The season of the departures

The last season could be defined as the "season of the departures". Why? Because we have lost 4 players good enough for the Tippeligaen and the Europe League. However, when a society is in crisis, doesn't have money and doesn't have ideas, the best thing it can do is to start over. 

NIELSEN - We've lost Nicki Bille Nielsen, a player that gave us many problems, it's true, but the one that in 50 appereances scored 24 times, almost 1 goal in 2 matches. Yes, the club was able to sell him the double to the Evian (in euros, he was bought for 675.000€ and sold for 2 millions), but the fact is that now we've lost one of the best players we had. How the club will use that money?

CHIBUIKE - The nigerian midfielder left us with 87 appareances and 32 goals. But the statistics cannot explain the importance that the player had in the matches. Strong, powerfull, one of the best midfielder able to stop the opponent's counterattack. Obviously he wasn't the best player at all all over the world, sure, but for our dimension, for a club that wanna play the Europe League and win the Tippeligaen, John Chibuike was really good. And we lost him.

DISKERUD - Unacceptable. This departures cannot be justified. No money can explain it, also because he left us free. Totally free. Our club wasn't strong enough to let him sign another contract, and so he was totally free to go to anoher team. It is said to Mexico, or USA soccer league. Sure, he's strong and Rosenborg cannot let him to win anything, and so he wanted to go away. But the fact is that we have lost a real good player. USA national midfielder, the 24 aged player has a glorious future. And we wasn't able to sell him. 

GAMBOA - Nothing to say. I've just repeat the same thing I wrote about Diskerud. You have just to change his role, fullback. After his very very good World Cup in Brazil everyone in Trondheim could bet on his departure. And so, West Bromwich Albion bought him for almost 3 millions (in euros). I can bear his departures, because he didn't leave us for free, but I'm very sad because he's a very good fullback. 

Start over, it's the only way left. Everything depends on the way the club will spend his money. Rosenborg, revive!

@mondorbk #MondoRBK

https://www.facebook.com/mondorbk

Open Letter to Mr. Per Joar Hansen

On "Adressa.no" were written six points that explain why Perry should go away. What I noticed, and interested me, were the points about the training: this is the main reason why Perry lost the trust among the players. I read:  low-intensity exercise, uncertainty 
formation, tactics and team selection. I wrote something about, when I said that Perry was a liar when he said that before the summer the team should have had the best physical condition (and the latest matches showed us the truth).

So, Perry, How long must we wait before you understand that your sad adventure in Rosenborg is finished? First you will understand it, the best will be for everyone. You have everyone against you: players, staff, supporters. What do you want to do? 
Think about it tonight. 

With love, 

Mondo Rosenborg

The crisis of today is the joke of tomorrow: but Rosenborg doesn't smile

The crisis of today is the joke of tomorrow said H.G. Wells, but how does it take this crisis? Another draw for Rosenborg , which has only two points after two rounds. The draw was less dramatic than the one in the first round, but very irritating. The only extenuating circumstances may be two : the field factor and obviously the opposing team, wich yesterday was in a very fine form. A draw that is actually tight for Aalesund , that could  have won the game If it had not been for the skills of Lund Hansen ( on Saturday author of at least two small miracles) and the imprecision of the striker Barrantes ( like Berisha  in the game against the Viking Barrantes was very inspired). The match begins immediately in the worst way for Rosenborg , who in the ninth minute is forced to replace the right fullback Cristian Gamboa for an injury (it should be out 4-6 weeks) with Skjelvik , author of a bad first half on the first journey against Viking . In the first few minutes should have been read the plot of the match: the hosts did high pressure and prevented the build up of Rosenborg actions , and then closed themselves in defense when the team from Trondheim overcame his half of the field. The whole game was played on this scheme, and the music was directed by Aalesunds, whereas we would have expected a game administered by Rosenborg . The counterattacks by Aalesunds were deadly for the team from Trondheim, who suffered terribly in defense , as he had suffered terribly against Viking . The couple Reginiussen - Ronning offers really very few guarantees, and if we will have not a good substitute the season will take a turn for the worst. The coach Mr.Per Joar Hansen is already risking the dismissal, with his strange ideas about football. He showed the team saturday with a new 4-2-3-1 instead of the usual 4-3-3 , but the hosts constructed actions of attack, not Rosenborg , which was struggling to recover, and remained entangled in the net made by Aalesund . Aalesund was dangerous since the beginning of the match: after the first ten minutes, began to attack with more continuity; at 13 ' Barrantes missed an almost penalty on the move, sending the ball just outside the right post. At 21 ' Pedersen was picked up on time by James , who found himself face to face with Hansen, who made a miracle rejecting the ball. Barrantes pounced on the rebound but took the ball with a bad impact and Hansen could throw the ball out. Rosenborg was slow on the counterattacks , and Aalesund had so many time to close in on the defense. The few chances we had ended with weak and central shots. At 30 ' James was once again pulling undisturbed from the edge of the box , having in front of him Ronning, that still does not find his best form. Two minutes later Barrantes again went close to score , but the ball came out . Only in the last minutes of the first half Rosenborg started to become dangerous, and a great shot at the last second by Riski went off. The second half opened with an incredible opportunity for Aalesund : four our players lost the ball in midfield, which was recovered by James . The Nigerian feed the ball to Barrantes, that was face to face with Hansen, but sent the ball high and hit the bar . At this point the Rosenborg seemed to wake up , and came with more continuity and ideas in the hosts midfield . When the Rosenborg was attacking with many intensity , Aalesund scored, with a counterattack orchestrated by Barrantes , who ran along the whole right wing , made the cross for James, who badly stopped the ball, so he passed it to Larsen wich undisturbed kicked the ball with a powerful shot that Hansen couldn't save 1-0 . The situation was harder for Rosenborg, because Aalesund more than before could express its way of playing, closing itself in defense and making counterattacks with Barrantes or James . Mr. Hansen so decided to change something and entered Soderlund in place of a tired Mikkelsen , author of a poor match. Perry then returned to his favorite 4-3-3 , with Bille shifted on the wing and Soderlund as pivot . The home team seemed to be very tired, and was no longer able to make counterattacks as it did before , but on the other hand also Rosenborg did not seem to be alert. Then came an unexpected gift : at 74 ' by a lack of Aalesund , Chibuike recovered the ball , passed it for Soderlund that feed the ball to Riski , who kicked and sent the ball to the inferior corner of the net : 1-1 , Rosenborg drew with his mysterious object . We should have made many attacking actions to find the opening goal , but it did not come. The two teams were tired and the final minutes of the match were not as fun as you might have expected . Only at 91 ' Rosenborg had a good chance to score , with Reginiussen , which was so close to scoring on a free kick with his head. Therefore ended the match at the Color Line, where Aalesund stopped Rosenborg on 1- 1. Still goes on the crisis of Rosenborg . More than results, the most dramatic problem is caused by the lack of a way of playing; Mr. Hansen seems to have no idea about what to do, how to play, how to prepare tactically the match , and we're only in the second round. Rosenborghas reached a critical juncture in its season. We all hope something go better in future.

Zibaldone - 25 Feb 2014 (Waiting for Rosenborg- Odd)

Few considerations about the match we are going to play against the Odd. First of all this is the squad, the starting line-up

Orlund-Gamboa, Moe, Strandberg, Skjelvik- Jensen,Mix, Berntsen- Bille, Søderlund, Riski

1) Perry understood that Mikkelsen couldn't be a fullback (fortunatly) and put Gamboa in the place of the wing forward. As we can see Dorsin is out of the starting line-up, so Perry give Moe the chance to show him off. Moe said that he's much improved during the last season, and so he's sure he can do very well this year. Perry several times in this friendlies rejected Moe as central defendor, preferring Dorsin, that instead is a fullback. Now Moe can shows him off, and we are all hoping he can demonstrate what he's able to do in the field.

2) We have, also in this match, injuried so many players: Reginiussen and Selnaes (as you can read here) but we have still injuried Strandberg, that probably won't play against Odd. What I wonder is: why we have so many players injuried? This is a great problem, and I think could be a big danger all along the season. We haven't many players indeed, and so if we have injuried the only players able to play, we are out of the games. I have to remind that this summer we have to play the european qualifications for the Europe League, and going in this way we won't able to do great thing (remembering also that in summer Mix and Gamboa will be out for the World Cup)

3) Berntsen said he's ready to compete with Selnaes and Mix for a role in midfield. I saw Berntsen in the last match against Sudnsvall: yes, he didn't drive me crazy, but at the end did a nice match. But I don't know how he can compete with Mix and Selnaes. He can compete maybe with the last one, but just because he's always injuried (it's just a joke, I'm hoping we can have him soon of course )

4) Riski did very bad according to me the last match, maybe against Odd can show him as the player we hope he is. Fast, precise and insidious. Not like the last matches. I'd rather have Helland as pivot and not Soderlund, but, let's see what he can do. Seeing this squad (the strikers sector) it comes to my mind that during the match the module can change. Starting with a 4-3-3 he can become a 4-3-2-1 or a 4-2-3-1 with Bille as playmaker, however he can play behind the two forwards. Maybe Perry put Soderlund because he saw that every cross in the area was sliced by the forwards, nobody took the ball. Soderlund maybe can do this kind of job.

Rosenborg-Sundsvall 0-0

As I said in the last post, we had problem with some players, that couldn't play because they were injuried. They were Mix, Reginiussen, Saelnes, Soderlund and Strandberg. So we played with the usual squad (4-3-3) but as fullback Mikkelsen, and Berntsen from the beginning. The other "new" thing was Dorsin as centrale defender, but we've seen him in that role in other matches yet.

It was a very boring match, of course, but we must trust Mr. Hansen, who said that he's preparing the team to gradually improve during the season. I wish he's right. 

In order to analyse this match I will consider three players: Mikkelsen, Bille and Chibuike.

Mikkelsen

No, if Perry had any doubt about Mikkelsen as a substitute for Gamboa during the World Cup, I sincerely hope that he has quickly realized that the thing cannot be done. Mikkelsen is a forward, not a fullback, and it was clear during the match. He was ever in attack, and rarely came back in defense when opponents attacked ("attacked", tried to create some small problem to us, just to create a minimum of show).

They easily overcame him, like in one occasion for them, when Mikkelsen sliced the ball with the head and the opponent went in the area. Fortunatly the opponent wasn't CR7, so he didn't score.

Perry understood the problem Mikkelsen could create in that role, so he made him go in attack, replacing Riku with Gamboa in the second half.

Obviously Perry had to do this, because Riku never entered in the field yesterday, he was really out of the game. He slept all the time, and when he took the ball, every time did the wrong thing. It was really incredible, and of course he was replaced. 

But the problem reamin: who can replace Gamboa? Dorsin is used as substitute of Reginiussen, and we haven't a real fullback who can replace Gamboa this summer. If he won't buy someone in the next transfer market, safe bet we'll run the risk of coming to a bad end.

Bille

Bille, according to me, is an excellent player, if he wants to. But in that squad (4-3-3) he rarely find a good position to play. During the match he often played as playmaker 

(untill Chibuike came in replacing an absent Svensonn), but when he had to come into the area (in order to take the ball with the head and then score) he didn't do it, and nobody took the ball that Helland or Mikkelsen crossed. 

I think it's better to play with a 4-2-3-1, because with the 4-3-3 we can win only if we meet weak teams or the midfielder go into the area to score. But this rarely happen with our pkayers, Chibuike is a good player, but he stopped himself when he has the ball, in the borderline of the area, and seldom he come inside. Mix the same, is more a halfback, and Berntsen, as we saw yesterday, like Chibuike, doesn't come into the area. The only one who can do this is Bille, but isn't in a good mood I think, and the other one is Soderlund. I'd rather not to talk about Soderlund.

Chibuike

Just few words about Chibuike. He brings the light in the team when he plays. Yesterday, as he entered, made only good passes; and as playmaker, he was an excellent assist-man. We've to make him resign the contract with Rosenborg, very soon, because without him, it will be very hard to win something.

Zibaldone 02/21/2014: waiting for saturday

As we knew, Ole Saelnes and Tore Reginiussen won't play that match saturday because they're still injuried. With them, we have unvailable also Mix, Soderlund and Strandberg.

Mr. Hansen, then, has to try in the squad the substitutes of them. But he has also to try the substitutes of Gamboa and Mix. Both of them, unfortunatly for us, fortunatly for them, will have to play the World Cup in Brazil this summer, in the middle of the season. In this way spoke Mr. Hansen

Yes, it is true that we have struggled with injuries and it is sad. But it also gives other players the chance to show what they are good for. We have three young players in the squad against Sundsvall. It is Aslak Witry, Bent Sørmo and Martin Lundal

Nevertheless Chibuike will be in the bench in the starting line-up. Indeed this is the squad:

Örlund; Mikkelsen, Moe, Dorsin, Skjelvik; Jensen, Svensson, Berntsen; Helland, Bille, Riski

In this way I think, during the match, we will see more of a 4-2-3-1 than a 4-3-3 classic. This because Helland and Riski use to take the ball in the midfield and then cross in the area, or go in the center and try to kick. Bille will be the pivot, but if necessary will be able to play behind the two forwards Helland and Riski.

However Berntsen has to improve himself in that role, and Perry did very well to make him play in that role and not Chibuike or Bille. He has to test every player to create a good team. He has to know how much a player can give to the team and how.

We can see also Mikkelsen as fullback, in place of Gamboa. That's because, as I wrote, Gamboa won't be in Norway during the summer, and we have to find out a subsitute (seeing that the society has no money to buy anyone...)

This could be strange, because Mikkelsen is a forward. Maybe Perry had seen during the workouts that he can play as right-fullback. We hope so, but we need too the forward-Mikkelsen, we'll not be able to use Mikkelsen as fullback so long.

It's strange that Perry won't use Dorsin as right-fullback, but... we can only see if this will be a good choice or not.

Chibuike won't leave. RBK's searching the Gamboa subsitute.

Now it's certain: Chibuike will remain at Rosenborg. 
This guy had been given, by the media, "sold" to almost all teams in the world, but apparently he doesn't wanna go away from Trondheim.The news was given by the same player last night to Adresse.no.

I don't wanna go to the Dinamo Minsk or in another teams in Belarus or Russia. There is no aim for me to go to a club that is on par or lower level than Rosenborg.

He had only words of praise for the supporters of Rosenborg

I just don't want to become rich, money aren't everything compared to other things. If I change the club I need a better league where I can develop myself and become better. I must respect my own values, and can not travel only for the money. Dinamo Minsk is certainly a great club, but I must be a 100% sure that I like where I'm going. 
I'm happy to be in the club and the city. The supporters are amazing, and I have only positive things to say here. We'll take it as it comes. 


At the same time it received bids from an Israeli club, but it was so low that it was not relevant to sales. And the RBK is ready to offer a contract extension to the Nigerian player. 

We talked about the extension just before, but now here we go again. Then we will have to discuss it with his agent, says Hoftun.

I have to congratulate him for the sincerity, and we all hope that he'll sign that contract.

So it seems that the joke Bille and Gamboa will not result in reality. Fortunately.


Bille is ok, but maybe the destiny make Gamboa sick cause of that joke for the match against Djurgarden. So Perry has the chance to test the substitute of Gamboa during the World Cup Brazil 2014. The idea is to place Svensonn behind. But he'll not be the unique player "tested". Also Witry has to demonstrate his skills during this months. Mr Hansen has to find out a good substitute, because in that period we'll have to play against Sarpsborg, Strømsgodset, Lillestrøm and Start, and so it will be hard to play without that players. Not only Gamboa, but also Mix of course. 

Maybe it will be very important the summer transfer market

Rosenborg - Costuleni 3-0. Copa del Sol is over

Yes, we were already out of the tournment before this match, but we played very well indeed. I could see how the team has really enjoyed it. The line-up was the usual 4-3-3, with the three forward that were Mikkelsen, Riku and Soderlund, like the first match against Astra. 
We had several opportunities throughout the course of the match. Such occasions we have had playing a very fast game ( a kind of game that has become the prerogative of Rosenborg) , in an offensive way and running a lot on the wings, but in the meantime we did not neglected the defensive phase. The Costuleni had only one opportunity to score with a header from a corner kick , but the defense has been able to clean up. Rosenborg on the other hand had two great occasions with Soderlund , the better of the first half according to me , which attempted to score with a header in the middle of the penalty area , and later took the bar with a powerful shot . In the second half there was no match : Rosenborg covered well all over the field , with numerous entries inside the area of the midfielder and building a good game, based (after Bille entered) on a filtering passes. The Danish has been able to juggle the ball in midfield , playing behind the wings forward , Sørloth and Riski.
Mr. Hansen has therefore changed, in the course of the match, the line-up , playing with a 4-3-1-2 , which allowed the construction of all three goals . Since Bille came in the Rosenborg has shown more dangerous.

The first goal was scored by Strandberg. There was a corner kick, Strandberg headed the ball and scored the 1-0. Since then only the Rosenborg seemed to play the match. 
The second goal was scored by Bille: Helland took the ball in the area, then passed the ball behind to Bille that shoted a powerful kick and the keeper couldn't do anything to save the ball. 
The action that led to the third goal was started (just for a change) by Bille, who fed the ball to Helland, that made a lob and scored easily.

We made three goal in almost ten minutes, then the match went over: the Costuleni didn't anything to score and Rosenborg controlled the game. 

We went out of the tournment because Astra won against AIK (we would come out of the tournament because we had also lost the head to head against the Astra), but we had played a good match, we won easily, I've to admit, and I liked the way the players played. I'm a bit doubtful about the red card to Strandberg, I didn't understand very well why the referee did it. 

I know that this matches (pre-season friendly matches) are not very important (they aren't important at all) but indeed (like all the other friendly matches all over the world, of course) they're very important to understand what kind of line-up is better to win the matches of our league, or to win in Europe, in order to go in Europa League. I think that the newcome Riski will be very usefull. I'm very doubtful (and I was already the last season) about Soderlund as first string, but Mr Hansen played in this few friendly with him as regular. I'm very happy that Chibuike didn't leave us in this transfer market, because he's very important as playmaker, but also as halfback. With a 4-3-1-2 we are more dangerous on the wings, thanks to players that run a lot, and are able to overcome the opponents easily (like Helland) and with this line-up we're very dangerous also with Bille that is more free to create the actions and make opportunities to score. Chibuike is able to run, create opportunities and intercept balls. The only great problem that I saw also the last season, is that we get tired in the last league matches. This year, then, there is also the World Cup, which will see us without key players such as Mix and Gamboa. We must be careful not to waste our energies at once, in the first few games (this is a task that must be able to do the technical staff),  and it is essential to buy some important reserves in the summer market. Lastly, I think this should be the line-up:






                                            Orlund

Gamboa                 Strandberg         Reginiussen              Dorsin
                            (Moe)                                                (Skjelvik)  

         
     Chibuike                             Mix                                 Svensonn
                                                                                   (Strandberg)                                   

                                             Bille
Helland                                                                   Riski                         
(Soderlund)                                                             (Mikkelsen)