Nations / Dave Farrar / 06 June 2008 / Leave a comment

Larsson can still change a game but bringing him back is an act of desperation. Dave Farrar wouldn't waste a penny backing Sweden.

QUALIFYING

Sweden have become master qualifiers for major tournaments, and their route to Euro 2008 was one of the easiest they've ever had to negotiate. They finished ahead of Northern Ireland, a poor Denmark, Latvia, Iceland and Liechtenstein. This was the opposite of a group of death. Sweden started with four wins in a row, including a 2-0 victory over Spain, but then showed their frailty with defeat in Northern Ireland. They were awarded a tricky looking away game in Denmark after the referee was assaulted and, from that moment, never looking spectacular, they were reasonably comfortable qualifiers for Euro 2008. Now the hard part begins.

COACH: Lars LAGERBACK

Lagerback is a good coach on the training ground, and has plenty of experience of major tournaments, having served as assistant to Tommy Svensson, and then as joint manager with Tommy Soderbergh. He took Sweden to the World Cup, where they were desperately disappointing, and question marks remain about his ability to make Sweden overachieve. He's renowned as being a realist, coming from the more pragmatic north of Sweden, and that's all well and good, but it leads to a safety first tactical approach which will never take Sweden further than a quarter final at best. The great Swedish team of recent years had hard working players, but they were complemented by the brilliant and quick to fade Brolin and Dahlin. Lagerback must work out the best way of using Zlatan's genius, and he must do it soon.

KEY PLAYERS

Zlatan IBRAHIMOVIC

Sweden's best player. Sweden's most important player. Potentially one of Europe's greatest players. How Ibrahimovic performs will define Sweden's success or failure at Euro 2008. He can be infuriatingly lackadaisical, and seems not to care for long periods of a game, even a season. And yet he can deliver. After six weeks out with injury, he came on in Inter Milan's last game of the season and scored the two goals which secured them the title. And, despite an injury hit year, he still ended up with 17 Serie A goals. His performances for the national team have never quite matched his domestic achievements, and his lack of respect for Lagerback was shown by his refusal to apologise for breaking a curfew during qualifying. He knows that Sweden can't cope without him, but sometimes that's all he knows.

Henrik LARSSON

Larsson's decision to accept a call up on the eve of the squad announcement was a surprise. It was felt that he was happy on his way to retirement and yet he couldn't resist one final crack at a major tournament. I doubt that he'll be a starter at Euro 2008, but he proved in the 2006 Champions League final that almost no one else can turn a game like him. His quickness of thought around the penalty area won that final for Barcelona, and if he can do something similar with a much more limited group of players, he may have a vital role to play. He's scored 15 goals in 33 games since rejoining Helsingborgs from Manchester United and so the knack is still there, albeit at a lower level.

Tobias LINDEROTH

My first two key players are atypically Swedish. Tobias Linderoth fits much more into the mould of a classic Scandinavian player, but one who has reinvented himself. In his days at Everton, he was regarded as an attacking midfielder, and a fairly average one at that. But he has been remodelled as someone who plays in front of the back four, and gives his defenders much needed protection. He will be fresh for the Championships after spending much of the season out with injury, although that hip problem is still a concern. Kim Kallstrom will also be a midfielder with a key role to play, but in behind him, Linderoth will make the team tick.

VERDICT

I wouldn't waste a penny of my money backing Sweden this summer. They don't convince in any area of the pitch, and, much though I admire Henrik Larsson, calling him back is an act of desperation, however Lagerback might dress it up. I'll be laying them to qualify from the Group at 2.4, and backing them to finish bottom at 3.5. Both seem fair prices to me, as this tournament could just be a top class examination too many for Sweden.

Tags: Euro 2008, Ibrahimovic, Lars Lagerback, Larsson, Sweden