DON’T HECKLE HECTOR
Wenger plea to fans
ARSENE WENGER has told Arsenal fans to leave Hector Bellerin alone.
Bellerin copped abuse from Gunners fans during his side’s 3-0 defeat at Crystal Palace last week and argued with boss Wenger during the game. But the Frenchman claims the full-back, 22, has been playing through the pain of an ankle injury and has picked up bad habits because he is not 100 per cent fit. Asked if he thought it was unfair of fans to criticise the Spaniard, Wenger said: “Yes, as he is guy who is genuinely Arsenal and wants to do well. “He is ready to play with pain. He has not come back to his level since he has been injured. He’s been feeling his ankle. “Then you get bad habits and forget your job first is to defend and win challenges because you protect yourself a little bit. “Now he is trying to focus again on what is important. I agree that for a while he was not the Hector Bellerin we had seen at the start of the season.” Wenger believes his flops will bounce back from their Selhurst Park disaster at Middlesbrough tonight but admits they need to win back supporters. He said: “The fans want to be behind the team and the way we respond on the pitch will decide the attitude of the fans. The fans love the club. “It’s a good period to be united and not divided. Historically Arsenal has been about that. “One of our values is to be together. There’s no better period of the season than to show it now. “The players are focused, conscious that they want to respond and accept completely that we were not at the level.”