Just where the hell is Freddie Ljungberg?
When Mikel Arteta was appointed in December, there was genuine trepidation among the Arsenal faithful as to what comes next for the then-caretaker manager and club legend Freddie Ljungberg.
Arteta looked determined and capable (he still does!) and that might have spelled trouble for Freddie. We simply couldn't know whether the Swede would answer Mik's call convincingly enough to be offered a role in the coaching staff.
After all, Freddie wasn't exactly stellar as caretaker. He also oversaw Arsenal head for crash course as Unai Emery's second-in-command. Would Arteta decide Ljungberg is competent enough or would the legendary Swede become the first victim of the new regime?
A couple of days into his new role Arteta named his coaching staff and Arsenal fans breathed a sigh of relief as Freddie was kept on. However, this gesture from Mikel now looks more political than it did at the time. Why? Well, where is Freddie? Do you see him? Do you hear anything about him?
I think I've only seen/heard of Ljungberg twice after Arteta assumed his role: when Freddie inexplicably wound up in the stands during a first-team home game (vs Chelsea) and when he went on a scouting mission to Greece ahead of the Olympiacos clash. That's it. I studied Arsenal's dugout on numerous occasions and Freddie was never there.
I think what might have happened is Arteta came in, understood Freddie was not good enough to keep him but the Spaniard is shrewd and he knew cutting Ljungberg loose would not exactly make fans happy. And Mik is trying to unite everyone in and around the club to make the transition as smooth as possible. Firing a club legend at a turbulent time isn't a good way to start on the road to recovery.
I have no doubts that, having built up some goodwill with the fans this season, Arteta will make some less popular calls in the summer. I'm sure we'll see some players leave that we might not neccessarily want to. I'm starting to think that, if Freddie leaves too, it won't be that big a surprise. The warning signs are there.
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Would be a sad day for gunners for sure