Freddie in a cry for help
FREDDIE LJUNGBERG has pleaded with Arsenal’s board to give him some help.
The Swede guided Arsenal into the last 32 of the Europa League as group winners on Thursday with a 2-2 draw at Standard Liege.
But Ljungberg, who does not know if he is a contender for the manager’s job on a permanent basis, spelled out his need for more staff to help him run the team.
Unai Emery was sacked last month and his five-man coaching team went with him – leaving Ljungberg with only academy manager Per Mertesacker.
Ljungberg said: “If you look at the person
who was here before, he had a lot of staff.
“I don’t have many staff. If you keep on going like that for months and months, it’s not easy. But that’s totally up to the club.
“The club have said I have to wait until they make a decision, so I can’t do anything.
“I have Per Mertesacker, but he is the academy manager helping me with the coaching.”
The former Arsenal midfielder has now steered the team to one win, two draws and one defeat in four games in charge.
Arsenal face Manchester City at the Emirates tomorrow, with Ljungberg certain to make changes from the young team he fielded in Belgium.
He admitted being in the dark over whether he will be considered alongside the likes of Mikel Arteta, Patrick Vieira and Carlo Ancellotti for the job on a permanent basis.
Ljungberg added: “I haven’t got any indications of whether I’m here or not.
“I’ve said to the bosses I will do everything in my power to do as well as I can for this club and the players. Then obviously it is up to them to make a decision.
“I try not to put any emotions into that. It’s totally business and up to them.
“Should it be a quick decision? That’s far from me to say.”
Arsenal have won only one game in 11 going into the City clash.
But Ljungberg, who was assistant manager at Wolfsburg before becoming Arsenal Under-23 manager, admits he sees Pep Guardiola as an inspiration.
The 42-year-old said: “Pep is a tremendous coach. Of course I’ve looked at how he did in his career.
“When he was with the B team with Barcelona I thought, ‘OK, I’m an assistant and with the Under23s and the reserves in England’, so I was trying to see how he developed himself.
“The ideas he comes up with have revolutionised football. It’s something as a young coach I looked at.”