This is why SJK has been the best in the Veikkausliiga – the expert shook up the reasons for plowing the number one favorite: “Who leads HJK mentally?”

The early season of the Veikkausliiga has already offered many topics of conversation.

We went through them as an expert Antti Pohjan with through the three vertices of the series. In addition, Pohja singled out AC Oulu and KTP among the successes of the early season.

Who unties HJK’s knots and who steers the ship?

The last matches have gone poorly for HJK both in terms of play and results. If you include the elimination from the Finnish Cup against Honka on penalties, HJK has won one of its last six matches.

‘s football expert Antti Pohja wanted to highlight two significant explanations.

First of all, the play of the attacking end has been too static and easily predictable. Also the head coach of HJK Toni Koskela lamented his team’s ineffectiveness and difficulties in creating scoring opportunities.

Read more: Is HJK in crisis? Toni Koskela swears that the violent shouting of the spectators did not slow her down – “I can’t say that I was terribly worried”

In Pohja’s opinion, HJK has no other Bojan Radulovic such a player. The Serbian striker started the season with five hits in five games, but then had to be sidelined for three games.

– The other attackers couldn’t match his game-like contribution. In addition to scoring, Radulovic has been very important in the build-up and breakthrough phases of the game. He creates space for others, can play with his back to the goal and make it easier for those around him to play.

HJK’s other attacking end players such as Kai Meriluoto, Maksim Styopin and Jere Keskinen, need a player like Radulovic next to them. Pohja sees that the other attacking players are quite similar to each other. When Radulovic has been sidelined, the attacking game has become poor.

Keskinen, 20, who moved from Mikkeli, was a sensation at the beginning of the season, but his performances have faded along with the team. Pohja reminds us that in addition to the number of goal places, what is essential is what the places are like and to whom they go. Keskenen is also more of a goal-scoring creator than a finisher.

Twice winner of the Veikkausliiga goal crown Roope Risk played his first match in the starting line-up for a year, when HJK lost to Honga in the Finnish Cup.

Riski can bring versatility to HJK’s attack end. Pohja points out that, clichédly, Riski stands out thanks to his pursuit of goals and his desire to score goals. Radulovic gets another thoroughbred finisher by his side.

As another big factor, Pohja raises the question of who will lead the team within the boundaries of the field.

– The game presentations have already been many matches in a row such that we are no longer talking about an accident at work, but about taking several matches. Then the question arises as to how much leadership there is on the field. Of course, Koskela has its own responsibility in that.

– HJK has high-quality, skilled players, but are there any bearers of responsibility for weak moments and creators of posture movement. Who leads HJK mentally on the pitch? It remains a mystery to me.

Pohja raises a young person as a possible type of leader Matti Peltolan, but his playing position between midfield and defensive line has varied. It confuses what a 20-year-old gambler is doing. Of course, HJK has suffered a lot from injuries, especially in its defensive line.

HJK has also lost control of the midfield with confusing ease, and the opponent has received counterattacks against the disorganized HJK grouping.

– From time to time, HJK has lost control of the midfield. It is often the beginning of the end for each match.

Familiar from the whiners Lucas Lingman has only played in four league games, but returned to action in the Honka match.

– Lingman, as a ball-headed leader, is able to bring posture, rhythm and make playing more versatile. Even that is not enough if the above-mentioned challenges are repeated from one situation to another.

Now it can be seen from SJK that the most important thing is to win

On Saturday in the Veikkausliiga, the top match between HJK and SJK will be played. SJK leads the series with a point difference to HJK and KuPS, but has played two matches less. Seinäjoki is the only undefeated team in the series.

Pohja reminds us that today’s match does not decide anything yet.

– HJK has usually been strong in the fall and played very well in the domestic league in addition to the European games. Of course, it’s an important match, but you can’t overdramatize it.

Pohja has admired SJK’s playing for one reason in particular.

– This may sound a bit stupid, but everything about SJK’s playing shows that every action is done under the conditions of winning. The game is nice if it’s beautiful, entertaining and you’re looking for your own ideals, but SJK is clearly ready to give them up in order to win every single match.

Spanish Joaquin Gomez piloting Seinjokis in his second season as head coach. SJK has bally dimensions, but the team in their own half of the field plays risk-free. A balance has been found.

– Maybe in the past, SJK has more persistently sought success in the game. Then the results have varied. At the moment, it seems from SJK that there is a lot of talk about winning and certainly even the championship. In communication, it is repeated that the most important thing is to win.

– SJK plays on the borders of the rules, physically. They are ready to put themselves in danger. It’s sweet to watch, points to the coaching for that. However, it is about competitive sports, the most important thing is to win. This team has internalized it very well, Pohja beams.

Honkavaara immediately got KuPS back on track

KuPS was the most talked about team of the spring. It started its season with two losses and a tie. Then Pasi Tuutti got a shoe. A master coach was hired to replace him Jani Honkavaara.

Read more: Champion coach Jani Honkavaara returns to KuPS – download direct words about the problems of the early season: “A lot changes”

Under Honkavaara’s command, KuPS took six wins in a row, including a 2–1 win over HJK, until SJK was better at home 1–0. According to Pohja, Honkavaara presented quite a work sample.

– At this point, I am no longer surprised by KuPS. I was surprised during Honkavaara’s first match, how quickly certain major lines of play were adopted.

The KuPS team changed a lot after last season. For example, the number one striker left for other landscapes Tim Vayrynenthe playmaker Janis Ikaunieks and a brilliant pair of boots Paulo Ricardo and Diogo Tomas.

KuPS got its defense balanced when toppers joined the team Shichenje Collins and Ibrahim Cisse.

Attack and scoring are still the biggest question marks. Also known from the national team Jasse Tuominen has scored once, the other KuPS goals have come from midfield.

– KuPS has a very high quality, if not the best midfield in the series. Urho Nissilä, Joona Veteli and Anton Popovich complement each other well.

Oulu and KTP answered the call

Among the other teams, Antti Pohja wants to highlight AC Oulu and KTP at this stage of the season.

– I probably ranked them higher than the mainstream. Both have responded nicely to my shouts, Pohja laughs.

– They have shown that they can cope in the series against anyone.

The Portuguese who took over as Oulu’s head coach in autumn 2021 Ricardo Duarte has continued his acclaimed work. In addition, Pohja praises the director of sports Markus Heikkinen systematic doing.

– Many in Oulu have done systematic, consistent work in selecting coaches and building a way of playing. It hasn’t started year after year from scratch by any means.

Before the start of the season, the promotion KTP was ranked as the biggest candidate for relegation. Currently, the eagle group is in eighth place.

– Kotka is perhaps not a traditional up-and-coming team that tries to do well and persevere, but is capable of strong initiative play and has also shown it on the field.