Having been appointed Arsenal’s head coach last Friday, Freddie Ljungberg admits he’d love to get on the blower with Arsene Wenger.
Luckily, the Frenchman, getting to grips with a new job of his own, is very much up for a chin wag with his former winger.
No doubt the Swede is desperate to pick his old boss’ brains, especially as he’s overseeing a team that seem to have forgotten how to attack and defend.
Asked whether contact had been made with Wenger, the Swede said they’d not yet chatted, although it sounds as though messages have been exchanged.
“I would really like to speak to him,” Ljungberg told his pre-Brighton press conference.
“I’m in contact with him but I haven’t spoke to him because it’s been a bit hectic, but it’s on my list to do so.”
A few hundred miles away, a similar question was posed to Wenger.
“I’m always happy to help my former players and my former club,” FIFA’s Chief of Global Development told Sky Sports News.
“If he has that need then of course I will be available.
“My heart is with the club and I want them to do well. Freddie is fantastically committed.
“He wanted this job for a long time. He has an opportunity. Let’s get him to work with his ideas and support him.”
Ljungberg was also asked why there was a lack of Swedish coaches in the Premier League; a slightly odd question given there are barely any English coaches in England, but there we go.
Surprisingly, Freddie didn’t have an answer as to why his compatriots, Sven Goran Eriksson aside, hadn’t made it big on these shores.
“I don’t know why that is, I think there are a lot of great Swedish coaches,” he said.
“Of course, it’s an honour and it feels special. I lived here for a long time now and I’ve just been trying to work as hard as I can to get a chance and they gave me a chance.
“At the same time, I don’t think it matters where you’re from, I just try to do a job.”
While Freddie never actually played under Eriksson, the boss (I think we’ll start calling him this now) revealed he used to catch up with the former England manager when he was still playing at Arsenal.
He said: “Sven is intelligent, I spoke to him a lot when he was the manager of England because he was watching our games.
“I know in the past, some stories of how he treated players and how he made them feel good and things like that.
“I have stolen a little bit of those ideas. He’s a great coach, it’s been a long time, and I hope I can speak to him soon.”
No matter what your opinion is on Arsene Wenger, however much you think you love Arsenal, he loves it more.
His name isn’t Arsene for nothing…
The much younger me used to think he owns the club
So did I, and an older me still wishes he did.
..and arsenal was named after him?
He certainly loves the club more than those idiots with the “Wenger out” banners do!
Wenger himself admitted that he somehow had went to “sleep” in the last years, but that he has woken up again now.
looks like his love hug is trangling the club….
What does “trangling” mean? Typical that it’s always the thick fans, who can’t spell, that hate Arsene and wanted him out!
Everywhere I go, I see his face :'(
You should probably stop stalking him then, mate 🙂
Hopefully by being away, Arsene has seen from a different perspective what needs to improve and can provide different ideas on how to resolve the problems
Not a bad mentor to have , is he ?
No.
Call him gaffer, manager, head coach, whatever you want.
You can even throw in a cute “Bosscielny” reference when reminiscing about a certain shirt-stripping Frenchman.
But there is only one Boss. He was the Boss for 22 straight years and he will continue to be the Boss as long as there is an Invincible around to call him Boss.
Apologies for the no-uncertain-terms, but gotta put the kibosh on that right quick.
P.S. If it’s good enough for the King, it’s good enough for me:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QewtqfbSzs
Aye aye! Only one boss
Sorry. I meant “put the *ki-boss* on that right quick.”
Getting my coat….
Right after I leave this video of another swoony Frenchman insisting on Arsene’s everlasting Boss-ness:
https://youtu.be/MiQB2f0O_f8
there’s only one Arsene Wenger.
You can keep Arsene out of Arsenal but you’ll never be able to take the Arsenal out of Arsene!!
One Arsene Wenger!!
no, i guess the problem is exactly that after two years you still can’t get arsene out of the club (((
No, the problem is we can’t get fans like you out of the club.
Suddenly starting to feel like family again!
obviously a prudent thing to do
Freddy: – What happened to Arsene and Unai?
Raul: – They visit Rwanda. If you don’t beat Brighton Thursday, you will visit Rwanda too.
He tried 50/50, now he’s trying a call to a friend. What other options are left in “who wants to be a millionaire”? When are we going to see a coherent plan? Hope it is tomorrow
Maybe ask the fans
I wouldn’t be surprised if Arsene Wenger knows more about some of the new players we signed since he left than anybody left at the club does.
Same reason that Fergie surely gives Solskaer some advice too?