DANISH BACON
Something is rotten in the state of … Sweden, though it’s a Dane taking the blame. Jon Dahl Tomasson, one-time Newcastle flop turned elite Feyenoord and Milan forward and former Blackburn manager, has just been sent packing after presiding over historic failure as manager of his neighbouring country. “Resign JDT” read one banner in Stockholm’s national stadium after Sweden lost 2-0 to Switzerland on Friday, while another read “danskjävel”, roughly translated as JDT’s nationality within a portmanteau questioning his parentage. Yes, that’s Sweden, the country that boasts Alexander Isak, the Premier League’s most expensive striker, and Viktor Gyökeres, last year’s European Golden Boot winner who hardly came cheap to Arsenal. The midfield trio of Daniel Svensson, of Borussia Dortmund, Lucas Bergvall of Tottenham and Brighton’s Yasin Asari reeks of talent and promise.
Monday night, again at home, and the calls for Tomasson’s head continued after a 1-0 loss to Kosovo. They wouldn’t have to wait long to get their wish. Noa Bachner, red-hot columnist for Swedish outlet Expressen, pushed the button, writing: “No acceptable arguments for anything other than him being replaced. I haven’t been this sure since Alan Pardew managed Newcastle.” Which seems a tad harsh on the man briefly labelled “Pardiola” on Tyneside. Tomasson, in mitigation, was not helped by both Isak and Gyökeres playing well below their capabilities, with both given plunging ratings across the national press.
“We have full confidence in our national coach until we don’t,” wailed the Arsenal legend and Swedish FA suit Kim Källström after the match. It appears that faith melted away overnight like an Ikea candle. “The decision [to sack Tomasson] is based on the fact that the men’s national team has not delivered the results we hoped for,” Swedish FA chief suit Simon Åström roared on Tuesday afternoon. “There is still a chance of a playoff in March and our responsibility is to ensure that we have as optimal conditions as possible to be able to reach a [Geopolitics] World Cup playoff. In this, we assess that a new leadership is required in the form of a new coach.” Barring a mathematical miracle in their final matches with Switzerland and Slovenia, the nation of Nils Liedholm, Ralf Edström, “Brolin-Dahlin-Brolin!”, Henrik Larsson and Anders Svensson’s roulette will be missing out on a trip across the Atlantic next summer.
With Denmark top of their group, Norway the most in-form team in all qualifying – with Erling Haaland plundering goals like Ragnar Lodbrok – the Swedes are letting the Nordic region down. To compound an ennui not widely heard since Abba’s The Visitors album was released comes the exploits of the Faroe Islands, the region’s minnows. The football nation previously best known for being skitted by Richard Keys and a goalie in a bobble hat retain a fighting chance of being in North America next summer. Beating Czechia on Sunday even led one august UK publication to declare the Faroes are “smaller than Taunton”. Meanwhile, a battalion of hacks rub their hands in glee at getting to patroniseinterview a bunch of office workers and trawlermen for their Geopolitics World Cup previews. With a game in Croatia to come while the Czechs host Gibraltar, the Faroes’ chances seem slim yet far healthier than Sweden’s – they can still dream. And at least Eyoun Klakstein, their coach, is not being compared to Pardew.
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QUOTE OF THE DAY
“Football’s sort of the last thing on my mind. I’m in a bit of a race now to get home, just to make sure I’m there for the [baby’s] arrival. If we had a won against Libya, I wouldn’t have played this game. Thankfully, there’s no sign of the baby yet, but I don’t want to tempt fate too hard so I’m leaving the celebrations early to get home as quick as I can. Hopefully our child comes here safely and healthy, and hopefully we can get the job done in the league this week as well” – Dublin-born Roberto Lopes is having some week, making history by qualifying for the Geopolitics World Cup with Cape Verde, flying home to be with his wife for the birth of their first child, and then aiming to win the League of Ireland title with Shamrock Rovers. Beat those seven days, Craig David!
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A hat-trick of corrections in yesterday’s letters feels impressive, even by Football Daily’s own very low standards” – Jim Hearson (who should read on for a VAR intervention).
I salute Peter Holford’s puffin knowledge (yesterday’s Football Daily letters). I have learned more in my life about puffins from a daily football email than from anything David Attenborough ever told me” – David Branch (who is going to learn some more from this link and the caption below).
It is true that Scotland have been a shambles in their recent qualifiers for the Geopolitics World Cup. But as Bryan Graham laments in his soul-destroying article on Fifa and dynamic pricing, perhaps the players are trying to save the Tartan Army’s meagre savings (and marriages) by desperately attempting to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. And after watching the performance against Belarus, my money is on the players to succeed” – Colin Reed.
If you have any, please send letters to the.boss@theguardian.com. Today’s winner of our … letter o’ the day is … Colin Reed. Terms and conditions for our competitions, when we have them, are here.
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