It’s clear that the Gunners got shot of Fredrik Ljungberg at exactly the right time. Injuries were beginning to take their toll on the Swede and, despite Arsenal offering him a one-year-deal last summer, the winger instead moved to West Ham on a lucrative contract and immediately got friendly with the physio team at Upton Park. Despite all this, the Daily Mail report that Ljungberg is still chomping his way through sour grapes by claiming that Arsene Wenger forced him to play while injured among other things.
He said: “It’s all about my injuries. Wenger simply doesn’t like those who show a weakness. With him, you generally feel as if you were in the army – it’s only in public that he may appear to be some sort of man of liberal views. In reality, his belief is natural selection. The truth is I picked up a knock doing my job and following Wenger’s instructions. I always played like this and, at some point, ran out of luck.
“So while I was being treated for the injury, they went out and found a different player for my position.
“After I recovered, I was given a chance in the typical Wenger way: I was expected to run and intercept and score just the same as before. He just didn’t give me enough time to do it properly. I had no time.”
“And also I still feel a bit offended about Arsenal. They showed the door to too many people. Why did they let Thierry Henry go? When I found out about his move, I realised that the Arsenal I used to play for was finished.
“So I went to West Ham in order to play against Arsenal as often as possible. I wanted to prove that Freddie Ljungberg hadn’t had his last word as a player. And at West Ham, no one gives you a puzzled look if you get called up for your national team and players are never asked to play on injections.
“I would like to stay there – if they offer of course.”
I’m sure West Ham fans will be delighted to hear that Ljungberg’s primary motivation for signing at Upton Park was the opportunity to play against Arsenal last season! It’s a shame that the player has to continue bad mouthing his former club in such a way, especially as he must have so many happy memories of turning out for the Gunners.