Even though his tenure as Arsenal interim manager ended with a drab 0-0 draw at Everton, Freddie Ljungberg insisted he was ‘very happy’, praising his side’s spirit.
The goalless draw leaves Arsenal with just one win in their last 13 outings, the Gunners languishing in 10th in the Premier League table, six points behind fourth-placed Chelsea who face Spurs on Sunday.
However, despite the game massively lacking in quality, interim manager Ljungberg said he ‘loved the spirit’ that his side showed.
“I was very happy,” Ljungberg told BT Sport. “We had a very young side out there because I wanted energy and I wanted to give them chances.
“We tried to dominate the possession and keep the ball, and you could see Everton getting frustrated and tired. Of course, there’s more to come, it’s a building block to have that stability when you play football.
“I thought we could have won the game with the chances we had, and we could have won the game with Auba at the back post. But I loved the spirit we saw and that’s what you need in the Premier League.
“I wanted to see people that would run and fight for the team. We can’t rely on our name – we have to fight and do the dirty things.”
The game marked the end of Ljungberg’s short spell in the Arsenal hot-seat after the club confirmed Mikel Arteta’s appointment on Friday, and speaking about his role at the club, Ljungberg has admitted that while he is keen to stay, his position is still uncertain ahead of meeting with new boss Arteta.
“I’ve been told by the club they want me to stay but I will have a meeting with Mikel tomorrow and hopefully it’s a good one.”
