Arsenal: Freddie Ljungberg must force the issue

Freddie Ljungberg was officially named as a first-team assistant coach this week. But for him to have an impact on Unai Emery’s management of the Arsenal first team, he must continue to force the issue.

When Unai Emery was unveiled as Arsene Wenger’s successor at Arsenal last summer, there was a clear mandate given from Ivan Gazidis: to develop the in-house young talent that he was to inherit, bleeding the academy products into the first team and using them to fill out both the starting XI and senior squad.

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In his first season at the club, that commitment to youth was only seen in fleeting moments. Matteo Guendouzi flourished in midfield, Ainsley Maitland-Niles saw his role expand with the injury of Hector Bellerin, Emile Smith Rowe shone in the Europa League before being loaned out for six months.

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But on the whole, the introduction of many of the young players was rather hesitant. Eddie Nketiah hardly featured, Rob Holding and Dinos Mavropanos dealt with long-term injuries throughout the year, while the likes of Joe Willock and Bukayo Saka were largely restricted to the under 23s. More could have been made of this talented crop, a crop that will expand next season with the return of Reiss Nelson from a year-long loan.

It was highly encouraging, then, to see Emery shuffle his coaching staff around with a clear intention of focusing on these young players. As a statement from Raul Sanllehi confirmed last week, Arsenal will develop a ‘transition team’ that focuses on helping academy products move from youth to senior football. This will include how to handle their introduction into the senior squad, as well as how to exploit the loan system.

A key part of this managerial change is the promotion of Freddie Ljungberg, who was the head coach of the under 23s last season. A former invincible, Ljungberg fought hard for the under 23s, arguing for their inclusion in the EFL trophy, stating that senior, competitive football is vital for young players’ development, and pushed for their inclusion in the first-team matches later in the season.

As he moves into this new role, which is essentially a swap with Steve Bould, who will now become the under 23s manager, what will be vital for him to have success is the sway that he can impact on Emery’s management. How much influence will Ljungberg have with other assistant coaches in the mix as well?

This piece by Amy Lawrence nicely summarises the role of Ljungberg, but also serves to illustrate the future debates that he will have with Emery and the rest of the coaching staff. Ljungberg is a stubborn, front-footed, insistent individual. He will make his voice known. And that is precisely what he must do for Arsenal’s young players to be given the chance to shine.

To satisfy Gazidis’ mandate, Emery has turned to Ljungbery. Now, it is time for Ljungberg to respond. It is time for him to force the issue. His young starlets will depend on it.