Djurgarden’s first season under their new coach Ozcan Melkemichel was a year of ups and downs and, despite struggling for consistency all campaign, the players did just about enough to secure a top three finish on the last day of the campaign.
Credit to the manager he never changed even once his favourite 4-4-2 formation during the campaign and after the relatively slow start, just 2 wins in the opening 6 rounds, the players started getting used to their jobs on the pitch and May was the best month for the team with Eriksson leading the charge in this month to bring 3 wins and 2 draws in five rounds.
Unfortunately Djurgarden never managed a long winning streak and they never achieved more than two wins in a row during the season, which was why they never seriously challenged leaders Malmo. That said, a nine-game unbeaten run between August and the end of September seemed to have secured the squad a top two finish. Eriksson, Beijmo and Engvall played really well in these months, but the form dipped again in the autumn.
Four draws and a defeat were registered between rounds 24 and 29, which left Djurgarden in need of a win in the final game of the season in order to protect their third spot. The players gathered when it mattered most and a 2:0 away success against Kalmar secured the important top three position and the visa for Europe.
Eriksson was the main star up front and he finished the season with 14 goals and 7 assists, but the fans were also pleased to see the 36-year-old captain Kim Kallstrom contributing 7 assists and 3 goals. Mrabti and El Kabir also had solid campaigns, they both scored 8 goals, and the future seems to be bright for Djurgarden.
