Arsenal have confirmed that Steve Bould is leaving the club after 33-years of service.
It’s exactly a month since The Athletic (£) broke the news that the former defender had been told he was surplus to requirements at London Colney.
Bould, 58, has spent the last two seasons coaching the club’s under-23s after a job switch with Freddie Ljungberg saw the Swede become one of Unai Emery’s assistants at first team level. Against the backdrop of much upheaval, the elder statesman has endured a challenging 12 months.
Bould won every domestic honour going during his playing days at Highbury and was in the heart of the defence that won the Cup Winners’ Cup in 1994.
After a brief spell playing for Sunderland, he returned to north London to coach the club’s youngsters and stewarded the under-18s to two league triumphs and success in the FA Youth Cup.
He eventually stepped up to fill the void left by Pat Rice when the Irishman retired as Arsene Wenger’s deputy.
Thanking Bould for his service, Per Mertesacker, who took the decision to part ways, said:
“Steve has been a fantastic servant for us on and off the pitch. His record as a player speaks for itself and he has been an inspiration to generations of young players coming through the academy.
“This has been a very hard decision to make. Steve’s contribution to the under-23s and the club as a whole has been huge and he will always be an important figure in our history.”
Arsenal are yet to confirm who will replace Bould as coach of the under-23s but it will be the fourth appointment to the role in just over three years.
no judgement here, honest to god, but wonder what’s going on with all the staff reshuffling the last few years. say what you will, but sacking someone who’s been at the club 33 years is a pretty brutal decision. farewell bouldy and thanks for everything!
The gutless entitled bunch used him a a fuse to protect Arteta. What in the world has Mersacker done for the club other than having been Wenger’s protégé? Mertsacker collected one year of salary not playing and waiting to become the head of the academy with no experience for it.
I’m just wondering if it was really the BFG’s decision.
If we’re making assumptions based on the previous Arseblog article and others out there… Then yes, BFG was actually the one who spearheaded the decision to sack Steve Bould.
That’s only an assumption though.
A bould move
Hopefully one backed by a bould strategy.
You never known what’s going on behind the scenes at a club. You really don’t.
But losing a man with Bould’s level of experience and Arsenal DNA is never, in my opinion, a good idea.
I’d be so much more comfortable with him being given another coaching position somewhere in the younger age groups. After the Superleague and the Gunnersaurus debacle, this just feels like another small erosion of the club we used to be.
Playing wise – Bouldy will always be a legend at the Club. And he did good things on the coaching side as well. But as we started to flounder from @ 2014 onwards, he got caught up in a lot of crossfire and I was one of those who thought he should have asserted himself more, to Wenger, given our defensive frailties and his obvious accomplishments in that area. Having said all that – it’s sad to see him go. And it will be interesting to see where he goes next. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him Managing at… Read more »
Bouldy was sacked due to U23 lacklustre performances. The club should’ve made an earlier and more classy announcement. Good luck to him.
I can’t help feeling that there’s more to it than just the U23’s results.
For sure because he’s also part of the old regime. Can’t help but notice many of them have left.
Steve Bould is and always will be a genuine Arsenal legend. A proper defender and man who was a key part of the best defence we’ve had in modern times. Anfield 89, cups and European glory. Respect!
This announcement from the club is about a month late. Is there a reason for this or are we just a little less classy these days? After 33 years he surely deserves a little better.
Bring in Santi Cazorla
Honestly for the starting 11 please.
Per has made a big decision here. Bould has had a lot of success with our youth teams over the years. He moved back to the role because it didn’t work out under Emery – he wasn’t part of Emery’s team and Bould was foisted upon him. As a result, Emery just had him picking up cones. Therefore this seems like twice the club has not treated him with much respect. The weakenss of the current U23 side was due to the best prospects being sent out on loan or joining the first team, so it is unfair to pin… Read more »
It looks like we have lost the continuity of our team.
We are putting all of our money to the duo of Arteta and Edu and the duo of Kroenkes to lead the change…
FASTEN YOUR SIT BELTS
Thank you for your contributions towards the Arsenal, Steve Bould, and all the best for the future.
You make some valid points
So our Men’s, Women’s, U23s and U18s side performed below expectations last season but it appears only Bould’s position was under any real scrutiny.
It seems Ken Gillard is being promoted to the U23 set-up for next season. Looking at 2018-19 U18s season, it looks like he did very well in his first season. He should be able to take the positives from that season into his new coaching role. Hopefully he’ll be dealt a better hand than Bould was.
Sack Per Mertasacker
He was a poor CB and one of the players who ensured the decline of the club including Almunia
What on earth is this comment?? Almunia was a low blow, Andre Santos maybe but Almunia was just a flash in a very disappointing pan, we replaced him just fine.
Mertesacker was a part of the last class defensive partnership we had with Koscielny – and he’s served his role pretty well since retirement.
Alumina was in net far too long , cost us serious league challenges, could have got Shay given for 5 m.
But don’t know enough about per in hmthis to speak on that part.
Bound is a legend .
Is Arteta doing a Raul S.,?
I think, the right reaction to sacking someone, is sacking the person, that sacked someone. Looks like the right way forward. (Warning: Sarcasm)
If you can, watch the FA Cup final against Chelsea. A legendary performance.
This is arsenal defined! A loyal member of the club for 33 years present during the most successful years of the club being sacked by not just a 30 year old in age but as well someone who’s been at the club for 10 years and has been present or part of the worst years of the club.
This is the Arsenal story!
This is the True definition of Arsenal!!
This is what my club has become!!!
I’ll feed the troll, what 30yr old do you think sacked Bould?
Misplaced priorities. If the problem is about the 6 years difference 36 not 30 instead of the discussion, then that’s part of the Arsenal issues. Fans of Arsenal!
Not sticking up for him , but per is in his 30s
Hasn’t Bould been also present in those “worst years”. And do you think those were the worst years? Ask yourselve, what happened between 1971-1989 and actually before 1970. As far as I”m concerned, those were some really dark days.
No please, let’s go back to 1886. Typical Arsenal and fans. Exactly why nothing will change! Whatever decision have got fans who back it up no matter what…
Sometimes I think we loose a part of our identity with the club making all these changes I know everyone has their time and sadly Bouldy is gone but they need to replace these people with classy appointments that keep that identity something we have failed to do over recent years
As others have said Bould was sacked due to the poor performance of the U23’s.
Makes you wonder why Arteta wasn’t fired due to the performance of the first team – a far more significant failing.
It irritates me that someone as irrelevant and insignificant to Arsenal’s history as Per Mertesacker could push an Arsenal legend like Bould out of the club.
I am sure once Arsenal’s forthcoming challenge is over by November we could see Arteta, Edu and Mertesacker pushed out themselves…
It doesn’t really make me wonder that as I wouldn’t expect a manager to be judged in the same way as a youth coach but, I’d say Bould got sacked and Arteta didn’t partly because it’s easier to replace a U23 coach than it is to find a new manager. If you want a realtime demonstration of this (& a good chuckle) have a look at sp*rs. Also, is Mertesacker now the new scapegoat? I’ll get started on a new effigy & stick my anti-Xhaka paraphernalia in the basement alongside my wenger out banners & the shirt I wore when… Read more »
In the last five years, we’ve now become a club with more changes in backroom staff than the match-day squad. This is practically retail-store levels of turnover.
Your stance might be unpopular but there really aren’t many rebuttals to the points you made. It’s been almost two years and the first team still doesn’t have a philosophy (despite what Mikel claims). Total football, counter-pressing, catenaccio, vertical build-up? We don’t know.
There really isn’t much to suggest things will magically improve by next season. Arsenal don’t tend to do miracles.
Welcome Kevin Betsy
Yeah, he seems the flavour of the month.
Bouldxit is really done. Well, let’s see what happens next. Thank you Steve for your job.
A lot of people have come and gone, but are things improving? If not, when will the club review Mertesaker’s position? What is the measure of success, is it youth team titles or progression to the first team?
This isn’t a rhetorical question,
Did per arrive before Emery’s first season?
Transfermarkt says Per was appointed academy manager on July 1st 2018
some thing’s wrong… 🤔
Wouldn’t be surprised if Bould was on high wages and the club wanted to find a replacement for 50% of his salary.
Would be good to hear from Steve Bould himself about this but he hasn’t spoken a word since 1997.
Sad times , if true . Bould replaced for a cheaper option .
Arteta is also cheap , paid less than Sean dyche…
After 39 years of supporting Arsenal, growing up watching Steve Boild and others I am so annoyed with how the club is being run by Americans who know nothing about football, treating ex players and staff with no remorse.
ARTETA needs to go, he talks a good game but is as much use as a wet paper bag, tactically inept and so does Edu along with the two Kroenke idiots.
I am done with the lot.
Have we appointed a headhunter to start the job search? Or enlisted super agents to help draw up a shortlist? Arsenal doing things the KSE way, very nice to see.
Steve Bould’s brilliant pass for Adams to lash it home against Everton in 1998. I wish you well Steve and will never forget some magic moments!
Sorting out the useless Alex Song was quite good too.