Benjamin Nygren can take his mind off Celtic’s turbulent season for the next week or so as he looks to help Sweden win a place at the World Cup in the summer…
Sweden get a chance of redemption in the playoffs after a dismal qualifying campaign, thanks to their Nations League status but star striker Alexander Isak is not fit enough to feature in the match against Ukraine with the winners going on to play the winners of the Poland versus Albania contest.
With Isak missing there’s a strong chance that head Coach Graham Potter will look to Celtic’s leading goalscorer to find the back of the net and perhaps propel the Swede’s all the way to North America this summer.
Nygren has scored 15 goals for Celtic in the Scottish Premiership this season, more than all the strikers at the club this season combined. He never got a sniff of goal in Tannadice at the weekend as Celtic suffered a damaging 2-0 defeat at the hands of Dundee United that leaves Celtic in third place in the table, five points behind leaders Hearts with seven matches left to play.
The Celtic support was. unhappy with both the result and the performance on Sunday and Benjamin Nygren has been talking about this defeat and his debut season over all to the Swedish media.
“Unfortunately, we lost a very important match. Individually, I have done very well, so I still come [to the national team] with a lot of confidence,”Nygren told Swedish outlet Fotboll Skanalen.
Giving a summary of his first season at Celtic, Nygren appreciates that there is a great deal of unhappiness among the Celtic support with the Swede admitting that he understands the anger.
“A lot has happened,” Nygren said. “We have had some coach changes, and there are very many requirements in a big club like Celtic. We have not lived up to those demands. We went out in the playoffs in the Champions League, and we don’t lead the league. It’s been a bit mixed.
Nygren added: “There’s been a lot to experience. The fans I’ve met have been very good and positive. The ones I met on the streets of Glasgow.
“But then I also understand the anger from the fans, when it’s such a big club. They are used to winning so many titles every year. When you may not meet the demands that exist, I understand that anger,” Benjamin Nygren admitted.
Nygren also discussed the controversial Scottish Cup quarter final win over the Rangers at Ibrox that made headlines around the world for all the wrong reasons after the hateful Ibrox ultras invaded the pitch assaulting police, stewards and at least one Celtic supporter with a member of the Celtic staff also being assaulted by a Rangers supporter, who turned out to be married to a police women.
“It was a bit chaotic but an experience, you could say. I’m glad we came away with a win,” the Celtic midfielder admitted . “There is always a lot of emotion in that match. There is a lot of history between those clubs. What happened afterwards, you may have divided opinions about.
“I didn’t have time to think. We won, celebrated on the pitch, and suddenly a lot of fans came in and then from both sides. Then it was just a matter of getting into the locker room,” Nygren said.
After he learns his World Cup fate, Nygren will head back to Celtic to prepare for another trip to Dundee this time to take on Steven Pressley’s Dundee FC at Dens Park on Sunday 5 April. Celtic have lost all three matches in the City of Discovery this season and a fourth defeat, indeed even a draw would essentially end Celtic’s title challenge.
Best of Luck to Benjamin and his Swedish teammates as they look to negotiated these two tough matches to make it through to the World Cup Finals.
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