Djurgården lost only one of the 13 opening matches in the Allsvenskan. In the last four rounds, they have lost two, one of which was the lead-heavy derby loss against AIK (1-4).
Team captain Magnus Eriksson has a clear picture of what went wrong for the team before the break.
– Had we performed as we did at the beginning of the Allsvenskan throughout the season, we probably would not have had so many players left in the team. We have played great football, but during a season you always get into periods when you have to fight a little more and take a little more running meters. There are periods when you do not get anything for free either, and that was where we were before the break, he says to Fotbollskanalen.
However, the losses have not affected the cohesion of the law, quite the contrary. The national team break came at the right time for the player squad, says Magnus Eriksson.
– We have an enormously nice group in there in the locker room. It’s an extremely nice group to be a part of, and now during the break we have really joined forces. Everything is easy when things are going well, but it is the setbacks that bind us together and that is what has happened now. We learn and constantly take steps together, says Magnus Eriksson.
What does it mean then – that you have joined forces?
– It was good for us that we got a short break. We have had good talk and training together but also got some time off to gather new energy. I think we all think that together we have taken advantage of this break in a very good way. Now it will be damn fun to look ahead and start again on a new ball towards Hammarby.
The recent negative earnings trend has meant that Djurgården has lost its position as a table. The blue stripes are currently in second place, two points behind AIK.
The pressure to win Sunday’s home meeting with Hammarby is thus not just about winning a Stockholm derby, it is also about taking important points so as not to fall behind in the top battle.
– We have created the conditions for being up there at the top and we will do everything we can to hang on to that train. We know what it means to play a derby, but we also know how many points we play for. For us, it is about focusing on doing everything right to get a good performance, says Magnus Eriksson.
In an interview with Fotbollskanalen, Jacob Une Larsson said that the pressure on Djurgården is greater before the match on Sunday, given the big loss against AIK in the last derby and the aftermath of that match. The blue stripes have also not won against Hammarby since the autumn of 2018.
However, the pressure on the player squad and the situation the team is in is something that Magnus Eriksson embraces.
– I like when it bubbles a little. We are all competition people and winners, which is noticeable a little extra when it is derby week. There should be some chewing on the workouts, it’s just fine. We play football to win and compete, which is exactly what we will do one hundred percent on Sunday, says the Dif captain.
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