BP impressed in the group stage of the Swedish Cup and advanced to the quarter-finals as group winners after a 1-1 draw against Häcken.
– Cool! Strong. It has been stable. We have put in good efforts in all three games, says BP’s coach Olof Mellberg.
BP managed to remain in the allsvenskan through a qualifying victory against Utsikten late into the autumn season. Since then, Mellberg thinks the team has taken steps forward.
– We are further ahead game-wise. We have a basic certainty in our game that we have enjoyed over time. Then we lost a lot of players, some of our best players, but we still have the basics in the game that allow us to get the new players into that way of playing.
***
During the winter, Olof Mellberg was very close to becoming the new Swedish national team captain, according to, among other things, Fotbollskanalen’s information. It all went to waste and finally the job went to Jon Dahl Thomasson.
Olof Mellberg thinks he has landed well after the turbulence of the winter.
– It’s been quite a long time now, we’ve been rubbing shoulders during a rather long pre-season, he says.
Was it hard to adjust after being very close to something else?
– No, it wasn’t. I’ll be honest, when the season was over, I was very drained. We had been at it for eleven months, by which time I felt pretty done.
Did you know what interest was around the corner then?
– No, I didn’t really know anything then. At the end of November, beginning of December, then it was more “ouch”… I hardly saw myself coming back then. But I think it’s natural. The air goes out of you and you need a break.
After two or three weeks of rest, the SvFF interest appeared for him.
– It felt very interesting then. Who knows if it would have gone a little faster… But as time went on, in the days between we started building for the pre-season with BP and filing the squad. Then the energy crept back. Once we got going, I was really hooked.
How do you see the recruitment of Jon Dahl Thomasson?
– I really do not know. I don’t know him as a coach. It is always difficult to answer when you have neither worked with nor under someone. You’ll probably get the best answers from players or staff who have had him. I don’t know him that well.
What is your opinion that it took so long to find a national team captain?
– I think they have expressed it themselves, and I see nothing strange in that. But they still had that time until there are real competitive matches, so in that way there has been no stress.
Do you feel any disappointment that it turned out the way it did?
– No, not really. I do not. In my case, it was positive that that time was allowed to pass, and really twist and turn everything around. I got my time, had a proper holiday, was able to twist and turn things around and ended up wanting to stay in BP. There are no hard feelings that someone else would have acted wrongly in any process.
Mellberg stops and thinks for a second – before reasoning further.
– Then you never know. These are the kinds of decisions you make as a player in your career as well. You say yes or no to offers that come. Sometimes you jump on the train and sometimes you hesitate. Then you can see if it is right or wrong. But it is clear that when there are interesting options, there are difficult and big decisions. It’s not always easy. Who knows if it was right.
What do you think about the future of the national team?
– There are very good players and many to choose from. Especially in the longer term with many young players coming up and looking exciting.
***
During the winter, supporters from various clubs have vented their displeasure with BP. Among other things, for the nomination of Fredrik Reinfeldt as chairman of the Swedish Football Association last year and the recent choice not to actively take a stand against VAR.
This has led to AIK: supporters choosing to boycott the team’s away opener against BP at Tele2 arena, where only 37 black and yellow tickets were sold on Friday.
– I heard it, even though I haven’t followed much of it myself. That’s not really on my table. But it’s a bit of a shame if that’s the case, because of that. I don’t think that many people have much bad to say about us in general, says Mellberg.
– We are a good group at Grimsta who rub shoulders with the position we are in in Swedish football, humbly. I don’t put much value in it. I have no real opinion on that issue other than that it’s a shame if people have a negative view of us, and that not as many people come to the matches. We want a lot of people both at home and away.
Do you want VAR in Swedish football yourself?
– I don’t know… It’s a question like that that fluctuates a bit. It’s a bit emotional there. If you have gone for an incorrect penalty, it is almost as if you want to stand up with the banner (for VAR). But then when you are a little more nuanced in your feelings, you also see the disadvantages.
What do you really think?
– Uh… We coaches want it to be as fair as possible. It is clear that it is heavy when the verdicts go against each other. I think most of us want justice both ways.
How should we interpret that answer?
– You can interpret that as me being split.
Will there be a VAR assessment on that answer?
– You can ask the question every day and see what mood I’m in when I wake up.
2024-03-02 22:59:00
#Olof #Mellberg #national #team #faster.. #Fotbollskanalen
