Victory import Ola Toivonen not interested in setting targets

Ola Toivonen is not setting himself a goalscoring target, as he is just as happy to create opportunities for others.

Melbourne Victory striker Ola Toivonen looks for a teammate against Central Coast Mariners earlier this month. Picture: Getty Images

Ola Toivonen came to Australia with an international reputation as a goalscorer, but the big Swedish striker said he is not interested in setting targets for the number of goals he can score in a season in Australia.

Despite being viewed by some as the man to fill the boots vacated at the club by Besart Berisha, the greatest goalscorer in the history of the A-League, the Melbourne Victory attacker believes he can be just as important to the side by creating space for his teammates and setting them up with assists.

“I am not a 25-goal (a season) scorer … I maybe did it once in my career,” Toivonen said yesterday. “Yes, I can score goals but I know (goal) assists are just as important for the team.

“For sure I like to create goals. I know I can create spaces for my teammates, maybe drag two (opposition) players (to him) and that opens space or others.”

So would he be happy with an eight or 10-goal haul this season?

“I don’t know. I never set goals because it doesn’t interest me so much,” he said.

Toivonen is a man of few words, but his actions certainly speak at volume.

He had a stellar career in Europe before deciding he “needed a new adventure” by coming to the A-League.

Apart from a short stint on loan stint Sunderland in the EPL, the 32-year-old former Swedish international scored plenty of goals across a number of competitions in Europe — 17 for Malmo in his homeland, 61 for PSV in the Dutch Erevidisie and 14 for Rennes and seven for Toulouse in France.

Then there were the 14 goals in 64 games for Sweden, including one in the 2-1 loss to Germany in a group match at the World Cup finals in Russia earlier this year.

In what was his last game for the national team, he was subbed in the 2-0 loss to England in the quarter-finals.

Toivonen signed with Victory on August 31 but a calf problem kept him out of the opening three rounds of the season before he made his debut with a 10-minute cameo against Central Coast Mariners in round four.

He made his starting debut last week against Sydney FC, and opened his account with a well-taken effort before being substituted after 68 minutes. Despite scoring, he did not look happy as he walked off.

Toivonen admitted yesterday that he was not happy with his performance, even allowing for the fact that he is not long back from the injury that hampered his pre-season preparations.

“It was nice to score, but just as nice to get the three points,” he said. “But, no, I was not happy.”

Interestingly, he said he found it difficult to get used to the atmosphere at the match, which was played at Jubilee Oval.

“It was a bit weird because there are not many stands there,” he said. “But it was fun, a new experience and something to put in the bag.”

In the meantime, Toivonen believes the more he plays the more he will get used to the style and system at Victory, though he could not put a finger on how long that might take.

“It can take 10 days, 14 days, two months,” he said. “You never know when you will reach the top. But I am learning more and more with the tactics and I am looking forward to it getting better.”

Toivonen also believes he is getting closer to more game time as his fitness levels improve.

“Let’s see,” he said when asked if he can get the full 90 minutes against Western Sydney Wanderers at Marvel Stadium tomorrow night.

“Maybe this week, maybe next.”