Vere United · Premier League · Midfielder · #0 · Jamaica · 22 yrs
When they picture a messiah, few perhaps imagine a mild-mannered 51-year-old with a greying beard who used to play at left-back for York City. Certainly Chelsea and West Ham fans don’t. But the degree to which Graham Potter is loved in Sweden has to be seen to be believed. He was a down-on-his-luck manager seeking a new start; they were a country who didn’t win a single game in World Cup qualifying. And somehow they were perfect for each other. By the standards of what Potter has achieved over the past nine months, a comfortable win over a self-destructive Tunisia barely registers, but it is the continuation of a remarkable process of renewal.Sweden were awful in qualifying. They had a lot of injuries, it’s true, but two defeats to both Switzerland and Kosovo and two draws against Slovenia are not usually a route to the World Cup. Jon Dahl Tomasson was sacked as coach and Potter brought in. Sweden’s Nations League performances offered a repechage chance in the play-offs, and they took full advantage, beating Ukraine and Poland to secure their place at the finals. Potter described the latter victory, secured with an 89th-minute Viktor Gyökeres goal, as his best night in football. Sunday night was part of his reward. Continue reading...
Sweden claimed a commanding 5-1 victory over Tunisia in Monterrey, Mexico, taking a significant step toward Group F progression. Gyökeres, Isak, Ayari and Svanberg found the net for Graham Potter's side, with Omar Rekik's consolation goal proving insufficient to salvage a point for the North African underdogs.
Head coach looks forward to leading Sweden at World Cup after reflecting on failures with Chelsea and West HamIf management has taught Graham Potter anything it is that there is no point in trying to run away from failure. “You’ve got to face the bad stuff,” the 51-year‑old says as he thinks about how he recovered from bruising spells at Chelsea and West Ham. “The more you face it, the more chance your life is better. Then you get these beautiful moments.”Potter is in reflective, occasionally punchy mood during a long conversation about a rollercoaster few years and the brutal life of a football manager. He points out there have also been some successes – he has, after all, lifted Sweden out of the doldrums and led them into the World Cup – but knows people tend to focus on the lows. Potter lasted seven months at Chelsea after leaving the stability of Brighton in September 2022. Then, after a long spell out, he was tempted back when West Ham came calling at the start of last year. Continue reading...
With Graham Potter at the helm and Viktor Gyökeres finding form, hopes are high after playoff successThis article is part of the Guardian’s 2026 World Cup Experts’ Network, a cooperation between some of the best media organisations from the 48 countries who qualified. theguardian.com is running previews from three countries each day in the run-up to the tournament kicking off on 11 June. Continue reading...
Dundee United right-back Dario Naamo has missed out on Iraq's World Cup squad despite having switched his allegience from Finland only last month. The 21-year-old, who joined United from St Polten last summer, had been called up to head coach Graham Arnold's 35-player provisional squad at their training camp in Spain.
Prediction: Match to end in draw Best Odds: 5/2 Bookmaker: Dachbet Norway and Sweden will lock horns with each other in a friendly international next week. The match between Stale Solbakken’s side and Graham Potter’s team will be held at the Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo and is scheduled to kick off at 6pm UK time […] The post Prediction: Norway vs Sweden appeared first on Soccer News.
