The week defined by two comebacks that proved nothing
AIK drew 2–2 with IFK Göteborg at the Nationalarena, twice coming from behind through Diogo Tomas and Axel Kouame, and the mood afterwards was relief rather than joy (1)(10). Nobody in Solna celebrated. Six matches without a win, ninth in the table, 34 points, minus four goals after 24 rounds. A suspended head coach in the stands (11).
The pattern of the season is now fully visible. This AIK team is not outclassed. It is simply too easy to score against.
The defence has stopped being AIK's defence
Fotbollskanalen's verdict after the classic was blunt: AIK are no longer AIK defensively (5). The evidence is a 5–6 home loss to IF Brommapojkarna, six goals conceded in Solna, and Mads Thychosen publicly taking the whole blame for it (25)(33).
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Tomas, who arrived from ADO Den Haag in August, said after the draw that it is nothing the supporters deserve and that the defensive work remains unfinished (2)(3). Linus Carlstrand put the structural version plainly: defending is the whole team's job, not the back line's (32). He is right, and that is the larger problem for a squad built to press forward.
Small margins that stopped being small
Taha Ayari missed an open goal from the crossbar, a chance that would have won the game (12). Johan Hove took a knock to the head at Friday's training, played anyway and set up the equaliser (18)(30).
Tomas scored, slid on his knees, and landed on the shoulder he had only just rehabilitated, putting the round's goalscorer in doubt (6)(13). Three separate moments in one week. That is a squad taking one step forward and one backward.
The women's side lost the game that mattered most
AIK's women's team lost 3–2 to Malmö FF in the OBOS Damallsvenskan, a goalkeeper error from Emilia Dannbäck deciding the top clash for the last European place (16)(23). Malmö FF coach Jonas Valfridsson called it suffering for three points (19).
That is the gap between fighting for Europe and fighting for nothing. The men's side is currently on the wrong side of it, and the club's own transfer transparency clauses (27) will not change a table.
What next week brings
AIK go to IK Sirius on Saturday, Oct 24 at 15:00 CEST, then host IF Elfsborg on Tuesday, Oct 27 at 19:00 CET. Sirius is the sort of away fixture this AIK have to win to stop a bad run from becoming the season's story.
Abdihakim Ali, whose contract runs out, says he wants to stay and would be more than happy to (4)(8)(29). Charlie Pavey, 18, is back in full training (17). Whether Tomas's shoulder holds up decides how much of a defence there is to work with.
