Scott Jamieson: On the pitch is where it counts

Michael Huguenin

Scott Jamieson: On the pitch is where it counts image

EXCLUSIVE

Scott Jamieson has enough experience of the vagaries of football to not get hung up on predictions that his club IFK Gothenburg will struggle in 2017.

IFK finished fourth in Sweden's top tier - the Allsvenskan - last year, 16 points off champions Malmo and 10 behind AIK and Norrkoping in second and third.

With traditional powerhouses Malmo, AIK and Djurgardens having splashed the cash in the lead-up to the new campaign, the Swedish media is claiming IFK won't challenge for the Allsvenskan title this year.

"For the large part of the pre-season, we didn't have too many new faces for whatever reason and we've brought in two in the last two weeks or so," Jamieson told Goal ahead of Saturday's league opener versus Malmo.

IFK supporters are Sweden's RBB - Jamieson

"So it's good to have new faces, you know, freshen things up and bring their quality to the team.

"From the outside, we've kind of been written off in regards to this season and how we'll go and a lot of other teams have spent a lot of big money and we haven't."

Jamieson understands why IFK aren't grabbing the headlines but insists making pre-season predictions is fraught with danger.

Scott Jamieson North Queensland Fury v Sydney FC A-League 15122010

Scott Jamieson, Sydney FC

"I had one year at Sydney FC after they won the [2010 A-League] grand final and they tipped us to go back-to-back and we didn't win a game in the first nine or 10 games or something," the Australian left-back said.

Jamieson wins on IFK debut

"I think it's not just the media. As players, there have been campaigns where I've been at a team that's had a very successful pre-season and struggled.

"Once the games start, that's when we'll know and that's the best way to answer critics is by performing on the Saturday."

Jamieson joined IFK from Western Sydney Wanderers midway through the 2016 season and made 13 appearances in all competitions.

Having had a proper pre-season, the 28-year-old hopes to help IFK challenge for silverware this year although they have already been eliminated from the 2016-17 Svenska Cupen at the quarter-final stage.

Jamieson motivated to end IFK's Europe drought

But despite that disappointment, IFK could still qualify for the 2017-18 Europa League if their cup conquerors - Norrkoping - win the final of the Svenska Cupen on April 13.

"It was frustrating," Jamieson said.

"We played well enough to win the game [against Norrkoping] but we were just on the wrong end of the [2-1] scoreline, so it's a disappointing to not have a chance at silverware but it's funny because we're still a chance of making Europe if Norrkoping win because they finished in the automatic European spots in the league last year."

IFK will host the Allsvenskan's 2017 opener on Saturday when the defending champions come to Gothenburg.

 

Michael Huguenin