Freddie Ljungberg loving life with Arsenal Under-23s as young Gunners go top of the league

This may be Freddie Ljungberg’s first foray into the world of management but the Arsenal legend is already revelling life in the dugout.

Ljungberg returned to north London this summer to be Arsenal’s Under-23 coach, having previously spent time as assistant to Andries Jonker at Bundesliga side Wolfsburg.

The Swede has made an impressive start with the Hale End youth setup, a 4-0 win over Liverpool at Borehamwood on Friday extending an unbeaten run to five games and moving the young Gunners to top of Premier League 2.

Arsenal played with exuberance, incision and bravery - hallmarks Ljungberg himself showed during nine years at the club as a player - and appear to be developing quickly under their fledgling head coach.

“I love this job,” Ljungberg told Standard Sport. “That’s why I’ve been doing it, trying to get my experience with U15s, 16s, 19s, then in Germany and back here.

“I love it when you see a player get a little bit better or he does something [in game] that we’ve worked on a lot and it pays off, it’s a nice feeling as a human being.

“We work and talk about it a lot. Sometimes it’s game management, against a team like Liverpool maybe you have to absorb pressure for 5-10 minutes. That’s part of football.

"I want to see them defend well and doing everything for their team. Then when it’s time for us to go, we go.

“Back when we had seven 17-year-olds [in Monday’s 0-0 draw at Blackburn] it’s difficult when you talk about weight and size and stuff but I said to the boys that was amazing to play with 10 men for 40 minutes and get the 0-0 with seven of them.

"That’s development as well, it’s not just about winning but about seeing what players you have and allowing them to develop.”

Ljungberg’s youngsters are showing clear signs of progress. Joe Willock, a familiar face around Arsene Wenger’s first team last season, appears to have bulked up significantly during the summer and swaggered his way through Liverpool in a dominant display.

His manager is keen to credit the player alone for his progress but it is clear just how much pride Ljungberg takes in the flourishing of his charges, especially Emile Smith Rowe who made his long-awaited senior debut in Thursday’s Europa League win over Vorskla Poltava.

“I think it was a prouder for his parents and him than me!” he said. “It was a massive day yesterday, he did really well as well. It wasn’t just about him being there and getting his day, he played well and that’s the main thing.

“I like what I see and I’m sure he’s going to keep on going. If I have to plan without him that’s just great news for everyone at the club.”