elite series, table tips | Wants changes in Norwegian football. After a season drive with Odd, he is in no doubt:
Pål Arne «Paco» Johansen about the «new» Odd, the season card video which went viral and the debate around a new league structure.
TABLE TIPS ELITE SERIES:
13th place: Odd
SKIEN (Nettavisen):– After a disappointing last year’s season, you’ve got the job of raising Odd. What do you think of your team in your first season?
– It is that we will appear as a splash of color in white and black, who plays positive attacking football, who plays, develops our players to the top at both national and international level. That is what we are going for, at the same time as we through it make the Odd arrow point upwards again. We are very aware that we were the last of those who survived in the Elite Series last year, and that three hungry layers are coming up. Getting the arrow to point in the right direction means that we will do better than last year, and I think we will do that.
– After you came in, there is a lot of talk about the “new” Odd. How would you describe your football philosophy?
– It is a philosophy where the creative and attacking game is central, but it is also important to have a positive approach to the defensive game and a lot of high pressure. Perhaps more important here is that I am very busy and love people. There are some things like in a football day that must apply to everyone, but I am also very busy cultivating the unique in the individual. In a way that we have to play in a way and «setup», every single player can be colorless and colorless. I am very busy facilitating that. We are also very busy training at high speed and training a lot on what we have to do in battle. We break the way we want to play into bigger or smaller pieces, and practice it every day at the highest possible speed.
– When you were introduced as an Odd coach, it was one man you wanted to have on the coaching team of Amir Roland Iranmanesh, in the role of personal developer. Can you be a little about the background and importance of him in the team?
– A bit of the background is that when I was national team coach, we did quite well. But the team we started lifting trophies with when Amir was there as a player. On national teams, you have to bring a doctor, but there are only healthy players there. The doctor does very little “healing”. It does pretty much other things. Amir is a natural personal developer. People become better versions of themselves by being with him. The rest of us in the team are very concerned about the players as players and what they have to deliver, while Amir has a very fine ability to see them as whole people and see totally. He’s out practicing with people, he’s with them at home, talking to one of the parents and caring about the whole package. And then he knows football very well and understands processes very well. So it’s getting the focus twisted a bit away from results and career, to process and development, it’s very good at.
– It should not take long in a new job before you end up in the spotlight, with a season ticket video that attracted attention. How did you experience it?
– I’m not on social media, so I did not experience much more than with the exception of Åmund (SoMe manager). He said we had to make a little “gig” so we just recorded it there. Then it became popular, but I do not mean that it alone is like people wanting to buy season tickets. But everything that contributes is positive. It was a little fun, all that stuff there.
– Which player on your team is it worth keeping an extra eye on this season?
– I think there are more that are worth following extra. I have been very pleasantly surprised at how many exciting and colorful players there are here. Many of those who have experienced a great deal of adversity, both through life and career, have had a small turn on it. It’s a very fascinating bunch, but pulling one out is going to be a little difficult.
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– Who’s your sports idol?
– That was a big question. I am fascinated by all athletes who manage to think about themselves. Whether it is putting the team ahead of the hunt, or whether it is to get involved as many do now during the war in Ukraine. I admire those who have the surplus to do so. Also those who take their careers very far, like Tom Brady, who manages to stay fit until they are over 40. Espen Ruud is a good example of someone who has the pure motivation, who loves to do his sport and does it off. the reason.
– With you as sports manager in NTF (Norwegian Top Football), it will be known in November that it is possible for a new league structure in Norwegian men’s football, with playoffs as an alternative. Can you say a little about your views on it?
– I am passionate about Norwegian football to do better internationally, both our national teams and clubs for women and men. Therefore, I think it is very gratifying with what Molde did last year and Bodø / Glimt does this year in Europe. I think for a long time we have slowed it down a bit. We are completely dependent on the best teams doing well in Europe, and then we have to look at what we can do to optimize the opportunity. And then I have put, who have mostly just been doing international football, that the teams that are comparable to us, in Denmark for example or Serbia and Croatia, which are not so much populous countries, that they have done better than us internationally. Many of them have the playoffs.
– Her we play 30 matches. They do in Sweden and, but there are no other countries that we can compare ourselves with that play so few league games. So point one is that we must have more competitive matches. I came to Odd on January 25th and we played our first match on March 13th. For my part, it was a far too long driveway. But I am very happy to compete, so I would like us in Norwegian football to have a shorter warm-up and / or more intense match program. At least more competitive matches – I’m for that. It is clear that we will get better from being in Molde and playing a counting match against them, even if we were to play a training match. And I think we must realize that in Norwegian football. That if we are to get better, then we must compete.
Drillo is among those who have shaken their heads over possible playoffs. Do you understand the skepticism?
– I understand the arguments on both sides, and I experience that it may have been an excessive focus on playoffs, as opposed to it with more competitive matches. Because I think the vast majority agree with that. I was a facilitator in this, so all the clubs were mixed with a desire for more competitive matches. But how are the different ways of looking. I think there is no doubt that the playoffs will sharpen the competition. The experience from Denmark suggests that, and Denmark has done very well in Europe now. And Ståle Solbakken, who was also against it when it came to Denmark, has reached it after having taken part in it. So the question is whether we should give it a try. In the biggest leagues they have not played the final game, but there they have several teams which is a way to do it. The other is that the teams that are already with play against each other. It is in a way to enable.
– Back to Odd: What answer did you get in the training matches, as well as the cup match against Molde?
– I think we have played a football where we have had the ball the most and created the most. They have given us answers that we are on the right path. At the same time, we have stated that at times we have struggled and not taken on the fights in all phases, so it has gone up and down a bit. So I feel that they have given us answers that we are on our way, we are about to be color-clad in white and black, but there are still many jobs left before it is full and complete, and not just piecemeal and divided .
– Are you satisfied with the coverage in the team now or can we expect any more signings before the start of the season?
– Back now we have very good coverage. We have that so far in the future and, but we are considering whether we should season with a player or more. But we only do that if we find the right candidates. I feel we are powerful already, so we’ll see on the run-up side if we make any more adjustments.
TRANSITIONS
INN:
Abel Stensrud (Skeid)
Jesper Skau (professional contract)
Dennis Gjengaar (professional contract)
Ivan Mesik (North Zealand, loan)
Josef Baccay (Lillestrøm)
OUT:
Emil Jonassen (contract expired)
Eirik Asante Gay (IK Brage)
Bjørn Mæland (Egersund)
Kristoffer Larsen (contract expired)
Elias Skogvoll (Tromsdalen)
Sander Svendsen (Odense, back from loan)
Thomas Hallstensen (Egersund)
Markus André Kaasa (Molde)
ODDS TRAINING MATCHES:
February 6: Odd – Lyngby 0-1
February 18: Odd – Jerv 3-1 (Lauritsen 2, Jørgensen)
March 5: Odd – Strømsgodset 3-2 (Lauritsen, Owusu, Hagen)
March 20: BK Häcken – Odd 1-2 (Lauritsen, Rólantsson)