Ben Guest
Arsenal interim manager Freddie Ljungberg has called upon Arsenal’s more experienced players to take responsibility as he looks to end the club’s ‘downward spiral’.
The former Arsenal winger was handed the reigns following the clubs decision to sack Unai Emery last week, though so far, the Swede has been unable to turnaround the clubs fortunes, drawing against Norwich before being beaten by Brighton in his two matches in charge.
The 42-year-old has a whole host of problems to contend with at the Emirates, with massive questions being asked about the clubs defence and midfield, and while there are a number of promising young players coming through the ranks, the interim boss has called on his senior stars to deliver.
“I haven’t said I’m going to build the team against specific players but I felt I want to play the experienced players when it’s such a difficult situation like it is at the moment,” Ljungberg said at his pre-match press conference.
“I decided not to pick all the young players that are going to change the future of this club. I made a conscious choice to put down the older players to take the responsibility and change the games.”
Arsenal have a tricky London derby with West Ham on Monday night, and when asked if he needs his big players to step up against the Hammers, Ljungberg added: “We do. We need to change this downward spiral. It is going to be a great occasion but maybe that is good for our players.
“They can relax a little bit and concentrate on the game and hopefully do what they did when we came out for the second half (against Brighton].”
Arsenal go into Monday’s game 10 points adrift of fourth-placed Chelsea having picked up just 19 points from their opening 15 games, the club having won just four Premier League games so far this season.
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