Now I know a lot of Arsenal fans are going to accuse me of being overly cynical but having listened to Freddie’s comments about how he is running the side at the moment (no backroom staff, no promises, no discussion of transfers, etc) and the Arsenal management insisting they are not going to rush into appointing a new manager until they have exhausted all their options, it appears to me that yet again Arsenal are doing things on the cheap.
Ahead of the visit of Man City today, Freddie first admitted that we are a long way from challenging top teams like Pep Guardiola’s defending Champions. He told the Sun: “You can’t do anything overnight.
“I try to impact things on the grass but that’s not so easy. We don’t have much time to train.
“I’m a fan and I want Arsenal back winning trophies but as I say this won’t happen overnight.
“Of course there are things to fix now and that we can do better.
“I have a list of about 10 to 15 things we need to urgently get right. But you can’t do all those things at once.”
And he then, when asked about the transfer market, he said: He said: “Liverpool have been extremely good in the transfer market. They see something they need, they go in big and get it.
“They have had some tremendous success.
“Of course, part of football is the transfer market but I’m working on a day-to-day basis. There have been no discussions with me about transfers.
“I’d like to think about planning long-term for this and that but I can’t because it’s a day-to-day job and I try not to tease my brain that way.”
So it is obvious to me, as we are already half-way through December, that there is little chance of poor Freddie getting any help in the form of new players to strengthen our deficiences, and he is going to be forced to muddle along for as long as possible. As Freddie told the Guardian: “The club have said I have to wait until they make a decision, so I can’t do anything at the moment,”
“I have Per [Mertesacker] but at the same time he is academy manager. He is helping me with the coaching. The club has said when they make a decision then that’s it – or I’m leaving, obviously – and maybe then we can do something with the staff. But it’s up to the club.
“If you look at the person who was here before, he had a lot of staff and maybe I don’t have so many. So if you keep on going like that for months and months, it’s not so easy. But that’s totally up to the club.”
And when asked if the club had given him any hint about how long he may still be in the job, he said: “I haven’t got any indication of if I’m here or not,”
“What I’ve said to the bosses and the club is I will do everything in my power to do as well as I can for this club and the players. Then obviously it is up to them to make a decision. I try not to put any emotions into that.”
So it sounds like he is as much in limbo as us fans. He is obviously not being told anything about the club’s plans or aspirations.
No change there then!
Darren N..
Poor Ljungberg has to work his way around zero transfer budget and some poor players
I wouldn’t be surprised if he gets poor results. It’s up to the players now
When arsene was in charge we was told about a plan in his final few seasons which didn’t materialise, we was told about a plan under emery that not even the most ardent arsenal fan would be able to say what it actually was and now the club roles out rhetoric about a plan. I think what Freddie Maybe hinting at is that the plan we have is to have no plan. What is the mission statement, the vision so that a clear road map can be formulated and implemented. I was never one to bash the owner and board but direction does come straight from that board room and we don’t seem to have one. Statements such as we need to be challenging, winning, big club etc mean nothing. They need to have conviction, identify the aims and targets ten get out there and ruthlessly achieve it. Out of work managers are out of work for a reason and so coming to arsenal means they get work and if it works out great if not at least they gain employment and a big pay off. There is only two out of work in my opinion who might work out in Pochettino or Allegri but the latter I’m not convinced by in epl. Back Freddie or get someone in who they will back and let’s just see how it goes. This is like brexit!!!! And breathe
Surely a decision must be made prior to the opening of the transfer market. We desperately need defenders and at least one creative midfielder. If the club don’t invest this window they can’t expect change. If it was me I would take on Freddie as manager and give him full backing staff and funds to turn things around. I would set target winning europa. Full focus on that with best team and consistently play same first team there.
I’d probably go lesser right now and set the target for clean sheets and a clear playing style. That may have a bit of pain while it transforms from the training pitch to the competitive field but it’s all I can see as realistic given we won’t make whole sale player changes Due to resale value, probably don’t have the budget to bring in all the players required and we don’t have the players to consistently compete to win trophy’s right now unless we have a bit of luck on the way through a cup.
Unai missed top 4 by one point and made the EL final in his first season.
The board then “seemed” to have said we have now given you transfers
Pepe Luiz Tierney Ceballos and Matinelli now go get top 4.
Whether they said “top for or the sack” I don’t know but i believe this was the case.
Bellerin Tierney Holding and Lacazette were injured the first 2 months yet
Arsenal was 3rd a point behind City after 8 games and we won our first 3 EL group games
with the youngsters under Freddie doing great. Things overall looked good.
But then the Ozil saga rose to prominence and then the Xhaka incident
and despite the availability of Tierney and Lacazette Arsenal
slumped dramatically going 4 draws and 2 losses in 6 games.
Pepe was poor the midfield ineffective and the defense dire.
Though still being in 6th = place the board had seen enough and swung the axe.
Martinelli has more than exceeded expectations the others not so successful.
But that chapter is closed we have moved on.
If he’s still charge, we could go down. That’s no criticism of Freddie, because he’s been put in a ridiculous situation, for someone with no experience.
So now the club is “apparently” interviewing candidates for the
new managers position with Freddie in interim or temporary charge.
Some of us -mistakenly perhaps- believe that the club ought to hold off
appointing a new manager until Freddie has had a chance to show his credentials.
The board has said they are conducting a thorough search before making a decision.
I sense the board has already decided to appoint either Arteta or Vieira
it is just a matter of timing probably after the next disappointing loss.
With a dire central defense a new manager is to be announced momentarily.
Sorry, I don’t see the club doing anything wrong here.
Freddie has been appointed interim manager, and as such he shouldn’t really be influencing transfers, and he can’t expect the hiring of assistants to an interim manager.
But of course he is angling for the job.
The club is trying to make a new plan and getting the best possible manager to take us forward in the long term. I fully respect that need some consideration and time.
Really? Is sacking the manager and his team with no plan of replacement not wrong. Unai wasn’t dismissed due to a discipline matter but on results. The board knee jerked a reaction, possibly with the fans influence, and are not being decisive. So the board are doing nothing wrong right now?
I don’t see Freddie in charge in January, that would be really slack by the board. I think that we will get some movement in the managers position in the next 8 days. This cant be allowed to carry on at Arsenal, it is very damaging for the future.
I’m not advocating Freddie for manager but I agree with your sentiment on getting someone in before the transfer market opens. If it is to be Freddie then they need to get on and back him so he has half a chance to make a success of it. This process by the board almost feels like they are chucking names out to see what the fan base reaction is
Sadly, you are TOTALLY correct. Scandalous situation with amateurs running our club. Weep!
You understand how organisations, of which a football club is one, work. An interim manager cannot carry out any crucial decisions nor get his own staff because anytime he can be removed. That is a matter of management. Our emotions can’t change the theory and practice of management.
Poor Freddie is bravely and manfully doing his best to stand against a tsunami of problems that are overwhelming him. Preety much all he has in his favour is a wealth of fan support because of his past as a player. He wil not be in charge long in my considered opinion, nor should he be. His reputation among fans will easily survive this unfair period, where he was sold a poisoned chalice and asked,unfairly, to do his level best to stave off the poison that is slowly killing team building. IT ALWAYS WILL, WHILST KROENKE REMAINS OWNER.
I hope it isn’t true that we’ve interviewed 12 candidates and it’s still counting, Martinez being one of latest. How can you have a list that large, seriously, it should be three top candidates at most, with one or two being a massive fav. Arsene spoke about this before this news came out, he spoke about our identity going down the drain as the club got bigger and everything becoming yes, you got it, an interview. Everyone used to know everyone he said and if you liked a coach you just brought him in, but then all of a sudden lines of interviews start developing. Are we the only top club in England like this, is this a Kroenke thing, it has to be, because other clubs are going for who they want and they aren’t forming queues outside the doors.
I have always commented that the problem of Arsenal lies squarely with the owner Kroene and no others. Hopefully, he will let go of Arsenal because NO MONEY, NO TITLE. PROFIT GONE, FANS GONE. When there is no money to make, Kroene will walk away. Pity Arsenal fans have to suffer under him for more bad years to come.
Such poor management from the club. The only “plan” Kronke and Raul have is to make money.
How about a plan to address defense?
How about plan to address midfield?
I’m sure there are 12 candidates for the job. What manager will sign on and have little to no control over transfers, and run by a cheap owner?