Freddie Ljungberg's former team-mate doesn't think the Arsenal coach 'has it in him'
Dean Ashton doesn't think Freddie Ljungberg has what it takes to get Arsenal going again.
Arsenal sacked Unai Emery at the end of November after finding themselves closer to relegation than they were to the Champions League places.
Freddie Ljungberg stepped in as interim coach it was thought that the Swede may get the fabled new manager 'bounce' of good form.
However, much to Arsenal fans' frustration the team continued to underperform and are now on their worst run since the mid-1970s.
A draw to Norwich and a home defeat to Brighton have piled immediate pressure on Ljungberg.
The Gunners next face one of Ljungberg's former teams in West Ham, in what is a must-win game.
His former teammate from his time at the Hammers, Dean Ashton, has claimed he's not sure if the man who was part of Arsenal's 'Invincibles' has the answer.
“Arsenal are on a terrible, terrible run,” Ashton told TalkSPORT.
Get FourFourTwo Newsletter
The best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.
“I watched them at Norwich and, considering the quality they’ve got, they looked a really average team that played the ball around okay without a cutting edge and defensively diabolical.
“There are massive things for Freddie Ljungberg to do.
“I’m not sure, having known him at West Ham and his personality, whether he’s got it in him to really fire that team up.”
Ashton pointed out the defence is Arsenal's main concern as he bemoaned their mistakes in the transfer market in recent years.
“When is a manager going to go into Arsenal are realise you HAVE to sort the defence out,” Ashton lambasted.
“I mean it’s absolutely incredible!
“They should have Gary Cahill and Jonny Evans at the heart of their defence – that would make such a difference with them being available over the past couple of seasons.
“But instead they went and got David Luiz, who we’ve all been laughing about for the last five or six years.”
READ MORE...
How the Premier League REALLY looks – the table that reveals each club's true place