Sweden coach Lars Lagerback has mastered the art of qualification for major tournaments and it came as little surprise that he steered his side to Euro 2008.
Since he took charge of Sweden's national team, initially alongside Tommy Soderberg at the start of 2000, the 59-year-old has led the side to five successive tournament finals, including two World Cups and three European Championships,
But the 26 points they accrued - in a run which included eight wins, two draws and two defeats - to finish runners-up in qualifying Group F for Euro 2008 only tells half the story.
Sweden fans remain divided on Lagerback, a man who has a qualification record unequalled in the country's history, while relations with Scandinavian rivals Denmark soured further after their clash at the Parken Stadium in Copenhagen was abandoned.
A Kim Kallstrom goal gave Sweden a workmanlike 1-0 win over Latvia in Riga on September 2006 to kick-off their campaign with a win.
That result was followed up four days later by an unimpressive 3-1 home win over minnows Liechtenstein who had frustrated Sweden with the scores locked at 1-1 until Marcus Allback and Markus Rosenberg struck in the final 21 minutes.
The latter result was achieved without Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Olof Mellberg and Christian Wilhelmsson who were all sent home for breaking a curfew for attending a nightclub.
Lagerback made his peace with Wilhelmsson and Mellberg but Ibrahimovic proved more difficult and did not return to the international fold until March 2007.
Without the Inter Milan striker, goals from Johan Elmander and Allback gave them a 2-0 win over Spain and they came from a goal down to record a 2-1 win over Iceland thanks to strikes from Wilhelmsson and Kallstrom.
Ibrahimovic returned for the match against Northern Ireland in Dublin but David Healy stole the headlines as he struck twice to cancel out Elmander's opening strike.
A controversial game with Denmark followed in which a Danish supporter ran on to the pitch and attacked referee Herbert Fandel on June 2.
With the scores locked at 3-3 after Denmark had come back from 3-0 the referee had awarded Sweden a penalty in the 89th minute of the match because Danish player Christian Poulsen had punched Rosenberg in the stomach.
The referee abandoned the match and Denmark were hit hard by the repercussions with game awarded as a 3-0 victory to Sweden.
However, the incident had masked the ease with which Denmark came back from three goals down against a lumbering Swedish defence.
Four days later Allback grabbed a brace to help his side claim a 5-0 thrashing of Iceland and that was followed up by a 0-0 draw in the return match with Denmark at Rasunda Stadium on September 8.
Liechtenstein frustrated Sweden in Vaduz although goals from Freddie Ljungberg, Anders Svensson and Wilhelmsson clinched a 3-0 victory on October 13.
Northern Ireland again proved to be stubborn opponents at home as Kyle Lafferty equalised Mellberg's opener to give Nigel Worthington's side a point in a 1-1 draw four days later.
A month later Sweden travelled to Madrid to face a rejuvenated Spain team at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium looking to finalise their place at Euro 2008.
And they were put to the sword as Joan Capdevila, Andres Iniesta and Sergio Ramos all found the net to give their side the advantage at the top of the group
Indeed Sweden's qualification was still not assured heading into their final fixture at home to Latvia.
If Northern Ireland could claim an unlikely victory over Spain and Latvia surprised Sweden then Lagerback's streak would be broken.
Allback eased the nerves with a goal in the first minute although Juris Laizans equalised in the 26th minute. But Kallstrom wrapped up the points with a second-half strike as Northern Ireland slipped to a 1-0 defeat in Las Palmas.
Ultimately no one expected Lagerback to change his ways after the 2006 World Cup, and he did not. Tactical discipline, teamwork and efficiency were again the hallmarks of Sweden's qualification campaign.
Likewise he stuck with the tried and trusted campaigners which have served him during his tenure as the national team coach.
The line-up has barely changed - nine of the team that sunk without trace in a 2-0 defeat to Germany at World Cup 2006 played in the 5-0 win over Iceland.
Prospects such as Malmo midfielder Ola Toivonen and Groningen striker Marcus Berg may well have to wait for their chance in the future.
The critics cite Lagerback's obsession with the functional is a useful tool for qualification but a starring role at a major finals requires much more than meticulous organisation.
Whether he is prepared to be break with the his tried and tested qualification formula for the European Championships in Austria and Switzerland remains to be seen.
Although perhaps Sweden fans and the Lagerback's critics should be thankful for small mercies.
They need only to look at England who despatched with Lagerback's contemporary, and serial qualifier, Sven Goran Eriksson only to fail to reach Euro 2008.
But the 26 points they accrued - in a run which included eight wins, two draws and two defeats - to finish runners-up in qualifying Group F for Euro 2008 only tells half the story.
Sweden fans remain divided on Lagerback, a man who has a qualification record unequalled in the country's history, while relations with Scandinavian rivals Denmark soured further after their clash at the Parken Stadium in Copenhagen was abandoned.
A Kim Kallstrom goal gave Sweden a workmanlike 1-0 win over Latvia in Riga on September 2006 to kick-off their campaign with a win.
That result was followed up four days later by an unimpressive 3-1 home win over minnows Liechtenstein who had frustrated Sweden with the scores locked at 1-1 until Marcus Allback and Markus Rosenberg struck in the final 21 minutes.
The latter result was achieved without Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Olof Mellberg and Christian Wilhelmsson who were all sent home for breaking a curfew for attending a nightclub.
Lagerback made his peace with Wilhelmsson and Mellberg but Ibrahimovic proved more difficult and did not return to the international fold until March 2007.
Without the Inter Milan striker, goals from Johan Elmander and Allback gave them a 2-0 win over Spain and they came from a goal down to record a 2-1 win over Iceland thanks to strikes from Wilhelmsson and Kallstrom.
Ibrahimovic returned for the match against Northern Ireland in Dublin but David Healy stole the headlines as he struck twice to cancel out Elmander's opening strike.
A controversial game with Denmark followed in which a Danish supporter ran on to the pitch and attacked referee Herbert Fandel on June 2.
With the scores locked at 3-3 after Denmark had come back from 3-0 the referee had awarded Sweden a penalty in the 89th minute of the match because Danish player Christian Poulsen had punched Rosenberg in the stomach.
The referee abandoned the match and Denmark were hit hard by the repercussions with game awarded as a 3-0 victory to Sweden.
However, the incident had masked the ease with which Denmark came back from three goals down against a lumbering Swedish defence.
Four days later Allback grabbed a brace to help his side claim a 5-0 thrashing of Iceland and that was followed up by a 0-0 draw in the return match with Denmark at Rasunda Stadium on September 8.
Liechtenstein frustrated Sweden in Vaduz although goals from Freddie Ljungberg, Anders Svensson and Wilhelmsson clinched a 3-0 victory on October 13.
Northern Ireland again proved to be stubborn opponents at home as Kyle Lafferty equalised Mellberg's opener to give Nigel Worthington's side a point in a 1-1 draw four days later.
A month later Sweden travelled to Madrid to face a rejuvenated Spain team at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium looking to finalise their place at Euro 2008.
And they were put to the sword as Joan Capdevila, Andres Iniesta and Sergio Ramos all found the net to give their side the advantage at the top of the group
Indeed Sweden's qualification was still not assured heading into their final fixture at home to Latvia.
If Northern Ireland could claim an unlikely victory over Spain and Latvia surprised Sweden then Lagerback's streak would be broken.
Allback eased the nerves with a goal in the first minute although Juris Laizans equalised in the 26th minute. But Kallstrom wrapped up the points with a second-half strike as Northern Ireland slipped to a 1-0 defeat in Las Palmas.
Ultimately no one expected Lagerback to change his ways after the 2006 World Cup, and he did not. Tactical discipline, teamwork and efficiency were again the hallmarks of Sweden's qualification campaign.
Likewise he stuck with the tried and trusted campaigners which have served him during his tenure as the national team coach.
The line-up has barely changed - nine of the team that sunk without trace in a 2-0 defeat to Germany at World Cup 2006 played in the 5-0 win over Iceland.
Prospects such as Malmo midfielder Ola Toivonen and Groningen striker Marcus Berg may well have to wait for their chance in the future.
The critics cite Lagerback's obsession with the functional is a useful tool for qualification but a starring role at a major finals requires much more than meticulous organisation.
Whether he is prepared to be break with the his tried and tested qualification formula for the European Championships in Austria and Switzerland remains to be seen.
Although perhaps Sweden fans and the Lagerback's critics should be thankful for small mercies.
They need only to look at England who despatched with Lagerback's contemporary, and serial qualifier, Sven Goran Eriksson only to fail to reach Euro 2008.
Copyright (c) Press Association
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