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"It's like a big swamp," says the Washington native in the shadow of Watergate. Moisture rising from the vast parks of the National Mall and the Potomac River section may wither the best football players, and on July 27, Victor Lindelof was submerged. It was the last appearance of Neymar in Barcelona at Redskins FedEx Stadium and Lindelof was so flushed with the experience that he was lost to words. Literally
He briefly stopped to chat in the mixed zone afterwards, but was hardly more receptive than a brick wall
"Have you talked a lot with Zlatan?"
"No." The quotes were not transcribed.
This brief exchange gave an insight into Lindelof's mentality. He had endured a bad tour, making mistakes against the LA Galaxy and calamitously conceding a penalty against Real Madrid. He was retired in the defeat of Barcelona and Jose Mourinho had resisted the creation of Lindelof with Eric Bailly.
"In the next few days, you will understand why we play Lindelof and Smalling," he told the correspondent in the Redskins oak panel room. It sounded strangely as if Lindelof had blown his audition and he had made his debut in the league only on October 14th.
Lindelof's Englishmen were irreproachable but he was reluctant, a stark contrast to the other Swede of the team. Paul Pogba tried to turn him into an extrovert, teaching him a handshake at Carrington, but the personalities of many players often reflect their performance. "Lindelof is the opposite of Pogba", Expressen journalist Noa Bachner says
When Lindelof was chosen to replace Phil Jones as swept rain in the open stadium of Huddersfield, he replied The enthusiasm of a man summoned to the gallows.
Thomas Ince left Lindelof with crooked blood for Town's first game and he emulated Laurent White's Middlesbrough mare for the future winner of Laurent Depoitre. Lindelof left John Smith Stadium with two hoods pulled over his head, looking like an accused who had been convicted when he left the court. His defense was criminal.
Mourinho had sought badurances from his Portuguese confidants as a result of Lindelof's poor pre-season and a former colleague had called Lindelof a "non-Mourinho defender". Marcus Rashford, still a teenager, literally put an arm around Lindelof's shoulder in Swansea three days after the Huddersfield horror show
There was a gradual recovery. Lindelof and Sweden have denied Italy a place in the World Cup for the first time since 1958, on two brave rounds. Italy failed to score and Sweden celebrated by broadcasting a field show and dismantling the table.
The qualification of Sweden and Bailly's injury in November allowed Lindelof to start the next four league games. He overcame an unstable slip against Newcastle to stir the crowd with a deafening tackle against Brighton and held his nerves in tense and exciting victories at Watford and Arsenal.
United supporters were supported by Lindelof's reluctance against Chelsea in February. Antonio Valencia conceded a corner in the 95th minute and United remains hooked at 2-1. Lindelof turned to his teammates and began screaming and pressing his fingers against his temples as Thibaut Courtois approached the United area. Valencia met Cesc Fabregas' corner and Lindelof jumped triumphantly while referee Martin Atkinson blew the latest. It would be premature to consider it a turning point, but Lindelof has seemed more stable since that day.
The 23-year-old has conveyed this confidence to Russia, where he is a real competitor. make the tournament XI. The 21 departures of Lindelof's national midfield team have missed out on captain Andreas Granqvist, but any deal with Bailly could be delayed by the World Cup in Sweden. Mourinho diagnosed early problems early and made a credible comparison.
"I brought in 2004 a phenomenal central defender to England in [Ricardo] Carvalho, he was one of the best central defenders of the last decade of the Premier League" he has said at the end of August. "But he struggled, it was difficult for him to come and adapt early and I think Victor needs little time and that he will have that time."
Pickpocketing and Mistreatment
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