Jon Dahl Tomasson proven right after Blackburn exit demand with damning Venky's verdict - The Mirror

EXCLUSIVE: Jon Dahl Tomasson took over Sweden a month after quitting Blackburn last year and he has since transformed the Scandinavian nation under his guidance

Jon Dahl Tomasson has proved he was right to quit Blackburn because he has transformed Swedish football. Tomasson asked Blackburn’s owners Venky’s to let him leave 13 months ago because he could no longer take the “brutal” cuts to his budget.

His replacement, John Eustace, lasted just a year before he walked out to join Derby and the Dane says it became impossible to build anything. “In my first season with Blackburn, we defied budget cuts and only missed out on the play-offs on goal difference,” said the Dane.

“It was the best Rovers league finish in more than a decade, and we also had the best cup run in even more years. I loved the people in and around Rovers, but before my second season, the budgets were cut even more brutally and suddenly it was not about building and developing.

"It was not the project anymore that I signed up to do and I asked to be allowed to leave. They did not want that, but finally after the January transfer window they accepted it and I’m thankful for that.”

Tomasson, 48, took over Sweden a year ago and has transformed Scandinavia’s under-performers into Europe’s great entertainers. They top scored in the Nations League as they banged in 19 goals in their six games to win promotion to League B

Tomasson wants to lead them to next year’s World Cup after missing out on Qatar and the last Euros. “Our goal is the World Cup, no doubt about that,” said the former Newcastle striker. “Is it easy? No, of course not.

“Sweden’s results in recent years, missing both the World Cup in Qatar and the Euros in Germany, mean we’re not top seeded, so we’re not favourites in our group. We must be realistic and humble, we can’t be arrogant. But we have a plan, we have a great, hard-working team, a superb team spirit and big ambitions.”

Tomasson ditched Sweden’s old 4-4-2 formation and, boosted by Newcastle’s Alexander Isak and Sporting Lisbon’s Viktor Gyokeres, has made them more exciting. “We’ve made a complete change of system, some call it a revolution,” he said.

“Sweden have always played a traditional 4-4-2 and our new style is different from that in being fluent, front-footed, fast, attacking and entertaining. We created 152 shots in six Nations League games and with 19 goals, we scored more than any other country in the competition.

“I was appointed not only to create a new style and build a new team, but also make a turnaround in results because Sweden had missed the last two tournaments. That job description was perfect for my ambitions as a coach. I want to win with positive, beautiful football, that will make the fans enjoy watching us.”

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