If Zlatan Ibrahimovic fails to shine in France, then it’s goodnight Sweden. It really is that simple.
The Blagult have leaned heavily on their talismanic striker for a long, longtime and if their main man can’t fire, boss Erik Hamren doesn’t generally have a Plan B. They will be expected to employ a simple 4-4-2 formation which is designed to get the most out of Ibrahimovic. But the big question is who will line-up alongside him with Norrkoping frontman Emir Kujovic, Celta Vigo’s John Guidetti and Marcus Berg of Panathanaikos all competing for the second spot up top.
Effectively, this is a team of 10 battlers and one ageing genius. They have the two banks of four with Ibrahimovic floating behind an orthodox striker. It means they are dangerous on the counter but it’s hardly sustainable and will see them struggle to get out of a group that contains two tournament heavyweights in Belgium and Italy, and a Republic of Ireland side who will make life difficult.
Then there’s the manager. The former Rosenborg boss will step down after the tournament comes to an end. No doubt Hamren will be hoping to end his seven-year tenure on a high after failing to qualify for the 2014 World Cup, but were it not for his captain, he’d be missing out on this tournament too. He retains Swedish sympathy because it’s widely recognised they simply don’t possess the quality of old.
Therefore, expectations are low and given their abysmal record in the Euros, that’s really no surprise. As hosts they lost the semi-final to Germany in 1992 – it was their first and best tournament. They have qualified for the last four but have made it out of the group stage just once, in 2004. Ibrahimovic may well be a special player, but unfortunately for the Swedes not special enough to inspire progression out of the group.
STRENGTHS
Apart from Ibrahimovic, the Swedes lack star names. However, Erik Hamren has looked to combat that problem by injecting youth, promoting six players from the team that won the European Under- 21 trophy last year. Combined with the energetic young talent, they have height. As one of the taller sides in France they will no doubt be a danger from set pieces. And they do possess goals outside of Ibrahimovic with the Swedish league’s top scorer Kujovic.
WEAKNESSES
Sweden concede more than they would like when defending set pieces. Mikael Lustig and his fellow defenders must improve. Turkey and the Czechs both exposed that weakness from free-kicks and it’s not a new problem – it was also their undoing in 2012. They also have never won a knockout game at the Euros and when you add that to their underwhelming form, it’s fair to say they have it all to do in France.
STAR MAN – ZLATAN IBRAHIMOVIC
Captain, leader and goal scoring legend. The super Swede has been in irresistible form this season with only Luis Suarez topping his 38 league goals for PSG across Europe. It’s difficult not to label the Swedes as a one-man team but Ibrahimovic remains as vital as ever. The armband reflects his seniority and status as an inspirational figure for the Scandinavians. Without the star cast in support, he is required to be even more creative at international level, relied upon to both score and make goals. The weight of expectation lands squarely on his broad shoulders.
VERDICT
They were battered by Austria in the qualifying campaign and beaten by a very ordinary Russian side. Their reward for beating Denmark is the group of death and they will be fortunate not to finish bottom.
