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.