comments expresses the writer’s opinions.
THE TABLE IN THE ELITE SERIES – Molde 9, Bodø/Glimt 9, Rosenborg 6 – is a picture of Vålerenga’s dreams and potential as the number one club in Norway’s largest city. That’s where the club wants to be. Everything that is done at Valle is about the way there.
The reality, however, is completely different.
It becomes more and more painful.
The online newspaper shows all of Vålerenga’s matches in the Obos league – get access here!
IT HAS BEEN DONE put a curse on the Intility Arena. It comes in different shapes and colors, comes with different playing styles, but always bears the name away team.
Last year, Vålerenga lost 35 out of 45 points at home.
Two wins in 15 home games was the worst in the Eliteserien.
On top of that, you scored 0–2 for Kristiansund in the decisive playoff final, the result that led to relegation after a penalty kick.
In the OBOS League, Vålerenga has played two home games and lost four out of six points.
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BALL CONTAINER AND PLAYGROUND advantage is on Vålerenga’s side, where the team is able to dominate large parts of the matches. The defining moment of football matches is not.
In the offensive end, the team creates many great scoring chances without scoring.
At the other end, they set the table for the opponent through personal errors and defensive dribbles.
If they are not caught on counterattacks – such as against Sogndal (H) and Raufoss (B) – they give away scores from the free play phase or in a well-established defence.
Against Stabæk, they were lucky to escape with three (1-3).
MortenP
Morten Pedersen is a football and sports commentator and editor and publisher of the football magazine – 4-4-3 Gatelagmagasinet.
OFFENSIVE COULD VÅLERENGA scored a barrel of goals in the second home game of the year, until there were enough chances and big enough. The problem is the abilities in front of goal. It hardly matters how big the chances are. All defenses and goalkeepers played extra well against Vålerenga.
The lack of a goal-scoring striker is, like this time last year, glaring.
The two who have been brought in – Mees Rijks and Ola Kamara – have so far not delivered according to the promotion requirements.
Rijks is a 21-year-old with nine senior caps for the Netherlands, who last year scored five goals in 20 games for the B team of level-2 club Utrecht.
Kamara (34) – who scored zero goals in 12 games for Swedish Häcken in 2023 – has shown through his three appearances why he did not make it in Sweden.
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FOOTBALL TEAMS THAT DON’T scores on playing advantage, will always be fragile. Vålerenga is a hundred times that. What became a problem during Dag-Eilev Fagermo’s last ten games as VIF coach has become a condition under Geir Bakke.
So far, the conclusion is that Vålerenga has at least not improved after the change of coach, even though they got the striker they needed last autumn.
Andrej Ilic’s nine goals in 13 league games did not help them, and now he is in French Lille.
Vålerenga is in the OBOS League, but the problems remain.
Not least on the recruitment side.
See all of the Obos league at Nettavisen – get access here!
YOU MUST NOT win the OBOS League to move up, but you should play home around 58 points to make it as second. The average over the last ten years is 58.2 points.
In 2019, Sandefjord’s second place required 65 points, of which 38 were won at home.
In 2015, Brann moved up with 53 points, 31 of which were won at the Stadium.
Vålerenga moved down because they only won 10 points at home.
Although there is comfort in the promotion average of 58.2, I have a feeling that the persistent home statistics keep Geir Bakke and the club management awake at night.
The online newspaper shows Lyn – Vålerenga – watch the match here!