Photo: Bildbyrån
Swedish 3-0 victory against Estonia in all glory – but Olof Lundh is not impressed.
He now sends a proper pass to Jon Dahl Tomasson and writes what all Swedes really think.
“Come back when Sweden has put up a really strong resistance,” he writes in his column.
Sweden managed to secure two victories in the Nations League when both Azerbaijan (3-1) and Estonia (3-0) were defeated during the national team meeting. Thus leads Jon Dahl Tomasson’s Sweden’s C division, with Slovakia as the main challenger.
Much during the collection, however, was not about the matches, but about the 20-year-old midfield talent Hugo Larsson’s sorted just before the match against Estonia. There was talk that he had a sense of injury, but it is obvious to everyone who followed the debate that he ended up in conflict with the national team captain.
Olof Lundh’s criticism
One who does not mince words after Tomasson’s first two competitive international matches is the TV4 and Fotbollskanalen profile Olof Lundh. In his column after the win against Estonia, he criticizes the Dane’s statements after the Azerbaijan match.
Above all, he is bothered that Tomasson was so satisfied with the offensive statistics, despite the fact that Sweden had problems with the opponent at the beginning and that the goalkeeper Viktor Johansson saved both a penalty and a free-kick at 0-0.
The article continues below.
“Given that Jon Dahl Tomasson on Saturday raised statistics that showed that the offensive effort against 111-ranked Azerbaijan was the best Swedish match in 106 matches, I’m a little afraid of what conclusions are drawn after the victory against this opposition. The Estonians are 123rd in the Fifa ranking and none of the teams can be benchmarks if you want to go to the World Cup,” writes Lundh on the Fotbollskanalen.
“Of course you have to highlight the positive in the form of victories and goals. But it is almost fraudulent to claim that a 3-1 victory in Baku, where Viktor Johansson saves a penalty and several free-kicks at 0-0, is better offensively than national teams that have reached the World Cup quarter-finals, European Championship round of 16 and so on. Come back when Sweden has beaten a really strong resistance,” he continues.
It was clear that Tomasson had been ordered not to answer any questions about Hugo Larsson until after the match. Then he appeared on the broadcast and faced the mixed criticism that he had already received in his short time as the national team captain.
READ MORE: Dejan Kulusevski breaks the silence about the new rift in Blågult – the team captain’s call: “Don’t want drama”
Lundh is aware that the victories give him some breathing space, but the conflict must be resolved as soon as possible. Otherwise, the crack that has been established risks growing even bigger.
“Before the match, Jon Dahl Tomasson refused to answer questions about Hugo Larsson in Viaplay. Clearly the schism with the midfielder has shaken up and it was of course a nice respite that the national team did what they had to on Sunday. Unfortunately, it hardly disappears with another victory and the confused communication strengthened neither the national team captain nor the national team management. No matter what statistics he pulls out,” writes Olof Lundh.
It was very spot-on by Olof Lundh. What do you think of his analysis after the international match? Please write a comment.
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