He doesn't ask for more than that during his ninth day as national team captain in operational mode.
It's easy to fall down, but climbing up takes more time and effort. Potter doesn't hide the fact that he, his staff and the players are only at the beginning of this work. The foundation hasn't even been completely laid and already in March the semi-final of the playoff to the finals will be played, the lifeline that keeps the dream of the World Cup alive despite this result line in the qualifiers:
2–2, 0–2, 0–2, 0–1, 1–4.
“The opposite of stability”
Potter doesn't want to get stuck in the past. It steals energy. But insights and lessons were learned from his debut as Swedish boss at the Stade de Genève on Saturday.
The reality is that we are not at the level of Switzerland. We faced a team that has been together for a long time. They have been stable in terms of the players they have brought in, they have confidence. We are the opposite of stability, I guess. We learn from the game and move on. There were positive things too.
For much of the first 60 minutes, the team was united in a way no one had seen in a long time.
Considering the time we had, it was a lot of positives. I think you could see that what we wanted to do we did well. Not perfect, of course. The result wasn't good, we had challenges here and there, things that we have to improve by March.
Also a genre rehearsal
That's why tonight's match is of great importance. The World Cup qualifying finale will also be a rehearsal for the playoffs.
Every day, every training session, every meeting is about bringing together a group where we can find a way forward, towards something that gives us clarity, stability and the players self-confidence.
On the pitch, players need to know how to help each other. That's what a team needs. If we can do that well, our chances of winning in March increase.
Nine players will miss the semi-finals if they receive a second warning tonight: Viktor Johansson, Isak Hien, Gustaf Lagerbielke, Emil Krafth, Jesper Karlström, Yasin Ayari, Alexander Bernhardsson, Emil Forsberg and Alexander Isak.
Kick-off is 8:45 p.m. at Strawberry Arena.
