Arsenal striker Viktor Gyokeres has been criticized way too much by fans outside of the Emirates, because anyone who is actually watching him play can tell that he’s helped the Gunners significantly.
Not only is he the team’s leading goal scorer, but he is also doing an excellent job with his hold-up play to draw fouls and free up space for others. Injuries to Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard have prevented people from seeing the full extent of those beneifts, but the wingers are 100 percent benefiting from Gyokeres.
Hopefully, Gyokeres gets a chance to shine for the Sweden national team alongside Alexander Isak and develop there in conjunction with his work at Arsenal, but the country’s latest uninspiring hire may run counter to those hopes.
As feared, Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that Sweden have hired Graham Potter to be their new manager, even though he just got fired from West Ham after some more blatant coaching incompetence.
Arsenal fans are very familiar with Potter in London, as he was a flop of a coach for both Chelsea and West Ham, making it clear that he earned his reputation at Brighton because of their superior scouting department and not his actual coaching.
Speaking of which, the Brighton scouting department actually found Gyokeres, yet it was Potter who didn’t value him and sold him off, with Gyokeres eventually becoming one of the best strikers in European football. Whoops.
Gyokeres won’t like having to work with Potter again, but, well, Lucas Bergvall of Tottenham, Isak over at Liverpool, and all the other big stars of Sweden will feel the same. Draco Malfoy was right all those years ago. Potter stinks.
Joe Soriano is the editor of The Trivela Effect and a FanSided Hall of Famer who has covered world football since 2010. He’s led top digital communities like The Real Champs (Real Madrid) and has run sites covering Tottenham, Liverpool, Juventus, and Schalke. He also helped manage NFL Spin Zone and Daily DDT, covering the NFL and pro wrestling.