In an attempt to boost their options in the final third of the pitch, Sunderland snapped up Swedish attacking midfielder Ola Toivonen on a season-long loan deal from French club Rennes last week. After sealing his switch to the Stadium of Light, Toivonen reckons his history with Black Cats boss Dick Advocaat and fellow summer signing Jeremain Lens will help ease the transition:
“We worked for a year together at PSV and it worked very well. I’m excited to work with him (Advocaat) again. The coach is one thing, but you need to have a bit of patience when you come to a new club because you need to adapt to new team-mates. I know Jeremain from our two years together at PSV. That helps a lot. It’s always nice to have someone around you if you have some questions about the club or team-mates. He’s a fantastic winger with some incredible speed and he can provide good crosses to the strikers.”
The History
Born in Degerfors, Sweden, Toivonen began his senior career at local club Degerfors IF. He bagged eight goals in 41 outings for the Superettan side, before moving up a division to join the Gothenburg-based Orgryte. After tallying six goals in 26 appearances for Orgryte, Toivonen earned a move to top-flight outfit Malmo.
In his debut campaign with Malmo, Toivonen chalked up three goals and as many assists across 24 outings, having instantly muscled his way into the first XI. The following season harvested far greater rewards, with 14 goals and four assists arriving in 30 appearances. His goal scoring exploits inevitably attracted attention from a bevy of European clubs and – amid interest from West Ham United – PSV Eindhoven landed the Sweden international in January 2009.
Toivonen would spend five seasons with the Eredivisie giants, amassing 60 goals and 23 assists in 139 league appearances. In his first full year with PSV, the six foot two inch attacking midfielder carded 13 goals and four assists but started just 22 out of a possible 34 league ties. The next two years produced a stronger attacking output, with 33 goals and ten assists recorded across 61 appearances before injuries restricted his minutes in 2012/13.
Having fallen out of favour midway through the following season, Toivonen completed a transfer to Rennes in January 2014 and went on to net seven goals in 14 starts. He managed seven goals in 30 appearances last term, marking a significant downturn in his influence.
Since making his competitive bow for Sweden in January 2007, Toivonen has racked up nine goals in 43 appearances. In the last year, however, he’s made just one start for the Blue-Yellow, underlining his declining relevance on the international scene.
The Prospects
Although Toivonen has operated as a traditional centre forward during his time with Rennes, he’s spent the remainder of his career playing in “the hole” behind a lone striker. Given that he’s been ineffective as the spearhead of Rennes’ attack since his switch to France’s top tier, it was unsurprising to witness Advocaat field him at the number ten slot against Aston Villa.
Interestingly, the Swede’s weekend debut brought about a change in system for the Wearsiders, as Advocaat’s decision to replace Lee Cattermole with Toivonen at the break saw Sunderland switch from 4-3-3 to 4-2-3-1 in order to accommodate the new boy.
Indeed, the Swede’s arrival affords the Black Cats boss the option of mixing up his system, having previously lacked a strong candidate to occupy that number ten berth. Toivonen made the most of his second-half-cameo – setting Lens through for his goal with a perfectly weighted pass – so Advocaat might well be tempted to retain a similar set-up for their next encounter.
Taking a deeper look into his output last term, Toivonen boasted a superior shot accuracy (45.4%) to any of Sunderland’s midfield and forward starters, yet his shot conversion rate (12.72%) was less impressive and would have ranked third behind Steven Fletcher (13.5%) and Jordi Gomez (12.9%). If Advocaat sticks with Toivonen in a central support role, he’ll be buoyed by the fact the former PSV recruit registered seven goals and two assists in just 1264 minutes when last handed a run of starts in “the hole” during the 2012/13 season.
Certainly, the upcoming schedule offers Fantasy potential for the Wearsiders. Advocaat’s men square up to Bournemouth, West Ham, West Brom and Newcastle in the next six Gameweeks, suggesting they could soon get their first win on the board. Coming in at 6.5 in Fantasy Premier League (FPL), Toivonen is identically priced to Lens, though, and bearing in mind the former has picked up attacking returns in all four of the opening Gameweeks, he looks the likeliest candidate for those considering a route into Advocaat’s attack.
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