IF Elfsborg made a big impression last year, and was close to SM gold, but fell against Malmö FF in a decisive series final in the last round at Eleda Stadium and finished in second place in the Allsvenskan.
This year it hasn’t gone as well. After five rounds, Elfsborg is in 13th place with four points, as the team has, among other things, lost 2-0 to 2-2 against IFK Värnamo, and now most recently 2-0 to 2-4 against IFK Norrköping.
The soccer channel’s expert Viktor Elm does not think that things have looked good for the Borås team so far.
– It does not feel at all that they have found the right way, neither with the attack nor the defense game. Now they also conceded four goals in one half after leading 2-0. Then something is not right. I think they are way too hollow and make a little too bad decisions. I think that this aggressiveness is missing, the one that they have been a little known for and that we saw between Djurgården and Malmö recently, that you bank on a little, he says.
Elm is aware that Elfsborg needs a leader in the midfield.
– They would need a leader in the center of the track who takes it. They need someone who is a little – here but no longer. I can feel that they need a real André Rømer-type in the middle who directs it up a bit, runs where no one else wants to run and tackles some people.
Elm also believes that Jimmy Thelin’s upcoming departure affects the team, as Thelin leaves this summer for Scottish Aberdeen, while Oscar Hiljemark comes in as a replacement. Hiljemark has also already left his position as head coach in Danish Ålborg, and is now preparing to take over yellow and black.
– I can imagine that it will be a bit of a strange situation. If Hiljemark is there already, maybe they should want a little more. So far, Thelin is still there, and they know he’s going to leave, so it’s probably just as well to try to change it as quickly as possible, since it’s not quite right.
He continues:
– At the same time, I don’t know all the rules, and it might not even be possible to bring in Hiljemark earlier, as they pay something, but somehow I can feel that it looks like something new is needed. It looks like it needs a new voice, someone who might think a little differently, do some little things to get a little more energy, motivation. Sometimes you have felt yourself as a player that things have stuck a bit, you are doing the same thing and that something new is needed for something to happen.
Are you surprised that Elfsborg have this record?
– You can be surprised that they lose 2-0 to 2-4, but sure, it can happen. At the same time, there were also strange decisions and it felt a bit listless against Hammarby away. I can be surprised that it has happened this often, as I don’t see players like Frick (Per), Johan Larsson and Hult (Niklas) as players who are fed up, as they are on fire and want to win. Sometimes it’s hard to understand why things happen.
At the same time, a big question this year in Elfsborg has been the goalkeeper position, as Hakon Rafn Valdimarsson and Tim Rönning have left, while Isak Pettersson and Marcus Bundgaard Sørensen have entered.
Pettersson first guarded Elfsborg’s goal in all matches in the Swedish Cup group stage, before being poked in favor of Bundgaard Sørensen for the first four matches in the Allsvenskan. After that, Pettersson got the chance again this week against Norrköping, and conceded four goals.
Elm thinks that Thelin has put himself in a bit of a difficult situation, and believes that it is now possible to switch freely.
– I already think they have lowered both a bit. It is clear that it is possible to switch, as both now know quite well that they are interchangeable. Thus, I don’t think there are any problems to change again. Now Isak Pettersson got a chance and conceded four goals, so now maybe more people are starting to think if it was right and he does that himself from time to time. I think they can switch now depending on who feels best at the moment.
Elfsborg will face IK Sirius at home on Monday, and then against Malmö FF at home in the Allsvenskan.
