This was no fairytale arrival for Graham Potter, who has four and a half months to guide Sweden from rock bottom to the World Cup. He was given a glimpse into the fragile state of a side that, shorn of several big names, collapsed in the second half having previously competed well. They prop up Group B and can thank their lucky stars that their better fortunes in the Nations League have earned a shot at playoff redemption.
Maybe Alexander Isak will be match-fit by then and able to make the difference Sweden crave. His return from the bench for half an hour, shortly after Granit Xhaka’s controversial penalty had restored Switzerland’s lead, was welcome although he appeared decidedly rusty. Potter expects to hand him a longer outing when they host Slovenia on Tuesday for a dead rubber that could, at least, be used to take some confidence into the winter.
