A despondent Viktor Gyokeres has questioned the ‘attitude’ of Sweden’s players and labelled the side’s miserable form a ‘fiasco’ following a dismal World Cup qualifying defeat to Kosovo.
Sweden’s wretched run of results continued as they slumped to a third successive loss on Monday night, with Fisnik Asllani’s 32nd-minute strike proving the difference for the visitors.
A star-studded Sweden team boasting the likes of Alexander Isak, Anthony Elanga, Lucas Bergvall and Gyokeres simply had no answer in Gothenburg, leaving their hopes of qualification in tatters ahead of next year’s tournament.
Less than 24 hours later, the Swedish FA announced that head coach Jon Dahl Tomasson had been relieved of his duties with immediate effect, with the search underway for his successor.
Sweden, who sit rock-bottom of Group B with just one point to their name, return to action with a double-header against Switzerland and Slovenia next month.
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Speaking to Viaplay after Sweden’s latest setback, Gyokeres insisted the players should take full responsibility for the manner in which their campaign had unravelled.
‘We don’t want to win the game that much, I think that was obvious; you could see from our body language that we don’t want to win that much,’ the Arsenal striker said.
‘So, it’s difficult against any opponent. We’re not giving our best.
‘We’re not fully focused on defence and passing. This has to do with attitude.
‘We were unlucky against Slovenia and Switzerland, but in these two games against Kosovo, we didn’t deserve anything. Of course, it’s a fiasco.’
Record Liverpool signing Isak echoed Gyokeres’ comments as he faced the media after an ’embarrassing’ night for Sweden, admitting his side were in a ‘crisis situation’.
‘It’s too damn bad. Embarrassing. Disappointed once again,’ he told reporters.
‘We’re playing too badly. The way we’re playing doesn’t work. We’re doing it too badly individually too. So it’s a combination of everything really.
‘We are so damn dissatisfied as players. And as I’ve said before, we take a lot of responsibility ourselves. We look at ourselves in the mirror. And no one is approved. Not us players, not us as a team. And that of course includes the coach and everything around.
‘It’s a bit of a crisis situation and that’s clear. I don’t know what we’re going to do. But it’s all too bad.’
Asked if he could elaborate on his scathing assessment of Sweden’s performance, Isak replied: ‘No, but just in general… the position we are in with one point.
‘I think, with all due respect to Kosovo, that they are playing very well. Partly because we are doing them well.
‘They are perhaps better than you think, but I still think that we should be able to do better with the players we have.’
Switzerland, managed by Murat Yakin, find themselves top of Group B and well placed to qualify for their 13th World Cup after an unbeaten start to their qualifying campaign.
Kosovo sit second in the group, with both of their wins coming against Sweden.
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