Short, Sharp and Shorn... (Fredrik Ljungberg)

Name: beedubblyer

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Product:	Fredrik Ljungberg
Date:	08/10/03 (178 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Pace & smart running, Clean finishing, Commitment!

Disadvantages: Current average form

In the words of the song, "we love you Freddie, because you've got red hair, we love you Freddie, because you're everywhere..." Is that fair? Entirely. Is that all there is to the little Swedish dazzler? Not quite. For one thing, with his newly shorn head, he hasn't got enough hair to dye red any more.

Ljungberg is not one of the current Arsenal sides' most skilfull players. He doesn't have the phenomenally masterful touch of an Henry, nor the tackling finesse of a Vieira or Campbell, nor the sublime passing vision of a Robert Pires. In many ways, he's more in the mould of Ray Parlour, in terms of commitment, work rate, and hunger to win.

There are flashes of sheer skill from Freddie - the occasional curling free-kick (when Henry or Pires hasn't got there first) ad plenty of delightful chips over opposing 'keepers. His most intelligent play comes from his perfectly-timed and mazy runs into the box, or in from the wings.

But what truly endears him to the Highbury faithful - the factor that counts most in any fan's affections - is his evident love for the club, and his dertermination. He is one of the players who seems to cover the most ground during a game (at least when fully fit), and is often on hand to scramble a messy goal from unpromising situations, where too much reliance on finesse can be wasteful. In this, he is more of a "fox-in-the-box" than Jeffers ever was for the Gunners!

Ljungberg also seems to draw on deep reserves of hope and belief - crucial in close encounters such as the FA Cup Finals in 2001 & 2002. He famously scored in both finals, in the second instance, against Chelsea, following up on Ray Parlour's long-range strike with a speculative but equally successful attempt from similar range.

There is a further reason that Ljungberg is a favourite amongst certain sections of the terraces, of course. As my better half and my gay friends alike wil
l testify, he's one good-looking boy, what with his freakishly attractive Swedish cheekbones and all. That Calvin Klein campaign has clearly been a long time coming for our poster-boy in midfield.

My own personal reason to love this player has to be the incredible vein of form he hit in the run up to the Arsenal's completion of the Double in 2002. With Henry slightly off the pace (as is only to be expected after such a hard-fought season), Pires injured, and Wiltord the only regular goalscorer at the time, Freddie managed to score 7 times in 6 games, before his contribution to the FA Cup Final, mentioned above. His finishing was clinical, his runs unstoppable, and he literally could not put a foot wrong.

Fast forward through his injury at the World Cup in 2002, and last year's mediocre season, and Ljungberg hasn't recaptured the mercurial form of Spring-Summer 2002. He has made occasionally significant contributions to this year's campaign, but has not yet acheived his highest form - perhaps this should be cause for defenders throughout the Premiership to beware... it can't be long before the little Swedish dynamo hits greatness again..!

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