A team should be built with a strong defense. The entertainment can come later. Or rather it comes as a bonus. Maybe, is best to add. Swedish football right now has the players it has.
The pragmatic Potter has pointed out several times this week that in order to have a good offense, you need a reliable defense. He has had a sunny week in Marbella to clean up the past and start the repair work after Jon Dahl Tomasson. But in five days it is almost impossible to build something that can even be compared to finished.
A lot of work remains
Potter has a lot of work ahead of him.
Clear, simple and straightforward were the watchwords now. Clear, simple and straightforward was also the initial approach at the Stade de Genève. 4–4–2, Swedish DNA football. Compact, focused, everyone understood their task.
But it didn't work.
It went badly and immediately. Dan Ndoye stepped past Daniel Svensson, Breel Embolo met at the near post to make it 1–0 for the Swiss.
Potter could have been offered much better conditions in his debut. The big stars were missing, Victor Nilsson Lindelöf broke down on Friday. And then there is always an opponent. An experienced, mature Switzerland that has gone like clockwork in the group.
Nygren equalized
After pinball in the penalty area, Benjamin Nygren scored the equalizer – in the first sensible Swedish attack. More came. Alexander Bernhardsson squandered a huge opportunity.
Potter and his battered players got a whiff of the game, took command after the break, but mistakes decide matches. Substitute Gabriel Gudmundsson's far too loose back pass was intercepted by Embrolo. He was brought down by Viktor Johansson. A Switzerland that had been stuck got a free ticket into the match when Granit Xhaka scored the penalty to make it 2–1.
I think that goal had a big impact on the match," Potter told Viaplay.
Our first half was pretty good. Switzerland started well, we hung in there and grew into the game. We made it 1-1 and were close to 2-1. In the second half we started okay but there were some mistakes on our part.
Potter sent Alexander Isak straight in. It had no effect. Dan Ndoye made it 3–1 and in extra time it came 4–1.
It can only go forward, upwards. The journey continues towards Slovenia in Solna on Tuesday.
Defensively, we can be better as a team. We have to learn from this.
Nothing is decided until everything is decided in the playoffs in March. Despite the name, Potter is no magician, but perhaps the man who, despite the misery of the autumn, will lead the national team to the World Cup.
