Reports abound this morning that after the Swansea game assistant manager Steve Bould let rip at the players, accusing them of not taking responsibility and letting the club down.
While Arseblog News is certainly a bit cynical that three different newspapers carried the same exclusive – almost as if they were all briefed by the same person – it does apppear as if something went down. Speaking to Arsenal Player after the game, goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny said, “We had a little conversation that was louder than usual but what happens in the dressing room stays in the dressing room.”
According to the Mirror, Steve Bould shouted: “You’ve let us down and you’ve been letting us down all season. None of you are taking responsibility.”
It remains to be seen how the players will react to the dressing room dressing down, but clearly something needed to be said after another lacklustre performance resulted in a 2-0 home defeat to Swansea.
Meanwhile, Arsene Wenger could leave a host of players behind as the team travels to Greece for tomorrow night’s Champions League game with Olympiacos.
The Gunners have already qualified for the knock-out stages and with the the team described as ‘jaded’ by Arsene Wenger, the likes of Arteta, Cazorla, Wilshere and Podolski could all stay behind with rare starts mooted for Chamakh, Arshavin and Francis Coquelin.
More team news throughout the day.
Interesting that something actually did happened, nice to see other people are as cynical as I am as well.
The bits I have seen clearly show TW14 wandering around taking no interest in
checking back (I won’t say tackling back because he never does that) and
he sticks out like a sore thumb.
One of the many reasons why many clubs feel he could be the next Downing,Henderson,Adam etc and are worried about buying him.
I can see him in the dressing room with Bouldy ranting away and TW14 blubbering away in the corner.
Wenger probably described hi tactic of how we should pass the ball to Cazorla instead of Mertesacker
It’s time to bring Tith up.. He could boost our arse up..
Not really a reply but wanted people to get a bit of perspective on it all … BTW I despise the DM and obviously spurs supporters, but liked the article as tempered my current lull …
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2242234/Tottenham-supporter-Cheer-Arsenal-fans-situation-improve-does.html?ito=feeds-newsxml
I think all our current players need to watch this to see how excellence is achieved.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUHf-yTNCmY
If you are just all depressed about the current state of our gunners, just watch this.
Unbelievable….couldn’t hold back at times…
Apologies for being cynical but this Bould “letting rip at the squad” sounds like a classic (poorly executed) PR stunt to me.
Seriously, has it taken this long to “have a rip” at the squad? Should have been done right from the Chelsea game onwards.
I also thought the PR team needed this kinda info out there to appease some of the fans and show that something’s really cooking. Personally I really don’t think new players in January can fully change the mentality in this squad. Depth will provide an added boost to the squad but it seems more and more that Arsenal’s problems seem to be mental.
I doubt Wenger or Bould could have a rip at anyone. Probably went and tickled Santi to make him laugh again
while tickling him they were saying things like “Our spirit is goooddd”.
You obviously have no idea who Bould is or was as a player if you think that. He will be sickened by the lack of fight some players have shown. Not all I will add, as some are trying well into the last few minutes. Giroud, Cazorla, Wilshere, Sagna, Gibbs and Szczesny spring to mind (I say Szcz as his reaction to the 2 Swansea goals summed up his feelings for the club and how gutting it was). I think this squad needed a good blast and it may just be PR, but it could also be a case of… Read more »
@Baptiste,
Silly boy. You forget that about 90% of our fan base have only supprted the team for 10 years maximum.
Surely Bould and Wenger should also be ‘letting rip’ at themselves?
When Steve used to be U18 trainer he let them know what he thinks of their performance at half time when they were losing and I think many of this matches ended up in wins for us. I really hope that it will have same effect for the 2nd half of the season.
When Bould was a player, if you misplaced a pass he’d nut ya
Really hope Swansea was our Blackburn ’97 game. Rock bottom, where the players realise this isn’t good enough.
The downside is this time around, there’s no Adams, Dixon, Winterburn etc to help Bouldy throw the tea cups about.
I hope so too, but something tells me it won’t be. I have a feeling, even if we pick up our form after this, it will be stuttering rather than explosive. I do feel something is broken inside the club – has been for a while – and the plaster over the cracks is coming off as well.
Sadly I agree mate. This shit goes deeper than a team out of form.
Some are fucked, some are out of form, some aren’t good enough and some don’t give a flying fuck.
Kos is a fighter as well I can see it in his eyes
I remember thinking we should sack Arsene after that game, and we went on to play the most enjoyable half season I’ve experienced. However I don’t think we have players who bleed Arsenal anymore, or who are desperate to achieve things. Our performances are insipid. We need an Adams charachter who will let players know if they aren’t doing their job. There seems to be so much wrong at the moment I’m not sure where you begin to start. I do wonder if the only way forward is to get a new man in Who can look at the squad… Read more »
We have players that bleed Arsenal, just not enough of them. You see the players that have come through the youth team and their reactions to losing or drawing show the pain of knowing the team should be better. You look at Jack wanting to play every game and almost sulking when he’s a sub (not in a bad way, he just wants to be on the field), Szczesny’s reactions to the late Swansea goals, Gibbs wanting to get back and showing our left side is far better with him in it, etc… We seem to have 3 types of… Read more »
I would say Jenkinson and frimpong are the only others in group 1 I can think of off the top of my head. Seeing Walcott on Saturday you realise he’s lead the club a merry dance. He’s scored some goals and got himself noticed, now he probably has agreed a contract elsewhere on big money and doesn’t want to get injured. I said it from the start that he should have just been left to rot in the reserves until he committed to the club but Arsene isn’t tough enough on these players. I wonder how many big clubs would… Read more »
I think Rosicky is a fighter too. Sagna was. I think Sagna is really disappointed with the club lately but he still plays as much as he can.
Dnt forget Wilshere. He is there, not at his best yet.
Arteta and Mertesacker spring to mind. I give Arteta a break because he’s obviously dead tired from being asked to play 90 minutes of every game, doing some pretty thankless and exhausting work as DM.
I would not want to get on the wrong side of Bouldy.
I think a good bollocking has been severely needed for this current Arsenal squad. They are playing like strangers, which is weird because they should have been feeling much better about themselves after the NLD. They are good players, but the lack of depth and rotation is making them tired and unmotivated. United and City have at least 4 different strikers who can do the job reliably, we have just 1. So do Chelsea, and for this both the clubs are being found out. I feel in some matches we should go 442 just to give Arteta a rest and… Read more »
“regardless of his form”
Wrong. You can set an example only if you play like a leader. Verm is moving on the pitch like a drunken idiot nowadays, so he cannot set examples and has no right shouting. And I feel he knows it as well because almost everytime Arteta is the spokesperson.
Vermaelen’s last few performances have been pretty good, there was that hairy moment when Dyer got through but aside from that he’s actually turned it around; I know it’s easy to forget but our defence has actually done well the last few games. It’s the ‘jaded’ midfield and impotent attack that deserve the brunt of it. Along with whoever allowed the team to get to the point whereby Wenger doesn’t want to change it up because he doesn’t trust the replacements, incidentally that’s something which makes me think Wenger is less culpable in terms of the lack of investment than… Read more »
John Terry, despicable cunt as he is, has always established authority as captain for his club no matter what controversies happened on or off the pitch. Even when his form dipped last season, everyone knew who the big daddy was, it was Terry. Vermaelen needs to be that authority figure. And he has it in him, he just needs to be like that when the team are in the doldrums, and not only when we are on a high and the atmosphere is good. We need warriors. Not comparing Verma to Terry at all, just saying that form/controversy should not… Read more »
That rollicking should have come about 2 months ago after the Norwich game.
Lets hope it sorts out the drivel we have been seeing lately.
Maybe the rest will do some good to those who stay behind, we need points now.
Norwich deserved their win. They are fighting hard this year…have knocked off Man and us. Should have been right from the get go – the team still feels too unsure of itself – need direction, communication and confidence
Yes, Norwich deserved the win. That doesn’t mean Arsenal weren’t absolute poo that night.
Exactly. They have a saying in the states that goes along the lines of, A day late and a dollar short.
Can somebody sit Wenger down and have a rant at him, he signed all these losers
You don’t undo 6 or 7 years of being nice and positive NO MATTER WHAT with one dressing room tirade.
Arsene isn’t good at motivating his players when things aren’t going well. He should ha e done something about this a long time ago. And maybe we would still have Cesc and Van Pesie.
I really question Arsene’s logic sometimes. I remember watching the United-Reading game as United were conceding goals from crosses launched from the right side of their defence. Sir Alex just stood up called Smalling to sub Rafael- who was pissed- so as to bring in a big CB to block some of those runners off the ball. The sub was done on the 30th minute. Contrast that with Arsene’s 70th minute subs. Remember Arshavin for the Ox last season? MAAAADD. What struck me as well was Rafael’s reaction. He really was pissed but it seemed he was really angry at… Read more »
Very good opinion and I agree with you but please don’t copy this rant under every other unrelated posts (like the Gervinho one, etc.)
Only surprise is if the players hadn’t a got an earful much earlier! And Bould should not have to seek permission to tell the players the truth: that they’ve been dreadful and an embarrassment to the Arsenal.
i jst hope this becomes arelief booster after apoor display by our guns thumbs up Bouldy
Tuesday match is a proper avenue for Wenger to access Einsfield, cus we still have over 7 matches to be played this year, a young blood in the midst of experience wont hurt. he may have the ability to add something new to the already mentally jaded group we have.
I don’t think Eisfield is in the CL squad – but he certainly needs to be getting his chance in the team sometime soon.
Eisfield has not even been put in the team mate,Don’t know if he ever will be he will go the same way as all the rest out the door.
Lmao. Just had a vision of the players whos english isnt that great, confronted by big bouldy screaming at them……….thinking wtf is he saying?! With a bit of poo in their pants haha!! But seriously im fed up of moaning. So il just finish with the only way is up……..surely? COYG
Up isnt the only way…there are still 10 places below us, so it could well get even worse.
But it wont, come on now you gunners!!
January transfer pls come earlier. Lets get rid of those unuse players. We have so much of it
Hello Dipa Alas you cannot “get rid” of players with full employment contracts without paying the high financial penalties that comes if such a move.. Additionally the market in world football is distressed ( Europe especially) and no one is willing to pay the predetermined wages of the players ( we ) the fans have lambasted on blogs and tweets, subsequently leading to their valuation being diminished. The dead wood will remain unless they themselves decide it could be better for their careers if they moved on. But why should they? Additionally, if Arsenal were to consider “buying off ”… Read more »
So, not many will be leaving then.
I wonder if someone gave Wenger (and Bould, but to a lesser degree) a rollicking in return. The players are to blame in part, but when you see the same problems year after year with a different set of players, it points to issues in the system. Wenger must sort it out.
It’s Arsene and Bouldy’s job to get at the players. They will both know however that they can do more, they aren’t stupid and you don’t get to be like them by not understanding the game. I imagine there might be a little good cop bad cop going on. Bouldy gives them a massive dressing down, puts the fear in them that is not Arsene’s trademark, then Arsene builds them up and gets them to start playing for each other again, which is his trademark. Keep the fath lads!
This is mentally the weakest team we’ve had in a long long time.
Mid-table teams come to Emirates expecting 3 points, players looking unconcerned.
There is no Adams or Vieira type leader which has been hurting the team but this season it is more obvious.
Money in the bank doesn’t score goals really.
We need one or two players on he park that our OWN players are scared of – players that will let them know that continually running to the press TALKING ABOUT how much they want to win just isn’t enough
I would even go further and risk a hypothesis that it’s not only about leaders and mental strenght. We do not have any cunts or procks in this nice and smiling squad. It sure works in the office, but on a pitch you have to be either a die-hard-cunt or somebody convinced in his own superiority to never lose confidence. You know – Vieira was great player, but he wouldn’t miss a chance to tackle an opponent just for the taste of it. So did flamini. This is the first Arsenal side (Jack, Kos and Verm aside) that actually lives… Read more »
Thankyou bouldy.
This playere need a kick up their arses…..some literally like gervinho.
They need to be remindes they play for the arsenal. Maybe next tim they should bring the legends such as tony adams, jens lehmann, pires to give the lads a nice pep talk.
We need more from this team. Talent, quality all present but the will and desire is lacking. Shit!
If that had happened in the Chelski dressing room the players would have just laughed and told Rafa he won’t be ranting much longer at this Cloob.
(Presumed thought of some Arsenal players)… We want my Mummy, cause that big tall strong man is shouting at us, he is bullying us with crass swear words, saying we are not taking responsibility. We are taking responsibility. We come to work everyday for only 4 hours, then we play some football; for a few hours a week and each month end we get paid. We are doing so much during the week, playing video games, going shopping, sleeping ,so of course we get very tired and fatigue ; and naturally during the matches we just cannot for the love… Read more »
They are always pampered when defeated. “jaded” everytime.
Has the training regime change this year? Cos im sick of hearing how our Arsenal players are Jaded…..Since the World Cup Qualifying back in october thats all we have been hearing ‘the players are tired and a bit jaded’. I find it odd that No other team seems to be struggling with fitness as much as us. I know we have a small squad but its still full of youth which should be able to deal with the opening months fixtures. Very worried when it really gets heavy in late december and january….My first post dont flame flame me..just my… Read more »
There are three balloons – Mummy, Daddy and Baby balloon. Over the early years Baby balloon has slept in the same bed as Mummy and Daddy balloon. Daddy balloon takes Baby balloon aside one day and tells him that he’s made him a new bed for him and that he is to sleep there from now on. During the night Baby balloon is scared sleeping on his own and so sneaks back into bed with Mummy and Daddy balloon. Baby balloon tries to squeeze in between the two of them but cant get enough room. So he reaches over and… Read more »
*Bum dum tss* Good grief. The pay off wasn’t worth the time it too me to read that 😉
Kudos sir, you mad me laugh for the first time in 2 days.
this is exactly what the players needed. they have been taking things too easy. its about time somebody shouted at them right infornt of their faces. go bould!!!
I still want to know why our defence was camped around the Swansea box when they broke out to score both goals. People blame Jenkinson for losing the ball for one of their goals, but if he had had someone else in defence to pass to, then it would never have happened. Instead both centre halves were higher up the pitch and he was isolated and under pressure.
That was our Plan B in action Argonaut.
1-0 with a few minutes to go and we stick Per upfront to make a nuisance of himself. That tells you all you need to know about our attacking options.
And point well made with Jenks. Yes he fucked up (great hustling by their bloke having said that), but where was the help? Nowhere.
It is amazing that for Michu’s 2nd goal, the only player chasing back to try and catch him was Rosicky. Where was everyone else?
Well, Kos was injured.
Just waiting for Djourou to do his latest Arsenal.com interview about how we are looking to bounce back
The most worrying thing is this complacency, lack of form, dropping of points whatever you want to call it has been there profoundly for about 5 seasons. It points to failings in management as far as Im concerned and im not sure whoever we bring in player wise will change these results on the pitch. I do respect wengger but this pattern is quite clear and doesnt lie. He may only be suited to win when each and every player is world class. Its time to go bring in guardiola, laudrup, klopp someone new and successful. We need a positive… Read more »
Not enough football at Arsenal far to much business, club making money more important than winning, need more football above Wenger
maybe wenger needs to take the squad paint balling or on a midweek southern Spain golf retreat.
The problem is we have got a lot of players who can not even attract the interest of Reading, Aston Villa etc: Djourou, Squillaci, Chamakh, Arshavin, Manonne, Gervinho, etc. Our players lack passion and steel. we also lack a player like Yaya Toure, Thierry Henry, Rooney, Messi, Fabregas, Ballack, Tevez, who can take matters into his own hands and deliver a positive result for the club.
I have never seen an Arsenal side give away the ball so easily. The performance this season has been lackluster. Immobile football is what you see; sometimes getting a teammate to pass to is a big issue and you ask where is everyone?. Everyone is care free. After all, the boss has ready excuses for their failure and no matter how poor they play, they are sure of playing the next game. There’s no leader in the team, the winning mentality has never been there, we have a set of players who cannot make the first team of Norwich or… Read more »
Out of all the histrionic bitching over a run of poor form that I’ve had to listen to this weekend, this is the most pathetic.
Who are these players who wouldn’t get into a Norwich XI?
On paper you have a point but on form not many would get a game next week in most PL teams. Now I think that is fucking sad.
Thereisbearcum- I think the reason for the ‘histrionic bitching’ is because many fans don’t believe this is a poor run of form, it’s actually the level we should be at because we have let quality players go year on year and we have too small a squad. Each year our standards drop a little more, at least last year we knew we had RVP, plus we had the highs of Chelsea followed by stringing a few good results together. With the exception of Spurs, I can’t think of another high so far. And it’s not like people haven’t seen this… Read more »
A point we are not considering, is that maybe arsene wenger has lost the dressing room. It seems to me the players are simply tuning him out and have been for a while. Doesn’t mean they don’t rate him, but when you keep hearing the same voice all the time and its not backed up by any personal achievement you tend to start rolling your eyes, when the person starts giving you his philosophies or trying to encourage you.
Surely that says more about the players than the manager. So you’re basically saying that players listened to him and he won trophies but then they don’t and we end up in the mess we are now. Is that about right?
If that were true then Arsene has won too much at Arsenal for players to be that disrespectful and to think they know better.
If it did happen then the only question is why didn’t it happen sooner, or does the club beleive the performances prior to Swansea were acceptable. I hope not.
Agree with arseblog.why not let arshavin and chamakh start for the nxt game since already qualified.at least give them a taste of champions cup. Or they wouldnt get the feel of it again after this..
I’m a pissed off African Gunner fan! Frankly, I think Wenger doesn’t have it anymore. A manager who cannot hold on to RVP-type talent, lose Alex Song and still think they can challenge for Europe in 2013? Gimme a break. Fire this guy. Why is he so holy? If Wenger is a shareholder at Arsenal, his frolic should end at the boardroom. I’m sick and tired of this mediocrity.
Whatever his deficiencies are I see no benefit in sacking Arsene now. He has shown the club immense loyalty and any decision should be made at the end of the season. Furthermore, who are you going to get mid season of quality? The Dortmund manager isn’t going to jump ship and do we really trust the board to make the right appointment? We’d probably end up with Stan Collymore.
He talks a good game..
Arsene Wenger needs to ‘take responsibility’ for putting together such a pathetic squad, and having a total lack of flexibility and tactical ability.
We have a squad of very good players and a couple great players IMO. The problem seems to be motivation and getting the best from them. That’s where the manager comes into play and that’s where questions need to be asked. I’m definitely not an AKB person nor am I in the “Wenger Out” brigade but I’m fearful we’ve reached a point where the players just aren’t responding to him and it’s showing on the pitch in terms of effort. If I were Wenger I’d honestly bench the lot of them and bring up all those players on the cusp… Read more »
I agree we have a squad of (maybe very) good players, but outside of the starting 11 it’s seriously weak. Quality in depth is non existent and we’ve allowed other teams below us to catch up in terms of squad quality.
AW-Bould are playing Good Cop- Bad Cop. Hopefully it will have a good effect on the squad..
[…] 来源：[arseblog news] […]
in reply to Heh ‘This playere need a kick up their arses…..some literally like gervinho’ I think Wenger should also be given a good kick in the ass for neglecting to address the defensive midfiled position. He has contributed a lot to this mess. His penny pinching and zero investement policy has finally exploded to his face. We do not have any oustanding player to lead the group after Henri, Viera, Van Persie, Cesc. Arsenal will no more be competitive until we buy a player of such quality that can dictate the pace. I will always remember how Viera was… Read more »
I wish someone could give Silent Stan, Ivan Gazidis and even Wenger a blast because they are at fault too
At least some people will be happy we’ve got our Arsenal back, unfortunately it’s Arsenal circa 94/95.
There’s a great story about Cloughie being so angry with his team that he walks up to one of his players at half time and just punches him in the face, what I would give to see Arsene dish out similar treatment.
Think he slapped Roy Keane.
That was it, FairPlay, I’d love to give him a slap too.
If I were Bould, rather than let rip I’d have slapped the pre madonna pansies around a little bit.
agreed with my above comment!
cant imagine if it’s Mourinho?
I believe Arsenal needs players who have got mental strength. how can swansea city beat a big dog like arsenal the master of passing game. I think wenger should join the board of share holders rather than Coaching coz he is nolonger the wenger we know wat is squillachi doing? wat of djourou eating Money he would have gottten rid of those flops and he top ups for RVP to stay…
we Need serious players not Jokers …
Did anyone else feel a tad uneasy the past few weeks when photos of the team training were posted on Arsenal.com, and there wasnt a single solemn face? Wide smiles everywhere.. I sure did.
If only we had just 1 player that cared as much as Steve Bould!!! After watching a very honest (maybe too much so) Joe hart, fight the tears of anger and explain why the unexceptable loss to Real Madrid happened after being comfortable they buckled and gave them the game, it made me realise we have 30 or so “pay check players” at Arsenal and not an ounce of character between them. Arsene has being buying guttless players who on a good day when its 30 degrees in London, clear blue sky, the oppisition has decide to actually dare attack… Read more »
Now, I can’t argue with most of that, in fact I agree with at least half of it but I don’t like that quote being applied to Arsenal. It implies we’ve been doing the same thing for 8 years, which is nonsense. We’ve noticeably changed a few things in the last few years and it hasn’t done a thing but that would then be ‘doing different things and expecting them to work when there’s no guarantee of success is insanity’. Just one of the things that grates with me, spleen fully vented. One more thing, Barcelona? Sensible spending? The Spanish… Read more »
Thanks, but I really can’t see what we have been doing differently for the last 8 years. Correct me if I’m wrong but the following has been consistant – Players bought from inferiour leagues expected to blend into the BPL – Money spent on inferiour players just shy of the cost of a quality player needed in a position (Example: A.Santos for £6.5m when an offer to L.Baines at Everton could have been made?) (£12m on Arshavin when Mata was at Valencia ready for a move and the club in dire Debt) – Constantly offering high wages to bench warmers… Read more »
wasnt so long back that Dortmund was facing going bust
Surely the thing to do was when we were the best team in England (invincibles) why did we not kick on from there? One top class signing every season to keep us at that level, instead of letting half the team go and replacing them with poorer quality players.
Also Bouldy should have been on the pitch at the end of the Swansea game kicking our players up the arse as they left the pitch !!!
Why doesn’t Coquelin get more game time?
Coz of the Coq’s limp displays.
Can’t shake the feeling he is gonna do a Diarra…
We need players who bleed Arsenal and are willing to fight like crazy for 90 minutes every match.
We should sell or loan out all of our cant be arsed players in January, buy 2-3 decent new players (we all know which positions) and give a chance to some of our promising youngsters.
We’ll get there in the end. I was just looking at some old programmes from the early 90’s and fucking hell we had some shite then as well.
Up the Arsenal
This quote from Ivan Gazidis seems more and more rediculous with each passing game.
‘I think the time when we need to ask them (the fans) for patience is coming to an end and I think we will be able to deliver the kind of success they want on a continued basis going forward as one of the leading Clubs in Europe’.
Not with average Joe’s in the team we won’t, and stubborn coaches and indifferent and clueless owners and CEO.s.