The Swedish National Team is in crisis, and one striker in particular looks to be at the very centre of the team’s issues at the moment.
It will take a mild miracle for the Swedes to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, as some questionable choices from Jon Dahl Tomasson coupled with Alexander Isak misfiring when his country needed him most have put the Swedes in great peril.
Sweden’s hopes of World Cup qualification now rest on the shoulders of new manager Graham Potter: himself once the golden boy of Swedish management when he was at Österstunds FK.
And Potter may not be the only new name on his way, as he looks to call upon the services of a close friend at Newcastle United…
Graeme Jones to the rescue once again?
According to The Mail, Newcastle United assistant coach Graeme Jones is a candidate to join Graham Potter’s coaching team with Sweden for the upcoming international break.
Potter is understood to be a ‘long-term admirer’ of Jones, being impressed by the Geordie’s tactical acumen and international experience, which have made him a ‘leading candidate’ for the position, which would be part-time initially.
While Eddie Howe is the boss and sidekick Jason Tindall is often a big presence on the touchline, Jones has been a key part of Newcastle’s coaching staff over the past five years, keeping his place despite Steve Bruce’s departure.
This wouldn’t be Jones’ first foray into international football. He notably worked alongside Roberto Martinez when the Spaniard was in charge of Belgium.
And more recently, he worked alongside Gareth Southgate in the England camp during the 2022 World Cup, when Callum Wilson, Kieran Trippier and Nick Pope were the Mags amongst the Three Lions squad.
Should Jones accept any offer to join the Swedish coaching team, it would put him back working alongside Isak, which could make for an awkward reunion given the nature of the striker’s exit over the summer.
How long could Jones be with Sweden?
Currently, Graham Potter has been handed a contract which runs up until March 2026 to try and steady the ship and get Sweden into the World Cup.
So should Jones also take up a part-time assistant’s role under Potter, we would only really be losing him for the upcoming November international break, and potentially the play-offs in March.
Should Sweden proceed to qualify for the World Cup, and Potter is kept on as manager, then this would most likely mean Jones is kept on for the subsequent international friendlies in the first week of June: the final international break before the World Cup itself in July.
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