I Hate the Way Hleb Plays
14. Aug, 2007 
84 Comments
There, I said it. I’ve never really liked the way Hleb plays football. He takes the ball too close to his feet. When he sprints and runs with the ball it’s right underneath him, so much so that he has to run awkwardly to prevent himself from accidentally hitting it. This results in him becoming off-balance, running into opposing players, and generally losing control of the situation. This of course is why he inevitably gives up possession.
It’s been like this for awhile. Don’t you try to convince me otherwise. His movement off the ball however is great. He knows how to get open and where the right passing lanes will be. But it’s this imbalance in his game that gives me a great lack of trust in him. Every time he gets the ball, I get nervous.
This year, I’m wiping the slate clean. During the off season, and indeed during the Fulham match, he seems different. So, Bon Soir mistrust for Hleb, hello new beginnings. It’s at this point that I hope he will turn his game around, retain possession better, and “be more selfish” to quote the man himself.
Tomorrow we have Sparta Prague. Eduardo will still wait for his debut but we have the same side that beat Fulham so I expect to see a thrashing… of Prague. Come on Arsenal!
Anybody that hates the way hleb plays obviously knows very little about technique. Hleb has the best technique in Arsenal, other than shooting. He is blessed with great turning ability, unlike any1 in the england squad. he is more technical then C.Ronaldo, who is more of a tricky player than technical.
If you play football and have technique you will agree with me that hleb has mad game….if u jus watch the game…like this blogger…you think hleb is rubbish, well ur wrong mate.
Steve McLaren knows nothing about technique thats why now Rooney is injured england will fail to qualify for the Euros….or jus scrape thru.
This is the gunners year, 1 more winger and good luck with injuries and they can fight for 2 trophies this season.
Shittt……………i shud hav my own website, i am the shit.
Your right Adaminho. I have suspicion that your that voyuer Moaninhio trying to see what AFC fans get turned on by the names changed a bit to fool us.A winger would do the trick but if we say who we like tou will try to get in first for your Russian mafia psuedo.
I hope who ever wrote this piece has played football to a very high level if they are going to be able to pass just a judemental view on a player who is considere one of the best dribbles in the premiership. Of all things, that is the one thing we can never criticise Hleb about. He will be a very confident player this season, he said he dreams to have ten goals this season, and i can see it. Back him up, hes one of the boys!
Behave !!!!!!!
How can you not like the way hleb plays? :-s im baffed. I love the way hleb plays everything about his play is great. He is the only player that can get out of any tight situation when surrounded by opposition. His dribbling style and skill confuse opposition and he is a creative player. You must not know anything about football and actually using skill to get past people instead of kicking it as far as possible and trying to charge your way through!
what do u think who is best arsenal’s middlefielder, rosicky, hleb, fabregas, gilberto, diaby, denilson…..i think that we can not choose who is the best in attakc hleb or fabregas.
U R WRONG BRO
hleb is the best player at arsenal..no doubt..better than most the highly rated players…
You dumb muppet, you posted this on a day when Hleb seals the game at Sparta Prague and helped Arsenal win against Fulham, you have lost any credibility you ever had, terrible timing. Spacca!!!
ball too close to the feet??? that is call close control. what idiot would criticise the way a professional international player runs with the ball? i bet this retard didn’t even play for his school team.
Hleb is amazing only last season he was below par he’s on fire now! scored again tonight. you are a retard..sorry to say that but you are and its not your fault. only your mom and dad should not have gotten married. no one needs to convince you about hleb’s running. only your balls are too close to your brain that is the real problem
No need to get personal with the guy he was just stating his opinion .
You don’t like the way Hleb runs? You have never heard of Maradona, have you?
His dribbling skills are terrific, and hate it if you want, but the way he shields the ball guarantees that if a player wants to take the ball from him he has to foul him or kick it away, which is fantastic.
Hleb is one of the best players we’ve got at the moment.
Hleb not only scored the vital second again but he was by far our Man of the Match tonight, where does this fella get his energy ? Please don’t abuse the guy who started this he has his opinion. Even when Hleb had a poor run he never hid and still gave his best. He would make every other team in the Prem and most of Europe. To compare him with Messi is better than saying he’s a poor player. Wait till eveyone wants to sign him as they will do and see us lot moaning again.
This post was actually posted yesterday.
And while Hleb has had a great run so far this year, I think that we can all agree that he played rather poorly in 06-07.
Don’t get me wrong, I like the guy and his contribution this year has been amazing, but last year I always cringed when he got the ball because he lost possession so many times.
You are a chump.
i agree with most posts saying that hleb is great….i love the guy, honestly. but it does irritate me that when anyone speaks out against arsenal or its players in any way (even if its often misguided), they are greeted with ‘idiot, knobhead, fool, (insert expletive), etc’ , giving criticism, even if its ‘wrong’, doesnt deserve to be greeted with abuse. chill out guys, and if you disagree, explain why without swearing…honestly sounds like something out of 1984 when you shoot down anyone who might happen to have a different opinion from you
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcb1UAiBYS4
Bad timing, mate!
Personally, I think the jury’s still out on Hleb but clearly he’s playing with more confidence and as short of bodies as we’ve been for these first two games, his unbelievable energy — not to mention the two goals — have been lifesavers.
Maybe you should just keep teeing off on poor Alex and we’ll keep getting goals!
In truth, he’s played out of position most of the time. He’s clearly not a proper winger and he drifts too deep to be a shadow striker — as he’s been in these first two games.
On the other hand, I can see why AW was interested in Hleb. I’ve watched him play a couple times for Belarus — in Cesc’s position — and he absolutely dominated games despite little help from a talent-poor team.
My fear as a diehard Gunner is that we have too many guys who would be stars playing centrally but don’t have either the pace or the scoring instinct to adapt elsewhere.
There’s no doubt Sparta went after us like mad dogs because they suspected Arsenal’s weakness was that we’re so lightweight in midfield.
I worry about this same lineup if we have to use it against the bruisers at Blackburn. You can only have so many little guys running around in midfield.
Hleb definitely has a place — he’s a world-class talent if used correctly — but right now we’re desperate to get Diaby healthy to add some steel into the midfield.
Having said that, Hleb can run all day and all night, so it’s no surprise he managed to get all the way upfield to score at the death — TWICE!
Arsene didn’t win all those trophies because he’s a muppet. He’ll sort it out. Remember that last year we were down to bare bones, and it’s been the same this year — temporarily, I hope.
By the way, everybody who ranted and raved about the travesty of Gallas being captain may have to eat their words. The guy was IMMENSE in Prague and clearly he’s conveyed the message to his mates that we won’t be pushed around.
That might have been a little Gallas influence when Cesc decided on some rough justice for the thug who said before the game that he’d “sort us out.”
It wasn’t pretty, but Arsenal have been kicked around too much the past two years and sometimes you have to say, “Sorry, it’s a rough game and if you want a brawl, well, here’s your knee a basket, pal.”
Sparta started it, with clear malice, and we finished it.
I loved it.
(By the way, I won’t tell any of your critics where this blog originates. Write me a note sometime…)
Steve Cameron
[email protected]
This is why no one visits your website
Love Hleb or not, it is his close ball control which is what puts him above the vast majority of dribblers in the game. Very few are his equal in that department. His finishing needs a bit of work and he may not be a wide player, but his dribbling…. Are you taking the p*ss?
You suck
almost every person thinks ure an idiot -coz u are. hleb may be a bit reckless at times but its not coz he cant control the ball (its most often in his defensive work that lead to mistakes) -with wenger using him as attking midfield his prefered position he will b gud this season
FOCKONG HLOB!
FOCKING HOVE OT!
*VOLLEY*
u hate hleb???!!!!
last time i also dont like him so much
but i don hate him….
rite now…
i love the way he played…
u know why wenger put him behind the striker rite now???
coz wenger does believe he got somthing to give for the team!!!
start to put trust on hleb dude!!!!
or u just go away
peace
no one plays like hleb….he can use both feet, thats cool!! i think u’re just Manyoo
HA! You seem like a real ass right now.
Will,
Here are the greatest things about this post in order from least magnificent to most magnificent:
3)The fact that no one actually read the 3rd paragraph where you recant your previous opinions of Hleb
2)The fact that the Hleb fans keep spelling his name “Helb.”
1)The insult “a vast turd.”
lol@Arsenal,
Dani
It’s commnon knowledge in the footballing world that if you want to make it on the big stage you must keep the ball away from your feet. Now, while the debate is still raging on this one, there are certain minimum requirements.
1 meter is such a minimum, and if you get closer, step away, do a u-turn, anything to get away from the ball. If only all footballers would adhere to this.
Then football would be like the Monthy Pyton sketch with the philospohers. Know that was football! Though it must be said, there where some instances of too close control there aswell. Close control, eeeeeeeeewwwwww……
i do remember zidane runnin wit the ball like that
shut d fuk up
Hleb or Malbranque? Hleb or Scholes? Hleb or Joe Cole? Hleb or Bently?Hleb or Pennant ? Ask the Boys. Thank you
hi nice post, i enjoyed it
what kinda stupid are u and do ya know anything abt football you nimwit. hleb is one of our best players the way he plays and the way he passes is just simple sublime. He matches so much wit fabregas. hleb makes arsenal an exciting team…………..
I am one of arsenal supporters.on top of that If i talk about my idea ur nothing about footbaall becouse helb is one of the best players in our team and the way he plays and the way he passes isnot wrong let me tell you treu