Ljunberg joins pundits on “how to fix Arsenal”
By Randy Osae
Freddie Ljungberg is as skeptical as a neutralist about how Wenger’s men will fare in the upcoming season and the future in whole.
Arsenal’s former darling – now based in America - was yesterday invited into an episode of a well-watched football discussion show, Soccernet Press Pass, which airs on ESPN.
The 32-year-old acknowledges four successive years of a trophy drought at a club like Arsenal is unacceptable.
And when asked for his personal insight during the discussion, the Swede’s tone was much of hope rather than self-assurance that his former employers will see success any sooner.
It all just goes to show how Wenger’s men will always be discounted.
Some say this side is “a man away from greatness”, others say “experience is what’s needed”, but despite the unleashing of Vermaelen, they all remain problems are not fixed.
Relatively all the pundits assembled in this clip, especially Tommy Smith (far left), feel there are still unresolved glitches at Arsenal.
Some points tackled in the video below may be just about right though.
But should we hit back and prove them wrong with what we have in our armory or follow their recommendations and ask for yet more fixes to Arsenal’s squad?
You have your say, but this is how their skeptical conversation went.
Ljungberg came to Arsenal for £3M. Arsenal are spending money. What is Ljungberg on about?
This is random and bitter but I was watching the first eight minutes of the semi-final against Man Utd at the Emirates and Park was offside in the build up to their first goal, and we started so well too…
who the hell is tommy smith ?…. It’s just american rubbish.
wot are they on about usual media shite blah blah henry and yes freddie aswell were unknows to all of the football pundits,which of the so called pundits knew anything about big patrick V when he arrived?nobody their all tossers.We all know that Wenger made all of them,so why are they slaging off vermalen as not a big enough name etc etc sorry total(usual)anti arsenal shite
Most Americans I know agree that Tommy Smith talks rubbish – he consistently misunderstands the specifics of a match and his wider views are derivative when not total rubbish. American soccer deserves better. But I have to say the English media only recently have begun to explore the tactical intricacies of matches (David Pleat’s columns, for instance), partly b/c the on-line editions can carry extra opinion pieces complete with comments. Until recently national newspaper’s match reports rarely mentioned anything other than the drama points of the match narrative as opposed to the tactical ins and outs that got them there. So perhaps there is hope on this side of the pond. Or maybe Tommy Smith’s contract expires soon.
Tommy Smith, what do you fucking know you moron?, you sound like a demented dalek, Freddy I think your Calvins were too tight as it must have cut off circulation to your brain.
Fuck off and mind your own business we will come good
The comments above just show exactly how xenophobic some stupid English people can be. I was watching the programme and NONE of the panelists were American. Janus Mijalek is Polish, Tommy Smith is Scottish and so’s Derek Rae. The only thing is that it’s broadcast from America so anyone labeling it as “just american rubbish” just loves to talk and just proved what a xenophobic ass he can be.
Although I didn’t agree with everything said, I think they were pretty much right about the changes we need to make. We definitely have numbers right now but many of our midfielders are too similar in playing style and also in where they naturally play. The three that come to mind here are Fabregas, Rosicky and Nasri. I wouldn’t say we need to make wholesale changes but they were right that we definitely need to shake things up a bit. We could do with going from the 4 4 2 formation to the 4 3 3 as well.
Furthermore, who are any of you to say Freddy’s wrong? Have you ever played at his level? No, so please cut the drivel out.
Now that I’ve actually watched the video I’d say they just about got it right – with experience the club can get a few more results going their way. We all know this. What they didn’t discuss is whether the young players this year will be good enough this coming season or not. The jury will be out until March. None of us has a crystal ball. Freddy was right. Thousands of us are wondering if Arsenal has decent money – and no one has come out and showed us the books. And the other bloke was right – paying over the odds for transfers isn’t something Arsenal will do. AW’s experiment rumbles on, the weird economic context of high rolling sheiks amidst a recession, and the cost of the stadium has meant a lean period. Arsenal still look better within a bigger picture that included the future, not the narrow confines of August and September, 2009 But I’m fired up for the new season. We might be ahead of schedule.
fuck off you bunch of twats arsenal are going to be strong!
Listening to American soccer pundits are we? That is just stupid. What the hell do they know about football?
None of these pundits are American.
Tommy Smith (far left) is Irish, Derek Rae (host – next to Freddie) is Scottish and the man next to him is Janusz Michallik, a man from Poland.
The program airs on American TV but the views are fairly typical of what we hear everywhere.
tommy smythe (with “whiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiine” is Irish, NOT Scottish – unfortunately).
He is also the dumbest piece of sh!t to ever play or comment on the game.
FFS, in the Barca v Chelsi game he couldn’t understand why late subs were being made?!?!?!?! How f%&^%g dumb is that?
Most football fans hate his guts, and he is downright stupid to boot.
If he claimed the sun would rise tomorrow morning I’d take a look out the window first and check.
What kinda mugs write on this site?
Tommy smith has been labeled as both Irish&Scottish!
How do you think he got his 1(and only)English cap in 1971?
I’m not protecting the scouse ‘chopper’… simply questioning so called football experts!
Freddy makes it sound like he made it to the final of the FA Cup every season he was here.
Freddy makes it sound like he made it to the semi-finals of the Champions League every season he was here.
Some of what they say is true. We need a bit of experience. But I hate that fuck Tommy Smyth! Every game I have ever seen on ESPN where he’s commentating I just want to strangle that owl! I don’t know exactly which country he’s from, all I know he’s a dumb fucking leprechaun owl!
GRA, that’s because we’re talking about tommy smYth, not tommy smIth.
tommy smYth (with a whyyyyyyyyyyyyyne) is Irish borne and played for some or other arbitary Scottish team along the way.
The tommy smYth we are referring to IS Irish, definitely NOT English.
Ooops-Sincere appologies to those i just berated.(hole,open,ground, etc…)I was wondering why Tommy Smith would be considered a ‘footie’ pundit?
Gav. Very intelligent, well thought out comment….not. Do you have a problem with people not agreeing with you ? Freddies entitled to his opinion, like anyone else, and he certainly put it across more intelligently.
Anyway, for those of you who mocked American Soccer (even though the pundits werent American): Spain 0 v 2 USA.
You think England could beat Spain ?
Before you spout more xenephobic drivel, I saw the match, and Spain played their best team, and they were trying to win.
Tommy Michael Smyth (pronounced Smith) (born in Knockybridge, County Louth, Republic of Ireland) is one of the most recognized soccer commentators in the USA .
He is a color commentator for ESPN, which he joined in February 1993 as a football analyst. He provides co-commentary or in-studio analysis for major soccer events. He also commentates on Gaelic games, horse racing, and harness racing for ESPN.
After reading the latter part of his Wikipedia, it’s no wonder why his footballing knowledge is so poor.
bull crap, hey Freddie remember you thought West Ham when finsh over Arsenal LOL just stop it man, it’s getting sad.
guys the question we alllll asking is whyyy arent we buying big name players??arent we a big club??idnt get at all i mean 1 top player every few yaers isnt gonna get the club bankrupt is it??and am talkn BEFORE we build the Emirates,jus nooo excuses for the owner etc. from my point of view,talking all the money and keeping.
Can we for once think critically? Thank goodness, I am begining to. The question the panel discussion raised is-if we are not a buying big team why must we be a selling big team? They called our biggest names one after the other that got sold, I think to raise some money for the stadium or whatever. At this rate, we ARE NOT winning any trophy in the forseeable future. I hope the trend changes so we can get back to winning.
dj He was great 4 us he got 2 years free ride at WHam plus the payout alone was 3 M so it was a good call now he,s going to pick up 2 or 3 more easy years
Freddie was a pretty good player for us & I especially loved him for the way he wore the club’s colours on his head. It’s only sad that for the umpteenth time an ex-gunner leaves the club & starts to talk nonsense abt the club
Hey guys.. there is a report that Cesc is upset about the impotence of arsenal to win trophies. Well if this is true then i am rather disappointed with Cesc Fabregas.
If he continues to rant like this first by saying that Barcelona is a great team, then second that if pep guardiola calls him, he would move to barcelona and now this impotence issue, then I am really very unhappy his behavior as an arsenal captain.
Therefore, in that case, I would sell him for 40 millions or wat. Just sell him to barcelona or madrid get the money and revamp the team with some experienced and yet physically strong DM and CB. We have arshavin, Rosicky, Ramsey, Wilshere, Merida and Lansbury that can occupy the “Cesc Fabregas” role pretty well. We have no lack of players replacing Cesc Fabregas.
The last thing we need at arsenal is a player that is disheartening and sowing discord. We need no another adebayor. These negative players can fuck off for god sake even if you are cesc fabregas.
Spent the money after we sell them, buy players that are hungry and have the winning mentality. Fuck off those negative players.
In arsenal I love and I trust wenger to do the right things at the right time. NExt season is DAMN FUCKING Crucial to arsenal football club. If we go another season trophyless, then all our important players will definitely leave even though they signed new contracts.
I cross my fingers and pray that arsenal will do well in the forth coming season and win at least the carling cup or FA cup. Any trophies will do, just not the emirates cup.
BTW I love your blog!