This team isn't based on sole international performance, but the best players from this nation in a suitable formation.
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STARTING XI
REMAINING SQUAD MEMBERS
3 best players not in squad:
7 players make it from the 1950's, where Sweden reached the 1958 World Cup final, while 5 players in the squad started in the 1948 Olympics Gold Medal match - Gren and Liedholm played in both. Sweden had two fantastic goalkeepers, but I edged Hellstrom over Ravelli. I found that picking their two greatest centre-backs was more difficult than any other nation - I found 5 to be of a similarly high level. I eventually started with Nordqvist and Hysen, with Andersson and Gustavsson on the bench. Gustavsson could operate as a back-up centre-back and right back, so there was no need for Ake Johansson or Roland Nilsson. Schwarz operates as a back-up left-back, where there weren't many strong natural options. I wasn't convinced as to whether Bo Larsson could play a holding midfield role, so Sune Andersson starts instead, just ahead of Stromberg. I chose Nils Liedholm next to him in a deeper midfield role to include Sweden's best attacking players - although it seemed like a bit of a waste of his attacking talent in a midfield 2. I considered switching to a diamond and dropping the wingers for Bo Larsson and Gunnar Gren, but I didn't like dropping Kurt Hamrin. So I eventually settled for this, given Liedholm was still renowned for his work-rate and tactical awareness. Larsson and Stromberg cover the midfield 2 here - Jonas Thern missed out. Freddie Ljungberg is the back-up wide option, narrowly ahead of Roger Magnusson. He can also cover the left, where there were few strong natural alternatives, with Roland Sandberg probably being the strongest. I considered that Hamrin could be an option there given that he was renowned for being both footed, but I could only find record of him playing on the right. Kindvall, Larsson and Brolin can be the back-up options upfront, while Gren is an attacking-midfield option for the squad. The likes of Sven Rydell, Agne Simonsson, Torbjorn Nilsson and Ralf Edstrom missed out here. Players by Decade: 1950's (7), 1990's (4), 1970's (3), 2000's (2), 1980's (2), 1960's (2), 1940's (2), 2010's (1) |
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Top 20 Swedish Players of All-Time
(& their all-time positional rank)
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