Check out the forum! There are 17 members viewing right now and 667 visitors today.... Click here to join in!

Bould Set To Be Unveiled As Arsenal Number 2

It`s something of an open secret that current Arsenal assistant Manager Pat Rice will take to the Arsenal dugout for the last time this Sunday prior to hanging up his short shorts. An announcement had been expected from the club last week, prior to the last home game of the season against Norwich. I would guess (I don`t know) that Rice didn`t want the fanfare.

However, the ever reliable We Are The North Bank and arseblog news are reporting that Steve Bould will be announced as Rice`s replacement imminently. This would certainly chime with the noises I`ve been hearing, as I speculated in this piece I wrote three weeks ago . Bould had been sounded out about the job last summer when Rice originally looked to retire due to a chronic knee complaint. It was understood the job was Bould`s to turn down.

We Are The North Bank revealed that club legend Tony Adams had also applied for the role, but Wenger favoured Bould due to the eleven years he has already spent on the Gunners coaching staff, having overseen the development of the likes of Wilshere, Frimpong and Gibbs. We Are the North Bank are also reporting that Reserves manager Neil Banfield will be promoted to First Team Coach. Boro Primorac is also nearing retirement and will likely take a reduced role. It`s yet to be seen who would backfill Banfield and Bould`s current roles, but there maybe scope for ex Arsenal players such as Keown and Adams who have professed an interest in coaching roles.

There`s nothing official from the club as yet, but according to the very trustworthy sources quoted, it`s a mere formality that will be executed in the coming days. LD.

Vital F1 Prediction League - Join now for Monaco

Click here to join in the debate on the club forum.

Writer: Tim Stillman

Date:Tuesday May 8 2012

Time: 9:43AM

Your Comments

If true then Bould will need some input in the training of the team....otherwise his appointment is a fruitless exsersise that will change nothing.

Armory

I would venture that if he's going to be Assistant Manager you'd kinf of expect him to! What else would that job title be about?

Little Dutch

Whats the difference between a manager and a coach? Can someone tell me?

Wyn Mills

Alright chaps, been ages since I posted on here. Used to be under the name LondonGooner but thoguht i'd freshent hings up with my regular "internet alias" (sounds sinsiter that phrase!!). Anyway, the site admin spelt Scotch wrong, if anyone can rattle a cage for me that would be greatly appreciated.

ScotcEggsRule

Assistant manager.....at Arsenal it means carry out the greatones ideas without question, do not critisize the players, yell at them or call them names. What we need is someone that challanges the great one and kicks the under performing shower of ninnis up the hole when they are feeling sorry for them selfs.

Armory

He really could have chosen anyone on the list that LD posted and I would have been happy. Bouldy has definately earned his stripes and is going about everything in the Arsenal way. He know, loves, and respects the club. It also gives us a reason to sing the Stevie Stevie Bould song at every opportunity.

As an aside some of the younger Gooners might not appreciate what kind of footballing person Bould is. It's been a long time since he played for the club. Needless to say, he doens't f*** about and that's exactly the type of character we need at the moment. No nonsense, get the job dob type of people. Very happy with this.

Rocky7

HA! The irony of me mentioning someone else's spelling. You try typing on a touch screen phone with big hands!!

ScotcEggsRule

Armoury, can I ask which position you currently hold at the club? It's just training sessions at Arsenal have been closed to the public and the press since 1996. You obviously have a privileged insight given your comment, so what else do you see on the training ground every day that might be of interest to us?

Little Dutch

Rocky, don't you think that the last 6-7 years (or what ever) working under Wenger will have mellowed the type of person we remember Steve Bould was? I cannot ever see someone like Wenger, who requires 100% subservience from his staff, hiring someone to take point with his philosophies on occasion and upset his precious little darlings.

ScotcEggsRule

*seems to require 100%.....

ScotcEggsRule

I think everyone agrees the coaching staff could do with an overhaul. But what is Bould's job description? And is he likely to be more animated on the touchline than Rice?

Wyn Mills

LD I have no position there, no more than you have and if you cannot live with some on guessing at what happens there, just like you do then what the ***** are you doing posting on forums? Apart from the training sessions being closed there has been enough of comments from ex players that the manager does not want inter ferance with his training methods. The managers own retorts to jurnalists that have asked him if he is going to get help with defensive training has been that he has been in coaching rols for 30 odd years and does not need outside help. SAF has surrounded him with coaches that had input and is well awhere of his own limitations when it comes to tactics. Who has been the more succsessful of the two?

Armory

Amory, LD is a member of AST so DOES have access to training sessions. I'd like to know what Rice is doing during these sessions.

Wyn Mills

Eggs - I don't know Steve Bould personally, but after watching him play for Arsenal all those years ago he never struck me as the sort of person who would just role over and do what he's told. He seem to be a guy who did what he thought was right. Obviously that's nigh on impossible to gauge simply from what you see on a football pitch but as that's all we've got to go on I'm going offer that I don't really see him as a yes man.

Rocky7

Sorry LD. I'm sure you weren't expecting an easy ride with this, and probably wouldn't have it any other way! I'm not sure I got that right about you being able to attend training sessions. It was probably the reserve matches I had in mind.

Wyn Mills

**roll over

Rocky7

Wyn, I sit opposite the dugout and reckon Rice is much more animated than AW is on the touchline. Armoury, I perfectly acknowledge guesswork and haven't tried to intimate I do anything further about 99% of the time. But if you acknowledge it's guesswork, how can your opinion be as vitriolic as that if you don't actually know? There was no attempt to pass that post off as anything other than bona fide fact. It's funny because I see a lot of United fans passing off the same old guff about getting rid of Phelan as United assistant. Largely for the same reasons Arsenal fans needlessly attack Rice- they're scared to criticise the manager so go for other targets. One thing I do know for a fact is that this time last year Rice insisted on taking over the training ground drills on setpiece defending. Seems to have worked alright. Sighting Ferguson's success is fine- he is a more successful manager. But you could use that to justify any old comment. "Ferguson signed Djemba Djemba and Wenger didn't. Who's been more successful?" It's wafer thin. It could very well be that the coaching staff needs freshening up. It might be the answer to all of our problems and it could be the one and only reason Ferguson is more successful is because his coaching staff tends to leave him quite regularly forcing him to make new appointments. But whilst it's all just theory, probably best to tone down the vitriol in holding that view. Especially when it seems to be based on nothing less than the media's receved wisdom.

Little Dutch

Bouldy would be good. He knows the club inside out at this moment. But I think Keown would have been better. He's a dominating presence and would have the players submit to him

Eboue=GOD

I don't and can't attend training sessions, nobody but the coaching staff and the players can. The only things I know about the training sessions are what's been submitted to the public. That they're strictly timed to the second. The info on Rice taking over setpiece drilling came, if memory serves, from an interview Szczesny gave to the Polish press earlier this season. It's certainly not privileged. I've no idea other than that what Rice does. He might be a nodding yes man that puts the cones out and shines Arsene's shoes. He might have been the real brain behind the Invincibles. Unless you have sustained access to the training ground, you wouldn't know for sure. I certainly don't, but that's why I'd challenge anyone that says Rice does nothing. I'd only want to know how they know and, if they don't and it's just rehashed "received wisdom" which is ten a penny on the interweb without anything concrete to back it up, it can't hurt to force a person to think more critically about why they hold an opinion so forcefully on a flimsy basis.

Little Dutch

“There’s no point bringing in anyone who is just going to go down the Arsene Wenger way because it’s clear over the last few years that hasn’t worked. I still think Arsene is the right man for the job but I just feel he’s lost his way a little bit and needs some help.” Lee Dixon

Wyn Mills

Most gooners agreed the coaching staff could do with an overhaul and Bould was high among the list of preferred assistant managers. Now that Bould has been appointed for next season the questions are already being asked about his independence in discharging his duty, how much defensive input he will have, how animated he will be and whether he will have a go at the players when they go through one of their complacent phases. All that one can do is wait and watch for next season to judge Bould's impact! Isn't everything else just speculation.

Deltaforce

I'd accept Dixon's opinion (note the word, opinion) not just because he's an Arsenal man but because he's a good pundit. But it's also worth noting that Dixon hasn't been on the training ground for ten years now and nobody remains on the playing staff from his playing days. But the point is, Dixon has used words such as "I think" and "I feel" which asserts it as an opinion. Rather than a rant that angrily holds that opinion up to be fact. That's all I'm challenging.

Little Dutch

Rocky - Fair enough, just not too sure if he would of mellowed with time, ala Tony Adams. Stevie "We don't care he's got no hair" Bould always had "that" death stare and I for one would love to see midget, pikey faced kit boys like Allen try and give it the big 'un with him there. Not sure about his philosophies, training and playing the Wenger way for many years might even make him more of a yes man than Rice was accused of being no? Atleast Rice has coached different styles and techniques.

ScotcEggsRule

I have to say I have a lot of time for the ex-pros like Dixon and Keown because I can't believe these boys have no insider knowledge on training sessions. As for whether its right to question whether Bould is the right man...well, absolutely yes! Now is exactly the time. We know how fiercely 'loyal' Wenger is. Bould may well be around for the next 6 years, so the right now choice is imperative. Why bother having a debate otherwise?

Wyn Mills

ScotcheggsRule, I appreciate your posts on the DM forum and a few others. About Bould, the information that we are using to make assumptions is quite low at the moment. Bould deserves a clean slate when he starts as assistant manager. Judging him now seems premature, no offence.

Deltaforce

The only qualification I really care about is whether the new guy will make sure players like Song don't end up poncing around the pitch thinking they are Pele, Maradonna and Messi rolled into one with absolute no need to track back, close down or show full respect to any opponent, no matter how lowly they are perceived. if the new person can do that, I couldn't give a **** about anything else they may or may not bring to the job. if the same carefree attitude continues with Bould in place then we know the source/cause is Wenger as he is the only consistent ingredient in all of this. In Which case it won't change, ever as we all know he's leaving Arsenal in a box.

ScotcEggsRule

Deltaforce - Awwww shucks, you noticed lol Thanks mate, love a huge open public forum like that as there are so many idiots that I just cannot stand not addressing, I'm sure you've felt like wringing a few necks on there as well? I agree that he deserves to start with a clean slate, but wild conjecture and speculation are part and parcel of this business and a great part as well. Although this seems more like educated guessing (ha, educated amongst football fans!).

ScotcEggsRule

On the DM forum you have silenced quite a few deluded Spuds and some Chavs as well. Quite entertaining!

Deltaforce

It's all part of the fun eh. Do you ever post yourself as I don't recall seeing your name on the taglines but judging by your often more than educated posts you'd stick right out in a forum like that!!

ScotcEggsRule

Thanks mate while I dont post there, one does read some of the comments especially the top rated ones.

Deltaforce

Im happy with anyone..As long as we get some ******** silverware

Sajit

Bould is a good choice for me, probably 1st preference from that list LD set out 3 weeks back. He has worked his way up from the youth team and I'm sure he's learned a few things there. Whether he will question Wenger or not will only be known next season, I'm willing to give him that chance.

prits

I think you'll find a few interviews, one from Fiszman a while back and more recently from Gazidis and also from Wenger himself all agreeing that others do have their input into coaching and training and Wenger is receptive to it. In the end though one person has to take responsibility. There's little mileage in Wenger being able to say 'don't blame me for the defense'. I've no idea whether Bould would be a good number 2 but if Wenger trusts him that must be a positive pointer. I'm glad Adams hasn't figured and feel it would be best if he doesn't at any level. His coaching record is pretty dismal and he seems rather too self-obsessed to ever be a successful coach.

Amos.

Have Your Say

Recent Articles

Who Is Your Vital Arsenal Player of the Season? (Tuesday May 21 2013)

Newcastle United 0 Arsenal 1 (Monday May 20 2013)

VIDEO: Wenger Praises 'Exceptional' Attitude (Monday May 20 2013)

Arsene Wenger, Now Is The Time (Monday May 20 2013)

The Moment That Made It All Worthwhile (Sunday May 19 2013)

Happy St Totteringham's Day To Gooners Everwhere (Sunday May 19 2013)

Team News: Last Game Of The Season (Sunday May 19 2013)

The Squeaky Bum Preview (Friday May 17 2013)

Wenger Confirms Sanogo Deal Almost Done (Friday May 17 2013)

Mid-Morning Ablutions #11 (Thursday May 16 2013)

Archived Articles

Vital Arsenal Articles from 2005
Vital Arsenal Articles from 2006
Vital Arsenal Articles from 2007
Vital Arsenal Articles from 2008
Vital Arsenal Articles from 2009
Vital Arsenal Articles from 2010
Vital Arsenal Articles from 2011
Vital Arsenal Articles from 2012
Vital Arsenal Articles from 2013

1.	nikolaijns	60
2.	Rocky7	53
3.	Naijagunner	46
4.	Wyn Mills	34
5.	flv	21
6.	Nwankwo25	20
7.	prits	20
8.	gunnerkid107	19
9.	julieloveshenry4ever	16
10.	No 10	15

Team	P	W	D	L	GD	Pts
1. Man Utd	38	28	5	5	43	89
2. Man City	38	23	9	6	32	78
3. Chelsea	38	22	9	7	36	75
4. Arsenal	38	21	10	7	35	73
5. Spurs	38	21	9	8	20	72
6. Everton	38	16	15	7	15	63
7. Liverpool	38	16	13	9	28	61

Choose your club

Other Sites

Network Navigation

Vital Partners

Bould Set To Be Unveiled As Arsenal Number 2

Writer: Tim Stillman

Your Comments

Have Your Say

Recent Articles

Archived Articles

Vital Members League (view all)

League Results (view all)

League Table (view table)

Breaking League News

Current Site Poll (view all polls)

Latest Results
Newcastle	0	-	1	Arsenal
Arsenal	4	-	1	Wigan
Q.P.R.	0	-	1	Arsenal
Arsenal	1	-	1	Man Utd
Fulham	0	-	1	Arsenal
Arsenal	0	-	0	Everton