Ahead of the UEFA Nations League clash between Sweden and Serbia, Tottenham forward Dejan Kulusevski has come in for some criticism.
Tottenham star Dejan Kulusevski told to speak out
Well, in this instance, the £110,000-a-week man has not been criticised for his displays out on the pitch.
Instead, TV4 presenter Olof Lundh feels Kulusevski can do more to generate interest in the national team among Swedes, by taking more of a leadership role in front of the media like Zlatan Ibrahimovic used to do.
Lundh told Aftonbladet: “The national team is weaker and colder than at any other time under Janne Andersson. After all, Zlatan held two press conferences every single gathering until 2016. Why shouldn’t Dejan Kulusevski and the other big players be out more and talk about how much they love the national team?
“My picture is that, for example, Kulusevski has always loved doing media.”
It comes just a matter of days after Andersson told the Tottenham No.21 and Alexander Isak to step up and “take responsibility” for Sweden while on international duty.
By the sounds of it, Sweden are missing the leadership qualities of Ibrahimovic, and are desperate to shoehorn a new face into becoming the new face of Swedish football.
Tottenham must protect Dejan Kulusevski
The 22-year-old is by far the best player Sweden have to offer, which is probably why Andersson and Lundh are keen for him to become more of a leader amongst the group.
However, Kulusevski is doing more than well enough for a player of his age, and Tottenham must ensure they protect him from the obvious pressures of international football.
The Stockholm-born sensation has struggled on the international scene with only two goals in 25 appearances for his country.
On the contrary, Kulusevski has scored six goals and provided 11 assists in 29 outings for Tottenham, so he is clearly more attuned to domestic football.
Hopefully, he can continue to shine for Spurs, following an international break in which plenty has been asked of him.
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