Arsenal: The undeniable Freddie Ljungberg impact and what it means for future

Arsenal first-team coach Freddie Ljungberg is again being hailed by an improving young player. His impact on this squad is undeniable, but what could it mean for the future?

Sometimes, you just have to listen to what is being said by those in the know — those that are actually in the know, not ‘itk’ Twitter accounts that furiously sprung up all over the place in recent years.

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At Arsenal, if you listen to what is being said, it does not take long to see who the coach everyone is raving about. And it is not Unai Emery. Rather, former under-23 coach and now first-team assistant, Freddie Ljungberg, is hogging the limelight.

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This week, two more young players have highlighted the impact of Ljungberg this season and throughout their developing careers. Ainsley Maitland-Niles spoke about how Ljungberg is teaching him new techniques and tactical approaches, especially in an offensive sense:

"“There’s quite a few things [I have learnt from Ljungberg] really. He knows me as a winger, so attacking-wise he’s helped my game a lot <…> Him [Ljungberg] personally, he’s pulled me to the side a lot and has shown me different techniques and ways of beating players, ways of crossing the ball and shooting. It’s helping me and I’m happy to have him around because he’s such a big figure in the team.”"

Such positive words were then echoed by Joe Willock, who has previously described Ljungberg as a ‘mentor’:

"“Freddie has played the game, he’s worn the shirt. He knows how it feels, he knows the pressure <…> He can relate to you and tell you what to do, how to deal with that. That makes it a bit easier <…> I know he’s going to get onto me because it [England Under-21’s 5-1 win over Austria] wasn’t one of my best games. I’m going to ask him what I could have done better. He shows me what to do and when I’ve done stuff wrong he tells me about it. It’s good. It’s all improvement. He’s always watching.”"

This all comes after Bukayo Saka hailed Ljungberg and the Swede’s coaching following his season debut against Eintracht Frankfurt earlier in the season:

"“He’s [Ljungberg] been with me since I was 15 and seen me do amazing things but he always tells me to stay humble and keep working hard because he really thinks I can be a top player. He’s been a player before so he understands how I would feel. He’s played in my position and it’s just so good to have him there, an Arsenal legend giving me advice. There’s not much more I can ask for.”"

The point is quite clear: Ljungberg is a very good coach indeed. But what could this mean for Arsenal and the future of the club, other than that they have a very capable and exciting coach in their midst?

Well, perhaps like Mikel Arteta and his grooming under Pep Guardiola, the Spaniard ostensibly set to inherit the Manchester City helm at some point in the future, perhaps Arsenal could conduct a similar process with Ljungberg. Whether Emery would be willing to partake in this is a big question. Guardiola wants to move on in the next few years. Emery does not. But given the performances of the team under the former Paris Saint-Germain head coach, he might not get a choice in the matter.

And if Arsenal are looking to commit to the youth movement, as Raul Sanllehi and his ‘outsmart the market’ desire has stated in the past, what better man to have in control of the team than one who is universally adored and revered by the current young players who have worked under him?

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Ljungberg is an excellent coach. Willock, Saka, Maitland-Niles and others would not be saying the things they are saying or making the progress that they are making if he wasn’t. Maybe one day, then, the Arsenal will look to use that excellence to lead them into a new era, with Ljungberg not just puppeteering in the shadows but steering the ship from the front.

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