He is regarded as one of the most successful defenders in recent history, so it’s no surprise to see Steve Bould take all the plaudits following Arsenal’s impressive defensive start to the new campaign. The Gunners are the only side in the top flight who have yet to concede a goal and Arsene Wenger claims that his new assistant is to thank for such success.
Bould was appointed as Wenger’s No.2 earlier this summer, following the retirement of the long serving Pat Rice. Previously, the 49-year-old had worked with the younger players in his role as Head Youth Team Coach and he was awarded this promotion after excelling in that position.
With Arsenal defending so well in their opening three games, many supporters have been quick to compliment Bould for his work with the Gunners’ defence. Following on from this, Wenger has also decided to lavish the praise as he told the press, “We have played two teams who didn’t really attack, but he is doing a good job. We continue our training regime. He has taken over from Pat Rice for the defensive job where he is doing very well. Will we finish with the best defence in the league? I hope so. Steve Bould is doing very well and I am confident we will have a good defensive record at the end of the season.”
However, whether or not Bould can mastermind similar success over the next few weeks is another matter. The Gunners are pitted against Southampton in their first game after the international break and even though Saints have yet to record a point, they still have a decent goal scoring record and will definitely pose a threat. With Manchester City and Chelsea arriving on the schedule almost immediately after, it will certainly be interesting to see if the defence can continue to perform at this standard.
