Freddie Ljungberg urged the Arsenal hierarchy to make a decision sooner rather than later over the identity of the club’s next permanent manager – whether it was him or somebody else – after he watched his team slip to a humiliating home defeat against Manchester City.
Ljungberg, who has been in caretaker charge since the sacking of Unai Emery, made the point – not for the first time – that the club’s coaching staff had been stretched to the limit. After Emery departed with his assistants, Ljungberg has been working with Per Mertesacker, who is also the academy manager. The hierarchy have been reluctant to bring in any new coaches for Ljungberg while he works on a game-by-game basis.
Ljungberg has won one of his five matches in all competitions while the club’s broader run shows one win from 12 games.
Ljungberg said: “I’ve said to them [the club] they need to make a decision. We are here to help and the staff are trying to chip in but a decision has to be made so we can have the same resources as other clubs.
“Per is an academy manager and he is doing two jobs in one go. It needs to be cleared up, to make a decision, so everybody knows. That’s something I’ve said. But then it’s totally up to the club. I’m very honoured and I try to do things as good as I can but it would be good to make a decision – regardless of what it is.”
Arsenal are conducting a thorough search for their manager and there has been no time frame set for the process. Mikel Arteta, the City assistant coach, is prominent on the wishlist – as he was when Emery was appointed. “Mikel is an important person in our group,” Pep Guardiola, the City manager, said. “What happens will happen.”
Mauricio Pochettino, the former Tottenham manager, has his admirers at the Emirates and his long-time assistant, Jesus Pérez, was in the crowd for the City game. Pochettino has previously said that he would never manage Arsenal due to his Spurs connections.
Guardiola watched Kevin De Bruyne orchestrate a first-half destruction of Arsenal, scoring twice and making an assist for Raheem Sterling. He described the attacking midfielder as “extraordinary,” a player that “sees passes and actions that normal human beings cannot see”.
Ljungberg lamented how Arsenal had been hurt by City on the transitions while he complained about the number of tactical fouls that Guardiola’s players had made to deny counters. “They took yellow cards, they took us down when we had a chance to counter,” he said. “That’s obviously tactical and we need to learn to be a bit more cynical.”
Arsenal conceded the third goal when they had 10 men on the field. Sead Kolasinac limped off and his replacement, Bukayo Saka, could not strip in time. “He [Saka] had a lot of clothes on – that’s something young players need to learn; to get ready quicker,” Ljungberg said. “But as well, when you are injured, you need to stay down until the substitute is ready.”