Potter targets turnaround as Sweden close in on knockout place

ISLAMABAD: Graham Potter has guided Sweden to the brink of the World Cup knockout stage after taking over a side that had struggled badly before his arrival. Sweden opened their Group F campaign with a 5-1 win over Tunisia in Mexico on Sunday, putting themselves in a strong position after the Netherlands were held to a 2-2 draw by Japan.

The result means Sweden will secure a place in the last 32 if they defeat the Dutch in Houston on Saturday. They would also finish top of the group if they win and Japan do not beat Tunisia.

Sweden's position marks a sharp change from their earlier difficulties. The team had finished bottom of their European qualifying group behind Switzerland, Kosovo and Slovenia, managing only four goals and no wins in six matches. Potter was first brought in on a short-term basis in October, replacing Denmark's Jon Dahl Tomasson with two matches left, but he could not prevent that decline.

Sweden stayed alive through their UEFA Nations League ranking, which earned them a place in the European play-offs. The Swedish football federation then extended its backing for Potter by handing him a contract in March running until 2030. He responded by steering the team past Ukraine and Poland to qualify for the World Cup being staged in Canada, Mexico and the United States.

Return to Sweden and revival

The World Cup campaign has also represented a personal recovery for Potter after difficult spells at Chelsea and West Ham. The 51-year-old had previously been seen as a possible successor to former England manager Gareth Southgate, but his standing had fallen following those disappointing jobs.

His return to Sweden carried added significance. Potter speaks Swedish and previously managed Ostersund from 2011 to 2018, taking the club from the fourth tier to the top flight in 2015 and delivering Swedish Cup success in 2017. He later moved to Swansea in the Championship and then Brighton in the Premier League, where he enjoyed a successful period before joining Chelsea.

Sweden's emphatic win over Tunisia in Monterrey was especially notable because Tunisia had come through qualifying without conceding a goal. Even so, Potter struck a cautious note ahead of the meeting with the Netherlands, who are ranked eighth in the world, 26 places above Sweden in the FIFA rankings.

Potter said the opening victory was only an encouraging start and stressed that Sweden now faced a much stronger test.

"It's a good start for us, that's all it is," he said.

"We know we face a different opponent in the next game", he added.

"We have to focus on our job and focus on how we play as a team," he added. "We'll meet another top team at the weekend that's one of the favourites for the competition, I would say, when you look at the players they have, the quality they have. So, it's going to be a tough game."

Attack delivers early promise

Sweden's forward line made an immediate impact against Tunisia, with Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyokeres both on the scoresheet. Brighton midfielder Yasin Ayari added two goals in the win.

Potter said Isak and Gyokeres could become increasingly effective as their partnership develops.

"I think they'll get better and better the more they play," he said when asked about Arsenal's Gyokeres and Liverpool's Isak.

"I think they complement each other very well. They bring different attributes, different qualities. "

"Individually, of course, they're top players. But I think together they can be a real threat. So the challenge for us is to make sure the team functions well and to get the best out of those two guys."

Sweden have a long World Cup tradition, with their best finish coming as runners-up in 1958. They missed the 2022 tournament in Qatar but have returned to a competition linked to one of their notable achievements, having finished third at the 1994 World Cup in the United States.

Potter now has the chance to add another significant chapter to Sweden's tournament history while continuing a revival that has changed the outlook for both the coach and his team.