As top managers romance club
George Aluo
Former Arsenal manager, Arsene Wenger is not one of those expecting the club’s new manager, Freddie Ljungberg to start performing magic immediately after taking over from Unai Emery who was sacked last week.
Wenger who like other Arsenal fans is equally writhing in pains over the poor run of the Gunners this term insists Ljungberg would need time to knock the team to shape.
According to Wenger with time, Ljungberg would prove if he is capable of succeeding Unai Emery on a permanent basis or not.
Emery was sacked following a miserable run of form which culminated in a shambolic Europa League defeat against Eintracht Frankfurt which was played out in front of a half empty Emirates Stadium.
Ljungberg, who was promoted to Emery’s senior coaching set-up in the summer, took charge of his first game in the away tie against Norwich. Arsenal laboured to a 2-2 draw against the struggling side at Carrow Road only to lose 1-2 at home against Brighton Thursday night.
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Wenger fears the club’s board may have to turn to a more experienced candidate if Ljungberg is unable to mastermind an immediate improvement in results.
Speaking at an event for the charity Grief Encounter, Wenger said: ‘If Freddie can’t stabilise in the next five or six games, you will need to put it to a guy with some experience. But I hope they take off with Freddie.’
Meanwhile, several top managers are being linked to Arsenal, even as Ljungberg struggle to get the club out of the woods.
Chris Sutton believes Brendan Rodgers is the ‘best man’ for the Gunners. The former Liverpool manager has turned Leicester into genuine top-four contenders this season. Since Unai Emery was sacked, Rodgers has been heavily linked with a move to the Emirates and he confirmed there’s a clause in his contract that can see him leave Leicester mid-season.
Brendan, is not the only man to be linked with the post. Former Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri, Napoli boss Carlo Ancelotti, Manchester City assistant Mikel Arteta, Gunners legend Patrick Vieira and even ex-Tottenham Hotspur boss Mauricio Pochettino all thought to be in contention, but Sutton thinks Rodgers remains the strongest candidate.
Pochettino, like Rodgers, has also been tipped as a potential replacement for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer should Manchester United wield the axe, and while Sutton thinks he would favour a move to Old Trafford, he thinks Rodgers would be a better appointment anyway. ‘Well he’d go for the United one. If hypothetically the jobs are available at the same time then that would be an easy one for him, I think,’ Sutton exclusively told Metro.co.uk.
