Former Arsenal striker John Hartson must act quickly to appoint a new manager.

Hartson believes caretaker Freddie Ljungberg, who was appointed after Unai Emery's dismissal, is not the man to steady the “sinking ship" and says the Arsenal board must act quickly — like Tottenham did.

He told The Sun: “Arsenal can't afford to dally, to pussyfoot around or give Freddie Ljungberg a chance.

“He may be a favourite with Arsenal fans as a player but to manage Arsenal you need a bit more about you and a bit more experience.

“There are good managers out there. Go after somebody. Be pro-active.

"Do what Spurs have done by bringing Jose Mourinho in straight away.

“If you're going to sack a manager, bosh — go and get another one in.

“Arsenal need direction, they need leadership, they need a freshness and they need somebody to get hold of that dressing room because it's like a sinking ship at the minute."