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Arsenal hero Lee Dixon challenges Freddie Ljungberg to fix ’really upsetting’ problem
Former Arsenal defender Lee Dixon has asked Freddie Ljungberg to address the repetition of mistakes in the Gunners side after last night’s 2-1 defeat to Brighton.
Arsenal: Ljungberg reacts to 'disappointing' Brighton loss
Pundit Lee Dixon has urged Freddie Ljungberg to tackle Arsenal’s main problem in the wake of their 2-1 defeat to Brighton. The former Gunners defended launched a passionate rant in the Amazon Studio after the match in which he claimed the same mistakes are being replicated in every performance.
Life doesn’t get any easier at the Emirates Stadium even in the post Unai Emery era.
Ljungberg is now winless from his first few matches and last night Arsenal’s season reached a new low in front of their own supporters.
They were beaten by Brighton on merit, and a top four finish now looks a pipe dream.
Dixon admitted he was left upset by recent performances, in which the Gunners have shown a clear lack of fight.
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He said on Amazon Prime Video: “What’s really upsetting and it has been all season and from the end of last season to this season is that it’s fine if you make mistakes, but if you make a mistake one week and then you go and make the same mistake as a team and also individuals.
“There’s players out there who are doing exactly the same as they were at the end of last season.
“As a coach and somebody who is looking on at that, Emery couldn’t fix it.
“Freddie has now got a massive job to look at that and think ‘how did they have that much space in the midfield and get to our back four?’
“He said he watched the game at Norwich the other day and watched it twice, so I’m saying to Freddie, you’ve not got to work that out on the training pitch.
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“The players have got to take responsibility, [Granit] Xhaka has got to say ‘I’m going to fill gaps.’
“We said before the game if they fill gaps tonight Arsenal and stop running out of position, the front four or five they have will beat most teams.
“You don’t have to run around like that, just be compact and organised.”
The Arsenal hierarchy are currently in the process of deciding who is the best man to lead the club forward.
There is a chance that Ljungberg could be given the job until the end of the season, allowing the board more time to ensure they get their next appointment right.
Not only that, but it remains increasingly difficult to appoint a top manager in the middle of a season.
Alan Pardew claimed Arsenal need to go back to basics and hatch a defensive plan, he added: “That game really just needs drilling on defensive work.
“Actually, if you don’t focus on attacking play the quality will naturally come through from your defensive work.
“Defensively tonight you could pick that team apart Arsenal, in all shapes and sizes there was no pressure, the back four are dropping off and centre-backs are dropping off into wide areas.
“It just needs a defensive plan to say ‘right this is us defensively’ and at the moment, I don’t think that is in the team.”