Although most Arsenal fans don’t feel that Steve Bould really does much at all, except for point at people a bit on matchday, I can’t be the only one wondering what will happen to the 55-year-old when Arsene Wenger calls it a day…

2Back to the academy?

LONDON, ENGLAND – APRIL 30: Steve Bould, Arsenal assistant manager gives his team instructions during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal at White Hart Lane on April 30, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

If you look at the candidates for the Arsenal job – Diego Simeone, Carlo Ancelotti, Joachim Löw – none of them are going to keep Bould on as their assistant. These are all huge, accomplished managers who have their own team around them and who, I expect, will bring their own people with them if they were to take up a role at Arsenal.

Apart from a former player like Thierry Henry, I can’t imagine another coach coming in and keeping Bould as his assistant. Especially considering he’s so quiet.

Unlike Wenger, not all coaches just want people around them who are always going to agree with their choices. They like to be challenged and kept on their toes… Bould isn’t the man to do that.

On the other hand, it wouldn’t look good if a new manager came in and insistently sacked the poor bloke. Even though he’s not done a lot for the club since being promoted to assistant five years ago, Bouldie is still an Arsenal legend. He played in George Graham’s famous back four along with Nigel Winterburn, Tony Adams and Lee Dixon. Fans probably wouldn’t take kindly to a new person coming in and just turning him out on the street… so to speak.

Therefore, one option is that Bould will just go back to coaching the academy or help out with the youth sides.

Obviously, he won’t be head of the academy, since that’s Per Mertesacker’s new job, but that doesn’t mean he won’t take a step back from the first team while remaining at the club.