England Must Beware Surging Sweden: This Will Not Be An Easy Quarter-final | Emma Hayes

England’s 4-0 triumph against Sweden successful their Euro 2022 semi-final, pinch that iconic Alessia Russo backheel and the sound of Sweet Caroline ringing astir Bramall Lane, will beryllium etched into galore Swedish heads erstwhile nan 2 teams meet connected Thursday. And England must not underestimate that emotion for nan Swedes.

It was a humiliating conclusion for Peter Gerhardsson’s squad but they are successful a overmuch amended spot now than 3 years ago. They person really impressed successful this title truthful acold and they are connected a 15-game unbeaten tally that has lasted conscionable complete a year.

There is simply a threat of England thinking: “Oh, we’ve beaten this batch successful nan past Euros.” As a coach I ever interest astir a wounded squad and I deliberation Sweden are that, and I tin opportunity this categorically: Swedish players are nan astir tactical players I’ve coached, nan astir studious players, nan astir team‑oriented players, and they time off their ego astatine nan door. For those reasons, they’re a threat to each team, and they’re a large threat to England successful this awesome quarter-final successful Zurich.

When I look astatine my ain analysis, and I look astatine individuals, if you return nan apical 150 players successful nan world, of nan teams successful this tournament, Sweden would rank arsenic nan seventh best, but they are overmuch stronger arsenic a sum of their parts, arsenic a team. Before their past crippled against Germany, they were classed arsenic 4th favourites to triumph nan title, truthful this is simply a group that person “team” astatine nan centre of everything they do. They’ll beryllium highly tactical and organised retired of possession.

Their midfielder Kosovare Asllani has been exceptional and truthful has Filippa Angeldal. In Nathalie Björn they person a leader astatine nan backmost who is competent successful possession but besides really bully astatine moving a protect line. The midfielder Johanna Rytting Kaneryd has been playing good and was peculiarly awesome against Poland. So I deliberation this is simply a tougher trial for England than it would person been against Germany – not because I don’t complaint Germany – I deliberation they are awesome going guardant – but I deliberation they’re truthful susceptible defensively, whereas Sweden are stingy arsenic hellhole successful defence. Don’t think: “Oh, good, we’ve avoided Germany.” No, this is simply a crippled cipher would return lightly.

Head coach Peter Gerhardsson (centre) will measurement down aft this tourney but has his Sweden broadside good organised aft 8 years successful charge. Photograph: Ludvig Thunman/Bildbryån/Shutterstock

As a coach, England are nan amended squad and they are nan favourites but they’re playing against a Sweden squad pinch acold greater organisation than England faced against Wales or nan Netherlands, and nan things that person wounded nan holders, nan beingness gait and powerfulness of France, are threats that Sweden airs excessively successful transitional moments.

Since nan past European Championship, Sweden person besides brought done nan correct players and they’ve recovered different existent subordinate successful Smilla Holmberg, nan right-back. I deliberation she’s sewage everything to spell nan full way. It is Gerhardsson’s last tourney pinch nan squad but there’s a consistency successful his setup. He’s worked pinch his strongest 8 aliases 9 players for a play of clip truthful there’s a existent knowing betwixt them, he’s calm and accordant successful his approach, and I deliberation he will person learned a batch from those failures successful 2022.

He’s not a large risk-taker. I could very overmuch spot Sweden group up successful an organised artifact but it’ll beryllium absorbing to spot really debased they sit. Will they really conscionable sorb unit and let England to person nan ball? On Saturday, Sweden hit nan Germany property and sewage up against a backline which wasn’t nan quickest. It is akin pinch England. Sarina Wiegman’s broadside will beryllium very fierce pinch tons of players up high, very fierce successful nan counterpress, and if Sweden lick this business for illustration France did, past I deliberation you’re going to spot likewise reliable moments for England to defend.

But it will beryllium absorbing to spot what Sweden person learned because they play successful a really compact 4-4-2 and if you don’t get those distances correct England will prime you disconnected successful nan pockets. Especially Lauren James. When she is successful nan temper she was successful against Wales, and she’s successful “that place”, she’s enjoying her football, we each cognize she’s 1 of nan champion players successful nan world. She’s been brilliant.

Also, this is nan champion spot I’ve ever seen Ella Toone in, for England. She’s been hugely impactful for nan team. She is exploiting nan spaces betwixt nan full-backs and nan centre-backs, and those runs from heavy are really helping England. I deliberation she’s playing pinch nan spot betwixt her teeth. She’s sewage a spot of a spot successful her performance, and I for illustration that broadside of Ella Toone. She seems much mature, focused and for illustration personification who evidently has a earthy telepathy pinch Alessia Russo. You tin spot really overmuch they attraction for each different arsenic friends, but besides really they cognize each other’s crippled wrong out. That’s really adjuvant because possibly Russo is taking up truthful overmuch attraction from defenders and giving a spot much abstraction for Ella.

At nan other extremity of nan pitch, England person to beryllium wary of Stina Blackstenius. She was a nightmare to play against. In fact, erstwhile I was nan Chelsea manager, we were ever grateful erstwhile she wasn’t successful nan starting lineup for Arsenal. She makes it that overmuch harder for you arsenic a squad to beryllium truthful precocious up nan pitch, because of her transmission runs. She’s besides improved successful nan small movements, to enactment onside.

I ever thought she was a subordinate that drifted offside a batch but I deliberation she’s brought a batch of what we telephone double movements into her crippled – ie, tons of moving crossed a statement onside – and she’s sewage amended astatine holding those runs to enactment onside. And she’s been clinical. I deliberation she’s astatine her champion level yet. I ever rated her decisiveness and being objective – she’s sewage everything successful her locker. She’s bully if you’ve sewage balls coming into nan box, she’s bully astatine moving successful down and she now looks a much complete player.

Whoever wins this quarter-final will beryllium nan favourites for their semi‑final and should beryllium expected to make nan final, but shot isn’t that straightforward. What is important to opportunity is that nan value of nan quarter-finalists compared pinch Euro 2022 is truthful overmuch higher. Italy’s capacity against Spain successful nan group shape showed that yet years of activity connected their home convention is base fruit. And France, phwoar, it’ll return a batch to hit France. I can’t hold to watch them against Germany and nan different match-ups.