Eliteserien Gameweek 2 Review

Game of the Week - Molde v Rosenborg

Saturday night saw the 2018 champions travel to the 2019 champions as Molde entertained Rosenborg.

Molde had looked far more convincing in the midweek games, with Rosenborg looking a little bit lost for ideas in attack against Kristiansund on Tuesday night. 

The warmest weekend of the year in Norway with temperatures hovering around 30 degrees, it meant the players fitness would be put to the test early on in the season.

It wasn't the most exciting first half in Aker Stadium, but there were some decent chances for both sides. 

Zachariassen, headed straight at the keeper when in a promising position, and Adegbenro had a very well hit left foot shot saved by keeper Linde. 

At the other end the best chance of the half fell to the returning Ohi Omoijuanfo. His first game of the season after a minor injury, he was up front with Leke James suspended, and he should have given Molde the lead when a corner came to him at the back post, but he headed just wide.

That was the best chance of an uneventful first half, but Ohi redeemed himself just one minute after the restart. 

First of the season for Ohi

A corner from Eikrem wasn't dealt with by Rosenborg, and when it came to Gregersen, he headed it across goal and it came through to Ohi at the back post to slide in for a simple goal. 

It was a really poor goal to lose for Rosenborg, and it could easily have been two when Ohi went clean through just five minutes later. He couldn't quite compose himself and fired over the bar from the edge of the box under slight pressure from behind.

Rosenborg didn't look dangerous at all, and indeed Brynhildsen could have added another when played in with a beautiful pass from Eikrem. His header was saved but the rebound hit Brynhildsen and rolled towards goal and hit the post.

The last 15 minutes was really the only time RBK had anything resembling an attacking threat. Tagseth had come off the bench, and the triangle of Meling, Adegbenro and Tagseth on the left hand side did combine a few times to create half chances, but nothing Molde couldn't deal with.

It was perhaps the only chink of light in an otherwise uninspiring performance from to Trondheim club, and rumours already of Eirik Horneland being in trouble for his job.

New signing Islamovic looks miles away from a top Eliteserien striker, and they have no attacking sequences at all. 

Molde were comfortable in the end and saw out the game to make it 2 from 2, and it looks like Rosenborg won't be the challengers as they failed to create anything for the second game in a row.

Man of the Match - Stian Gregersen

Molde had a potential defensive crisis after Forren left and Haraldseid got injured for the season, but Stian Gregerson has looked very solid so far this season, and made no mistakes all day here as Molde got their clean sheet.

Molde 1 - 0 Rosenborg


Around the Grounds

Saturday 20th June

The other game on Saturday saw Mjøndalen entertain Sarpsborg 08, and it was Shuaibu Ibrahim who got the only goal of the game, rounding off a nice team move by Mjøndalen, by chesting down a Brustad cross and finishing between the legs of the keeper. 

A second clean sheet in a row for Mjøndalen, as they look solid with there 5 at the back system.

Sunday 21st June

Pellegrino starting where he left off in 2019

Eliteserien went crazy on Sunday as 28 goals were scored across the 6 games. Kristiansund and Aalesund shared nine, as an Amahl Pellegrino hattrick helped the home side to a 7-2 win. Aalesund have now conceded 11 goals in their first two games back in Eliteserien.

There were also goals for Kalludra, Askar, Sørli and Bendik Bye for Kristiansund in their rout, despite an own goal from Pål Erik Ulvestad actually having given Aalesund an early lead.

Fridjonsson scored the other for Aalesund, as Simen Nordli was perhaps there only shining light with two assists.

The other high socring encounter was in Bodø, as Glimt showed they are a serious contender this year with a brutal dismantling of Haugesund inside 50 minutes.

The front 3 of Hauge, Zinckernagel and Junker look like a real threat, and with Saltnes and Berg looking in great form in midfield as well, it was 5-0 before Haugesund laid a glove on Glimt.

Kasper Junker bagged a hattrick, his first three goals for the club for the Dane after his summer move from Horsens, and there were also goals for JP Hauge and Patrick Berg. 

Niklas Sandberg scored a consolation penalty for Haugesund, but there was still time for Sammy Skytte to get his first Glimt goal late on to finish off an emphatic win.

In the battle between two promoted sides in Sandefjord, it ended in a 2-2 draw, as Sandefjord fought back twice from behind to draw with Start.

Mathias Bringaker scored for the second game running to give Start the lead, but a header from Lars Grorud brought it level.

Just before the break it was Jesper Daland who scored after a bit of a scramble in the box after a long throw, but again Sandefjord fought back to earn a point, as another set piece, this time headed in by Rufo Herraiz, undone Start.

In Oslo, Vålerenga and Stabæk was expected to be a tight game, but four goals shared left both teams with one point. 

It was Kosovan international Herolind Shala that opened the scoring after a nice move from Vålerenga, but Stabæk led at the break after two goals of their own. Luc Kassi should have been sent off for a shocking tackle on the half hour mark, but he scored a nice header in the 38th minute, and then his shot was saved, but the rebound fell to Edvardsen to fire home, just two minutes later.

After the break, goalscorer Shala was shown red when he was booked for diving earning him a second yellow, although it did look like a free kick should have gone his way.

But the 10 men of Vålerenga fought back to earn a point, when they earned a pretty soft penalty, that Matthias Vilhjalmsson tucked away. A bad tempered game, not helped by the referee ending 2-2 in the rain in Oslo.

The lowest scoring game of the week saw Strømsgodset pick up 3 points with a 1-0 win over Odd. The only goal of the game came in the second minute, Johan Hove finishing really nicely on the half volley from a Tokstad cross.

The evening kick off saw Brann welcome Viking to Bergen, and after a goalless first half the game came to life early on in the second.

Daouda Bamba was sent through and he calmly lobbed the keeper who was stranded on the edge of his box. He could have had his second just moments later, but he couldn't repeat the feat when presented with an opportunity when Viking gave away the ball in a dangerous area.

It was 2-0 on the hour mark, Gilbert Koomson firing home after a really nice move down the Brann left hand side sent Kristiansen free to cross for Koomson.

Viking missed a golden chance to get back in the game, Tommy Høiland trying a panenka penalty, but goalkeeper Ahamada had not moved and Høiland was left embarrassed. 

The win was rounded off in the 94th minute, Fredrik Haugen sent through fellow substitute, Erlend Hustad to slot home and give Brann a convincing win, and a perfect start to the season.

Two rounds down, and more games on Wednesday and Thursday this week, Eliteserien is well and truly up and running in 2020. 

Results

Mjøndalen 1 - 0 Sarpsborg 08
Molde 1 - 0 Rosenborg
Glimt 6 - 1 Haugesund
Kristiansund 7 - 2 Aalesund
Strømsgodset  1 - 0 Odd
Sandefjord 2 - 2 Start
Vålerenga 2 - 2 Stabæk
Brann 3 - 0 Viking


Gameweek 3 Fixtures

Wednesday 24th June

Aalesund v Brann
Haugesund v Kristiansund
Stabæk v Sandefjord
Start v Molde
Viking v Mjøndalen
Odd v Vålerenga

Thursday 25th June

Sarpsborg v Strømsgodset
Rosenborg v Bodø/Glimt (Game of the Week)

Stabæk and Vålerenga

The 2019 season was a much more comfortable season for Stabæk after surviving relegation playoffs in 2018. They won 10, drew 10, lost 10 and finished 8th place in the league. It did look in the summer that they would be in trouble, but the arrival of experienced Swede, Jan Jonsson, turned things around for them.

The 60 year old has plenty experience in Norway with Stabæk, Rosenborg and Aalesund, and arrived back last year after a few years in Japan with two different clubs.

Based in Bærum near Oslo, Stabæk play at the 4'938 capacity Nadderud Stadion. Despite the small stadium, they do have good recent history in the top flight in Norway, winning the title in 2008, a second place in 2007, and three third places since the turn of the century.

There has been a couple of important players leave since last season though, Ronald Hernandez  one who left, joining Aberdeen. The Venezuelan defender was impressive in his two and a half years with the club.

More importantly though, rising star and one of the best young players in Norway, Ola Brynhildsen, has left for Molde. The 21 year old scored 6 goals last year, but he is much more than goals, his close control and game intelligence is a real standout for someone his age, and Stabæk will miss him a lot.

They have made a conscious effort to bring in young players this winter, with Jesper Isaksen joining from Kristiansund, and two players coming in from England.

One is Norwegian Kornelius Normann Hansen from Southampton, and the other is an English born Chinese Taipei international, Will Donkin.

Donkin, 19, was part of the Chelsea and Crystal Palace systems, but has moved to Norway now to pursue more first team football, and the attacking midfielder could well have a part to play this season.

They way they finished 2019 should give them belief they can finish in the top half again, but goals could well be the issue, although Kosuke Kinoshita has looked sharp in pre season, so he could be the one to start the campaign as the main striker.

Key Players

Emil Bohinen, son of former international Lars, now Aalesund manager, is one of the best talents in Norway. Just turned 21, the central midfielder looks like a really classy player. Tall and hard working, he has a great left foot and was another important player for Stabæk last year.

He has great vision for a pass from midfield, and he also breaks up play really well. A classic box to box midfielder, he is capable of scoring goals, and also has penalty duties and takes set pieces.

A youth international at all ages, he looks certain to go on to full international honours, and I think this year he could be one of the best midfielders in the league. Four goals and five assists last year, but this year you can expect an even greater return, and also look for him to run games from midfield.

The only worry is if they can hang on to him over the summer, with interest from England and France likely to appear as the transfer window opens, and even as I write, it looks like offers are on the table.

Another big young player last year, and already the captain at Stabæk aged 23, is Andreas Hanche-Olsen. The central defender has been a regular for over three years now and will again be the central figure in a strong defense.

Aggressive in the air and on the ground, he is also comfortable on the ball, and has good relationship with left back Jeppe Moe, his good friend off the pitch as well.

Stabæk can also rely on having the 2019's best goalkeeper in the league between the sticks as well. Marcus Sandberg was in excellent form last year, at 29 years old it was his first full season as a number one goalkeeper at the top level.

He was very consistent throughout the year, making very few mistakes and showed his shot stopping abilities on several occasions for Stabæk.

With momentum from autumn, Stabæk should be looking to start this season better than last, and with there not being much between a lot of teams in the middle of the league, they could easily finish anywhere between 5th and 12th.

Prediction 11th

Vålerenga are from Oslo, and historically one the biggest teams in Norway. Five times winner of the top flight in Norway, there most recent was in 2005. They have also won the Norwegian Cup four times, 2008 being the most recent.

Recently however they haven't been able to break in to the top 5, only one time since 2006 when they finished 2nd in 2010. Last year Ronny Deila was in charge and they started the season well, but fell away drastically after the summer break, eventually ending up in 10th, only four points from the drop.

Deila left in the winter to go to New York, and in his place has come Dag-Eilev Fagermo. He left Odd after an incredibly successful 13 year spell, in which his team was very defensively solid, and relied on individual quality for goalscoring.

Another team without a double figure goal scorer, 33 year old Mathias Vilhjalmsson only managed 5 as the main striker, he hasn't had a double figure season since 2013 with Start. The beautifully named, Peter Godly Michael is back from a short loan at Skeid last year, and he could well provide competition this year.

The squad is almost the same as last year, and they do have some good quality in attacking areas. So with Fagermo organising the defensive shape of the team, they should have a good base to work from.

Home games are played in the Intility Arena, which was completed in 2017 and has a capacity of 16'555, although last season averaged less than half full which didn't help the home team as they won only six games at home all season.

Key Players

Last year one of the real standouts for VIF was Aron Dønnum. The 22 year old attacking midfielder broke in to the first team last year, becoming the main creative player for the team.

Usually playing on the right hand side, he is very left footed and has very quick feet. He can run in behind with his pace, but cutting inside is when he is at his most dangerous.

He can pick out a pass as well as scoring with his powerful shot, and he plays with freedom to come inside and get on the ball in areas the defenders find difficult to pick up. This year he could become a real star in Eliteserien, and will most likely improve on the six league goals he managed last year.

Another quality midfielder is Kosovan international, Herolind Shala. The former Norwegian youth, also played youth football for Albania, and made six appearances for Albania, before switching allegiance to Kosovo.

Another left footer, he usually starts a little deeper than Dønnum, but loves getting forward and is a real goal threat. He is another with quick feet and a good shot, and his intelligence in the middle of the park stood out for Vålerenga last year.

The final part of an exciting trio of attacking midfielders, is Bård Finne. The 25 year old Norwegian was top scorer with eight goals last year, after 10 in the 2018 season. Short but very accomplished on the ball, he is also a very calm finisher.

He will likely start from the left hand side, cutting in on his right foot both to deliver crosses and be a goal threat. He is also the set piece taker for Vålerenga, and his dead ball delivery could be a big weapon this season.

With some exciting attacking talent, they perhaps are short of a number 9 to finish off chances. But with the defense likely to be tougher this year, Vålerenga are in a similar position to Stabæk, where they could easily find themselves further up the league than I predict.

Prediction 12th


Here is a look at my predicted table. I think teams from 4th to 12th could easily switch around and finish anywhere as we are set for another season where anyone can beat anyone in Eliteserien.


We can keep an eye on how wrong I was come the end of the season, and please keep following my blog as I will be reviewing every game week, and perhaps maybe picking one game for a report every week.

Odd and Start

Odds Ballklubb, formerly known as Odd Grenland, are based in the city of Skien, about two hours south west from Oslo. They play home games in the 12'000 capacity Skagerak Arena, which was built in 1923, but renovated almost completely in 2008.

Last season was a solid season for Odd, finishing 4th in the league, although they had led up until gameweek 13, falling away a little in the Autumn.

It was their home form that was especially strong, going unbeaten all season, only Molde winning more games at home, as they won 12 out of 15 games scoring 31 of their 45 total goals at Skagerak Arena.

This season they will need to improve their away form, but the big issue they have is with star striker, and Eliteserien top scorer from 2019, Torgeir Børven.

Børven, 28, scored 21 league goals last season for the club, a real breakthrough year. He had never previously scored in double figures for any league campaign, so this was a standout year. On the back of it there appears to be interest from Turkey, and with his contract running out in July, it looks like he will be gone before the season really gets going in Norway.

He was so full of confidence in 2019, scoring all types of goals, and was a real threat in the air in particular. How they will replace his goals in 2020 could determine where they end up this season.

They have also lost one of their potential future stars, with Filip Delaveris joining Vitesse in the winter, the 19 year old looking like a very decent prospect from the Odd system.

Replacing those two, who could have combined for a lot of goals this season will be tough.

The other big loss is long time coach Dag-Eilev Fagermo, who has moved to Vålerenga. The 53 year old had been head coach at Odd since 2007, and a real tough act to follow. 

Stepping in to his shoes will be former player and assistant to Fagermo, Jan Frode Nornes. He steps up after being assistant for 12 years, and it will be interesting to see how that works. 

Getting the respect of the players as a manager will be important, and he will have to shape the side into what he wants, if he has his own ideas after so long under Fagermo. 

Key Players

Kosovan international Elba Rashani is a real star in this Odd side. There is interest in the 27 year old winger, but at the moment he remains an Odd player, and they are hoping he is at least there for the 2020 season.

Only three league goals last term wasn't a great return for the winger, although he did chip in with 7 assists. The left footed forward has good close control, is very sharp on the ball and was a good foil for Børven last season. 

Expect Rashani to play a bigger role this season in terms of goalscoring, with Børven leaving he will need to be more prolific than the three last year.

Birk Risa

Another left sided player who had a good season last year was Birk Risa. The 22 year old can play left back or midfield, and his energy up and down that side is something that attracted interest from Rosenborg last season. 

He came through the ranks at FC Koln in Germany, making a couple of appearances in the Bundesliga, before signing for Odd in 2018. A regular for the youth teams of Norway, two good seasons with Odd behind him, he could well be close to the senior team.

He is strong defensively, and also a threat in the opposition box from set pieces. Very comfortable coming forward on his left foot, with another years experience behind him, look for him to be one of the standout left backs in the league.

The man that has been brought in to potentially score some of the goals that Børven will leave behind, is Onyekachi Ugwuadu, or Kachi, as he is known. The 23 year old Nigerian striker scored 10 goals in OBOS last season with Sandnes Ulf, and will be hoping he can step up this time to Eliteserien. 

Quick and strong, he isn't the natural finisher that Børven is, so it will be interesting to see how he is used in the Odd system. I'd be surprised if he became a regular goalscorer at Odd, but he has assets that are often successful in Eliteserien.

Last season Odd won a lot of games by, well, the odd goal. So I think this season they won't be as competitive from the start of the season. With Børven leaving, he might not play before his contract runs out, his goals will be hard to replace.

They still have quality in attacking areas, and lots of experience in defense, so they should finish in the top half again, although a top 4 position is likely to be out of reach this time around, and potentially it could be a tough year for Odd.

Prediction - 8th

IK Start were the final team confirmed in Eliteserien 2020 as they won the playoffs, relegating Lillestrøm. After winning the first leg 2-1, Start found themselves 4-0 behind in Lillestrøm four days later, with 15 minutes to go. A seven minute hattrick from Martin Ramsland turned the tie on its head in an incredible spell, and Start were promoted to the shock of Lillestrøm, and the surprise of everyone watching.

IK Start are based in Kristiansand in the south of Norway and play games at the 14'563 capacity Sør Arena, which opened in 2007. Since then they have been a bit of a yo-yo team, being relegated and promoted the following season four times now.

They have history in the top flight, with two titles in 1978 and 1980, however recently they have struggled to cement their place, and this year will be tough as well, especially with star man from 2019, Aron Sigurdarson, leaving to join Union in Belgium. 

Sigurdarson was top scorer and top assister for Start last season, 13 and 10 respectively. He will be sorely missed, although the rest of the team remains the same from the third best team in OBOS last year.

Icelandic manager Joey Hardarson was in his first season as head coach last year, the former Start midfielder will be tasked with keeping Start in Eliteserien for longer than one year this time around.

Key Players

Jonas Deumeland

Given that Start will be likely at the bottom half of the league, they will be looking to rely on the best goalkeeper in OBOS last year, German, Jonas Deumeland.                                                                                      

The 32 year old keeper has been at Start for two years and has been a consistent shot stopper in that time. 

He has been joined at the club however by 23 year old Amund Wichne. Wichne is one of four quadruplet brothers from Oslo, and joins one them, Eirik, at Start after a spell as number two keeper with Viking. 

Wichne will be looking to push Deumeland for that number one jersey, but the experience of Deumeland will be crucial for Start as they make the step up.

Amund's brother Eirik Wichne has been at the club since 2015, and the young right back has been a regular for four years now. Last season however he really stepped up his consistency, proving to be the best right back in the division.

Quick and very attacking from full back he is a good technical player and is a threat down the right hand side. With over 100 games behind him for Start, he will be looking for another strong season in the top flight this time, and potentially earning himself a move to a bigger club.

Last seasons playoff hero, Martin Ramsland will be the one tasked with scoring the goals to keep Start in the division. His hattrick against Lillestrøm took him to 8 goals in the half season he had at Start in 2019, after his summer move from Sogndal. 

He had missed the whole 2018 season with a groin injury, so it was nice to see him back in the goals in 2019, and Start were happy to take a chance on his goals with a summer move.

His two previous seasons in the top league with Sogndal resulted in 5 and then 7 goals, so he will be looking for double figures with Start. He plays on the shoulder of defenders and his movement his decent. With confidence high after 2019, he could well be on for a strong 2020.

One final name to look out for amongst the goals, is Mathias Bringaker. The 23 year old got 5 goals as a 21 year old in the 2018 season with Start, adding another 7 last year. He could well be a decent option in attack with another years playing time behind him.

In 2018 Start scored only 30 goals, conceding 54 and having the worst goal difference in the league. It's difficult to see that they have improved enough since 2019 to suggest they will be strong enough for Eliteserien. 

There are a number of players around 23-27 years old however that could well step up and improve again, so with games against Strømsgodset and Sandefjord to start the season, before a home game against Molde, we should know more by then.

An interesting development with Start is that agent Stig Lillejord has alligned himself with club, and despite criticism that an agent should not be associated with a club, he is likely to be able to help Start bring in some of his many clients.

If they have a poor start to the season, the 1st July could be interesting to see who Start have lined up to come in, no doubt a few names on Lillejord's books.

Prediction - 14th

Bodø/Glimt and Rosenborg

Last years surprise package were definitely Bodø/Glimt, ending their joint best ever season in 2nd place. With their qualification to the Europa League confirmed, it will be the first time they have played European football since being beaten by Besiktas in 2004.

Now the only Eliteserien team in the North of Norway, they will be hoping to use other teams travelling to their advantage, and make Aspmyra Stadion a fortress.

Unfortunately with last years success comes the inevitable loss of their star players. This winter has seen the leagues best player in 2019, and Glimt's top scorer, Håkon Evjen, leaving for AZ Alkmaar.

Also leaving Aspmyra Stadion is their number 1 goalkeeper, Brazilian Ricardo Friedrich, who has moved to Turkey to play for Ankaragucu. Midfielder Vegard Molberg has left to join Silkeborg in Denmark, and first choice right back Erlend Dahl Reitan has returned to Rosenborg after a successful loan spell.

They weren't quite as strong towards the end of the season, after leading Eliteserien at the summer break, they lost striker Amor Layouni, who had scored 10 goals in 21 games, before he left to go t Pyramids FC in Egypt in September.

All these first team starters leaving means that coach of the year from 2019, Kjetil Knudsen will be in for a tough job to repeat second place.


Key Players

Left back Fredrik Andre Bjørkan played every game but one last season, the 21 year old making a big impression as an attacking outlet in his first full season as a Bodø starter. He is quick, comfortable going inside and outside, and was a big part of Glimt's attacking moves.

He contributed 5 assists and 3 goals, which is a nice return for his first season, and now with experience of that I expect him to push on this year and become potentially the best left back in the division.

Jens Petter Hauge

With the two top scorers leaving, it means the goals will have to come from elsewhere of course. They scored 64 last season, seven of them were from Jens Petter Hauge. The 20 year old can play on either wing, and also in an advanced midfield role. 

This season he should be looking to reach double figures in goals, and I think he could be a really crucial player for Glimt. He is comfortable on both feet, so can go inside and outside on both sides, but does most of his best work cutting in. He assists and scores goals, but this season he could well be the main attacking threat, and he is one of the young players who could be looking to earn a move by the end of 2020.

The two other goal threats could come from young Nigerian Victor Boniface, but more likely it will be Danish striker Kasper Junker. He scored 6 in 12 for Stabæk last season, helping to move them safely to mid table after he joined in August. Glimt will be hoping he can continue that form.

Also arriving after a successful loan at Stabæk, is Sammy Skytte. Along with new signing Morten Konradsen from Rosenborg, who is back at the club after two years in Trondheim, these two have added good depth to the midfield, and Bodø/Glimt should be strong in that department

Philip Zinckernagel

The main creative force for Glimt is still at the club, it's 25 year old Dane, Philip Zinckernagel. He usually plays as an advanced midfielder from the right hand side, has very quick feet and can beat players with ease. His delivery from the right hand side, and general unselfishness mean he is a very important part in creating goals and opportunities for others.

No doubt last year they outperformed expectations, and this year will be tougher. But they have made some decent signings, and some of their young stars could well improve again, so they should be looking to finish in the top 4 again, although 2nd place might be tougher this year.

Prediction - 3rd

If Glimt were a positive surprise last season, Rosenborg were completely the opposite. They started the season in awful form, failing to win any of their first eight games and finding themselves in the relegation zone. 

New manager Eirik Horneland struggled early on after arriving in January from Haugesund, but after week eight they found some rhythm, and lost only twice more in the remaining 22 games.

The main problem was a consistent goalscorer, with Alexander Søderlund, now moved on to Hacken in Sweden, top scorer with eight goals.

Other regulars to leave the club are midfielder Mike Jensen, winger David Akintola, and striker Bjørn Maars Johnsen, who Hearts fans might remember from a pretty unimpressive spell in the 2016/2017 season.

Jensen will be a big miss, the main man in midfield, a ball winner but also energetic and a good passer, they will need to replace his importance to the team.

The biggest and most successful club in Norway, from Trondheim in the middle of the country, will be hoping for a far better start to 2020 than 2019.

Samuel Adegbenro

Key Players - The longer the season went on the more Samuel Adegbenro seemed to be the go to player to create on the left wing. It was the 24 year old Nigerians second full season in Trondheim and by far his most impressive.

Short in stature, but strong on the ball and quick off the mark, his direct running usually causes problems for defenders. Although his final ball and finishing is sometimes wayward, and he can be a little selfish, he is a real threat that defenders struggle to deal with on his day.

The man that has been signed to hopefully score goals for Rosenborg is Montenegrin, Dino Islamovic. Although he has 1 cap for Sweden, he recently declared allegiance to Montenegro, and the 26 year old will be hoping to have a big year with RBK. 

The tall, left footed striker has the look of a top striker, but he has never really scored enough goals, so NOK 5 million(£400k) looks like a lot of money for someone who has never been in double figures in a league season.

He is strong, has a decent touch and a very powerful left foot, so he should score more, maybe with more quality around him he can beat the nine he scored for Ostersunds in 2018.

An interesting addition to the team is 20 year old winger Carlo Holse. Coming from FC København, the left footed youngster will be looking to make a big impression.

He loves cutting in on to his left foot and curling shots and crosses towards the far post. He has a good burst of pace too, so can go down the outside if shown too much space.

Used mostly as a substitute this season, he has decided to move to RBK, and the Danish youth international will compete with the extremely talented, but often unfit looking, Pål Andre Helland. 

The players are similar in style, although Helland is stronger and usually shoots with more power. It will be interesting to see who can make the right wing position their own in the first weeks of the season.

Kristoffer Zachariassen

In midfield, regular at Sarpsborg for the last three seasons, Kristoffer Zachariassen has also been signed and looks a good piece of business. 

He likes arriving late into the box, and although he doesn't have the same all round game as Jensen had, he offers energy and attacking intent from the middle of the park.

Defensively they have to be looking to keep more clean sheets than the six in 2019. Gustav Valsvik didn't impress last year, and indeed it was Tore Reginiussen, the 33 year old veteran that was the crucial defender. 

Maybe Valsvik will have a better second season after his move from Eintracht Braunschweig in Germany. Otherwise Reginiussen and Even Hovland, 31 years old, will have to have another year as the main partnership. Both lack pace, and it is a real issue for the defensive unit.

There will be some interest in the young talent at Lerkendal Stadion this year, and one of the interesting positions will be in goals. 

Andre Hansen has been number one choice now for five seasons, but there is a youngster that is being touted as a potential Norwegian goalkeeper of the future, waiting in the wings.

Julian Faye Lund played on loan at Mjøndalen last season and impressed most people, now only 20 years old he has played 3 full seasons, two with Levanger in OBOS-ligaen, and one in the top division with Mjøndalen.

He is likely to start as second choice, but could well be used if Hansen goes through a bad spell, or in cup games in 2020.

Other potential players to keep an eye on for having breakthrough years, are Erik Botheim, Emil Ceide, and Mikael Johnsen.

Of the three, Botheim looks most ready, and the 20 year old will be looking to push Islamovic for a start in the central striker position. He is more of a poacher than the Montenegrin, and looks like he could score goals if given a run in the team.

Rosenborg know they can't have the slow start that they did last year, and their form towards the end of the season suggests they should be challenging Molde this year.

I think they will run the champions close, and this could be a 2 way title race than can go all the way to November. They have the biggest budget in Norway, and the biggest crowd, but I have RBK down to just miss out to Molde in the end.

Prediction - 2nd
First Fixture - Brann (h) 5/4/2020

Eliteserien Preview - Norway's Potential Golden Generation

Eliteserien Preview – Taking a look at Norway

Erling Braut Haaland

With the emergence on to the world stage of Erling Braut Haaland in the last six months, and Martin Ødegaard beginning to fulfil his promise with Real Sociedad, there has been an increase in interest for Norwegian football lately. Added to that the possibility of meeting Scotland to qualify for the European Championships, this seemed like as good a time as any to start writing about the Eliteserien, Norway’s top tier football league.

First however, a quick look at Norway’s emerging talent, before the preview for the 2020 season begins next week.


It seems like Norway are on the verge of something, on the brink of confirming a golden generation. Not since 2000 have they qualified for a major tournament, but with a stellar crop of 18-21 year olds, it seems like this is about to change.

Haaland and Ødegaard have both already made their debuts, indeed Ødegaard has played over 20 times already. Kristoffer Ajer is a regular at Celtic and Sander Berge has just signed for Sheffield United after a successful three year spell at Genk, both are 22 this year.

Add in to that some familiar, experienced faces and players playing all over Europe, it is clear to see why they are favourites in the Euro playoffs to make it to the tournament proper. Defensively there definitely are issues, but the midfield and forward divisions they are improving quickly. Really they should be looking to qualify for the next three or four tournaments, based on the age and potential of the squad.

They have plenty firepower to add to Haaland, with Josh King and Alexander Sørloth both options in attack. Sørloth in particular has found form this year in Turkey, scoring 16 in 19 with Trabzonspor.

Håkon Evjen

A young player to keep an eye on that hasn’t quite broken in to the national team reckoning yet is Håkon Evjen. The under 21 international was recently signed up by AZ in the Eredivisie where he will join up with fellow Norwegian’s Jonas Svensson and Fredrik Midtsjø. Evjen was the player of the season in Norway last season at only 19 years old, scoring 13 goals from 29 games from midfield as he led Bodø/Glimt to an impressive second placed finish. 

Another couple of under 21 internationals that have shown promise the last season and earned a move to bigger clubs are Kritoffer Askildsen and Kristian Thorsvedt. Askildsen made 16 appearances at Stabæk last season, and the tall midfielder has earned a move to Sampdoria on the back his breakthrough campaign. Thorsvedt meanwhile was a real standout for Viking, one of the top attacking midfielders in the league, and the 20 year old has signed a deal at Genk, replacing Sander Berge. The left footer has a real eye for goal with his late runs in to the box, and his goal-scoring  prowess should translate well to the Belgian league.

At Genk he will be joining Mats Møller Dæhli who has recently moved after a good spell at St. Pauli in Bundesliga 2. He was at Cardiff City under Ole Gunnar Solskjær, but still only 24 he has taken some time to fulfil his obvious talent, and will now be hoping Genk is the ideal place to continue to rebuild his reputation after a wasted two years at Freiburg.

Since Norway met Scotland in World Cup ’98, neither have made it to a World Cup(Euro 2000 the last tournament for Norway). A one off game at Ullevaal Stadion, in front of a capacity 28’000 would be an incredible night for both teams. First Scotland need to beat Israel at home, and Norway have the tough task of beating Serbia in Oslo, five days before the final to see who qualifies for the Euros.

The Eliteserien threw up some surprises last year, and my preview of the season will begin next week with a look at the runaway champions from 2019, Molde, and also the surprise winners of the Norwegian Cup, Viking Stavanger.

Life after Football

Judging by the response my previous post has gotten it is very clear that the problems I had as a player were not unusual, and that talking about them has been worth my while. The amount of well-wishers, messages of support and the general attention it received shows that this is something that needs talked about more openly by anyone who is having their own troubles.

I have been left with a sense of relief having finally managed to speak out and I really wish I felt able to years ago. One of the big bonuses to come from it has been the messages from former teammates and other professionals who say they have felt similar problems in their careers, and that has made me feel slightly better knowing I was not alone.

I also think it is important that if other players feel they need someone to talk to they know they can. The PFA in Scotland is doing a lot for mental health awareness, and they have people you can talk to anonymously if there is anything you need to talk about. It has been really good to talk to other players that have come to me, and I'd happily chat with anyone that is scared to talk or just wants to chat about similar problems.

It has genuinely touched me the amount of people texting me and wishing me the best, and now it is important for me to move on with my development personally and try to start a new career in something else. Football has been and always will be a huge part of my life and something I love watching and talking about. I have always been interested in analysing games, tactics and performances which is probably part of the problems I had in myself. Constantly analysing my own and others performances probably created doubt and caused a lack of self belief, now I think I can turn that trait into a positive and use it to stay involved in the sport.

Writing has definitely made me realise I should be doing it more often and that is something I want to pursue. Coaching is another thing I should have started a few years ago, but at 31 I still have time, and an opportunity in Norway to start doing it would be ideal. The amount of players doing coaching badges these days is incredible and it is such a competitive environment, but everyone is different and has different experiences that has shaped them so it's something I'd like to start.

Thank you to everyone that got in touch with me in the last 2-3 weeks, it has meant a lot and made it all worthwhile.

Hiding Nerves and Anxiety in Football

So, I wrote this 4 months ago, but I was scared to share it. But it seems like I'm not alone, and it will probably do me good to let other people read about my problems.


I was looking through Twitter earlier and noticed some posts about ex Falkirk and Queen of the South player(among others) Chris Mitchell, and how he hid his depression from his family and friends, before sadly taking his life about 16 months ago. There is a definite expectancy in general life that men especially should sort themselves out, get on with it and cheer up. But I want to write about my own troubles in football, and how I think it affected my career. It's really sad that it came to such a tragic end with Chris, but it has encouraged me to speak out a bit about my own troubles.
I should start by saying I'm not suicidal, never have been and although I have almost certainly been depressed, its so tough to write about it and I have genuinely been wanting to for so long, but the irony is, to write about anxiety and nerves you have to overcome them, therein lies the problem.

I can pinpoint to the game the first time I ever felt nervous before a game. It was for St Johnstone in 2008 against Hamilton at McDiarmid park in my first season professional. I hadn't started a game since the new manager took over in October, then suddenly I was thrown in against top of the league, in an important game for us in February. I had never been nervous before and was always relaxed before games, but suddenly self doubt and anxiety crept in. Although I would try and tell myself I wasn't nervous, my body was telling me different. I felt physically sick, couldn't eat, could hardly speak to people, felt breathless and my legs felt heavy. These symptoms are all due to nerves, lack of self belief and anxiety. I honestly think that anyone who says nerves are good for you, has never been nervous. I can 100% guarantee, that the body feels better, the head clearer and everything is easier when you are relaxed before a game.

When I was 21 I was super fit and everyone who knows me will know that back then pace was the main part of my game, but on this day I was tired after one run, my legs felt like they were cramping up in the first half and I had zero energy . I had a bad game, and it was the beginning of the end for me. When I arrived at St Johnstone in May 2007, I was flying high with confidence after promotion with Queen's Park, and my pre season and early season form was good, I felt great and I was playing. The difference between then and 9 months later was incredible inside me, and I don't think I ever recovered.
This was the start of 10 years of this feeling and the start of what was essentially a downward spiral in my career with a small peak at Falkirk which we will get to later.

The football dressing room and training ground is a very tough place to be if you have any anxiety or depression, because it is a ruthless business where everyone looks after themselves, and also most of the jokes are about making fun of people. There is no place to hide on a training pitch every day, and when I was young and at Queen of the South I found it difficult. I remember feeling so nervous before my first game I told the assistant manager I was too nervous to play, but it was ok, I was on the bench. I hadn't eaten, felt sick and had no energy. It is the only time in my whole life I have ever told anyone I was nervous. As it turned out I came on for an injured player after about 15 minutes. It was probably the best way as I had no time to think about it, and I played quite well.
From then on though, I was nervous about every game. I was sick several times, once on the pitch during the warm up and it affected my performances regularly.

The worst thing about it is that it becomes a never ending downward spiral. I lacked confidence and doubted myself a lot, and that in turn made me play worse, which made me doubt myself more. One time I remember calling in sick the morning of a game because I felt so bad. I felt ashamed doing it and I lay in bed all day feeling awful. I used to see people who were arrogant and full of confidence and wish I had that in me, I know I would have been a better player, but I think it just wasn't the way I was.

After 3 years at Queen of the South, my contract wasn't renewed and for 6 weeks I had no deal. I was resigned to stopping full time football, but luckily I got the chance to train with Falkirk. After the initial nerves at training and in my first game, I soon found myself feeling better and that is down to 2 things. The manager was absolutely perfect for me, he was full of praise, knew exactly what I was good at and he used me in a way that suited me perfectly. The second thing is the squad was younger, and the dressing room much friendlier. It coincided with the best spell in my career for those 8-9 months, almost injury free and playing every week.

The second year was a different story. Hamstring injuries had ruined pre season for me, and although I did get into the team by September, I wasn't playing as well. I remember coming back from another injury and I was playing my first game after a few weeks training. I felt fit and was due to play right back. However due to so many injuries and weeks missed I felt really nervous that day, and in the first half I got hammered by the winger. I had jelly legs, no energy, sore head, all the usual symptoms. I remember the manager saying my fitness was a disgrace, and it probably looked like that, I wish I could have told him the truth.
Two days later at training I did 10*400m in 70 seconds, 1 to 1 rest on my own and then hill sprints with the res of the team . My fitness was very high but my anxiety was the issue. I hardly played again for Falkirk, apart from a decent spell in February/March, and I knew my time there was coming to an end. My old problems had returned, or never gone away really, just hidden under the surface.

I have learned to deal with the feeling over the years, but they never really go away. I can force food down before games and I can relax sometimes, but the truth is I was never the same player again. I never ever felt carefree and confident like I had when I was 19, and it resulted in part time football and dropping down the divisions.

In the years since then injuries have been a problem, my pace has gone, and although I still had the appetite to train hard and try to get back to a good level, my body didn't let me. I lost confidence, I felt anxious every weekend and even some training sessions. I felt unfit every Saturday even if I was as fit as I could be. I could never produce anything like the form I wanted, and even if I was training well I never gained confidence. I've seen many players I played with go on to higher levels and even become internationals and I honestly feel that if I didn't have my issues I could have gone on to a higher level. It created huge self doubt, depression and many hours worrying and going over performances in my head. Now I am trying to come to terms with not having football at all as although I am 31, I can't love doing it when it makes me feel this way. I have dreaded games for nearly a decade, and that is the opposite of how it should be. I can relax at training and enjoy it, but never in a game and I am tired of that and don't want to do it anymore.

Looking back I wish I had asked for help, or at least spoken to a manager I trusted. But I didn't and I am sure that is normal for more than just me. This is my way of  opening up and telling people my issue, and there are so few people in football that are an open book. It is a huge taboo mental illness, and in football I think if you show it you are just tagged as mentally weak.

People always say you get out what you put in to life, and football is the same. But if your mind doesn't let your body work the way it is trained to, then you won't get your rewards. Although I had a decent career, it should have been much better and I'll probably always think that and a forever regret it.



After finishing this, I read Chris Kirkland's article on the BBC, it literally came out as I finished typing. It is exactly the same as what I feel, everything about it. Irrational feelings, and it helps that other people have the same problems. I wonder how many hide it...
Read that article here

I have also been reading the book on former Germany keeper Robert Enke, it absolutely spoke to me in so many ways, so many similar feelings. It's a tragic story of a top keeper, but well worth a read for anyone else struggling with what I did.

A big thanks also to the Queen of the South fan, who made this video of my goals at the club. It made me feel better any time I was down, and helped me feel like a better player than I probably was! Probably half the views on this video are me...
To any manager that wasted me out at right wing, here is the evidence that I am a poacher.