"Don't Blame Ljungberg For Arsenal's Struggles" - Pepe

 

Arsenal’s marquee summer signing, Nicholas Pepe, has come out to excuse interim head coach, Freddie Ljungberg of any blame for the club’s continual woes, one that has seen the team record only one victory in their last eleven games.

The most recent blip saw the gunners lose 3-0 to Manchester City – courtesy of a Kevin De Bruyne brace and Raheem Sterling strike - at the Emirates stadium to slip down to ninth in the premier league table.

Arsenal have become overly reliant on the quality of strike pair, Pierre Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette to bail them out of tricky situations in recent times with the addition of seasoned defender, David Luiz seemingly worsening the team’s defensive woes rather than resolve it.

Spanish gaffer, Unai Emery was sacked in November in a bid to curb the downward spiral of the team, but the appointment of Ljungberg, a former player and club hero, has not delivered the expected upturn in form, with Pepe choosing to lay the blame at the players’ feet rather than the inexperienced coach.

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According to the Ivorian forward, "Freddie tries hard, he talks to us, but nothing has changed much in terms of results. It's down to us the players, not the coach," Pepe noted the close relationship the players share with the coach while implying the team’s managerial doldrums isn’t a bother to him.

Speaking after the Gunners' latest Premier League setback, he said, "Freddie is close to us because he used to be a player not long ago. He knows what we feel, so it's easier for us to talk with him. We will continue to work hard to make things better and win again.

"We are not disturbed by the managerial situation. I had a similar situation in Lille [who had five different head coaches in 2017], and we kept going. With hard work, it will get better with Freddie or someone else."

Arsenal must now look ahead to a tough trip to Goodison Park on Saturday, where they will come up against a resurgent Everton side buoyed from a win over Chelsea and a draw at Manchester United under caretaker boss Duncan Ferguson.

"Us players have to do better quickly," Pepe added. "We have won only one game out of the last 12. It is not enough; we are Arsenal.

"It is about us, not the coach or anything else. We have to wake up quickly, starting against Everton."

Meanwhile, Arsenal have been paired against the Greek side, Olympiacos, in the round of 32 stage of the UEFA Europa League. The first leg will take place on February 20, 2020, and the return match will be held a week later.