We Love You Freddie

News of Freddie Ljungberg’s calf injury will have done nothing to appease Arsene Wenger’s view of the increasing number of international breaks. Surely you have to sympathise with the clubs when they are losing their top stars for a hundred days of the year. That’s over a quarter of the season, for which the clubs are paying handsome salaries, and their employees are at the beck and call of the various national associations.

On this particular day though my thoughts are more with our Swedish midfielder than the ongoing club versus country debate. Mention of Freddie’s name brings back fond memories.

Think 2002, when Arsenal were challenging for a second double in four years. Robert Pires, since described by Wenger as the best player in the world at that time, took a tumble at Highbury against Newcastle and prematurely ended his season. As supporters we bemoaned our luck, certain that fate had dealt a sickening blow to our twin challenge. Step forward the man with the red streak through his hair to switch to the left side and feast on the supply of the mercurial Dennis Bergkamp. In the FA Cup Final he did not even need the Iceman’s help to strike a spectacular twenty-yarder in the defeat of Chelsea.

Fast forward two years and Freddie was an integral part of the invincibles, restored to the right hand side but equally adept at being just where Bergkamp placed his most telling through balls. Everywhere we played you could be sure that several renditions of ‘We love you Freddie’ would ring out.

Last season was probably Freddie’s least effective in an Arsenal shirt. We saw the limited inclusion of Bergkamp as a possible cause. We felt for the Swede as it was revealed he was having blood drained from a foot after every game. In all fairness he could have done without being at the World Cup this summer, but he went and gave his all in the yellow shirt of his homeland.

Despite the form of the now fully settled Hleb, and the very promising Rosicky, Freddie has found himself a regular so far this season, albeit switching from right side to left seemingly weekly. Dare I suggest this latest injury should prompt the Arsenal medical team to order a period of rest and relaxation? Ljungberg at his best is an invaluable addition to the Arsenal team. His high-energy, high-tempo style fits the way Wenger wants to play the game, and the way we want to see it played. A half-fit Freddie serves little purpose. It would be a shame to see one of the true stars of the Wenger revolution become a target for the Grove’s discontented minority.