Roman Eremenko is expected to make his debut in FC Honga’s shirt on Friday, when the team from Espoo faces FC Lahti in their home game in the Veikkausliiga.
On Friday, will show the football Veikkausliiga match KuPS-HJK. The live broadcast of the match starts on TV2, Areena and the app at 18:00.
Former Huhkajie star player Roman Eremenko36, signed a season-long contract with domestic soccer league FC Honga on Thursday.
Eremenko moved to IFK Helsinki in the middle of last season. HIFK was relegated from the Veikkausliiga at the end of the season, after which Eremenko has been without a club.
It raises small questions about Eremenko’s playing condition.
– The know-how has hardly disappeared anywhere. Roman wouldn’t come to play in bad shape, and Honka wouldn’t have signed a contract with him and taken a half-fit player, says Urheilu’s expert Antti Pohja.
Pohja has seen Eremenko up close and played with him in the national team.
Known as a midfield player, Eremenko has represented Finland in 73 men’s international matches. He has been awarded as the football player of the year 2011 and 2014 chosen by the Finnish Football Association and as the football player of the year 2011, 2014 and 2015 by the Sports Journalists’ Association.
Eremenko has not been seen in the national team since he committed a doping offense in 2016.
– In the best case, Roman Eremenko brings enormous added value to Honga, which is a very well-coached team. Because Roman’s foot is so good, he also brings danger in special situations. He is so good at corner kicks, side kicks and direct free kicks. Spot procurement can bring a lot of added value if properly roled, suggests Pohja.
FC Honka has struggled with scoring in the first five matches of the early season, where there have been only two complete hits in total. The Espoo team has six points in the points pot, even though the defense has been solid in the early stages of the season.
Midfielder Jerry Voutilainen the injury opened the doors for the acquisition of Eremenko.
– Eremenko can also play in a more defensive midfield role if necessary, but if you think about Honga’s early season and the congestion of scoring, I see his role as being in the passing arsenal. Roman’s toolkit when passing the ball is the best in the Veikkausliiga, emphasizes Pohja.
– Honka needs the skills of the last third. Roman is at his best for this, and when he’s in the right role and in good shape, he’s a really good acquisition.
In Pohja’s opinion, the level of play has improved a lot in the Veikkausliiga in recent years. There has been more movement and tempo all the time.
– A 36-year-old player needs to be in top shape to be able to succeed in the Veikkausliiga.
HIFK’s confused pack took the edge off Eremenko
Last season, Eremenko played eleven Veikkausliiga matches with 2+1 in HIFK, which was relegated to Ykkö. Pohja reminds us that success or failure always depends on the whole.
– Roman’s role in HIFK was a little unclear to me, and he was not able to play to his strengths the whole time. When the deck is messed up, the whole game disappears. If Roman gets to field the ball in the right areas, he can do quite a lot of damage – including goals. He has a good shot.
FC Honka has previously become known as a team that plays a short passing game, but the team from Espoo has changed its play to a more modern one in recent years.
– Previously, Honka preferred to play the ball for himself rather than seek more radical solutions. Now, last year and this year, the team has constantly moved in the direction that when it’s time to go, then we also go hard forward – and with longer balls as well. Honka has diversified his game enormously, says Pohja.
– Here, when we think about Roman’s foot, he is able to give accurate passes of 50 meters and thus break the opponent’s presses and shift the centers of gravity. And it’s not just a long ball to something, but it’s a particularly accurate long pass skill, Pohja instructs.