Thomas Vermaelen has become the latest Arsenal player to praise the work being done by new assistant manager Steve Bould.
The soon-to-be-captain follows Wojciech Szczesny’s comments by talking about what Bould has brought to the training ground, especially from a defensive point of view, and how it will benefit the team in the season ahead.
“Steve is really good to work with, especially for defenders as he has been a defender himself,” he said in an interview with Arsenal Player.
“He knows what it is all about and gives us a lot of tips. He works a lot on the shape of the team and that is very important, so I am very happy he came to work with the first team.
“He is very focused on details. A lot of players, because we are getting older, we know how to play. But he looks at details and the shape of your body and to be honest I am learning a lot from him.”
Arsenal’s defensive record was poor last season and while many will point to the back four and perceived weaknesses there, it’s interesting that Bould appears to be looking at it differently. Defending is not the sole preserve of the defenders, it’s something the team
“We have to get the shape of the team right,” he said. “We have been working on it throughout pre-season and we are focusing on that.
“I think having your shape right is one of the most important things in football, whether you have the ball or don’t have the ball. We are working really hard on that and Steve does the job really well.”
Which is great to hear, let’s hope some added defensive discipline throughout the team and the attacking signings we’ve made make for a more productive season.
Come on you Verminator!
I fukn love the Verminator!!!
Good to see Bould putting a little more metal into the defence, as good as Verminator and Boss are they need to be a little bit more physical next season. And then we’re set.. *championes championes*
“Good to see Bould putting a little more metal into the defence…” Given Arsenal’s luck with injuries, Koscielny will probably be out for the first month of the season with lead poisoning… !
(You mean “mettle”.)
Nah, with Sagna’s leg now full of bolts the Arsenal defence does have more metal …
Go have a look at the blurb thats peddles every pre-season via archives or something.
Its all the same bollocks. Bould’s influence will be judged via results, not interviews.
Nonetheless goodluck to them.
I didn’t realise Bould coached our defence every season. I thought this was the first but I’m sure the archive will tell me differently
How disrespectful can you got towards Rice?
RVP: Shut up Thomas, you are making me look stupid
Off Topic.
Gooners should make Lostprophets’ “We Bring An Arsenal” their official song. The lyrics works, after everytime we beat Cunt Terry’s army 5-3 or the scums 5-2.
I like the chorus, but only the first sentence of the chorus really works.
Chorus:
If you bring a gun, baby, we’ll bring an Arsenal
If you think we’re done, baby, we’ll bring it, we’ll sing it,
Open your eyes and see you won’t know we’re coming,
You’re never gonna be a threat to anybody.
Yeah, but it’s Lostprophets, though.
I know I know, I don’t like’em either, it’s just this one song. It’s so hard to find rock music that could be related to the Gunners.
Why stop at ‘rock music’? There are plenty of other genres and many more unnamed these days. 😉
Introduce him at shittania. Tiger kick those motherfuckers.
Yeah especially when crouchs’ face is all the way up there……that long bastard.
Let’s hope for the best from Bould and put some of the terrible defending during pre-season behind already. 1 week to go to the new season!
Mmm. Proof will be in the pudding, to be honest. I’ve got no problem with our attacking prowess now, with or without Mr. Van Persie, but we really can’t ship another 49 goals this season if we want any chance of challenging. I just want a few more clean sheets from the team! I guess we’ll find out how good they are when they go up against the ‘might’ of Sunderland. Slightly off topic, but if we were to get a defender in, personally I don’t see why we couldn’t go in for Micah Richards. Proven centre-back who can also… Read more »
I’d take Richards. For less than 8mil. They got Clichy for 7m I think
I really rate Richards but I don’t know why city would want to sell him, how many gazillions he’s on there or why he would want to come and be Sagna’s understudy.
City seem to be having a fire sale, Mancini isn’t really in charge of who they buy and sell. If we put in a reasonable offer for him, then I have a feeling they’d let him go just to free up a space in the squad.
He wouldn’t just be Sagna’s understudy either, he’d be a centre back who could definitely play on the right – a definite boost to the team.
Meh, I dunno. Maybe I’m just dreaming.
Do you recall that both our first choice fullbacks were injured? Do you also recall that both our backup fullbacks got injured too? We also sustained injuries to the both of the backup’s backups. Is there any specific reason that you think the same is going to happen this season? The season before it was goalkeepers and we ended up with Lehman. Also, if we did sign Micah, is there any reason why he couldn’t get injured too? Why does it take the likes of Barca and City trying to sign our players before we think they are good? I… Read more »
I am optimistic for the new season mate, definitely, and I’m not suggesting that our defence is definitely going to be shit, but there is a fine line between optimism and naivety. We play beautiful football, so our players are going to get injured by the fucking fist-dragging morons that prowl the middle part of the table (stand up, Shawcross). That’s the only way they understand how to play. The only thing I was saying was that I hope we have a better time of it than last season, and I think Richards would be a good signing. I am… Read more »
Personally I think Richards is vastly overrated – very quick, strong and good in the air, but he’s pretty clumsy, his positioning is poor and he’s not great technically. Zabaleta, who is in my opinion a better player, has overtaken him in the City pecking order.
Obviously I wouldn’t mind Richards as a back up, but Sagna is vastly superior (as are Vermaelen, Koscielny and Mertesacker imo). His wages are likely to be pretty big for a back up.
Mertesacker !!! really ??
Yes, really.
Yes, Mertesecker is without any question vastly superior to Micah Richards.
Just a simple comparison, one player has 80 or so caps for Germany, a vastly superior footballing nation to England, for which Richards has how many?
Honestly, the absolute horseshit that dribbles out about clutzes like Richards, Samba, Cahill, and other donkeys being superior to an established German international is beyond contempt.
Who said Richards is for sale, Be serous you guys. Why wasting time for discussing impossibilities?
Because this is a forum for exactly such discussion. Why waste YOUR time posting anything at all?
Good point……
Who also said Alex song is for sale?……….oh wait.
AWFUL POINT.
” I don’t see why we couldn’t go in for Micah Richards.”
Because he has all the pace and maneuverability of a supertanker that’s got about eight layers of barnacles on its hull? He makes the BFG look like Walcott after 40 cups of espresso.
“can also play on the right”
ISTR him doing that for England not too long ago. IIRC, revolving doors have offered more obstruction.
Some good positive words from our captain there.
Captain Verminator. Like it.
Merge the two and he would be De’capitator…
hmmmmmm, well fingers crossed ….
its been very disheartening the last few years to see us giving away so may chances to other teams, often really bad teams, so fingers crossed that with the new coaching team we can finally put that behind us
if we get beaten by a better team then fair enough, it feels bad but i can accept it, but giving away so many chances to teams that we dominate is has been hard to take week in and week out
looking forward to sunday!
Our fullbacks concern me (in sagna’s case-his injury)
Hopefully Bouldy can sort them out.
speaking of defenders, the “Secret Footballer” in the Guardian has a nice line…
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2012/aug/10/secret-footballer-undercover-premier-league
” If you meet a footballer and he comes across as a rude, arrogant prick, the chances are that he is simply trying not to give anything away. Either that, or you have bumped into Ashley Cole.”
Read part of it, nice article. Really trying to guess who it might be – I think it’s an old Arsenal man, maybe Campbell?
i reckon its michael owen
My money’s on Dean Whitehead, actually.
who’s the secret Footballer in FourFourTwo?
2 down-thumbs? I’m hoping that proves that sometimes a fat finger hits the wrong thing when the browser fucks around.
Or there are those that still appreciate all that Cole did for us (and you know what – if that is the case, good for you, we should appreciate all of those that played for us).
don’t tar and feather me. Its just that I struggle to ‘hate’ players that have played for the Arsenal. Even though he really is the only player that makes me think I could…..
alright ok, weak moment.
been reading the guardian.
I do hate him.
…..laughed out loud at that line.
Squad is looking strong, am I the only one thinking that we need a keeper to?
A keeper to what?
Not only Ca$hley.
I seem to remember seeing a missive circulated by RvP not so long ago which ticked all the boxes for rudeness, arrogance and being written by a prick.
Working on the shape of the team and focusing on details?
That’s a Bould move!
It’s not the defence. It’s the B grade goalkeeper ! Szczesny is the weak link in the Arsenal side and we will continue to concede goals whilst Szczesny is in goal.
Sczezzers isn’t that bad mate, he made some fantastic stops for us last season. We just need to defend better as a team, stop them counter-attacking our counter attacks!
Are you sure it’s not just you?. I mean he’s a 22 year old with great character – Always wants to get better or you rather we buy the fatty from inter milan?.
He aint a gunner just another spud.
No gooner will make fun of a legends name.
A legend??
You obviously are another who’s fallen for Szczesny’s big mouth on social media.
He talks big but was the equal worst ‘keeper in the EPL last season along with that Paddy Kenny bloke.
I really hope I’m wrong but if he’s like last season, he’ll cost us at least 9 to 10 points minimum again and that includes any he may save us due to his great reflexes. There is a lot more though to being a good goalkeeper than having good reflexes; a lot more and Szczesny is sadly lacking in other critical areas.
The right-back position is a worry. With Sagna injured, we need someone of quality to play there until our French ace is available. Djourou was an utter disaster last season, and Jenkinson makes Keith Curle look like Fabio Cannavarro.
Trying to sign Micah Richards actually sounds like a good idea.
Van der Wiel would be great signing. And if we want to break some Stoke’s legs, we can buy De Jong.
I feel both full back positions are a concern judging from last season we could do with 2 new full backs. Gibbs, Santos and Jenkinson all gave appeal in attack but brittle defensively. Bould can’t make miracles.
As much as a legend as he is, what was Pat Rice doing ????
[…] 来源：[Arseblog News] […]
I would like to see arsene strip RVP of the captaincy publicly and give it to verm as a message to the rest of the team as to who is the boss here and how his public statement is a slap in the face of all the people that have supported him while he was having horse fanny smeared over his foot.
Mark me down if you want but we need to stand up to these ego’s and let them know we actually pay there wages.
I think that Poldi should be given the number 10 shirt as well.
Put RvP out there in the match tomorrow with a big $ sign in place of his squad number.
Defense should be tighter than a Nuns cunt this season.
I wonder if arseblog has thought of putting up a forum for us all to talk our heads off about everything and nothing. Or is that just a stupid idea?
I’ve wondered that, might be a good laugh, although it’d probably need a few admins to keep people in line.
Good idea Mike, I’d like to discuss nuns cunts further.
Dont wait just start them.
Sorry blogs not waiting for your permission but just saw Farah sprinting in that race for gold.
COYG.
Hoping to hear some anti Darren Dein and Usmanov chants this season. We need the fans to show our disapproval.
“Na na na na na na na na na na na
Us-man-ov you’re a cunt, you’re a cunt,
Us-man-ov you’re a cunt”
We play an offensive game and this is Wenger vision but it hasnt worked cos you need a solid defence to win anything.
It’s about defending as a team and being more organised hopefully Wenger finally has realised this and will allow Bould to make the necessary changes.
I hoping but not confident Wenger althougha great manager is also very subborn man its been his biggest weakness
Okay so I’m pretty chuffed about the cologne game. I expect poldi to start as c.f, walcott on the right then gerv as usual running cock rings on the left. Cazorla for walcott (anytime, but i’l settle for wengers). Rvp tries too warm up, sit the fuck down!, let giroud go at it. Close eye on rvp by verminator incase he tries something funny. Ox for gervinho then a 3-1 rout. Then I smile and wait for august motherfucking 18!!!.
I can’t wait to see Wenger come on for Cazorla and Gervinho sell cock rings on the side of the pitch. Should be good.
Well I’m not buying a cock ring that has ARSE written on it. My wife wouldn’t like it.
It’s not the ring she doesn’t like, it’s the cock.
Why am I awake and posting comments on Arseblog news at 6:37 on a Sunday morning? Because my wife was buggering about with her new phone last night and the alarm went off at 5:30 this morning. Anyway an afternoon on the lash watching New Order and The Specials and a day off tomorrow should aid my recovery.
UPDATE- there’s a bloody woodpecker tapping away outside the bedroom windows……. Peace and tranquility of the countryside my arse.
I was just looking back over some archive postings, one on 28th Feb entitled ‘RVP-I’m a true Gooner’, stands out. He talks of his love for the club and how he’ll sit down and have a coffee with the boss at the end of the season. He really played us fans for mugs. It’s interesting reading Blogs stance with hindsight, he try’s to defend Robins position and swat way any concerns that he won’t sign. This is not a critiscm as at the time I agreed 100% but 6 months down the line it highlights that as football fans, we… Read more »
Someone talk to me please……..anyone!!!
I feel so lonely.
……..
Initials of MC:
– Man City
– Mexico City
– Midfield Corporal
– Massive Cunt
You forgot Malcolm Christie.
I always thought it was Man SHITEH. Oh how wrong I’ve been for all this years.
+ Micheal Cole, you know, that cocky commentator at WWE.
And Michael carrick
….Michael corleone, Martin chivers, mel C……I’m on a train for two hours so I have lots of time to kill.
[…] job isn’t simply to make the defence better but to make the team defend better, something Vermaelen says is being worked on: He is very focused on details. We have to get the shape of the team right. We have been working on […]
Malcolm X …….sorry I’m dyslexic.
MC Hammer
Good shout
It’s official i’m buying the Santi cazorla shirt.
What a guy!.
cant comment on the live blog but looks like squad is gelling nicely.
come on ARSENAL.
one question is the lu lu lu podolski chant goin on there in koln?
Who needs robin?
We’ve got king lucas and santa- his gifts comes in form of sublime through passes.
<3 Arsenal.
So apparently when you’re angling for a move away from the club you play like shit and try not to get involved in the play as much as possible. No effort in delivering your passes and just keeping a pure cuntish attitude. Just go now!!!, I really d.g.a.f anymore.
This is why a forum would be great, so we could talk about the match afterwards, alongside discussing all the bollocks we usually talk about off-topic to the central thread.
Yeah, like how john terry is a scummy cunt.
That’s not really something we need to debate. That’s like saying, “Look, there’s weather outside”.
Did’ent see game did van purse play and what was the attitude
He just ambled around.had a good few touches but didn’t make a big impact.Although he insisted on wearing the captain’s armband when he came on.Make of that what you will.
I will make of that that he’s a small boy who likes his special toy/ribbon.
The guy played dismally today, might be because of the opposition but I expected better. Cazorla was awesome I have to say, total wenger transfer coup. Giroud was perhaps unlucky not to score – would have been a treble for him had it not been for good goalkeeping. Podolski= rocket shot. Beware sunderland, beware!!!.
Cheers
[…] help-on that had everyone speculating about Steve Bould’s influence (which Vermaelen himself has recently hailed), then a brace from hometown boy Lukas Podolski before Gervinho rounded out the scoring with a fine […]