Things are getting ugly for Sweden and Alexander Isak, with manager Jon Dahl Tomasson coming under pressure after another defeat on Friday night.
The October international break is a vitally important one as nations are fighting to earn a place in the 2026 World Cup, with six Newcastle United stars in crucial qualifiers this week.
Anthony Elanga was one of them, but he was left on the bench for Sweden as they fell to a costly 2-0 defeat at home to Switzerland.
As a result, Sweden have just one point after three games in their qualifying campaign and are at serious risk of missing out on a place in next summer’s tournament in North America.
It was another challenging night for Alexander Isak, who is yet to get anywhere near back to his best following his £125m transfer to Liverpool.
Another underwhelming performance from the striker has put his country in trouble, with manager Jon Dahl Tomasson now coming under immense pressure.
Tomasson was booed by his own fans in Stockholm, while an offensive banner was also displayed in the Strawberry Arena.
- Who is Alexander Isak? The striker who burned his Newcastle United reputation to force £125m Liverpool transfer
Sweden fans turn on manager after defeat to Switzerland
Sweden missed out on the 2022 World Cup and are closing in on suffering the same fate this time, even with the tournament extended to 48 teams.
After the 2-0 defeat to Switzerland – with goals from a controversially awarded Granit Xhaka penalty and a late Johan Manzambi strike – the atmosphere inside the Strawberry Arena turned toxic.
Swedish publication Expressen reports that there were loud boos aimed at the team while banners were held aloft in the stands that read ‘Resign JDT’ and ‘Danish b_____’ in Swedish.
There is a fierce rivalry between the two Scandinavian countries, and Sweden’s hiring of the Danish Tomasson as manager didn’t go down well with some sections of supporters.
Sweden right-back Emil Holm was disgusted with the banner and said in response: “It’s terrible, things like that shouldn’t be allowed to happen.
“We understand that people are disappointed, but to write like that… I think it’s bad. We have confidence in Jon and there is a new match on Monday.”
In his own response, Tomasson was magnanimous in the face of the abusive slur: “Football is about emotions.
“When you get bad results, it’s black or white. It’s part of football. It’s something we need to deal with, both me and the players.”
Alexander Isak’s struggles continue for Sweden
Sweden haven’t been helped by the fact that Isak has not been fully fit for any of their three qualifiers so far.
The striker’s decision to stop training and playing for Newcastle in pre-season as his tactic to force through a move to Liverpool may have worked, but it’s now backfiring.
Isak is playing catch-up and is clearly nowhere near his best. He hit the woodwork from close range in a chance he should have buried; his touch was sloppy, and he was ineffective up front. He didn’t manage a single shot on target.
After the match, Isak backed his international manager and said: “Of course, we are not in a good position right now, but there are still opportunities and it is important that we all stand united.
“We all have confidence in him as long as he is here and will continue to fight together. No one benefits from being divided. The best chance we have is if everyone stands united.”
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