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

SK Brann and FK Haugesund

Brann and  Haugesund

SK Brann are the biggest club from Norway's second biggest city, Bergen. Three time champions of the Norwegian top flight, their most recent success came in 2007. 

The second highest supported club in Norway behind Rosenborg, expectations are often high for Brann, and last season was a real disappointment, finishing down in 9th place.

Brann Stadion holds 17'686 and has been home since 1919, although recent rebuilding of three stands, means it is almost like a new stadium. Once the fourth stand is finished, capacity will be up to 20'000.

Last season goalscoring was a real problem, with only 32 goals in the league, only Sarpsborg scoring less(30). Dauda Bamba was top scorer in the league with just 7 goals, so they will need more from him this year, and someone else will need to step up to get in to double figures.

Managed by Lars Arne Nilsen since 2015, they have always been one of the strongest defensive units, and tend to concede fewer goals than the majority of the league. 

But their inability to score enough last year meant they couldn't get out of mid table. Only twice did they score more than two goals in a game, never at home.

Business in the winter window hasn't been exciting, and with an ageing core of important players, will Brann be able to improve on last season is one of the big questions at the start of the season. Losing probably their best defender in Vito Wormgoor, who has joined Columbus Crew, will be a hole to fill in defense.


Key Players

Fredrik Haugen

Last season was an injury struck campaign for midfielder Fredrik Haugen, the 2018 player of the season for Brann. So this season he will be looking to get back to the form of two years ago.

The hard working midfielder has played over 200 games for the club, and his energy in midfield was missed for the majority of last season. 

Never one to shy away from a tackle, he covers a lot of ground defensively and also joins in with attacks, often from an inside right position. He is comfortable on the ball and looks to keep the ball ticking over, and often finds himself in good positions on the right hand side where he can pick out a cross


Top scorer last season, Daouda Bamba, has been a bit of an issue for Brann since his NOK 9 million move from Kristiansund. A four game suspension for an elbow was one problem, but internally he has also broken some club rules and Brann had been trying to recoup the money they paid for the striker.

Daouda Bamba

They have been unable to, and now they might need him to score the goals that they paid the money for in the first place. He no doubt has the ability to do that, with 7 in 19 games last season a decent return.

The focal point in attack, he is strong and has an eye for goal. I don't think his movement is great, but he is quick and knows where the net is, and doesn't find himself too far from goal too often doing most of his work in the middle of the final third.

Another player who should score more goals is Gilbert Koomson. He starts wide on the right but drifts in to the middle to join Bamba, allowing Haugen and right back Taijo Teniste to get forward on the right hand side. He is by no means prolific, but 2 league goals last season was not a good enough return, look for him to get a few more this season.

The signing that is likely to have the biggest impact is Robert Taylor. Relegated with Tromsø last season, he remains in Eliteserien and the Finish international should be a good foil for Bamba from the left hand side.

Taylor plays as an inverted winger from the left and is a technical player that can pick out a good cross, he should be ideal for an aerial threat like Bamba.

Last season was a real step down from 2018, but with the return of Haugen full time, and hopefully Bamba playing near 30 games, they should be further up the table this time, although I don't think they have enough quality to challenge the top two.

Prediction - 5th

Last seasons beaten cup finalists Haugesund come into their 11th consecutive season in Eliteserien having become a regular in the top flight. The defeat in the final last season by their rivals Viking was a real blow, but it was another relatively successful season.

Seventh place in the league was added to with wins over Cliftonville and Sturm Graz in the Europa League, losing out narrowly by 1 goal to PSV Eindhoven in the third qualifying round.

Based in Haugesund, just north of Stavanger and a few hours south of Bergen, they play in Haugesund Stadium which was built exactly 100 years ago, although has been recently expanded to 8'754 capacity.

Last season it was goals that was the main problem, with six goals each from midfielders Martin Samuelsen and Niklas Sandberg top scoring in the league. Samuelsen was on loan from West Ham and won't be here in 2020, and they will need some of their forward players to be more regularly finding the net.

Senegalese striker Ibrahima Wadji had scored four in the first 10 games in the league, but he tested positive for morphine after a game in May last year, and was given a 14 month ban. Despite that, Haugesund have stuck by him and will be hoping when he returns in the summer that he can be the one to score the goals to push them up the table.

One of their star players from last season, Sondre Tronstad has left to go to Vitesse in The Netherlands, the central midfielder was ever present in the heart of midfield and really set the tempo from there, he will be missed.


Key Players

Last winter saw the arrival of central defender Benjamin Tiedemann Hansen from Nordsjælland in Denmark. It was the best signing of the season for FKH as he went on to play every game and was a real presence at central defense. 

A real leader, he is a captain in waiting and will be a crucial part of the back line again in 2020.

He didn't have a regular partner to play with all season last year, but interestingly, 20 year old Ulrik Fredriksen has come in from Sogndal, after 2 good years in OBOS-ligaen, he could well be the one to partner up with Tiedemann.

Another arrival in the winter last year was Niklas Sandberg. Unfortunately an injury early on meant he didn't play as many games as he should have, but towards the end of the season he looked like a real good player.

The left footed wide man usually comes in off the right, and he is technically very accomplished. He takes set pieces and penalties and will likely have a big influence on Haugesund's goalscoring abilities.

They lost only one of their last 11 games, the team looking much better with Sandberg in it.

The goalscoring has to come from someone, and FKH have brought in a couple of guys on loan, although neither I think will be the top scorer come the end of the season. Former Dundee man, Benjamin Kallman, is in on loan from Inter Turku, also youngster Alexander Amitzbøll on loan from AGF in Denmark might be one to keep an eye on.

Kristoffer Velde

For me though, a youngster at the club might be ready to push on this year, and that is Kristoffer Velde. The 20 year old scored 4 league goals last term, making 26 appearances, although 15 of them were off the bench. 

Although he usually plays on the wing, he could be the main goal threat for this team from the left hand side, and I am backing him to have a breakthrough year.

Amitzbøll is an interesting one who clearly is very talented. The tall striker is yet to make his breakthrough at Aarhus in Denmark, but at 21 a loan move might be what he needs to kick start his career. He looks strong and quick enough, he could be a threat in Eliteserien.

Captain and former Norwegian international Christian Grindheim deserves a mention. Now 36 years old, the 54 time capped midfielder is going for another season. He played 28 league games last season, and it will be interesting to see how his legs hold up this. 

His game is based a lot around hard work and tough tackling, although obviously he has quality too. With games likely coming more regularly, this might be a year he doesn't have such an important role to play. 

Prediction - 7th

Aalesunds FK and Kristiansund BK

There has obviously been a delay to the season in Norway, and I took some time out before getting going again, but before I start on the preview, there has been a slight change to how the season will run.

The clubs have been split into four geographical groups, and the four teams in each group will play each other home and away first. After those six games each, hopefully things will be a bit easier and restrictions lifted some more, meaning the rest of the season can be completed.

The plan is for every club to play 30 games as normal, and the season to be finished before Christmas.

Here are the four groups below that will see home and away fixtures to begin with, and as I have already previewed Molde and Rosenborg, I will continue today with a look at Aalesunds and Kristiansund.

Gruppe A: Rosenborg, Molde, Kristiansund og Aalesund

Gruppe B: Brann, Haugesund, Viking, Bodø/Glimt

Gruppe C: Start, Odd, Sandefjord, Strømsgodset

Gruppe D: Mjøndalen, Stabæk, Vålerenga og Sarpsborg 08

Color Line Stadion opened in 2005

Aalesunds FK return to Eliteserien in 2020 after two years in OBOS-ligaen. They were runaway champions last year in the second tier, winning 25 of 30 games, losing only once. They won every game at their home ground, the picturesque Color Line Stadion, with arguably one of the best views in world football from inside the ground.

Motherwell fans might be familiar with the surroundings after they visited in the 2010 Europa League, emerging comfortably victorious over two legs.

Manager of the club is former Norwegian international and English Premier League player, Lars Bohinen. He took over before the 2018 season, and after losing out on promotion through the playoffs in 2018, masterminded the impressive season last year.

They should be in a good position to make a good impression on Eliteserien this year having kept most of the squad together, although two players will be missed.

Pape Habib Gueye scored 13 league goals last year, the second top scorer at the club, and has moved to Kortrijk in Beligum. Also, Icelandic international Aron Elís Þrándarson has moved to OB in Denmark. His creativity in midfield will have to be replaced if they are to continue their goalscoring form from last year, an impressive 67 goals from 30 games.

Key Players 

The star of Aalesunds, and possibly even OBOS-ligaen last year was Norwegian born Chilean, Niklas Castro. The diminuitive forward can play all across the front line or in advanced midfield roles and is one to look out for this season. 

Very comfortable on the ball, an excellent crosser and finisher, he could be ready to take Eliteserien by storm this year. He appears all over the pitch, assisting and scoring goals in equal measure. He finished second in both the assist charts(11) and goalscoring charts(17) last season, and at 24 years old his form and skill sets should transfer nicely to Eliteserien.

It was clear last year he had become too good for the second tier, and this year will be a big chance for him to shine at the top level and potentially earn a more lucrative deal elsewhere.

A crucial player last year in defense was recently capped Icelandic international, Daníel Leó Grétarsson. The centre back was in his first injury free season with Aalesunds, and he was in great form all season. He can be a threat from corners, and is strong in the tackle, but what really stands out is his ability for long passes with his left foot. He loves taking the ball from the keeper and has great range in his passing, often turning defense into attack.

Another player who is just 24 years old, and someone who Aalesunds can rely on to make the step up to Eliteserien a successful one as they can build their defense around him.

Of the winter signings Aalesunds have done, there are two that interest me most. First is Simen Bolkan Nordli, signed from HamKam. The 20 year old scored 12 goals in OBOS last year, and although he is more of a deep lying forward, it will be interesting if he fits in to the system. He isn't particularly quick, but is very comfortable dribbling the ball and taking it in areas surrounded by defenders. 

Possibly he will be used as a substitute first off, with more experienced front men, Torbjørn Agdestein(ex Inverness) and Holmbert Friðjónsson(ex Celtic) ahead of him in the queue.

The other interesting signing, is former QPR and Crystal Palace player, among others, Jordon Mutch. The former England youth international no doubt had the talent to play at the top level, but he hasn't played a full season of football since 2013/14 with Cardiff City.

If Aalesunds can get a fit Mutch, he is a very creative player, has lots of experience from the English Premier League and Championship, and could be an incredible signing. But it remains to be seen if he can keep his fitness. Maybe the beautiful surroundings of Ålesund can revive his career, at just 28 years old, there is still time.

Aalesunds can take momentum from last season and I expect they won't be in relegation trouble. Castro is one to keep and eye on, and although they have Molde and RBK to play first up, they are dangerous at home, and will be tough to beat in Color Line Stadion.

Prediction - 9th

Kristiansund BK are the newest club in the top flight of Norwegian football, and also the least experienced. Formed in 2003 with the merge between Kristiansund FK and Clausenengen FK, and supported by the local bank, Kristiansund have gained three promotions and will be playing their fourth season in a row in Eliteserien.

They have been a real surprise package in the top tier, finishing 7th in their debut season in 2017, before a 5th placed finish in 2018, and following it up last year with a solid 6th place.

Led by former player and local lad Christian Michelsen since 2014, they rely on a strong team ethic and goals from all over the pitch. 

Worryingly this winter they have lost two of their most influential players. Winger Torgil Øwre Gjertsen, who has moved to Wisla Plock in Poland, and also strong midfielder Amidou Diop. Diop was a driving force from midfield, and also strong defensively from his central position, him moving to Adanaspor in Turkey will be hard to replace.

Gjertsen is a tricky and quick winger who has been a real creative force for KBK since joining in 2017 from Ranheim. A hole will need to be filled on the left hand side as a result of him leaving, and KBK will have to step up again if they are going to finish in the top half.

Key Players
Amahl Pellegrino was signed from Strømsgodset in the summer last year after an 18 month spell that saw only 4 league goals. To then go on and score 8 goals in 10 games for KBK was a real surprise, and with confidence high he looked a completely different player.

Tall and quick, he loves to get in behind the defense, and it was noticeable how most of his goals in 2019 came. Cutting in from the left side and finishing in to the far corner with his right foot became something of a trademark for Pellegrino, and it will be interesting to see if he can continue that form into the new season. 

His record over the years suggests otherwise, but with confidence high and a system that suited him, maybe Kristiansund is where he can finally become a regular goalscorer at the top level.

Irish goalkeeper Sean McDermott is not a name many will have heard of back in the UK, although he did start his senior career at Arsenal, he moved back to Norway in 2012 where he was born. He has been number one in Kristiansund since 2017, after a short spell in OBOS-ligaen with Ull/Kisa . 

The former Irish under 21 international is one of the best stoppers in the league, and is part of a strong defensive unit, containing the strong and aggressive Aliou Coly and Christophe Psyche, and also the experienced head of Dan Peter Ulvestad. 

McDermott is determined to earn himself a place in the Irish squad, and at 26, another good year behind him in Eliteserien he could be on the radar for one of the 3 spaces in the squad and perhaps a move to a bigger club.

Winter signings have not been very inspiring, although there is one I am personally interested in. 21 year old Ethiopian born Horenus Taddese has signed from my local club Levanger. He is someone I know personally having played briefly with him as he was coming through the youth system at Verdal. 

Full of energy and drive from midfield, he is someone that really impressed for Levanger in OBOS-ligaen in 2018. He spent 2019 also with Levanger, but now makes the step up to Eliteserien.

A very strong runner, he is also aggressive in the tackle and comfortable on the ball in the middle of the park. 

It will be interesting to see how he gets on with the step up and a change of scenery after three years in Levanger.

KBK have exceeded expectations with their team spirit and work ethic the last 3 years, but I find it difficult to see how they can again defy expectations and finish in the top half. It will be a tougher season for them I think, although they won't be in any relegation trouble, and should battle with rivals Aalesunds for a mid table spot.

Prediction - 10th

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

Molde and Viking

The Eliteserie, the top level of Norwegian football, begins again for 2020 on 4th April. Aalesund, Sandefjord and Start have been promoted from OBOS-ligaen to join the other 13 teams, replacing Tromsø, Lillestrøm and Ranheim.

I start my preview by looking at defending champions Molde, who ended Rosenborg's four year grip on the league with a convincing title win last season.

Aker Stadion

Champions Molde play their games at Aker Stadion in Molde. A beautiful 11'249 seater stadium right on the waterfront in Molde. 

Before the start of the 2019 season, Molde had their plans interrupted when Ole Gunnar Solskjær was given the Manchester United job. This meant a change of manager, as Erling Moe was promoted from first team coach to take charge of the team as caretaker, before being given the role permanently as the season got under way.

The success of the team was immediate, as they took the league by storm, winning eventually by 14 points, going the whole season unbeaten at home. It was their first title since 2015, and their fourth in total, all coming since 2011. 

Historically Molde have been the nearly men in Norway, consistently finishing in second place behind Rosenborg throughout the 80's and 90's, but now they are showing themselves to be a real challenger to the Trondheim club, thanks mainly to the backing of Norwegian billionaire, and club owner, Kjell Inge Røkke.

They finished last season with the best attack and defense in the league, scoring 72 goals and conceding 31 in the 30 game season. Goals and assists came from all over the park, and with the squad looking largely the same as last season, they will go in as favourites to retain their title.

Key Players - Molde have quality all over the park, and particularly in attacking areas. 

Magnus Wolff Eikrem

Former Manchester United youngster, Magnus Wolff Eikrem, re-signed for Molde after five years away, back in July 2018. Last season he was nominated for the team of the season as he contributed 11 goals and 8 assists in the league. He plays behind the striker in a '4231' system, and has license to roam around the park, often appearing in and around the edge of the box where he scored with some excellent finishes last season.

Molde tend to play with inverted wingers, the left footed Eirik Hestad on the right, and the right footed Ohi Omoijuanfo on the left. 

Hestad was the joint top assister in Norway last season with 11, he also contributed four goals, but there is no doubt he is the more creative of the front three. At 24 years old he has been a big player for Molde the last two years, and he will again play an important role in 2020. 

Omoijunafro was signed from Stabæk last winter, and he had an excellent debut season with 15 goals. He first broke on to the scene as a 17 year old with Lillestrøm in 2011. But it wasn't really until he came back to the Eliteserie with Stabæk that he found his feet at this level. 

A 17 goal season with them in 2017 put him on the radar for bigger clubs, and Molde took a chance a year later and it paid off handsomely last year. The tall Norwegian is quick once he gets going and causes trouble in behind the defenders as well as being a big aerial threat at the back post.

Leke James

Top scorer for Molde last season, in his first full season at the club was Nigerian Leke James. His 17 league goals (24 in total) fired his team to the top of the table, and he benefits greatly from players like Hestad and Eikrem always looking for him running off the shoulder of defenders. 

He is strong and relatively quick, and at 27, this was his best ever goal scoring season. Before a short stint in Beijing, James had been at Aalesund, where he had reached double figures in goals in his three full seasons at this level. So it was no surprise to see him being successful with better players around him at Molde.

One big loss for the club was Ruben Gabrielsen joining Toulouse over the winter. The club captain and central defender ended a six year spell at the club, which leaves a gap in central defense. Eikrem has taken over the captaincy, but it will be interesting to see who takes over in defense. 

Martin Bjørnbak is still there, he played nearly every game in 2019, and they have signed young defender John Kitolano on loan from Wolves. Kitolano is more of a left back, but it is possible he can play left centre back.

There is no doubt Molde go in as favorites for the 2020 season, and with the same attacking foursome that they had last season, they will be good to watch and will score plenty goals.

Prediction - 1st
First Fixture - Vålerenga (a) 4/4/2020

2019 was an excellent year for Viking, as they won the Norwegian Cup for the first time since 2001, the 6th time in their history. 

From the city of Stavanger in the West of Norway, Viking are historically one of the biggest clubs in the country. They have only ever played outside the top flight in three previous seasons, and have won it on eight occasions.

Home games are played at the 15'900 seater, Viking Stadion, which was built in 2004. 

Last season cup success, along with a 5th placed league finish was their best season in many years, and given they haven't won the league since 1982, it is clear a cup success is their best chance of a trophy.

Unfortunately for Viking, their two best players last season have both moved on this winter, and they will have to find new players to get them goals and create chances. 

As mentioned in the previous edition, Kristian Thorstvedt has moved on to Genk, meanwhile Croatian born Norwegian youth international, Zlatko Tripic has earned himself a move to Turkey with Goztepe. 

Tripic was the match winner in the cup final, the winger winning and scoring the penalty in December against Haugesund, while Thorstvedt was the top scorer for the club from midfield.

Replacements have been signed, thanks to the €2m brought in in transfer fees for Tripic and Thorstvedt, but they will be hard to replace.

De Lanlay re-signs for Viking

Key Players - Making his return to the club after five years at Rosenborg, is Yann Erik de Lanlay. The 27 year old Norwegian was a real star of the youth setup at Viking, playing 142 games for the club after breaking through at 17 years old. 

His spell at Rosenborg was mostlry frustrating, seeing him on the bench regularly, throughout his five years in Trondheim. The five time capped international has a point to prove going back to Viking, and he will be one of a number of players that they will look to score the goals they have lost in the winter.

De Lanlay can play on either wing, and will likely be used on the left to replace Tripic. 

On the other side, Kosovan international(capped once), Zymer Bytyqi, will be entering his 6th season with the club. The winger has never been prolific, only 13 goals in 153 appearances, so he will need to step up his output this year. 

Tommy Høiland was the main striker last year for the club, scoring 10 goals, eight of them in the league. He was prolific in the tier below, but has never scored double figures in all his years in the top division. 

Veton Berisha

Høiland is a poacher and gets scrappy goals, but they will be looking to new signing Veton Berisha to be a more consistent scorer. Berisha, brother to Valon, started his top flight career at Viking, playing a total of 107 games. In 2015 he had scored 11 in 14 games, before a summer move to Greuther Feurth in Germany.

He returned to Norway with Brann last season, but a disappointing return of three league goals was not what the side from Bergen were looking for. However, Viking have decided to spend NOK 6.5m (about £500k) to bring him back to Stavanger. 

Ever since 2015 he has never really been in the goals, but I am backing him to find his feet again at Viking and score double figures in the league this season.

The final player to look at is another one time capped Kosovan, Ylldren Ibrahimaj. The 24 year old midfielder played his first full season last year, after a summer 2018 move from Mjøndalen. 
A creative central midfielder, he was joint top of the assist charts last year, and will be the one they look to in midfield to make things happen.

It is a huge blow for Viking to lose their two best players from last season, and the players they have brought in probably don't quite have the same quality. Another cup run, plus Europa League later in the year will be a welcome distraction for the club, but they want to be pushing to get in to the top 4, but I think they will just miss out again.

Prediction - 4th
First Fixture - Strømsgodset (a) 4/4/2020

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.