Djourou credits Bould for defensive improvement

Arsenal defender Johan Djourou has hailed the impact new assistant manager Steve Bould has had on the team.



Renowned for their woeful defensive record last season, Arsenal have been rock steady at the back at the start of the new campaign, only conceding twice in their opening five league matches.



Switzerland star Djourou has attributed this new-found solidity to the introduction of Bould into first-team affairs since Pat Rice’s retirement in the off-season.

He told the Mirror: “Pat Rice was great, but because of the way Steve played the game, it’s just a massive positive for us.



“Steve works on team shape. With Arsenal, people have always blamed the defence for our problems, which I have always felt has been pretty harsh.



”With Steve joining Mr (Arsene) Wenger, it is not only the defence that protects the team – it starts from the front.



“Our midfielders, Mikel Arteta and Abou Diaby, have been doing a great job protecting the defence and that’s what you need at this level.



“The guys are also working hard up front.



“Now it is the whole team that defends. There is a massive difference now to what we had before.”



As one of Arsenal’s longest serving players, Djourou is understandably delighted with the team’s solid foundation and believes the style is reminiscent of the days of the Invincibles. 



“I’ve been at the club a long time and you have to go back to when Patrick Vieira was with us for when we last had that kind of platform,” he said.



“We are gaining that back now. We’ve got that kind of stability all over the pitch.



“Steve is a great coach and, to be honest, I believe we can achieve some big things with our manager and with him. 



“He (Bould) was my first manager in the under-15s and under-17s and I have always had a great respect for him.”