Jon Karlsson
When one thinks of Scandinavian football at international level, the country of Finland does not immediately spring to mind. Sweden, Norway, even Denmark with their famous European Championship win of 1992, all boast far more international pedigree than the Finns. Yet whilst the small nordic country of a mere 5.3 million people accept that their league and players are on the whole not nearly as developed as their neighbours, this has not dimmed their determination to reach a major finals. And yet again they have turned to an English coach to make this a reality.
In charge of Finland during their attempt to qualify for Euro 2008 was Englishman Roy Hodgson. The current Fulham boss insipred the Finnish side to reach new heights and, almost, reach Austria/Switzerland.
Alongside Finland in Group A for those qualifiers were, Poland (eventual group winners), Portugal, Serbia, Belgium, Kazakhstan, Armenia and Azerbaijan. Hodgson steered Finland to fourth spot in the group with a series of impressive results such as a 3-1 win away in Poland, two draws with the Portuguese, and victory over the Belgians. The fourth placed spot didn’t do the Finns justice as they were still in contention going into the final game away in Portugal. A draw there wasn’t good enough (Hodgson’s Finland needed to defeat the Portuguese to reach the Euros), but 24 points from 14 games, just three behind Portugal, and four behind Poland, was a magnificent performance.
Despite the attempts of the Finnish FA to persuade Hodgson to sign a new contract, the Englishman decided his future lay elsewhere, namely Fulham in his native country. The Finnish FA were very disappointed they could not hold on to the ex-Inter coach, but some consolation was found by turning again to an English coach in the form of Stuart Baxter.
Baxter is very much an Englishman gone native in Scandinavia and to what extent he can be considered foreign (and thus enthused with new ideas) is debatable. Apart from a two-year spell in charge of the England Under-19s team Baxter has never managed in English football. He has however bossed five Scandinavian clubs, three Swedish and two Norwegian, and is also no stranger to international football, following up his time in charge of England Under-19s with a brief spell in charge of South Africa.
While Hodgson got Finland so close to Euro 2008 Baxter appears to have a near impossible job getting the side to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Roy Hodgson felt he could do no more when he made the decision to leave. The current Fulham boss had pushed Finland to the limit and drained every last drop of performance from his squad, and it still wasn’t enough.
The unfortunate fact for Baxter is that the few truly international class players he has are reaching the end of their respective careers. Captain Sami Hyypia is now 35 and playing less and less with club side Liverpool as the seasons pass. The extended rest the giant Finnish centre-back is getting could be said to be a good thing for the national team, but there is risk he will be rusty and out of practice when he does represent his country. It is also natural that as he ages his level of performance will decline.
Another Finland stalwart whose performance is undoubtedly declining, and fast, is Jari Litmanen. The former Ajax, Barcelona and Liverpool forward is now turning out for hometown club FC Lahti. Litmanen is still considered the best forward Finland possess, this despite being 37 (nearly 38) and suffering repeated injury problems. It is widely thought in Finland that Litmanen cannot complete a full 90 minutes for the national team, they simply hope he can produce some of that famous magic in the time he is on the pitch. The jury is out however on just how long Litmanen will continue in the white and blue of Finland.
It may seem strange to many that at 37 Litmanen can still be considered Finland’s best option up front, but there really isn’t anyone of true international class to replace him. For a while it did seem that Mikael Forssell would be the answer. He shot onto the scene with Chelsea and then banged in the goals with Birmingham and Borussia Monchengladbach. But injuries too have taken their toll on Forssell, and at 27 he is nowhere near becoming the player it seemed he might be. Other options might be ex-Rangers and Charlton striker Jonatan Johansson, or Crystal Palace forward Shefki Kuqi. But again, neither of these are the calibre of striker to fire a country to a World Cup or Euros. And at 33 and 32 respectively are unlikely to improve or represent Finland’s future.
In Hyypia and Litmanen Finland are facing the end of an era, but there are other players of note too who cannot hold back the years. On the wing Joonas Kolkka has offered a speedy solution to breaking down stubborn sides, yet at 34 he has his best years behind him. In goals Bolton Wanderers keeper Jussi Jääskeläinen is 33, not that old for a goalkeeper, but cover for him looks thin in the event he does not play.
It is not all doom and gloom however. Finland’s Under-21 team recently became the first Finnish national team to qualify for a major finals, reaching Euro 2009 to be held in Sweden. Another bright spot on the horizon comes in the form of 18 year-old striker Teemu Pukki who has been playing for Sevilla’s B team in the Spanish Segunda Division. Recently Pukki was called up to the full Sevilla squad for their 4-3 win away at Real Madrid. Although he did not take part, Pukki is the kind of potential Finland will need.
It seems that Stuart Baxter appreciates that he may have a tough time ahead and he has not been shy to criticise the Finnish game, perhaps for not providing him with the players to do the job. "Modern football arrived quite late here (Finland) as the game remained amateurish for longer" said the Finland coach. Whilst Baxter has praised the progress Finnish football has made recently he still stresses the need for more and better facilities such as all-weather pitches. And to get round a lack of talent Baxter has also said the team need to reflect Finland’s workmanlike national character and show more "grit" in games.
Any improvements at the grass roots level are likely to come too late to really benefit Baxter however, and he must work with what he has to try to reach a World Cup or Euros. After Roy Hodgson came so close the bar is very high for this next English manager of Finland to reach. Whilst Hodgson was able to make Finland punch above their weight for his entire reign, perhaps Baxter will have to gently manage the country’s decline as established quality players gradually fade. Stuart Baxter’s best gift to Finland could well be the introduction of young players in order to build for the future. To judge his reign a failure if Finland do not reach their first major finals would be a mistake.
