Arsenal have confirmed that two youth coaches have been suspended after accusations of bullying emerged earlier this season.
Steve Gatting, Head Coach of the U23s, and his assistant Carl Laraman, are under investigation, with their jobs on the line if the accusations are proven.
An Arsenal spokesperson told the Islington Gazette, who broke the original story, “We have suspended two coaches and launched an investigation following complaints from some players.
“These are private matters and we will not discuss any further detail.”
Arseblog News also understands that complaints have come from both players and parents, and the duo were absent from the sideline for the Premier League International Cup final against Porto this week.
The Arsenal team that night was managed by U18s Head Coach Kwame Ampadu, and former Gunner Ryan Garry is expected to continue his progression through the coaching ranks this summer.
Meanwhile, a number of senior coaching staff are to have their futures clarified in a series of meetings tied in to the departure of Arsene Wenger.
All of their contracts are tied to that of the manager, who will depart the club after 22 years in charge following Sunday’s game with Huddersfield.
It’s believed that some, including the recently appointed Jens Lehmann and Wenger’s assistant manager, Steve Bould, may be offered the chance to remain, but many of Wenger’s staff, such as Boro Primorac, Gerry Peyton and Neil Banfield are expected to leave as any new manager will want to bring in his own coaches.
Backroom staff should also be remaining, including Darren Burgess who was brought in last year without consultation with Wenger as the club’s Director of High performance.
Until further detail come out it won’t be clear if these are genuine issues or it’s just a couple of kids throwing their toys out because they wanted to get praise for participating rather than putting in any actual effort to succeed…
Well according to the Islington gazette the allegations concern Marcus McGuane who went to Barca in Jan so I would say he was very eager to succeed and decided to jump ship.
Marcus just posted on twitter that the story in the Islington gazette was wrong and he isn’t connected. Apologies.
That’s such a weird comment man
Really?
Immediately positing a theory of what has happened that is based on blaming the complainants as essentially fragile entitled millenial snowflakes sort of undermines the whole ‘until further details come out it won’t be clear if…’ statement you started with. Very fair of you.
Read it again. It’s saying WE DON’T KNOW WHAT IT’S ABOUT BECAUSE WE DON’T HAVE ENOUGH INFORMATION!
C’mon man, your post was very pointed. It’s not appropriate to start out by painting the scenario that the possible victims are to blame.
If we really don’t know don’t start building opinion against those who may have been bullied.
Rubbish. It’s quite clear that it’s saying there isn’t enough to make a judgement. The term ‘Bullying’ has bad connotations and I’m just pointing out that it can also be BS, and until it’s clarified we should try to look at it from a neutral perspective.
‘Steve Bould, may be offered the chance to remain’
Not got any fundamental problem with this, but wont the new chief want to pick his own second in command?
No justification whatsoever in offering bould a contract. He’s either a very poor defensive coach as is proven with or teams performances in recent years or he has nothing to do with the coaching side in which case he’s nicking a living and should go along with the manager.
It sounds like he’s been told he has a job,
but until the new guy is in they can’t confirm it’s assistant manager
Director of High performance??
Guess he has nothing to do with away games then?
Well he manages between arsenal and australian club, and unfortunately all australian games were played while we were away.
Time will tell if the change in staff both playing and backroom were for a shift in political power or for the good of the club.
If the AGM is anything to go by, the only one who cared what the fans thought was Wenger
Yeah, if high means on the puff
We have a Director of Performance, and a Director of High Performance. The second guy does not appear to be the first guy’s boss; it’s not clear if they have ever met. Clearly we need a Director of Extreme Performance.
I know it’s in jest, but he’s purely physical conditioning and preparation, not footballing, from what I understand of the role.
what’s a director of high performance? a failed job if you ask me. Bould may be kept because the new boss needs someone with knowledge of the players around.
Why is it a failed job?
He is basically overseeing the entire fitness/physical performance department.
Indeed, the job title is crap,
it doesn’t mean the person doing the job is…
The skeptic in me says Bould might be kept around because Of name value more than results value.
Taking over for Vic?
Changing the backroom staff will need time to gel and create teamwork just as it does with first team.
Let’s hope that any new members get the support and understanding that they need.
Lots of changes at Arsenal. Personally I’d prefer less upheaval so Ivan and Raul can concentrate on the most important appointment in two decades
The new manager will want to bring his own backroom staff as pointed out in the blog so it’s a necessary upheaval.
Glad to know Lehmann is staying, id like to see what Bould can actually do- when he stepped up Arsenal’s defence tightened then it went back to ‘normal’
Anyone know what a director of high performance actually does?
Perhaps he takes the credit for high performances, and shrugs his shoulders after a low performance and says “nothing to do with me”?
Sad to hear this sort of thing going on at Arsenal. I hope that if this is true then these coaches never work n football ever again, there is no place for bullying.
The senior team needs a boot camp though.
Let’s avoid passing judgment from the outside…