Frändén: Time to roll up your sleeves and start over

Published: October 14, 2020 at 11:13 PM
Updated: October 14, 2020 at 11:44 p.m.

LISBON. A couple of frugal results can be deducted from the bad luck account. But after a tough game lost against Portugal, Janne Andersson manages to rally the men and look in the mirror.

Sweden was able to visit the UEFA qualifying room and try on the large suit. It was fun and a little big. Now is the time to roll up your sleeves and start over.

There is no harm in honorable losses, but when they line up, you have to think about what it depends on.

Before the meeting with Portugal in Lisbon, he smelled of Swedish. Cristiano Ronaldo was absent in the covid-19 and if you want to know how big it is in your country of origin, I can tell you that it was the first news and protagonist of the morning news of Portuguese television on match day. It was he who punished Sweden with two goals in the first match. It was now, after a lively and impressive second-half, but still an honorable defeat against Croatia this weekend, that Sweden would release the handbrake and take home their first Nations League points.

Kulusevski a little too ball loving

But against Portugal, of course, you can’t just overtake. Against an attacking trio with Manchester City wizard Bernardo Silva, Atlético de Madrid prodigy João Félix and Liverpool record signing Diogo Jota, there are great risks of starting to back down. And Sweden leaked at regular intervals during this match.

The 1-0 goal illustrated the difference between two Premier League stars in action and a regular Swedish baseline flavored with Allsvenskan and Championship. Pontus Jansson, Mikael Lustig and Kristoffer Olsson ran after a ball that went to Jota, who easily passed and set the situation for Silva.

Heavy uphill, it felt like this. Sweden had still started the game much more offensively than against Croatia before, Dejan Kulusevski had been creative but a couple of times too ball loving. Marcus Berg looked young and tough. There was hope.

Photo: JOEL MARKLUND / BILDBYRÅN

Be mean all the time

It went out shortly before the break when João Cancelo served Jota a delivery from the court and the 2-0 was a fact. The tight offside position from which Cancelo adapted was, of course, a nuisance, but it didn’t change that the Swedish backline was not keeping up. Sweden weren’t completely outmatched, but when Portugal adjusted, or just fine-tuned insert feet to the max, Janne’s gang went awry almost every time.

Looking ahead, Sweden also showed good intentions after the break. Victor Claesson flitted around at times but made it to a couple of finals and Alexander Isak did a lot when he was replaced.

But a bit in the second half, they had no cream left on their legs to annoy Portugal. The noble Andersson brand, the well-organized and stone-proof defense, no longer exists. That is the conclusion that we must draw from this qualifier so far. And now you’re sitting here and yearning for Andreas Granqvist in 2018.

Sweden back in the field

Pontus Jansson had another headache-filled match in Lisbon, Victor Nilsson Lindelöf did well, but he hasn’t been able to become a post-crown general defender and Sweden can weigh too easily in midfield as well to really score against this kind of resistance.

And here, of course, you lift a finger and say “but they only meet the world opposition in the League of Nations.” That is absolutely true and that is also the reason for the now four consecutive competitive games with one loss. In any case, tonight was not close.

And of course, Janne Andersson’s men still have a chance to stay in division a in this qualifying tournament, where you still need a KTH title to really calculate the points. But after a series of honorable defeats, World Cup quarter-finalist Sweden is back on earth. This team can shine against the greats. We’ve seen it in previous qualifiers, against tough guys like France, against tough away teams in Eastern Europe, in individual games with a lot of stress and effort. But this fall’s parade of losses also shows how difficult it is and what an accomplishment it really has been.

Janne’s gang don’t belong here

An important match against Croatia remains and Sweden may win and hold on in this Uefa division, but the overall impression does not change because of that: the beautiful UEFA room was a good acquaintance, but here Janne’s gang does not belong for a long period. . Now go back to basics, rubbing in the tactical details and clenching your fists.

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Of: Johanna Frändén

Published: October 14, 2020 at 11:13 pm

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