This archive report was first published on 5 December 2019.
Freddie Ljungberg, the new interim boss of Arsenal, is set to tackle the club's key issue - Nicolas Pepe's struggle to adapt to the Premier League. The Gunners' record signing, who cost £72million from Lille, has yet to perform consistently.
Pepe has not started any of Arsenal's last four games and was left on the bench for Sunday's 2-2 draw at Norwich, Ljungberg's first game in charge.
Despite Pepe's struggles, Ljungberg remains optimistic about the winger's potential, saying, "Nicolas is a very, very good player. Sometimes we come from a different league and it takes time to adapt, off the pitch and on the pitch."
Ljungberg plans to have a chat with Pepe to discuss his expectations and how he wants to play. He believes that with time, Pepe will come good.
However, Ljungberg's immediate priority is to tighten the defence, which has shipped an average of two goals per game in the last eight games. He aims to work on defending for a long time to fix this issue.
Additionally, Ljungberg is aware that his team needs to regain the backing of the Emirates crowd, who frequently turned hostile towards the end of Unai Emery's reign.
