Also, Bakke is clearly lying about not having said anything particularly scathing to Phillips, but then what to you expect, the guy is clearly a graceless prat of the highest order.

Of course, today’s situation isn’t quite as extreme as that, but RBK has been keeping on winning even though they’ve had a fair amount of people out for injuries or cards at times. And while the players aren’t the same today as during RBKs high-time dominance (except Roar Strand), the RBK system – a system designed to make RBK fit for the European matches – remains in place; meaning that those guys are at least in less danger of a slump than any other team in our league.

Sivertsen: I’m not sure I’d go quite as far as calling it almost nothing like Stavrum, but at the very least I would say that Bakke’s insistence on the situation being filming, especially considering that it was a very clear foul (even all the moralising journalists agree on this)… You might not use ugly words or phrases as such, but the accusation itself is still nothing less than a huuuge provocation. Shouldn’t there be sanctions for -that- kind of thing?

So yeah, Rekdal might have gone a bit far, but heck, if someone kept on saying one of my players was cheating, when I knew he wasn’t, and when the press around me keep saying the footage shows I’m right… I’m not sure I wouldn’t have said the same thing. And I am usually in control of my own emotions.

I think Rosenborg has the squad dept but playing 2 games a week maybe even 3 sometimes well it will be a challenge. I also don`t think Molde shud be counted out just yet they are 7 points behind but if Rosenborg start messing up then they will be close real fast.

The incident in itself was top top entertainment, especially the video of him attempting to apologize to a sulk-tastic Bakke was priceless. “Eirik, hvor er han? Skal vi sloss?” = Quote of the season so far.

Anyway, that a good observation on the goalkeepers. Looking at Stamatopoulos I _yet again_ have to ask wtf the guys in charge of Tromsø are playing at? Why hand Ramovic that utterly ludicrous contract when you’ve got a keeper like that waiting in the wings? I mean, Ramovic virtually toured the country this winter and everyone said the same thing: “You’re good, but if you think we’re going to pay you 4 mill per year you’re off your trolley mate”. Then Tromsø, being Tromsø, charitably stepped in.

The Braaten thing is another big wtf-moment from the Tromsø-camp, as Al points out. Anyone who saw him play last season could see that the guy has potential, yet they let him go for free and will now end up paying a solid sum to get him back.

No wonder their in such a mess financially.

(and I haven’t even mentioned the bloody Bryan Adams-concert..)

I mean, think about it. The annual “who says the most really outrageous stuff” league is as decided as RBK winning the normal league. Rekdal is miles ahead of his opponents, and as such, it’s just not as fun listening to the other contenders this season, since we know that they can never win anyway. Or as mr. Sivertsen would say it: Who’s going to stop him?

It seems we are now seeing the Tippe teams for what they are, contenders, pretenders or also rans. Most of the fun in the second half will come from teams fighting for the Europa Cup slots and those fighting to stay out of relegation. Tromso is trying to improve their lot by making a bid for Vegaard Bratten. The Alta striker is leading the Adecco in scoring. He was a property of TIL until this year when they let him go on a free transfer. Oops!

Alta says he is not for sell. But, everybody needs money. So if the offer is “right”, Bratten will become one of the first moves to improve the chances for an also ran team.

As far as I could tell, it was pretty much only Brenne’s 1-0 goal for Odd where the keeper could really be blamed as such, and Moldskred made up for it by having several class acts later in the game. And I’m not sure, but it did seem to me the sun -could- have been a bit disturbing as he was trying to figure out exactly where the ball was going.

So, the keepers in the Tippeliga – Norwegian and foreigh – are actually doing well, or at least they’ve stopped the blunder run that seemed to run a bit rampant.

Personally, I think it was more of a statistical fluke, that run. I mean, blunders can and will happen in Tippeligaen, but usually they’re spread out a bit better, and thus not noticed so much. But sometimes it happens all at once, and at that point, the press screams in scandal-type fonts. And now, a few weeks later when things have turned OK again, they pretty much just aknowledge the keepers are doing OK, and hope that we can forget their deafening cries of wolf back then. Something to think about, eh?