LONDON -- Freddie Ljungberg wants to know his future and that of Arsenal’s. Now.
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The Swedish coach is currently Arsenal’s interim boss but has endured mxed results in his first five games as manager, beating West Ham, losing to Man City and Brighton and drawing against Norwich and Standard Liege.
Hardly vintage stuff.
After their humbling 3-0 defeat at home against Manchester City on Sunday, Ljungberg was asked if the uncertainty around the managerial situation is impacting his players.
“As I’ve said to the club, for me it is a great, great honor to do this. Of course, Per [Mertesacker] is the academy manager and he’s doing two jobs in one go and I said I think it needs to be cleared up, to make a decision so everybody knows,” Ljungberg said. “That is something I’ve said but it is totally up to the club. I am very honored and I’m trying to do things as good as I can. I think it would be good to make a decision, regardless of what it is.”
Whispers around the press room at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday suggested that the Gunners are willing to wait until the summer to land the ‘right man’ for the job, and that means Ljungberg could be in temporary charge until May.
Right now nobody knows what is happening and Ljungberg is right. Now is the time to either stick or twist for the Gunners.
With away games against Everton and Bournemouth coming up in the next two, Arsenal’s players need some sort of answer so they can focus on winning those two games to set themselves up for crucial battles against fellow top four hopefuls Chelsea and Man United.
Ljungberg has shown the first signs of being a little fed up with playing the waiting game. Arsenal’s fans and players feel the same. Ljungberg has failed to change the tactics and his main plan is to set up the Gunners in an attacking system while their defensive deficiencies remain.
It’s time for the ownership group and the hierarchy at Arsenal to make a decision about the immediate future of the club. One way or another.
