TFT Issue 3966!

Goalless in two matches, the pressure is already mounting on IFK Goteborg boss Stahre. The club has become a lot more impatient since coming into money, and the fact that they’re not competing for major honours despite having players like Berg on their books is annoying them. That annoyance was accentuated by a 2-0 defeat against Kalmar FF away from home, but moreso by a 1-0 defeat inflicted at home by minnows IFK Varnamo. It’s time to respond, or at least score. Hosting Malmo FF may not be the biggest game in their calendar (that right is reserved for the derby against AIK Solna), but it’s still a big one, and it’s one that they cannot afford to end without at least scoring.

For me, the problem IFK Goteborg have is pace. They’ve got some really good players but not many with raw intensity and dribbling skills, you know? They’re a bit too pedestrian, really. That’s why they struggled against vibrant, energetic teams like Kalmar FF and IFK Varnamo, and seldom showed the purported quality gap between the two teams. They’ve still not found an artful solution to this particular stumbling block.

However, I actually believe that hosting a superior Malmo FF will help them with their problem because the title hopefuls don’t play the same way as IFK Varnamo and Kalmar FF. Much like their hosts, Malmo FF prefer to play a possession game, and to not spend the game chasing shadows. Therefore, I don’t see them harassing IFK Goteborg, or preventing them from playing out from the back. That should allow IFK Goteborg to formulate attacks, and if Eriksson/Norlin are providing for Abdullahi/Berg, they should be able to score at least once.

Don’t get me wrong, though – Malmo FF should still win the game. Even though we’re only two games deep in the Allsvenskan campaign, the home team have already lost veteran midfielder Svensson and goalkeeper Dahlberg to injury, both of which are simply irreplaceable. Malmo FF should be able to hurt them for their vulnerabilities more than most Allsvenskan teams, given the sheer amount of quality players in their squad, which they’re reportedly still trying to add to. Veteran centre-back Jansson has already agreed to join in the summer, and now they’re trying to get Ghoddos too!

Malmo FF enter the game with confidence too. They’ve already beaten Kalmar FF and Brommapojkarna, each of which brought different challenges. Malmo FF managed to hold their own though, deal with their opponents’ intensity, and make their superiority count, which is something that IFK Goteborg are yet to rediscover how to do after what – ten, twenty years? With the likes of Kiese-Thelin, Vecchia, Rieks, and many more, tonight’s visitors are not going to be short of chances or goals this season; it’s that simple.

Defensively, I still find Malmo FF questionable. It’s not the quality of their personnel, per se, but more a lack of protection from midfield, and a lack of desire in defensive situations. The continued absence of Moisander doesn’t help either. They’re not crap, but if you press on them hard enough, then it’s easier for Malmo FF to buckle than it should be for a supposed title contender, even with Tinnerholm now on their books. Keep in mind that they are still integrating a number of new players, though – this is not the settled team that they’d prefer, so IFK Goteborg should have opportunities here.

With all of the above taken into consideration, backing both teams to score at 43/50 appeals to me.