Despite reluctantly hiring him in the first place, Arsene Wenger has hailed the impact that assistant boss Steve Bould has had so far this season.
I say reluctantly because up until the last game of last season, Arsene Wenger was trying to convince Pat Rice to stay on his coaching staff. Fortunately Rice turned Wenger down, and Bould was promoted.
Arsenal captain Thomas Vermaelen feels a lot of the Gunners’ new-found defensive solidarity is down to the work put in by former centre-half Bould, and Wenger believes signs are positive for the bigger challenges which lie ahead.
Speaking at the UEFA elite club coaches forum in Nyon, Switzerland, the Arsenal manager said:
“We have played two teams who didn’t really attack, but he [Bould] 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.”
Wenger, however, maintained it would not be a case of the days of ’1-0 to the Arsenal’ once again.
“No, no, we want to score goals, but Steve Bould is doing very well and I am confident we have a good defensive record at the end of the season.”
