At Arsenal It's About Technique
-
Steve Bould - a key member of Arsenal's legendary back four of the 1990s - is now manager of the Gunners' Under-18s, and says the emphasis is firmly on technique when it comes to developing the club's potential stars of the future.
Steve Bould emphasises tactics, positioning, attacking and defending when teaching his young charges as Arsenal's Under-18s manager - but insists that a instilling a strong technical foundation is the key to a player's development.
Bould stressed to arsenal.com his belief that technical ability is not given enough attention in English football as a whole, but that it is a priority at Arsenal.
“We are working more on the technical side of their game as they are younger and the more they get used to full-time training and the demands of the game, we add in defending and other aspects to their game," Bould explauned to the club's official website.
“Tactics plays a big part but it is a next level. But, and it's something we actually get away from in this country, we try to make them technically better - we strive to do that constantly here, every day in fact.
“In the middle of the season we [the Arsenal youngsters] were conceding a lot goals, but in truth we weren’t really working on a lot of defending. It wasn’t looked at in any great degree but I think that is right for their age. The tactical side of things gets added in as they get a little older and more technically efficient. That is the base we work from.”
Looking ahead to next season, Bould revealed: “Now the season is over I have got my eye on next year and again I am looking down the age groups.
“They are going to be a really young group next year, even younger than the last group that we had and perhaps, at this minute, not quite as technical.
“So in terms of results it might be a bit more difficult but there are still some really talented lads within that group.
“There are definite hopes that one or two can get themselves on that next rung of the ladder.”