Arsenal crisis deepens as Wenger's relationship with No 2 Bould is pushed to breaking point.

Arsenal crisis deepens as Wenger's relationship with No 2 Bould is pushed to breaking point and players demanding extra training

By Sami Mokbel

PUBLISHED: 04:43 EST, 13 December 2012 | UPDATED: 08:28 EST, 13 December 2012


Arsenal's faltering season is being hampered by growing tensions between manager Arsene Wenger and his assistant Steve Bould.

Sources claim Bould, who replaced the retired Pat Rice as No 2 at the end of last season, has become increasingly marginalised at the club's London Colney HQ in recent weeks.
Rift: Arsene Wenger and Steve Bould's relationship is under increasing pressure at Arsenal

Rift: Arsene Wenger and Steve Bould's relationship is under increasing pressure at Arsenal



It is believed the title-winning defender, whose salary of £1.5million is half that earned by the England manager Roy Hodgson, has grown frustrated at his lack of input into first-team matters.

Certain players are also understood to want more defensive-based training sessions on a regular basis.

Distance between Wenger and Bould, a former Arsenal defender, is so big that, when the boss missed training the day before Arsenal were beaten 2-0 at home by Swansea, fitness coach Tony Colbert took the session.

Pressure on Wenger is at an all-time high following Tuesday's humiliating Capital One Cup defeat to Bradford, a League Two side made up of 10 free transfers.

Speaking on Wednesday former Arsenal player Stewart Robson, who was employed by the club up until last year, added weight to the talk of training ground problems.

'Arsene Wenger, because he has got a massive ego, because he's a dictator when it comes to Arsenal Football Club, he’s not allowing Steve Bould to do any work,' said Robson.

'He’s got a reputation for developing players. Maybe he did that six, seven years ago. He’s actually putting players backwards now.

'I’ve seen Gervinho play for the Ivory Coast before he came to Arsenal, he was a good player. I saw [Andrey] Arshavin play for Russia and Zenit St Petersburg, he was a good player. I've seen [Aaron] Ramsey play for the Welsh Under-21s, he's a good player.

'Arsene Wenger is not doing enough on the training field. He’s not coaching the players, they have got no game strategy and, because he won't let anyone else do it, Arsenal are going backwards and some of their players are going backwards.
All time low: The Gunners were sent crashing out of the League Cup by lowly Bradford

All time low: The Gunners were sent crashing out of the League Cup by lowly Bradford

All time low: The Gunners were sent crashing out of the League Cup by lowly Bradford
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'Sir Alex Ferguson is not a coach. He doesn’t know how to put on a session, so people tell me. But what he does know is about the game, and he realises that, to get the best out of his players, he has to get the best coaches.

'That’s why he’s had some Dutch coaches underneath him.

'He’s made sure his number two is not just a yes man, which Arsene Wenger likes to appoint. He’s appointing people that are going to be tactically superior, who are going to take all his players out on the training field and work hard tactically and technically with the players.'

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2247417/Ar sene-Wenger-Steve-Boulds-relationship-breaks-Arsenal-players -demand-defensive-training.html#ixzz2Ex8ofAOT
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I mean its not still just Stewart Robson claiming it, is it?

them. Same with corners, Bouldie wants to defend them, Wenger doesn't want to make th first touch of the ball, he prefers the attacking team to make the first mistake.

They wanna be upfront, but Wenger's insisting they wing it. He's gona power crazy and is imposing his philosophy into off the field areas as well, making the metaphorical practical, like he did so successfully with Diaby.

scary in itself