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The VAR debate will continue, and I have no doubt protests like this will be seen in more matches going forward.
Terribly. They've gone from managerial change to managerial change without success, leading them to go down the route of the young but inexperienced head coach which we see several top clubs do these days – not because it's "fashionable" but because it was their only real option.
I think Alfred Johansson's ideas and what he wants the team to look like is in line with what Rosenborg should be, but the player material however… From Bendtner and Samuel Adegbenro and beating Ajax not that many years ago, they're now a shadow of themselves, currently 13th in the league, and looking like a team that might actually get relegated.
I really don't know how they can fix this, as they don't have the money to buy better players, the players they do have (with just one exception, maybe two) are not good enough and don't have any value in the market, and they can't draw a big name manager or players to the club looking like they do today. A shambles from top to bottom, and probably one of those rare occasions where the head coach is the least of the issues.
For those interested, here's how the VAR drama unfolded:
As for my own preferred teams:
- Anderlecht: on the way back to the top, last year one of the title contenders, hope they can go the extra mile next year.
- Lazio: terrible Serie A season last year, but a good CL campaign. Lost Sergej, Luis Alberto and Immobile the last two seasons. New signings look good, I think they can be a surprise package in this year's Serie A.
- Sampdoria: missed out on promotion last year after a poor season start. Not sure where they stand now, I am sure though that this jersey should always be in Serie A.
- Sparta Prague: back in the driver's seat in Czechia with back-to-back titles. The coach left but I hope they can find their way back into the CL group stage this year nonetheless, it's been almost 20 years now...
Anderlecht and Lazio are "household names" for me, and although I don't follow Jupiler Pro League or Serie A closely, they are teams I look for when I browse through the European league tables.
Sampdoria and Sparta Prague aren't team I have much knowledge about though, but there's one very obvious connection with Sparta Prague and Rosenborg: Bořek Dočkal played for both teams, and he was a great player for Rosenborg. Just the type of player they could have needed now!
Oh yes! I remember Dočkal! There's another connection, they peaked in the CL as outsiders in the same period, 90's and early 2000's....
This is indeed the case for many former greats, such as Göteborg, Steaua, Red Star or indeed Anderlecht, or Sampdoria.
I much prefer former greats to the new money of the likes of PSG though, so I always hope to see them do well in the European cups.
I applaud you, Sir :) I do the same with Rosenborg and I hope they can find their old form again. Wishing them, and you, the best of luck!
That's a good point, and something I miss is the more modern era of football. The money in football these days means we are unlikely to see teams like Rosenborg and Sparta Prague compete in the CL…
Göteborg is another good example. I don't watch that many Swedish league games each season, but Göteborg have been struggling for a long time. They recently appointed Stefan Billborn as their new head coach, who came from the same role at Sarpsborg 08 here in Norway. That is hardly an exciting choice, and really just shows that their ambition these days is to be a mid table team at best – which can also be said of Sarpsborg 08…
Likewise with you and Anderlecht and Lazio! These two teams, along with the other teams you mentioned above, are teams that fills me with nostalgia about how the football map in Europe used to look like, before the days of Man City and PSG.
Haha, you and me both! Also regarding modern football, someone made a point on Twitter earlier this year, that you wouldn't see a player like Ronaldinho in modern football. A dribbler and entertainer like that wouldn't find a way into a team like Man City, where everything is about being so effective. Pep would go crazy watching a player like that doing his own thing!
That's a shame, but I think that's what it's all about these days. It's all about discipline. Unfortunately.
Indeed it is. It's very evident when you look up player compilations on Youtube for example. Look up early to mid late 2000's, and you'll see players that were very much entertainers, like Ronaldinho. If you look up a player compilations of modern footballers, it's more about clinical finishing, the ability to hold the ball, passing it to the next player, and things like that. To put it like this: a compilation featuring Haaland will never be as exciting as one with Ronaldinho.
I have always had a soft spot for the minnows in sky blue. Well, I'm probably their only fan from outside the Italian-speaking countries.
I've seen them lose 13-0 to Germany and 10-0 to England, but this time they won! So happy! Forza San Marino!
Today, what is probably the best ever Norwegian side only managed 0-0 away against Kazakhstan in Nations League. With head coach Ståle Solbakken we are unlikely to see this generation of players qualify for an international tournament.
Definately a season of transition this year. Team was too old last season, exciting to see so much young talent coming into the club, regardless of whether they are loan or permanent deals.
I like what Ben Knapper and Manager Johannes Hoff Thorup are looking to achieve. :-bd
I've been following i Titani for years and this just fills me with joy :)
In general I'm inclined to agree with you but...
Hang on a minute, Lionel Messi is still playing on this earth and has been as good a dribbler in his time as anyone who ever played the beautiful game, and he played for Pep.
And what about Jeremy Doku?
Wikipedia says
"Doku is most known for his elite dribbling skills, flair and trickery. His low centre of gravity, body control, unpredictable footwork and rapid change of pace has helped him become one of the world's most effective forwards in one-on-one situations."
Admittedly Pep is apparently planning to sell him this summer, but I believe that is more because he doesn't score enough goals, rather than that he doesn't like his dribbling skills.
Part of Man City's downfall has been that they used to have a number of goal scoring wingers (Maharez, Jesus, Sterling, Sane) but now they don't (Grealish, Doku, Savinho)
So don't worry, players of Ronaldino's quality will always find there way into any team and always will, as long as they don't over do the nightlife!
As a Rosenborg fan I obviously hate Bodø/Glimt's success. They have done everything right in recent years, as opposed to Rosenborg, which have just fallen from their throne in brutal fashion.
I think they stand a decent chance against a struggling Spurs too. They might have bigger names, but Bodø/Glimt is a proper team, which is more than you can say about Spurs at the moment.
I'm really not so sure. A lot of the teams I see today, are more about filling roles and structure, than "freestyling" individualists and dribblers. Jeremy Doku is a good dribbler, but he certainly lacks in a lot of the other elements that make a great player – not just finding the net. He might come good of course, but I have my doubts it will be at City.
Who knows, but he can certainly dribble
I agree the "tikki-takka" style, aspired to by so many teams these days, does not encourage dribbling, along with the economic imbalance between Europe and South America, which means that not only all the mature South America star players, but increasingly younger up and coming talent, are drawn to play in Europe for financial reasons, means that players are taken out of their native football cultures, which may have encouraged more individual play, into more structured systems, which may be to the detriment of the entertainment value of the game.
It's no-ones fault, everyone wants the best players they can get and those in poorer countries want financial security for themselves and their families, but from a broader footballing perspective in encourages a homogeneity of playing style.
For example, I can't help feeling someone like Richarlison might be developing better at home in Brazil, rather than playing sporadicaly ar Spurs.
On the other hand, Messi turned out fine, being an amazing dribbler despite being at the home of "tikki-takka" since he was a teen.