2014, the review. Rosenborg 2015: a new beginning?

This 2014 is finished, fortunatly. Rosenborg lived one of his worst season ever. I think it's necessary to review the season, and so... begin!

TIPPELIGAEN - Everyone hoped that in this season Rosenborg would have fought to win the league, but soon our dreams became nightmares. During the season the team has dissolved , like snow under the sun , so the society had to fire one of the worst coaches that Rosenborg have ever had during his recent history, Perry. Fortunately there was a general review , which led to remove also Erik Hoftun , degraded to assistant coach .

EUROPE - We was afraid of a unknown irish-team, Sligo Rovers, that was very close to leave us from the Europe League qualifications. But Rosenborg preferred to be cut out at the climax, and so waited the turkish team Karabuskpor to be leaved off of the tourney. Nothing to say, we hoped we could play the final phase of Europe League, but we knew we didn't have a good team in order to arrive in that phase.

NM CUPEN - Last sixteen. The previous year we was defeated by Molde, and it was very frustrating and humiliating, but this year we was able to overcame ourselves. Ranheim, a Trondheim team of the second league in Norway, a sort of Rosenborg second-team, defeated us and leaved us from the NM Cupen, the only trophey we could have won. This year.

DEPARTURES - Bille Nielsen, Chibuike, Gamboa, Diskerud: all of them , for different reasons , have decided to leave Rosenborg to try new experiences abroad .The problem is that these four players were the only ones able to make the leap to the team , which now has to start from scratch.

2015: It's time to start from scratch, for serious. We have to bet on youngsters , respecting the history of the most successful club in Norway, our. The supporters, that'll never give up Rosenborg, deserve something special this year.

MondoRBK: Thanks for reading my blog, even if in this season I was constricted to abandon for a while (while? .... ) the blog (but not the RBK!). My promise is to improve this blog , and inform How much more I'll can the supporters of Rosenborg all over the World.

See next year!

@mondorbk

The former player Olsen stops Rosenborg: 2-2 at Aspmyra Stadion

Finished with a draw the match against Bodo Glimt , the team placed first in the last Adeccoligaen. Third draw of the season for Rosenborg , who cannot drive out the ghosts above Trondheim. Rosenborg played without Nicki Bille Nielsen ; The Danish striker , in fact, has become protagonist in an unpleasant fact in his native city (Copenhagen) during the easter holidays, so he was excluded from the match at Aspmyra Stadion. Rosenborg is now deciding what to do, but it seems that the conclusion is only one: sell the striker . In Trondheim supporters are tired of his temperament , his character instinctive and violent. In September he was arrested and imprisoned in similar circumstances. So mr. Perry is forced to put into Soderlund , in the usual 4-3-3 : Alexander Lund Hansen - Jonas Svensson , Stefan Strandberg , Tore Reginiussen , Jørgen Skjelvik - Morten Gamst Pedersen , Daniel Berntsen , Mike Jensen - Mikkel Diskerud , Alexander Søderlund , Riku Riski . 
The hosts hit the ground running, and at 7 ' minute scored with Laajab : lightning counter-attack team by Bodo, orchestrated by one of the former player, Trond Olsen (the other is our Daniel Berntsen , who grew up in the opposing team). Strandberg forget the attacker in the yellow shirt behind him, wich could be face to face with Lund Hansen , and overcame him with a delightful lob. Another goal conceded on a counterattack by the team of Trondheim, who can not find defensive solidity. Even Strandberg , as Ronning and Reginiussen, is not able to play as central defender: too many mistakes during the match, and in both goals there is something he erred.
Fortunately, however, Rosenborg reacted , and at 11' equalized with Morten Gamst Pedersen, the hit of the winter market. Mix intercepted the ball to Soderlund, wich suddenly fed it to Gamst. Powerful shot unstoppable for Londak : 1-1 . After the draw , Rosenborg is the absolute ruler of the race, and is likely to go ahead immediately on advantage. Gamst Pedersen crossed the ball on a free kick to Strandberg, wich was lonely in the penalty area, but he get a goal very very easy wrong. He couldn't atone for the fatal mistake that has made him an accomplice in the first opponent's goal. Rosenborg is alive and seeking the advantaging goal , and the goal came at 63 ' with Soderlund ; the striker who had replaced Bille Nielsen scored the 1-2 on a defensive inattention of Bodo Glimt , who get the offside trap wrong and left the Norwegian forward lonely . Gamst Pedersen gave back the assist that led to the first goal hitting the ball with the chest to Soderlund , the former Haugesund player made no mistake , and Rosenborg scored . The team of Trondheim intended to close as soon as possible the match, and the opportunities arrived : from free kick , with the usual duo Gamst - Soderlund, but this time the striker failed to tuck the ball into the net with his head , thanks to a splendid saved made by the goalkeeper . Still Gamst , served this time not by Soderlund but by Mix Diskerud : the ball went out . 

As usual , for the most cruel law of football , who does not close the game, undergoes a draw , and so it was: at 81 ' Bodo entered in the box, with a beautiful lob Richards overcame his direct opponent feeding the ball to Konradsen, which crossed from the end line to the center of the box. Ndiaye incredibly missed to score and the ball went to Olsen, who found himselfto be in front ot Lund Hansen and didn't hesitate to hit in the net. What is most disconcerting in this action is Strandberg , who saw that Ndiaye was going to kick, and so he turned to cover himself, and didn't realize that instead the ball came near him , leaving Olsen free to score. Bad day for the central defender, very bad . Rosenborg fell asleep , and on the wings the Bodo Glimt players did what they want , easily surpassing the old fullback and thirty-seven aged Dorsin, making dangerous cross into the box . Not only: at the last minute Bodo Glimt also risked to score again , always with Olsen, who was retained by Riski when he was about to shoot. The referee stopped the match and cautioned the Finnish wing of Rosenborg . At the end of the match Olsen said : "We should scored the 3-2 if I had not been held there . Richards and I were ready to pull , and it was almost a goal done. " So Ended up , 2-2 , but the Rosenborg continues to go through the tunnel of the crisis. How to get out ?

Rosenborg wins but doesn't convince.

Rosenborg back to win after having drawn its first two matches of the season. Two games that should have win easily , but from which it brought home only two points. This was beacuse of a defense very weak, that allowed opponents to score easily. So the choice of Mr. Hansen to replace Ronning (author of two bad games), with Strandberg . Instead of us Odd came from a draw with the newly arrived Sandnes Ulf , and with the resounding victory at home against Molde, one of the favorite teams to win the Tippeligaen , after the fluctuating season of last year. The match against Odd was a game that Rosenborg had to win. Fortunatly it was, but the risk of drawing ( or even losing ) this time was enormous , against a team that is able to create problems to the opponent. Rosenborg made it seen in the opponent's box and scored from a corner kickat 4' with Strandberg (once again Mr. Hansen nailed the change , as had happened in the opening match against Viking , although there had been changes during the game) . Already in the other two matches Rosenborg started in a very strong way, going in the opponent's box in order to score, but this didn't happened, and this is the difference between us and the good teams in Europe. Then Rosenborg has the unfortunate idea to leave the field to the opponents , and so they began to attack . Rosenborg freaked out, and the opponents were very close to score the 1-1- In short , apart from the initial goal , the game seemed to be canalized in the wrong railways , as against Viking and Aalesund . Unlike the other two teams , in Odd lacked a little of determination (and especially class) that prevented Rosenborg to make another bad show in front of their home supporters . Fortunatly we have a great goalkeeper, maybe the best keeper of our league, Lund Hansen. After a match played at a pace quite bland , Odd was done under in the last minute , and 83 ' Strandberg risked to ruin his day of glory , making a foul in the penalty area . The penalty kick was beaten by Rashani , who kicked central, and so Hansen could reject the ball easily. The real miracle happened later, when, on the rebound , Rashani hit the ball sure that he would have scored, but Hansen made a incredible save , which proved crucial to the team in Trondheim. At the last minute Nicki Bille Nielsen fixed the issue , and starting on the offside line, overcame the Odd goalkeeper and closed the match . At the end of the match the supporters of Lerkendal Stadion breathe a sigh of relief, but this time he could end badly.

Ok, we had to win and we did it, but we've to pay attention. We have lotta lack of concentration during the match, and this could nullify the work Rosenborg does during the week. This is a problem that Perry have to better, because win a battle is important indeed, but we wanna win the war.

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.

First win of 2014: Rosenborg-AIK 5-2

Finally a good news! Rosenborg won its first match in the second journey of the Copa del Sol tournment. As usual we went in the field with our 4-3-3 line-up, with Chibuike in the role of playmaker, behind the three forwards: Helland, Bille and Soderlund. I have to apologize for what I said in the previous vlog, the team fortunatly proved me wrong. 

We made a very offensive game, with Chibuike that set up the actions, in role of playmaker, in order to pass the ball to the wings forward (Helland and Nielsen), that tried to cross the ball in the area, or went in to the center, near the borderline of the penalty area, then tried to shot. But we were very absent-minded in the defensive phase, above all on the wings, our fullbacks (Skjelvek and Dorsin) weren't very careful, indeed the action of the first AIK's goal, began in the wings. Dorsin let the opponent cross and Bahoui Igboananike scored. But we were playing quite well, indeed we didn't change our way of playing, and at 9' we had the opportunity to equalize with a penalty. Soderlund scored the 1-1, six minutes after the goal by AIK. The game was very enjoyable, not at all boring, and both teams played in an offensive way, allowing the opponents to create the actions. 
At the 12' AIK scored again, with another action started in the wings. Another cross and Markannen, lonely in the penalty area, was able to kick in the goal. 
Now I was afraid that, like the other matches, we got depressed, and didn't play as well as before the goal. But, maybe unexpectedly for me, Rosenborg still tried to score in the same way, very determined to equalize. In this phase of the match we were very messy, but at the same time very determined to score, And we did it, with another kick (free-kick) by Helland (according to me the best player in the first half). 
So, a very good and enjoyable first half ends 2-2. 

In the second half, there was the turning point. All along the second half, the AIK wasn't dangerous at all. We played very well, like in the first half, but at the same time (perhaps the opponents players were tired) we were more careful at the back wings. At 56' entered Gamboa in place of Skjelvek (not a good match for him, at all) and at 60' Chibuike scored with a great gol from a long range. Nielsen made the assist for Chibuike the threw the ball under the bar, so strong that not even the goalkeeper saw it. 
Chibuike was the best player of the second half, because, with the scoring 3-2, had to make counter-attacks in order to close the match. So, he did it, with a great action in counter-attack, he overcomed the midfield and four opponents with great strenght, then he passed the ball to the left to Bille, that passed again the ball to Chibuike that easily scored. 4-2. The AIK wasn't able to react, and so was easy for us to score again, the 5-2, with Mikkelsen at 81', entered in place of the tired Nielsen, with Riski in place of Helland and Jensen of Svensonn. 

The match is over: 5-2. 

It was a great test of determination, physical strength, and I finally saw a lot of movement by the forwards. The only weakness is the defense, which today has been able to hold the opportunities of the opponents (perhaps for the lack of determination and lucidity of the opposing team) but that we must absolutely correct. There is an obvious problem of concentration, mainly on the cross from the wings, which easily come into the penalty area and are easily diverted into the net.

But I've to admit that I've enjoyed it.

John Chibuike, best player today

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Copa del Sol: Rosenborg - Astra Giurgiu, first defeat

Who is the blame? The third red shirt or the players? 

I think I've an answer. We were wrong in the interpretation of the match. The early stages of the game were not so bad, but we were weak  and they were more physically strong and determined than us. In fact the opponenents had the first opportunity, caused by an error in defence (so many mistakes in this match in defence, we tried to play the ball above us in the penalty area, or near it, in order to have a counter-attack, but instead we lost the ball and made the opponents have opportunities). Fortunately they erred the shot, and Orlund made a save.

We have continued to leave too much space for opponents, like in a corner kick, where they tried a shot from the border of the penalty area and they made an off target shot.

We reacted with Skjelvek, that took the ball neat the border of the penalty area and passed the ball to Svensson that made an assist in the penalty area for Soderlund, that missed the shot.

In this first half it was clear that we were good at taking ball to the opponents, in our 3/4 half field, but we were slow in the counter-attack phase, we missed the ball in their 3/4, because they were quick to place themselves in defence, and they closed all the spaces. We played a poor play, we were not determined, and the only two players that were moving and were doing well were the newcomer Riku Riski and Gamboa, that will have a good second half.

In the second half we made substitutions. In Bille and Dorsin, out Soderlund and Skjelvik.

But in the second half we were still not determined, the Astra instead was in the match. Bille tried to made an assist but Mikkelsen wasn't able to take the ball and go to score. The Astra was determined more than us, in fact they scored with Seto. Our defence were motionless, static, and Seto, instead of pass the ball, tried to shot, Orlund didn't expect that shot and couldn't make a save. 

We were so slow in attack, the opponents gave us many meters to advance but we stopped in their half field, and the only one that tried to move and create opportunity was Riku Riski, but the others were stopped, and didn't make anything to help him. The other one that tried to make opportunity was Gamboa, that tried to shot, starting from the lateral bands and going to the center, like Riku did all along the match, then kicked the ball, but he took the internal post, and the ball went through the borderline but didn't enter in the goal.

It was clear that we had to try to play in the lateral bands, Mr Hansen indeed standed in Helland for Mikkelsen, in order to create opportunity with Riku, also making corner for Bille. It didn't happen. As usual we were very good to overcome the midfield, but we were wrong to create opportunities, playing in the middle and not passing the ball to Riski or Helland. The only one that tried to do this was Gamboa.

Finally, there wasn't a good match, at all, and I think if we don't change our line-up we can't win. We have to play in the lateral bands, that's clear, and that's why we bought Riku, to overcome the opponents on the wings, and cross in the middle for the head of Bille. The same Helland has to do, with his speed, but we still go on this way, and according to me, we still go to lose. Ok, Astra is a good team, but we've to return in Champions League, and in this way, we will not enter in the Europa League, next summer. How can we go on?

www.rbk.no

Una brutta amichevole. Perché non passare ad un 4-2-3-1?

Ok, era soltanto un'amichevole, ma lo spettacolo che è andato in onda è stato a dir poco brutto. Partita noiosa, lenta, e soprattutto giocata male. Ok, era una amichevole, ma non si può andare sotto contro il  Kristiansund, e non in quella maniera. 

A dire la verità in vantaggio c'era andato il Rosenborg, di testa su calcio di punizione, ma il gol è stato, non si sa perché, annullato. Su calcio d'angolo invece a segno ci va il Kristiansund, con Ulvestad al minuto 13. La difesa ha completamente dormito e ha lasciato che la palla entrasse in rete. 
La reazione del Rosenborg non arriva immediatamente, e c'è il rischio che il Kristiansund vada di nuovo in rete con una rabona di Kalludra al limite dell'area di rigore, che passa la palla a Mendy il quale, più che tirare, passa la palla ad Orlund.

Finalmente arriva la reazione del Rosenborg: Helland parte palla al piede e lancia la palla a Mikkelsen, il quale la passa indietro per Chibuike che tira. La palla viene parata da Valderhaug. 

Al 21' il pareggio firmato su punizione da Helland: non molto attento Valderhaug, che tocca la palla ma non riesce ad impedire che entri. 

Altra azione del Rosenborg, che recupera palla a centrocampo; Helland oggi in veste di fantasista, imposta l'azione, passando la palla a sinistra per Chibuike che cambia gioco, lanciando verso Mikkelsen, il quale perde l'attimo buono ed è costretto a rientrare sul sinistro, passando la palla al centro; palla che arriva a Jensen, che spara addosso al portiere. 

Ora il Rosenborg sembra (finalmente) dominare la gara, con scambi veloci di palla, cambi di gioco, e tutto grazie ad un Helland in veste quasi di regista. A fine primo tempo il Kristiansund avrebbe la possibilità di pareggiare, ma per fortuna del Rosenborg non sembra che sia la squadra più irresistibile del mondo...

Nel secondo tempo il Rosenborg attacca ma non riesce mai ad infilare il pallone dentro, problema che si è ripetutamente visto durante le ultime partite di campionato. Va bene che questa è un'amichevole, ma è significativo che non siamo cinici in attacco. Una curiosità è data dal cambio di numero di Nicki Bille Nielsen, che ha ceduto il suo numero 9 al nuovo arrivato Riku Riski prendendo il 14.

Mister Hansen inserisce anche molti giovani, uno di loro (Sorloth) arriva vicino al gol di testa, ma la palla da distanza ravvicinata finisce fuori, alta sopra la traversa. 

Il Rosenborg non segna, ma lo fa il Kristiansund, all'80' con Sivertsen: un tiro al volo d'esterno da dentro l'area di rigore che finisce alla sinistra di Hansen (il secondo portiere del Rosenborg). 

Ma il vantaggio dura solo tre minuti, grazie ad una buona azione concretizzata dal destro di Nielsen, che non lascia scampo al portiere.

La partita finisce così, 2-2. Un 2-2 che non lascia né soddisfatti né arrabbiati, uno scialbo 2-2, dovuto soprattutto alla poca cattiveria messa in campo (ma d'altronde era anche normale, dato che era un'amichevole). 

E' anche difficile fare delle considerazioni tecniche, forse l'unica cosa che posso dire è una domanda a mr. Hansen: perché non passare ad un 4-2-3-1? Si è visto anche durante l'anno quanto fosse difficile per il Rosenborg affrontare partite delicate con squadre che si chiudono in difesa, e forse il 4-3-3 non è la soluzione migliore, dato che i tre davanti, come si è visto, si pestano un po' i piedi, e tolgono spazio a Nielsen, che è il giocatore su cui fare affidamento.