SECOND EMI-RATE No backing for stand-in Freddie

NO Arsenal player was willing to back interim coach Freddie Ljungberg before tomorrow’s crunch clash at West Ham.

For the second week running, Gunners flops have point-blank refused to speak publicly – despite repeated requests – about the current upheaval in The Emirates dugout, which is threatening to completely destroy their season.

Whether Mesut Ozil and Co have been gagged by the club – or simply have no faith in Swede Ljungberg reviving the team’s flagging fortunes – is unclear.

But either way the silence from within the dressing room is deafening.

And it leaves beleaguered Ljungberg – who has picked up one point from two games since replacing sacked Unai Emery – in danger of following his Spanish predecessor out of the door should results not improve immediately.

A 2-1 home defeat to Brighton on Thursday stretched Arsenal’s winless streak to 11 games – the club’s worst run since 1977.

Another loss tomorrow evening at the London Stadium against fellow strugglers West

Ham would almost certainly spell the end for one-time Highbury favourite Ljungberg. All of which underlines the growing crisis in N5 as the board’s search for a long-term replacement for Emery continues to prove fruitless.

Top target Brendan Rodgers signed a new bumper £40million deal at Leicester on Friday, killing all talk linking him with the post. That leaves ex-Juventus boss Max Allegri, former-Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino, Manchester City No.2 Mikel Arteta and Belgium coach Roberto Martinez as leading candidates.

Another option is to take Arsenal’s 2004 Invincibles skipper Patrick Vieira from Nice.

But the Frenchman refused to comment on speculation he could be heading back to save his old club.

Vieira said: “With all respect, I am not going to respond to that.” Ljungberg himself has not discussed his future with The Emirates hierarchy.

He said: “I’ve not had any conversations. “We’ve had conversations but nothing about how long or short it will be. It’s tough. I try to do it game by game. That is how it is.”