Euro 2012 Team Guide: Sweden

Road to Euro 2012

Sweden were deservedly spared the potential agony of the play offs when they secured a home win over the Netherlands in their final Group game and made sure of best runners up spot. The Swedes probably deserved it, losing away to both the Dutch and Hungarians, but playing an attractive brand of football, and belying their reputation as a dour team who sets out not to lose games. Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored five times during qualifying, and is playing like he cares again in a more withdrawn role. So there was plenty to be positive about in those qualifying matches, not least the 31 goals that Sweden scored.

Their problem, though, is going to be keeping teams out, and it has to be a worry that they conceded 11 goals along their way to Euro 2012. They scored in every game in qualifying, though, and all but one of their last eleven international matches has featured over 2.5 goals, so rather like Germany, they're a team to follow in terms of goals.

The Manager

Swedish fans had become so bored of the tactics of the previous coach, Lars Lagerback, that pretty much anyone taking the national job would have been seen as a breath of fresh air. The slightly dotty Erik Hamren has proved just that, bringing the positive philosophy that brought him success at Rosenborg amd Aalborg to the national team. He only played as an amateur and came into management as a realtive unknown, but that low level of pressure seems to have suited him well. He famously said that he likes to see "Winnie The Pooh personality" from his players: what he means by that (apparently), is that he wants them to have the ability to find solutions when the odds are unfavourable. If only every coach said stuff like that.

The Star

With the possible exception of Portugal, there isn't a team with a more obvious star at the tournament. Sweden need Zlatan Ibrahimovic to turn up if they're to have any chance of escaping a tricky group. There is a school of thought which suggests that Sweden are a better team without Ibrahimovic, that somehow the languor and shrugged shoulders that come with his talent bring the rest of the team down. The anti-Ibra camp point to the 3-2 win over the Netherlands in that final qualifier, achieved without Ibrahimovic, as proof positive of this argument, but I think that's flimsy. Zlatan is their best player by a mile, and simply must be in the side. It is the job of the coach to make sure that his head is right, and the signs from both player and coach are that the relationship is working well at the moment.

The Rock

Olaf Mellberg was last seen in England as a shaky looking backup at Aston Villa, and the fact that he remains such an important player highlights one of Sweden's biggest problems. Mellberg is 34 years old now and has had a good season at Olympiakos, but the feeling persists that he moved to Greece because he knew he wasn't good enough for the pace of a top league any more. Sweden conceded a worrying amount of goals in qualifying, and that goes against the normal image of them as a team which builds from an organised base and then lacks inspiration in forward areas. They will need Mellberg to have a massive couple of weeks in what will be his sixth major tournament finals. There's much to admire about the Swedes, but a central defensive pairing of Mellberg and Jonas Olsson shows that Sweden don't really have a rock.

The Youngster

As if there isn't enough for Manchester City fans to enthuse about at the moment, one of their on loan youngsters has been making a significant impact in Holland, and Euro 2012 looked like it could have been a breakthrough tournament for John Guidetti. Sadly, he missed out through injury, and so we're forced to look elsewhere for our youngster. Step forward Rasmus Elm of Az Alkmaar. He scored 10 League goals last season and, although his form faded towards the end of the season, he looks like he'll be an important player in the Swedish system, acting as counterpoint to Seb Larsson as the two of them work alongside Ibrahimovic. You can expect to hear several commentators tell you that his two older brothers also play professional football, David (formerly of Fulham) and Viktor who is at Heerenveen. You heard it here first folks.

The Bet

Sweden's matches will be worth watching with regard to goals. They look capable of creating chances, but vulnerable enough at the back to suggest that "both teams to score" will be a decent option in their group matches. I've already suggested a lay of England to qualify and I think that Sweden have enough about them to be the ones who join France in the final eight. If you take the 3.185/40 about Sweden to qualify, then you are taking two leaps of faith. The first is that Ibrahimovic brings his club form to an international tournament, and the second is that they're good enough defensively to progress. The second leap bothers me more than the first, but I'll stick take Sweden to make it through at that price.