Edu tells Ljungberg to work ‘game-to-game’ as manager search continues



Interim Arsenal manager Freddie Ljungberg says he has been told to work ‘game-to-game’ by the club’s technical director, Edu, as they seek-out the permanent successor to Unai Emery.

Ljungberg oversaw his first victory in the post courtesy of a 3-1 win at West Ham, having drawn his first match away to Norwich and losing his second 2-1 at home to Brighton.

"I speak with Edu,” Ljungberg told reporters after the match. “Of course we played with each other, so we try to speak because I don't have much staff so I talk to him sometimes about football.

Photo: Getty Images

"I've been told to work on a game-to-game basis and that is what I try to do. I've said this is a club I love and I'll try to help as much as I can and then it is up to them to do what they do."

Standard Sport understands that Ljungberg will be considered for the role on permanent basis should he impress in the role, and while Monday night’s win was a massive one - ending a run of ten matches without a win - it is merely the first step towards that potential outcome.

That sequence of results was Arsenal’s worst since 1977, and Ljungberg praised his side for coming through with a result having trailed 1-0 at half-time.

"We have a lot of work to do on things, but all credit to the players for how they did in the second half."

Former Arsenal captain Patrick Vieira admitted at the weekend that he had been ‘moved’ by speculation linking him with the position at Arsenal, while another reported candidate - Rafa Benitez - has ruled himself out of the running.

Working as a pundit on Sky Sports’s coverage of the game, he said: “In the future I would like to come back to the Premier League because I like the league, but at the moment I can be very clear.”

“No chance that I will come back now because I am really happy [at Dalian Yifang], they trust me. We have a lot of staff working on a big, big project.