Following Unai Emery’s sacking last week, there was hope Freddie Ljungberg, at least on an interim level, could turn things around a bit like Ole Gunnar Solskjaer did when he first took charge of Manchester United.
That hasn’t been the case so far, as the Gunners drew against Norwich in the Swede’s first game in charge, which was then followed by Thursday night’s loss to Brighton at the Emirates.
It could take some time for Ljungberg to find the right team selection for his tactics, but there’s one player who isn’t too worried about his status, despite some rather average performances so far, and that’s Nicolas Pépé.
After the Brighton game, he told RMC Sport: “There’s no worries at that level. Of course, there are players that play and others that don’t. That’s football, it’s the manager who decides. If I’m on the bench, it’s up to me to turn things around and become a starter again.
“It’s normal for people to criticise me so much. It’s up to me to change that by working. There’s a lot of things to improve: scoring quicker, putting the chances I’ve missed in the back of the net. I also have to improve the physical aspect”.
The forward admitted that Emery’s sacking was ‘painful’ for him, since the Spaniard was the one who pushed for Pépé’s signing in the summer and gave him a chance at Arsenal, but Ljungberg’s arrival has brought its own benefits too.
He explained: “Because he’s been a player, he understands us better. He talks a lot with us”.
Let’s hope for Pépé and Arsenal that Ljungberg’s understanding will help turn things around, because Arsenal are currently on a slippery slope, and don’t seem to currently have the grip to avoid a terrible fall.
