Tactics Talk with Jonna Andersson
The Sweden full-back has played in major domestic finals, won multiple league titles as well as represented her country on the biggest stages, and becomes the latest to discuss her career...
Jonna Andersson has just returned home to Linköping, where between 2009 and 2017 the Sweden international established herself to the point Chelsea came calling to sign her midway through the 2017/18 Women’s Super League side.
In between her two periods at Linkoping, Andersson became a mainstay of a successful Chelsea side under Emma Hayes, winning four WSL titles and three FA Cups, all while becoming a regular feature of the Swedish national team, winning two Olympic silver medals and two World Cup bronze medals.
Given the big games she has played in, top players she has played both with and against, as well as her now infamously accurate corner kicks which caused chaos for opponents at the 2023 World Cup, Andersson is the latest player to go through her career in Tactics Talk, discussing everything from the differences between being a full-back and a wing-back, most challenging opponents, and Sweden’s run through the 2023 knockout stages…
Check out over 100 more unique stories in WFC’s Premium section, available for just £45 for 12 months, paid in one go, or a £6 a month rolling subscription.
All subscriptions come with a 7-day free trial to allow you to explore our full archive.
Plus, guarantee you everything that is to come over the next 12 months…
“Every year, women’s football has become more attacking, so for a full-back or a wing-back we are more involved in the attacking phase of play,” says Andersson, when I ask her to summarise her view on her own role and how it has changed over the years.
“I think that’s how my role has developed and changed, different for different teams of course. At Hammarby, we played with a back four, but we pushed the right-back a bit higher, so I would slide over a bit more central and a bit more defensive, but it also depends on the opponent and what you’re up against.
She continues, “I think it’s even more important now with the small technical changes. Some teams don’t have that much focus on the opponent, but you have to know what they are going to do and where the spaces are for you.
“For sure, it’s different. I think it’s clearer now because of the coaching, better players etc, everything has grown so much.”
Andersson has at times played as a wing-back as more and more teams, in particular Chelsea, have moved to a back three over the years, with the previously deeper full-backs pushed higher as wing-backs.
While it offers more opportunity for players like Andersson to play higher, she admits it is tougher having no natural winger in front of her, and she prefers playing as a full-back to build a connection with the player in front of her down the left side of the pitch.
“For me, I think it’s more challenging and demanding to be a wing back. You have to be a little bit braver in the one-v-ones to take your opponent on. As a full-back, you have a winger in front of you to help you with combinations and two-v-ones, I’m also more open to do the overlaps and get the ball deeper in the opposition half.
“I’ve enjoyed the challenge of being a wing-back, but I feel with my attributes I’ve enjoyed working on those combinations with the forwards. I think my best games have been more as a full-back where I can attack a little bit more behind, but wing-back has helped me develop my one-v-one which perhaps wasn’t all the best.”
Check out other Tactics Talk features exclusive to WFC!
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Women's Football Chronicles to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.