FREDDIE, STEADY, GO!
Ljungberg tells his youngsters that it’s time to take off the handbrake and play without fear
FREDDIE LJUNGBERG will tell his Arsenal youngsters to take the ‘handbrake’ off their football tonight in Belgium.
The Gunners must win to be sure of finishing top of Group F and avoiding some of the big names in the last 32, although anything but a five-goal defeat will see them through.
The interim head coach was encouraged by Monday’s 3-1 win at West Ham, the players at last relaxing despite the pressure of a nine-game winless run.
Ljungberg, who because of injuries will pick a youthful side tonight against Standard Liege in the Europa League, wants more of the same.
“Confidence is a funny thing,” he said. “When I was in Germany helping Wolfsburg I saw players do things in training and it wasn’t a problem. But all of a sudden they get tense and can’t do it in a game situation.
“You have to relax. Dare to be football players, be brave. My players were, especially in the second half against West Ham. They let that handbrake go and all of a sudden they played really good football.
“A win does a lot of good when you haven’t won for a long time. The players felt it. For me, it was the way we won the game. We kept the ball well and in the end West Ham couldn’t get close to us.
“We won it comfortably. That’s what I felt good about and why I feel in a good mood today.”
Ljungberg has been hit by a host of injuries, fullback Kieran Tierney the latest, being ruled out for three months after dislocating a shoulder in the win at the Hammers.
Midfielder Granit Xhaka is absent tonight with concussion and misses Sunday’s trip to Manchester
City. Also sidelined are Rob Holding with knee trouble and Dani Ceballos with a hamstring injury.
Ljungberg denied he was taking a risk in picking such a young side – Bukayo Saka, 18, Zech Medley, 19, and 20-yearolds Joe Willock and Reiss Nelson are all set to feature.
The Swede said: “We’ve brought a lot of firepower here.
“It’s a big game and we’re here to get a result.”