With nine rounds played, Modo is jumbo in the table and the loss against Brynäs means that there are ten points up to the newcomer.
The situation is becoming more and more precarious and with each loss the gap to the top gets bigger and bigger. Sports manager Henrik Gradin has his picture clear as to why Modo is where they are in the table right now.
– I would like to say that there are several parts that have not worked. The last six games that we have lost, two have been downright bad, but four of those games we have done really well without being able to score.
– It’s not about us not being able to shoot. But I don’t think we screw ourselves up enough. We are playing pretty well but are not prepared to go that extra mile to get the goals. At the other end, we give away a little too easy goals. We find it difficult to play the game we want for 60 minutes and that is a problem.
Is it a setup issue or is it a structural problem?
– It would have been quite simple if I could say what it is due to. I think more that everyone has to look at themselves in the mirror and be able to be focused and do it for 60 minutes, whether you’re a scorer or you’re a player who has to shut down the opponents’ chains. Everyone has to take responsibility and look in the mirror and become a little, a little better.
Against Brynäs, Modo once again went for behind goals where they lost players in the home runs. It was the same against Luleå, Växjö and Timrå.
– I don’t think that any player does something like that deliberately, or that it would be attitude or that you don’t ids. But you can’t take time off in the SHL, it doesn’t work. We had the same thing last year, but in the middle of the season, and it doesn’t work. You have to play playoffs every day and if you don’t when you’re at the bottom, you won’t win any games in this league, says Gradin.
Could there be changes in the squad?
– It certainly can, but not right now.
It is no secret that several of the well-paid “star players” did not rise to the level. Normally, sharp scorers like Jesper Olofsson and Mikkel Aagaard are still at zero and the sports manager’s two center signings, Lukas Jasek and Alexander True, deliver below expectations.
– It is clear that both we and the players are frustrated. There are players who are primed to score points. Then we have to make sure to lift them up and try to get them to do it. It is clear that it is not a happy start, but we work daily to make everyone perform better, he says.
Lukas Jasek was picked up before the season, but is one of several stars who have not risen to level. -11 and only one point so far. How do you view his achievements?
– I think above all that Lukas himself is very disappointed with his performance going forward. Then it’s like that, of these -11, it’s not really -11. Every time we select the goalkeeper, which we have done several times, Lukas is always there and will produce going forward. If you don’t do that, you get a minus. He is unhappy with his points harvest and there we are.
Are you hunting for new acquisitions?
– No. These players haven’t gotten any worse than nine rounds ago. Why shouldn’t we believe them now? We can’t keep thinking that they must have gotten worse because nine rounds have gone by and we’re not scoring. We believe more than that in our players.
After the weak start, Modo needs to triple its scoring average and take a three-pointer every other game for the rest of the season to reach 68 points, which has been a guarantee of qualifying for the past few seasons.
Henrik Gradin realizes the seriousness, but at the same time believes that it will not get better by bringing in a lot of new acquisitions
– We have to reverse the trend, but it will not reverse itself if we bring in four new players. It is clear that the start is a problem. At the same time, last year we didn’t win a hockey game from December 9 to February 9, but then we had gained points before. It is clear that it is not a good start, but there are two teams that are two points ahead of us as well, he says.
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