An ‘unhappy’ Armel Bella-Kotchap is struggling since leaving Championship outfit Southampton for Eredivisie challengers PSV Eindhoven, according to veteran coach Aad de Mos.
Considering where he came from, and the dramatic change of expectations between his old club and his new one, Armel Bella-Kotchap was maybe always going to take some time to adapt to life in the Netherlands.
The Southampton-owned centre-back spent much of last term throwing his body on the line at a club circling the plughole, and now finds himself expected to start attacks – rather than merely stop them – at a side challenging at the complete other end of the table.
Bella-Kotchap has started only two Eredivisie games so far in PSV colours.
De Mos, however, believes there is far more to come from a man who has not yet got to grips with Peter Bosz’s possession-heavy style at a team with genuine title ambitions.
Southampton’s Armel Bella-Kotchap struggling at PSV
“He can’t handle the level yet. You can see that in him,” the former PSV, Ajax and Anderlecht coach tells the Eindhovens Dagblad.
“He is unhappy. Balls jump away (out of his control) at the first pass, and he cannot make good play-in passes. The level is very high.”
Capped twice by Germany, Bella-Kotchap should still prove to be an inspired – potentially difference-making – addition to a PSV side who lost Jarrad Branthwaite over the summer following the Englishman’s return to Everton.
It is, after all, only a month or so ago that Bella-Kotchap was being linked with the likes of Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig and Bayern Munich, PSV pulling off quite the coup when they completed that deadline-day deal.
PSV want the Eredivisie title
“When I got up (on deadline day), the focus was very much on bringing in a defender. That was really important for us,” smiles Earnest Stewart, the club’s director of football speaking to PSV TV.
“This name (Bella-Kotchap) has been on our list for some time. But, four weeks earlier, our information was that it was impossible to get him.
“When he arrived, it was wonderful. It is nice to add such a player to the squad, to be able to take the next steps. This is the icing on the cake. He is really an asset.
“He’s physically well-constructed and can pass through the opponent’s lines well. He also has the speed to play with space in behind.”
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