What's wrong with Rosenborg?
By Thomas Myren, 5 September 2005, 11:06
There is of course no easy answer to this. First I have to say that Rosenborg have been worsened every year since our great 1999 season. This have not changed over the night (as a Norwegian saying says).
IN BAD MOOD: Roar Strand and Vidar Riseth are two of the veterans feeling sorry for Rosenborg's performances this year.
Photo: Thomas Myren
I think the players' mentality is the biggest problem. They don't agree on this themselves, but it is easy to see that some/many (varies a bit) of them in some games are not willing to give everything. It seems like many of them is well satisfied by being signed by Rosenborg and given good wages (after Norwegian standard). They have in some way achieved what they wanted in their career. For a true supporter it is really depressing to see well-paid players don't give 100%.
At the same time the board, president (Snuruås), CEO (Skutle) and sports director (Bratseth) have been acting arrogantly. They wanted Trond Sollied Sollied to replace legandary Nils Arne Eggen already in 2003, but Aage Hareide proved to be a good hiring. When he left for the national team, the trouble began.
The bosses once more said Sollied was their first choice, but since he was not interested moving home, assistant coach Ola By Rise was hired in front of the 2004 season. He did a good season, securing the league title and qualifying to the Champions League, but the bosses never gave him full confidence. This affected the players, and in the end By Rise was sacked.
Then it was a reprise: Again Sollied was asked, and there were negotiations in Belgium in October/November last year. But again Sollied turned the offer down, and By Rise's assitant Per Joar Hansen was hired. He is/was a pretty good coach, but not as good as his predecessors. He did some tactically wrong decisions during games which we loss, and soon the board was not able to hide their mistrust and openly began the search for a new coach.
On Friday 5 August Per-Mathias Hoegmo secretly signed a contract starting 1 January. I think Hansen knew this, and after the 1-2 loss for Lillestroem, he withdrew from his position, giving Hoegmo his job.
Hoegmo seems like a much better coach than Hansen, and hopefully he will make some necessary changes. What I like the best, is that he is saying that he wants to take a closer look on Skutle and Bratseth's roles in the club. This leader duo has not done their job good enough in my eyes, but Hoegmo is the first having enough guts to tell them.
