This transfer window didn’t contain many departures from Scandinavia. I predict a busy window during the summer months. Until then we got some high expectations on several players, but first we introduce 3 newcomers on the list – 2 Swedes and 1 talented Nigerian (picture).
This category will keep your club up to date on the best players in Scandinavia. The players will be judged on several criteria’s such as; talent, potential, how they perform, transfer value, contract status etc. The list of players will be updated on a monthly basis. This means that if a player is in the list one week it’s no guarantee that he will stay in it the next.
The list was last updated on 03.02.2012.
- JILOAN HAMAD – MALMØ FF
– The captain of the Sweden under-21 team has played some of his best football these last two seasons. I`ve had the pleasure to see him closely when I visited Malmø during their qualification match to reach Champions League match against Glasgow Rangers on 03.08.2011. It was Hamad who sent Malmø FF through to the next round with a stunner from distance. It wasn’t any surprise to me that he would be the deciding factor as he isn`t afraid of testing the opponents goalkeeper. These last three seasons he`s played regularly and gained experience at the highest level – in the Swedish league, Europe and for his national team. Because of this you could see that he has risen as a player taken huge steps into developing as a player who perform week in and week out. The gifted midfielder is soon ready for bigger challenges in of the bigger leagues abroad. His pace and technical skills is of a top European standard already and with Hamad now proving himself as a midfielder who can score goals – he is bond to attracts interest from abroad. Still he is only 21 years old, but it will be great to see him play in one of the leagues that so highly appreciate such technical players.
Hamad got the chance of playing for the senior squad when Sweden played several friendlies in Quatar in January. Still early for the players in their preparations for the upcoming season, I still felt he gave evidence of his ability to rise to bigger occasions – something I predict he will have to do more in the near future. Will bigger clubs dare not to pick him up this summer?
- SYLVESTER IGBOUN – FC MIDTJYLLAND
– He had a great season last year with FC Midtjylland so I was curious about how he would cope with new and bigger expectations this season. 7 goals so far in this season, in a partnership with Tim Janssen, it clearly shows that he mean some serious business. With natural skill such as pace, he also possesses cleverness in his movement on the pitch, which enables him to take full advantage of it. He`s scoring rate for his club indicates that we are dealing with a potential treat for any opponents. And they are rightly so to fear the powerful Nigerian as he can score goals with both feet and with headers. He`s desire to move forward with great pace and with no fear to take on any defenders – makes him hard to handle. Defenders will find him hard to read, especially one on one, because of his ability to finish with both feet or to unleash long shots when given the chance. Great things are expected from the athletic striker who for now is gaining tremendous and much needed experience in Denmark. But one must wonder for how long his current club can obtain his services. If he keeps putting in stabil performances – it surely won`t go unnoticed by bigger clubs abroad.
- IVO PEKALSKI – MALMØ FF
– “Ivo Ivo Ivo”. The chant still rings in my ear after watching Malmø FF on numerous occasions these last two seasons. The very popular player gives it all on every occasion. He runs throughout every the match – doesn`t matter if it`s a friendly, at training or in a league match. The hard tackling midfielder played out in Europe last season when Malmø FF nearly got through to the group stages in the Champions League. He defiantly gained much needed experience at this level. I am sure that he during this forthcoming season will show evidence of this in his overall game plan. He possesses skills which is so important for players in his central midfield role- running up and down the field with an engine which never seems to run out of fuel. He`s got the same winner-attitude as his club and he brings that attitude onto the pitch with him. His passing and movement on the pitch is probably amongst the best in Scandinavia at the moment. The player has got a bright future and I predict him, like Hiljemark ( mention below), to be one of his team top performers this season.
- OSCAR HILJEMARK – IF ELFSBORG
– The young midfielder stands out as one of the brightest talent in Sweden at the moment – has been for quite some time actually. His debut for his national team got a few headlines recently regarding his goal and fine performance. Many “so called” experts wouldn’t give him too much appraisal because they didn’t consider Sweden’s opponent, Quatar, as a worthy container to judge his potential on. I agree with the fact that Quatar isn’t near the standard of Mexico for example. Nevertheless that isn’t the point. It is the way you stand out in general, even if it`s a friendly or a more important match, which catches the eye of a scout. Even the players training approach needs to be taken into consideration. That`s what in my view stands out for Oscar Hiljemark. He wasn’t travelling with the squad just to go on a holiday. He made it clear that he felt mature enough to contribute, both on and of the pitch. His willingness to storm forward from his midfield position is a much appreciated skill. He is always likely to use his right foot from distance which makes him unpredictiabel. When given the room in front of the oponents defenders he`s always likely to have a go himself or feed his strikers if they are in a better scoring positions. I was glad to see him stay on at IF Elfsborg in Sweden as they have got some really talented players in their squad at the moment. I expect Oscar Hiljemark to keep producing and deliver fine performances week in and week out. That is what you can expect of the player who has an offensive attitude, but still don`t rush to land the first and best offer given to him. I expect him to take more steps as a player during 2012-season which will, inevitable, see the club losing his services next summer.
- RODOLPH AUSTIN – SK BRANN
– The Jamaican has had his best season by far in the Norwegian league. Although he`s always been a good player in Norway he has now proven to us that he`s got the skills to play at a higher level. His ideal position is in the middle of the park – where he can boss the midfield as he does better than anyone in the league. He isn’t afraid of any opponents and that might be a good thing to bring along to one of the big leagues.
We had some questions by scouts if we could be able to help out with video material one the fixture between Rosenborg-Brann on 30th October 2011. We have got dvd-material on the game, but here is a short summary with all the goals. You get to see a few people that has already been mention on our webpage; Lustig, Bakenga and Ojo. But the man of the match award goes to Rodolph Austin. Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oeC1EInwzhI
