In 2012 Steve Bould became Arsenal assistant manager and had an immediate effect, with Arsenal having the second best defence in his first season. However, now the Gunners can’t stop conceding goals, is the ex-Arsenal centre back partly to blame?
Even last season Arsenal had the joint third best defence in the league and the defence has arguably significantly improved since he arrived.
However, with just eight clean sheets this season, joint seventh best in the Premier League, and Arsenal conceding 10 goals over two legs in the Champions League to Bayern Munich, Bould is surely liable to some blame for the defensive fragility at the club.
There has been some improvement in recent years, but Arsenal still concede too many goals for a top 4 team. The two centre backs, who are undoubtedly very good defenders, often find themselves in 2v2’s or 3v2’s, making it extremely difficult for them, and it often makes them look like bad defenders.
And despite Arsenal usually setting up to dominate smaller teams, Arsenal should not be finding themselves in positions where they are defending 2v2 or 3v2 against sides such as Watford, Stoke or Swansea at home, where they often concede so many unnecessary goals due to poor defending.
In a system based team, for example at Chelsea or at smaller clubs such as West Brom or Hull, the team defend together, everybody knows their job and everybody does their job. When Arsenal attempt to do the same, it seems half-hearted.
Wenger can take some blame for this, as giving so many players at Arsenal such freedom has let them forget about their defensive duties at time on the pitch, making it hard for the defenders.
Additionally, Arsenal appear to have no leaders on the pitch, with nobody able to make decisions during the game and tell others to do their job, which is again the Frenchman’s fault for the players he has bought and trusted at the club.
This is a big reason why Arsenal often struggle to gain results away from home in big games, because they cannot keep clean sheets against top sides. The team is either set up to counter attack, which often leaves Arsenal’s striker isolated and ineffective, with Arsenal still conceding goals because they do not defend well as a team, or they set up to attack, leaving the team vulnerable at the back.
If a new manager was to come in, such as Allegri, or anyone who’s rumoured to be the possible next Arsenal manager, would they consider working alongside Bould? It’s unlikely. He may not do a lot of coaching, but as a player who was a centre back in many successful Arsenal sides, he must have an influence as a defensive coach, and is therefore able to receive some criticism.
After his positive effect when he was first appointed as assistant manager, all Arsenal fans were quick to praise the Englishman. Now the team is struggling, it is all being blamed on Wenger. Arsenal fans may need to consider that Bould could also be partly to blame for the collapse this year.
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