Photo: Bildbyrån
Frölunda have never been as bad as they are now.
Since Roger Rönnberg took over the team in 2013, the goal average has never been as low as it is now.
– It is difficult. It’s a good league, he tells Göteborgs-Posten.
He has led Frölunda for almost twelve seasons, but after this year will come Roger Rönnberg53, to move from Gothenburg. It is already clear that he will take over Swiss Friborg-Gottéron from next season. During his time in Frölunda, he has won SM gold twice and the Champions Hockey League a total of four times.
Praises own defensive
Ahead of tonight’s SHL round, league sixth Frölunda has just three points up on league leader Luleå. If they win at home against the norrbottings, they have a good chance of advancing in the table.
It may seem that everything is peace and joy – but this is not the case. On one point, Frölunda is actually worse than they have ever been under Rönnberg’s leadership. Göteborgs-Posten reports that the team’s 24 goals scored in eleven games gives a goal average of 2.54 goals per game, which is the lowest average during Rönnberg’s time at the club.
– We have a lot of different things that lead to one or the other. We are happy that we started this season in that we are stable defensively. It has enabled us to win five games in a row. Some other seasons when we conceded loads more goals at the start and were really shaky. This, that we are stable defensively, creates a better relationship in the team. Then from there we get to challenge the offensive – so we come up with numbers that we want to be on, says Roger Rönnberg to the newspaper.
READ MORE: Roger Rönnberg’s nice reaction to the praise from Olli Jokinen
More difficult to score
In two of the seasons, Roger Rönnberg’s Frölunda has scored more than 3 goals on average (2015/2016 and 2017/2018). The first season with the “golden ratio” led to SM gold. Right now it is a bit low, the FHC coach thinks.
– 2.54 goals per game is not something we want to lie about. We always want to pass three goals per game. It is needed if we are to win. But it is difficult. It’s a good league, he says.
Rönnberg believes that all the teams’ defensive play has improved much during the twelve years he has been there. It has simply become much more difficult to score.
READ MORE: Roger Rönnberg reveals why he is leaving Frölunda: “Because…”
– All teams are better. Just look at Brynäs, who is a newcomer – and has conceded the fewest goals in the league. Much less is created. It is more difficult to create a goal chance today than five or six years ago, says Rönnberg.
The season is long and Frölunda has plenty of time to improve his goal average. Let’s see if Roger Rönnberg can tidy up the numbers before he moves on to Switzerland.
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