Brann 3 – 1 Lillestrøm
So, put yourself in Henning Berg’s shoes for a minute. You’re trying to radically rejuvenate an aging team by bringing through a bunch of youngsters at the same time. Your team hasn’t played terribly, but you still find yourself without a win so far this season. What you need at this point is a bit of luck, for something, anything, to break your way. What you specifically do not need is one of your most senior players picking up two soft yellow cards in two minutes and getting himself sent off just 32 minutes into the game.
Henning Berg showed in the beginning of his managerial career an almost Wenger-esque tendency to whinge and make up excuses when his team lost, but he gradually shunned that particularly annoying habit. The man deserves great credit for the way he has handled himself publicly during Lillestrøm’s unfortunate start to the season. They haven’t been great, but they have been nowhere near as poor as three points in seven games would suggest either. “We’ve played seven games now, and all the games have been tight and even. We haven’t been good enough to decide them and to defend ourselves. Some times a team gets into a slump like that, but we’re going to work our way out of it”, Berg concluded after the game. He could just as easily (and justifiably) blamed key refereeing-decisions, which have gone against them in several in those seven games. Other managers in this league, and any other league for that matter, should be taking notes.
There are two ways of looking at Brann’s last two results. One possibility is that they’ve just hit upon poor opposition (Bodø/Glimt are heading for a relegation-fight and Lillestrøm are winless), but there is also the possibility that with players returning to full fitness, we’re starting to see Brann as Steinar Nilsen intended them this season. The boys form Bergen had a torrid time in pre-season, with injury and illness disrupting much of their preparations. Now, with almost everyone fit and firing, we’re seeing a Brann-team that looks almost vaguely balanced.
In Tijan Jaiteh and Rodolph Austin they have what Brann were lacking for all of 2008, namely a midfield-pairing with a good blend of aggression and ability. Up front the predatory powers of David Nielsen combined with Erik Huseklepp’s unorthodox but increasingly effective ways is starting to look like a dangerous combination indeed, and at the back Håkon Opdal is starting to look like a keeper whose name can be mentioned in connection with the national team again — without everyone else breaking down in a fit of the giggles.
Of course, it could just be that the teams they’ve played were rubbish. We’re not ruling that one out.
..on the ongoing discussion about Erik Huseklepp, it’s hard not to feel that he is suffering a bit from the Peter Crouch-syndrome. Because he doesn’t really look like a footballer and moves in a very strange way, some people don’t take him as seriously as they should. Huseklepp isn’t your traditional winger, he’s a lanky fellow with possibly the highest center of gravity in world football. Also, and this probably sounds like a childish observation, he has rather effeminate mannerisms. Add the fact that he used to randomly fall over all the time, and it’s not hard to see why it easy to ignore the good work he does and laugh at the fact that he looks silly while doing it. You can’t really argue with his last few performances though, and with a goal, an assist and several moments of excellence tonight in front of visiting scouts, he probably didn’t do any damage to his possibilities of securing a move abroad.
May 1st, 2009 at 12:56 am
Yeah i admit he had some good moves today but still hes got what 4 goals in 60 games or so not really a fearfully dangerous strike rate.
I suppose you could argue he is not a striker but comperd with the better midfieldwea the league i don`t think he is that impressive.
And its not like he is that young either so he cant really be called a young talent.
Maybe he will become a quality player but for now he is just hype.
May 1st, 2009 at 1:26 am
Haha, I think the Lillestrøm-defenders would disagree that he’s “just hype”.
I don’t think anyone seriously believes he’s the finished article yet, but in spite of his age he’s made massive strides since last season and if he keeps improving he could well turn into a serious player.
May 1st, 2009 at 1:33 am
Brann was lucky. Just like their last match in Bodø. **** you sk brann
Now there children, play nice now. – Admin
May 1st, 2009 at 10:40 am
As the saying goes every dog has his day. Any player can have a good game now and then trick is playing consistently at a hige lvl
But your rigth he migth become a quality player if he is abel to reach his potensial but that can be said for many players. And at 25 its not like anyone is going to sign him as a prospect.
I guess part of my annoys with Husklepp is that players seem to remain “talents” for very long in Norway. Wile in most other leagues your not really considered a talent past 21.
`Look at Moa at VIF he is what 24 and supposedly a hot new young talent sorry to say it but at 24 your close to ideal football age not to talent age.
I remember talking to a united fan about Moa and he said that Moa looked like a bad investment as he would expect a 23 year old to be able to play regularly and not be signed as a prospect.
May 1st, 2009 at 11:10 am
Unarguably, Huseklepp is not your typical Norwegian footballer. He combines speed and agility with an increasingly feel for the game.
His best position on the pitch is not as a striker, though; in my opininon, his best position is on the left flank. He causes quite a stir when he takes on players one-on-one on the flanks, proven yesterday by the sending off of Riseth, the most experienced player on the pitch.
I have no doubts that he’ll sign for a European club in the future, but his best move would be to stay with SK BRANN this season and next. He’s a type of player who needs trust from the manager over time to develop and play his best, and it’s doubtful that he’ll get that in a top European league.
At the moment, he’s a gem and a crowd pleaser in the Norwegian Tippeliga, and I hope they are able to keep him in SK BRANN for a long time.
May 1st, 2009 at 1:57 pm
Yeah he can dribble but can he cross a flanker that cant cross is not much good.
May 1st, 2009 at 2:16 pm
Lars: Hey, it works for Aaron Lennon.
Also, that part of his game has definitely improved over the last year.
I take your point about you not really being a “talent” at 25, but I think in football age is relative to the progress of your development. Players like Huesklepp and Moa are clearly making strides and developing even though they’re both well into their twenties. If both those two were to stop improving and play at the level they are right now for the rest of their careers I agree none of them would have any business playing abroad or internationally. Also, you get late bloomers like that in other leagues as well, it’s not strictly a Norwegian thing.
Again, just look at the improvements Huseklepp has made to his game just since last season. If he can keep radically improving as a player like that then you have to consider him a good prospect, even if he is five years to old to fit into the “young and promising”-category.
May 1st, 2009 at 2:45 pm
I’m going to change my name to Lars before I contribute to this debate.
May 1st, 2009 at 7:03 pm
Well, I leave town for a few days Brann finds new life and our NFN guru finds life better than ever. If they keep this up, your top five pick for Brann may be spot on. But we will see ….. .
BTW One of your favorite northern Adecco defenders injured his ankle in the game Tuesday. He was subbed off at half time and will not travel this weekend. I understand he’ll be ready to go before the NM Cup matches start.
May 1st, 2009 at 8:50 pm
great blog!
May 2nd, 2009 at 4:54 pm
I actually saw him pick up that injury live on telly, I’ll have you know.
As I wrote in the piece, I’m not entirely sure if this is Brann coming good or if it’s Brann playing crap opposition. Only time will tell on that one..
May 6th, 2009 at 1:39 pm
On the Huseklepp debate: No, you can’t really argue with his contribution in the last game. And compared to Tippeliga standards, he is fast, and a great dribbler. But seeing as he needs two hundred yards of wide open space in front of the goal to score, I’m not sure that he merits his place as an attacker. As a winger, he could probably do well, if he wasn’t so hopeless in defence, which is probably why he’s being played as forward.
But at least he managed to actually hit Nielsen with a pass this time. If that’s not improvement, I don’t know what is.
May 6th, 2009 at 4:31 pm
Spot on.
People couldn’t understand why Mons Ivar Mjelde kept picking Solli and Vaagan Moen ahead of him, but considering overlapping fullbacks were a huge part of Mjelde’s gameplan for Bann it’s pretty obvious..
I think Brann can “afford” to play him up front even if he doesn’t score a lot, they’ve got potential goalscorers on both flanks and in the middle, and it looks like him and David Nielsen have struck up a pretty good connection..