Arsenal legend, Freddie Ljungberg, on Friday oversaw training of the Arsenal first team for the first time, hours after the club placed him as interim manager following the sack of Unai Emery on Friday morning.
Arsenal lost to Frankfurt in the Europa League on Thursday night and the club decided it was time for a new manager following the club’s disastrous 7 games winless run.
See photos of Ljungberg preparing Arsenal players for the Sunday clash against Norwich below.
#Newsworthy…
Patrick Vieira is the “right man” to become Arsenal boss, according to former Gunners goalkeeper David Seaman.
Arsenal are starting their search for a new manager for only the second time in 23 years after sacking Unai Emery.
And ex-Gunners captain Vieira, now manager of Nice, could be a candidate.
“I am sure Arsenal fans would love Patrick to come back to the club. Knowing Patrick, I think he would be the right man,”.
“I knew what he was like as a player. I knew what he was like as a captain. He was a born leader and everybody knows that. Maybe go down that route instead of a tried and tested route.”
Freddie Ljungberg, 42, is the caretaker boss but Seaman says he hopes his former team-mate does not get the job.
“This job is much bigger than what Freddie is used to at the moment,” said the ex-England international.
“He has only just got into the coaching side of the game and he will be really avant-garde as a manager but while he is taking charge now, please try and get some sort of defensive formation sorted out.”
What have Vieira and Ljungberg done in management so far? Who are the other candidates?
What went wrong for Emery?
Massimiliano Allegri
Current job: Unemployed
Previous teams managed: Aglianese, SPAL, Grosseto, Lecco, Sassuolo, Cagliari, AC Milan, Juventus
Major trophies won: 6 Serie A titles, 4 Italian Cups, 3 Italian Super Cups
The most successful manager on this list in recent years, the 52-year-old Italian won Serie A in all his five seasons with Juventus – with four of those titles part of domestic doubles – before leaving in May.
He also led Juventus to two Champions League finals, losing to Barcelona in 2015 and Real Madrid in 2017.
Allegri, who won a Serie A title with AC Milan as well, has never worked outside Italy before.
“I have heard Allegri mentioned,” said Seaman. “He still has problems with the English language and that is another problem that Emery had. The way he came over and in the press, I used to see him on the sidelines when he was waving his arms and shouting and not many players were looking at him.”
Nuno Espirito Santo
Current job: Wolves head coach
Previous teams managed: Rio Ave, Valencia, Porto
Major trophies won: None
Portuguese Nuno, 45, has built up a fantastic reputation in two and a half seasons with Wolves. He helped the West Midlands club to the Championship title in his first season, before guiding them into Europe for the first time since 1980 – playing some excellent football on the way.
In his first managerial job he led Rio Ave to two cup finals in Portugal, although they lost both – and into Europe for the first time. He has also managed Valencia – where he was replaced by Gary Neville after resigning – and Porto, although he is yet to win any major trophies.
Fredrik Ljungberg
Current job: Arsenal interim head coach
Previous teams managed: None
Major trophies won: None
Swede Ljungberg, 42, has the least managerial experience on this list – but the most Arsenal pedigree. He played 214 times for the Gunners, scoring 46 times, and winning two Premier League titles including their unbeaten 2003-04 campaign.
He is yet to manage a senior team, but has been manager of Arsenal’s Under-15s and Under-23s – either side of a six-month spell as Wolfsburg assistant boss. He had been assistant to Emery since the summer – and steps up to take caretaker charge.
The stats behind Emery’s downfall
Mikel Arteta
Current job: Manchester City assistant coach
Previous teams managed: None
Major trophies won: None
The 37-year-old Spaniard was considered a certainty to get the Arsenal job when Arsene Wenger left in 2018 until their sudden appointment of Unai Emery.
Arteta played 150 times for Arsenal, captaining the side, before retiring and becoming assistant to Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola – a job he has held since 2016.
Mauricio Pochettino
Current job: Unemployed
Previous teams managed: Espanyol, Southampton, Tottenham
Major trophies won: None
The 47-year-old Argentine was sacked by Arsenal’s arch-rivals Tottenham last week after five and a half years in charge – having transformed their fortunes. Spurs qualified for the Champions League four times under Pochettino, having only played in two European Cup campaigns in their history beforehand.
His teams play with a good footballing style, but he has yet to win a trophy as a manager – losing last season’s Champions League final to Liverpool.
Eddie Howe
Current job: Bournemouth manager
Previous teams managed: Burnley
Major trophies won: None
The 42-year-old Englishman is a legend at Bournemouth, having led them from the League Two relegation zone to becoming an established Premier League team.
His teams have a fantastic style of football but the only concern is he has yet to win a trophy or have success at another club – he had 18 unmemorable months at Burnley in between two spells at Bournemouth.
Rafael Benitez
Current job: Dalian Yifang manager
Previous teams managed: Real Valladolid, Osasuna, Extremadura, Tenerife, Valencia, Liverpool, Inter Milan, Chelsea, Napoli, Real Madrid, Newcastle
Major trophies won: Champions League, 2 Europa League/Uefa, 2 La Liga, FA Cup, Italian Cup, Fifa Club World Cup, Uefa Super Cup, Community Shield, Italian Super Cup
The 59-year-old Spaniard has won major trophies in three different countries – England, Spain and Italy, most famously winning the 2005 Champions League with Liverpool.
He left Newcastle at the end of the season and joined Dalian Yifang in China, but recently told BBC Sport he would like to return to the Premier League one day, with his family still living in England.
Carlo Ancelotti
Current job: Napoli manager
Previous teams managed: Reggiana, Parma, Juventus, AC Milan, Chelsea, Paris St-Germain, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich
Major trophies won: 3 Champions Leagues, Premier League, Serie A, Bundesliga, Ligue 1, FA Cup, Italian Cup, Spanish Cup, 3 Uefa Super Cups, 2 German Super Cups, Community Shield, Italian Super Cup
The 60-year-old Italian is one of only three men to win three European Cups as a manager. He has won major trophies in all of Europe’s top five leagues – including an FA Cup with Chelsea.
He is under pressure at Napoli after seven games without a win – with problems between club president Aurelio de Laurentiis and the players creating headlines.
Erik ten Hag
Current job: Ajax head coach
Previous teams managed: Go Ahead Eagles, Utrecht
Major trophies won: Eredivisie, Dutch Cup, Dutch Super Cup
The 49-year-old Dutchman is a hot property after leading an exhilarating Ajax to the Champions League semi-final last season – his first full campaign in charge. They ended up winning the Dutch double.
He managed Go Ahead Eagles, Bayern Munich’s reserve team and Utrecht before joining Ajax – where he has an impressive win rate of 75% – in December 2017.
Brendan Rodgers
‘We’re at the start of something special here’ – Brendan Rodgers plays down speculation
Current job: Leicester City manager
Previous teams managed: Watford, Reading, Swansea, Liverpool, Celtic
Major trophies won: 2 Scottish Premierships, 2 Scottish Cups, 3 Scottish League Cups
The 46-year-old Northern Irishman has taken Leicester to second place in the Premier League after a run of six wins in a row in all competitions.
Guarantees good football and almost led Liverpool to the Premier League title before winning every Scottish trophy on offer and then leaving for Leicester. Would have to drop six places and 11 points down the table if he were to join Arsenal.
“One that really sticks out for me is Brendan Rodgers,” said former Arsenal goalkeeper Seaman. “But would he trade that in for Leicester because of what he has created there?”
Patrick Vieira
Current job: Nice manager
Previous teams managed: New York City FC
Major trophies won: None
The 43-year-old Frenchman is an Arsenal legend, playing 371 times for the club and winning three Premier League titles. His first coaching job was with Manchester City’s youth team before joining their sister club New York City in the MLS.
Moved to French side Nice at the start of last season but has yet to make a real impact and they sit three points above the relegation zone.
#Newsworthy…
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has defended Paul Pogba’s professionalism and says the Manchester United midfielder will be like a “new world-class signing” when he returns to fitness.
After an uncomfortable summer of speculation following the World Cup winner’s admission that he would like to leave, the campaign could not have gone much worse for the 26-year-old.
Injured against Southampton at the end of August, Pogba was able to return in late September only for an ankle issue to sideline him again.
The France international this week finished a period of rehabilitation in Miami, where he was filmed playing basketball with NBA player Jimmy Butler.
That video naturally raised questions and a report in Spain even suggested the wantaway midfielder was fit and refusing to play for United, but Solskjaer defended the former world-record signing.
“Every player is allowed to be injured when he’s injured and Paul is working hard to get back,” the United boss said after seeing his side lose 2-1 to Astana in their Europa League match on Thursday.
“No one can doubt his professionalism, his willingness or his desire to play football.
“He’s one of the best midfielders in the world and it’ll be like signing a new player before the transfer window opens.”
Pogba is now back in Manchester but will not feature against Aston Villa on Sunday.
But there appears a chance that the 26-year-old could make his long-awaited return next Wednesday against Tottenham, who are now managed by Jose Mourinho, the former United manager who clashed with the Frenchman.
“He’s stepping up his recovery and let’s see how soon he’ll be match-fit and available,” Solskjaer said. “Of course, that’s going to be a new signing for us.
“He’s not really been able to play for us so when we get him back it’s like a new world-class signing, a new world-class midfielder, so of course we want him back as soon as possible.”
#Newsworthy…
Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich is not interested in “bargain” bids for the Premier League club and remains fully involved at Stamford Bridge, according to chairman Bruce Buck.
The Russian billionaire is not believed to have attended a home match since the spring of 2018, having taken Israeli citizenship after encountering visa renewal issues in Britain.
Plans for a new 60,000-seat stadium were shelved around the same time, but Buck said Abramovich has no intention to offload the club.
“So far as I know, absolutely not. To the contrary — I have never heard a word from Mr Abramovich: ‘Let’s get this ready for a sale,’ or something,” Buck told the Guardian newspaper.
“Because of the political situation, there are people who think they might want to buy Chelsea Football Club at a bargain. We do get inquiries and we really have nothing to say to these people.
“In terms of being involved, in looking at new players, talking about whether to extend players’ contracts, do we buy this player, do we sell this player, (Abramovich) was always intimately involved in that from day one and is just as intimately involved now.
“He talks to Marina (Granovskaia) — the board member who supervises the football operation — several times a day, every day. Marina has been doing that for seven or eight years. That hasn’t let up or changed at all.”
#Newsworthy…
Noble Reporters Media 