[Wally]

With NAC most likely to face Rosenborg first up in the intertoto cup in the weekend of the 19th.

Honestly what are Rosenborg doing in the intertoto cup? don't they win the Norwegian league every single year?

 

[Andor]

Guess not

 

[Slagathor]

How low do you have to sink to score an Intertoto spot in the Norwegian league? 3rd?

 

[Knoert]

Hmm not that bad...

Probably they'll both get knocked out after their first matches I think.

http://www.rsssf.com/tablesn/noo07.html

 

[RosenborgFan]

Rosenborg should go through after the 3-1 win away to Ekranas.

Even though our performances in the domestic league have been quite bad ever since we won the championship in November 2006, I don't think there have been more optimism around Rosenborg since our great 2003 season.

Erik Hamrén
The main reason for this, is the big trust in our new coach Erik Hamrén. The Swede made Aalborg champions in Denmark last season, and seems to have some really good ideas for how to take Rosenborg back to the top.

In deep contrast to most of the other 6(!) head coaches succeeding legandary Nils Arne Eggen, who retired in 2002, Hamrén has good experience from other big clubs after Scandinavian standards, e.g. AIK. Experience is essential for being respected and "untouchable" in a club with stronge traditions like Rosenborg.

Unstable youngsters
Our biggest challenge is the low average age of the players; just around 23 years in some matches this season. Our performances and results are far to unstable due to the lack of experience. The two wins against Valencia in the Champions League (videos: home match | away match) proved the potential of our young team. Meanwhile we touched the bottom when losing against 3rd level club Kristiansund in the domestic cup a few weeks ago.

Seven years ago RBK were ranked as the 35th best on the UEFA club ranking. The club wants to repeat history, but it is far to go.

After spending most of the prize monies from our 10 first seasons in the Champions League (1995-2002, 2004 and 2005 -watch video highlights!) on rebuilding our stadium and signing expensive, older players, Rosenborg now (again) have begun prioritizing developing own, local players.

Local players
Our two reserve/U19 teams, RBK2 and RBK3, are playing in regular senior leagues, Norwegian 2nd and 3rd division, and are packed with players representing Norway on U15-U19 levels. When Rosenborg knocked AC Milan out of the Champions League in 1996, 9 of 11 players in the starting line-up were from the Trondheim area. This is not likely to happen again in a globalized world of football, but hopefully the basis of future teams will be local players with a big heart for Rosenborg.

On the first team, Per Ciljan Skjelbred and Alexander Tettey, are well established on our midfield, and they are looked upon as the team's future "grand old men".

New signings
Other young players like Vadim Demidov (defender/midfielder), Kris Stadsgaard (defender) and Rune Jarstein (goalkeeper) were signed this winter, and they have already proved their potential.

Our young Ivorian trio - Abdou Traoré, Didier Konan and Yssouf Koné (the latter is soon leaving for Cluj) have also begin to settle. Watch this cool interview!

Nevertheless we need some experience too, and we will be looking for some new, more established players when the Norwegian transfer window opens 1 August. A new striker should replace Koné and we might need another defender and a new winger.

In the moment Fulham are trying to sign Fredrik Stoor, but the right-back will most likely finish off the Intertoto Cup before leaving - if the deal goes through.

Injury update
Next Sunday we will be missing one regular player, Stadsgaard (knee). John Pelu (thigh), Juska Savolainen (foot) and maybe Christer Basma (ancle) are also out. Strand is still the team captain even though he is not a regular in the team anymore. This is his 18th and last season for Rosenborg - a true club legend! He will act like a super-sub (already proved against arch rivals Molde) until he retires in November.

Even though we still are hoping to fight for the medals (even gold) in the league, Rosenborg are really keen on getting to the UEFA Cup, somehow saving a so far poor season. Last year our good European campaign did comfort.

Watch Champions League highlights:
- Qualifying rounds against Astana and Tampere
- Group stage against Chelsea, Schalke and Valencia

In other words: NAC Breda will face a regular RBK line-up:

Rune Jarstein

Fredrik Stoor - Vadim Demidov - Alejandro Lago - Roy Miller

Marek Sapara - Per Ciljan Skjelbred - Alexander Tettey - Abdou Traoré

Yssouf Koné - Steffen Iversen​

By the way, here are some photos for you:

Rosenborg - Vålerenga 1999

Rosenborg - Molde 1999

Rosenborg - Feyenoord 1999

Rosenborg - Borussia Dortmund 1999

Rosenborg - Brøndby 2002

Rosenborg - Lyn 2004 (celebrating the league title)

Rosenborg - Sundsvall 2005

Aalesund - Rosenborg 2005

Rosenborg - Lyn 2005

Sandefjord - Rosenborg 2006

Lillestrøm - Rosenborg 2007

Rosenborg - Lyn 2007

 

[Wally]

Good read. Thanks for that, RosenborgFan :thumbsup:

Hope they'll screen the game in some shape or form overhere as it's been some time since I've seen you guys.

If you got any questions about NAC btw feel free to ask, although I'm not sure if it's necessary since you seem so well informed about stuff

 

[Knoert]

Great info Rosenborgfan!

Two questions, Rosenborg are like making a new start if I understand it well, but untill now they're still suffering in the league, it's not because you lack quality?
I mean... you're just fifth in the league table and lost versus HamKam who're bottom .
Second one, who's your main rival in Norway?

Normally Rosenborg should quite easy beat NAC I think, while Rosenborg are in serious competition NAC just started with their pre-season campaign...

Also, I think I prefer Rosenborg to win instead of NAC, but that's perhaps something personal, hehe.

 

[RosenborgFan]

I don't think no. 5 in Norway is big favourites against no. 3 in Netherlands... But the 2nd leg match is played in Trondheim and we're in regular season. Therefore it might be 50/50 or maybe 55/45 in our favour.

If we call stability for a "quality", we lack quality. Our top level is great, but when we hit the bottom as against Kristiansund and HamKam, we are very bad.

Molde and Lillestrøm are our "hate" clubs, while Brann is kind of arch rivals because of 1000 years of rivality between Trondheim and Bergen.

How many spectators are expected on the match in Breda next Saturday?

 

[Andor]

A full house

 

[Slagathor]

I don't think no. 5 in Norway is big favourites against no. 3 in Netherlands...

Don't let their 3rd place finish throw sand in your eyes. NAC completely imploded during the end-of-season play-offs which suggest they don't know how to perform in a knock-out competition (which makes sense because they extremely rarely make it into Europe and have no experience with these things as a result). They also lost some key players and their coach. I have zero faith in the new guy who has everything to prove.

Rosenborg to win quite comfortably.

 

[RosenborgFan]

Which key players have left?

And are you kidding me, or will there be 17 000 against Rosenborg? That's impressive! Don't think more than 6-8000 will meet up at the return leg in Trondheim anyways.

 

[Slagathor]

Which key players have left?

Off the top of my head: Victor Sikora, Rogier Molhoek and Anthony Lurling. Most importantly though, their coach Ernie Brands left and he is, like, 90% of why they were good last season.

And are you kidding me, or will there be 17 000 against Rosenborg? That's impressive! Don't think more than 6-8000 will meet up at the return leg in Trondheim anyways.

Well NAC don't play in Europe very often.

 

[Andor]

And it's not like there is anything else to do in Breda

 

[Wally]

Off the top of my head: Victor Sikora, Rogier Molhoek and Anthony Lurling. Most importantly though, their coach Ernie Brands left and he is, like, 90% of why they were good last season.

Sikora and important? "p

Losing Molhoek and Lurling will hurt but if Maaskant keeps the somewhat deeplying hardworking formation which relies on Amoah's (and formerly Lurling's) pace on the break, then they still should do well. Should they think that they're great and all of a sudden try to play total football with wave after wave of attack, then they'll get embarrassed.

Rosenborg will win btw. This is no kidology or anything. NAC really are a team of journeymen players who no top 4 club in Holland wants, whom like Slagathor said, performed above their level.

 

[RosenborgFan]

Has Anthony Lurling left? He's still listed @ nac.nl...

NAC will no doubt be the hardest opponent for Rosenborg, trying to get to the group stage. In 2nd qual. round and 1st round we will be seeded.

 

[Wally]

Lurling hasn't left yet. The latest talk (according to BN/de Stem) is that he'll actually extend his contract at NAC and reject an offer from Heerenveen.

I actually wouldn't be surprised. Afterall his career was on the way down after not doing much at Feyenoord, FC Köln and Den Bosch. NAC more or less rescued him and gave him a platform to perform again at the highest level. Why leave when he's finally seemed to "find a home". Even if Heerenveen was a side he did perform at like 8 years ago, it obviously is a completely different side and set-up now.

 

[RosenborgFan]

Will the match be broadcasted live on Dutch TV?

Some videos by the way:
Ekranas - Rosenborg 1-3
Rosenborg - Ekranas 4-0

 

[RosenborgFan]

By the way: What is the stadium capacity on Saturday when only seats are being sold - no terraces?

 

[Slagathor]

The NAC stadium is an all-seater I think, so I'm not sure what you're getting at :undecide:

Will the match be broadcasted live on Dutch TV?

I think it's on the local television station of the province of Brabant, but not on national television.

 

[Slagathor]

Will NAC Breda manage to reach the UEFA Cup by beating Rosenborg?

33% Yes
67% No

3351 votes

Source: http://www.vi.nl/

Sounds about right.