Sweden manager took parting shot at Alexander Isak before being fired - 'Not good enough'

Jon Dahl Tomasson, the manager of Sweden's national football team, has been dismissed following a series of disappointing performances. The former Blackburn boss took the reins in February 2024, inheriting a squad brimming with attacking prowess.

Arsenal and Liverpool's summer signings, Viktor Gyokeres and Alexander Isak respectively, spearheaded an ambitious team aiming for World Cup qualification next summer.

However, a shocking loss to Kosovo on Monday leaves them languishing at the bottom of their group with a solitary point from four qualifiers. Tomasson, a former Denmark striker, made history as the country's first foreign manager last year, but his tenure has seen just nine victories in 18 matches.

Having seen his side fail to score again on Monday, he criticised his star forwards, stating: "It's not good enough and it's a terrible result. It really hurts, we forgot how to score goals and I don't know why."

Yet, the Swedish Football Association appears to place the blame squarely on the management, announcing his dismissal on Tuesday.

The statement read: "The Swedish Football Association's board has made the decision to terminate Jon Dahl Tomasson's appointment as national team manager. The decision is based on a lack of results in the World Cup qualifiers.

"The decision taken by the Swedish Football Association is based on the fact that the men's national team has not delivered the results we hoped for. There is still a chance for a playoff in March and our responsibility is to ensure that we have the best possible conditions to be able to reach a World Cup final."

Former Arsenal midfielder and now head of Swedish Football, Kim Kallstrom, added: "We have a group of players that we believe in very much and want to create new opportunities for them to deliver.

"We have faith that this team can make it to the World Cup if the chance for the playoffs is there in March. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Jon for this period."

Whilst their aspirations of securing qualification via the traditional route appear virtually extinguished, they retain an alternative pathway.

Sweden claimed top spot in their UEFA Nations League Group, ensuring they would maintain the possibility of reaching the USA, Canada and Mexico through a play-off.

Nevertheless, it proved another humbling evening for Isak and Gyokeres, who transferred for a collective $258 million (£193.5M) in the summer.

Both have encountered difficulties following their moves, with Gyokeres netting three goals for the Gunners, though he has failed to truly convince.

Meanwhile, Isak continues battling fitness issues and remains without a Premier League goal.

He did complete 90 largely unremarkable minutes in both fixtures during this international window, suggesting his playing time at club level could rapidly expand.

* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story. You can read the original story in the Mirror by clicking here.

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