Half time in Sweden...

[david in sweden]

its the half season break, and a little longer this year. The short Swedish summer - usually has a 2 week break, but this year is a mind boggling 6 weeks because of the W.C. in S.A. However, it already looks like a two horse race for the Swedish title between Helsingborg 35 points and Malmö 30 points, they lead the rest of the best by 5 points. The midtable scramble to keep pace is hard and last years two hot shots Gothenburg and AIK are both in the bottom 4, and now look very ordinary.

 

Followers the Swedish game won't recognise too many familiar names amongst the crop of newcomers, and whilst Anders Svensson is still driving Elfsborgs midfield- the club is preparing to sell their star player Bajrami to FC Twente in Holland.

The best internationals still around are in England; Seb. Larsson (Birm), Elmander (Bolton) and Elm (Fulham) M.Olsson (Blackburn) whilst after the summer the new Swedish manager will start from scratch with a new, younger line-up.

 

Brommapojkarna (the Academy based side) are the best placed Stockholm side and have got some attention by " loaning back " a future star who they sold to Man.City. Keep an eye out for John Guidetti - it won't be long before he's in contention for a place in the Premiership.

 

The Swedes have got themselves hyped up on the World Cup, which is surprising since they didn't qualify themselves, and many fans are already suffering withdrawal symptoms and have to wait till July 17th for their next game .

Edited 29 May, 2010 by david in sweden

[adelfas31]

Thanks for the update, David. I'll be making my annual pilgrimage to Sweden in late July and look forward to clocking up another couple of games. I've so far managed to visit the Rasunda and the olympic stadium, Gefle, Helsingborg, Malmo in the fabulous Swedbank and Kalmar in their title winning year. Hope to get to one of the Goteborg games or Elfsborg this year and back to Helsingborg.

 

There's something I like about the atmosphere at Swedish events, music or football or summer events. They seem to manage passion without the hint of aggression that is often not far beneath the surface in the UK. Some may see it as dull but it suits me.

[icehagman]

I still can not understand why there must be two months without football just because there is a WC going on at the same time. I mean, there was a slight chance that 2(!) players from the league could be nominated for their national teams (Bedoya from Örebro and Christensen from Göteborg) but as it have turned out, both of them will stay at home...

 

Well, I agree that the WC will be a nice substitute, but it is a shame that I have to wait until late july until I get to watch Örebro carry on with their quest for the gold.

[Hopkins]

How do Sweden fancy there chances against Belarus tonight?

[david in sweden]

How do Sweden fancy there chances against Belarus tonight?

 

 

I read this a bit late, but I now see they won 1-0.

They put out a few reserve players against Belarus and it was good enough.

 

Belarus are a tad better than San Marino, but there style is a bit bland and some of their tacking is grim to say the least.

 

Now that Wilhelmsson is back (fit ?)..and showing some pace on the wing, Sweden will revert (under new management) to wing play and two strikers up front.

[Squawker]

No room for Pontus Farnerud? Hamrén has seen plenty of him in the Norwegian Tippeliga so he knows how good Farnerud can be. I suppose Daniel Nannskog is too old for Hamrén's rebuilding plans, but the fact that Lagerbäck constantly ignored him except in the dullest of unimportant friendlies defies logic.

 

How's Pontus Segerström doing with Brommpojkarna ... we miss him at the back in Stabæk!

[david in sweden]

No room for Pontus Farnerud? Hamrén has seen plenty of him in the Norwegian Tippeliga so he knows how good Farnerud can be. I suppose Daniel Nannskog is too old for Hamrén's rebuilding plans, but the fact that Lagerbäck constantly ignored him except in the dullest of unimportant friendlies defies logic.

 

How's Pontus Segerström doing with Brommpojkarna ... we miss him at the back in Stabæk!

 

 

UPDATED JULY 28 2010...back to playing after WC lay-off.

 

Pontus looking good, scored the other week.

Brommapojkerna are the " best " Stockholm side at present, lying 7th - even with a negative goal difference.

Djurgården have climbed to mid table... but last seasons DOUBLE winners AIK are in deep trouble at the bottom, and no-one is mentioning the " R " word.

Edited 29 July, 2010 by david in sweden