success,” Bellerin told Sport360.
“I understand when they see the team isn’t at the ‘top top’ – they can feel like there is something wrong.
“But for us as players we just work hard every day to ensure that we make them happy and take the club to where they belong.
“We accept the criticism, it’s part of football and comes with the job – you understand it and you make sure to turn it around.”
All smiles: Hector Bellerin takes a selfie at Arsenal Soccer Schools Dubai.
The full-back, who has only recently returned from injury, insists Arsenal’s good form is not just another false dawn as new arrivals Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang continue to find their feet.
“Once we got over those (defeats) we just realised that we had to change things otherwise it would get worse,” added Bellerin, whose side take on CSKA Moscow in the Europa League quarter-finals next month. “So with the new additions Mkhi and Auba, getting settled in the team and understanding other players around them, made things easier.
“In both games against Milan we changed the whole run of form and we’ve got to keep it up after the international break. Once you’ve had a few games and stop for a few weeks, then you have to build it up again – but I’m sure we can do it.”
Established in 2009, five years after Emirates became a major sponsor of the Premier League club, Arsenal Soccer Schools Dubai – which is open to boys and girls of all ages and ability – gives children the chance to learn how to ‘Play the Arsenal Way’.
The training programme is designed to help young players develop their technical skills and passion for the game, ensuring they have a platform to reach their potential. Arsenal Soccer Schools Dubai is permanently based at The Sevens, a dedicated sporting venue in Dubai.
