Football Season Guide

Lillestrøm had a pretty good season last year and were firmly in the race for the title until the halfway point, before the mighty Molde eventually pulled clear and left everyone in their wake. The team showed real growth and maturity at times but the lack of genuine options off the bench when injuries began to bite was their undoing. Now manager Geir Bakke starts the season with what is almost a brand-new squad as the majority of the regular starting 11 from last season have moved on to new adventures. Losing players like Igoh Ogbu, Frederik Holst, Ifeanyi Matthew and Kaan Karinen means that the spine of the side that impressed so much last season is now gone and uncertainty lies ahead as to whether Bakke can recreate the same magic. To be fair, Lillestrøm have signed well and been quite active in the off season as players like Vebjørn Hoff, Ruben Gabrielsen and Andreas Vindheim are in the upper echelon for a division like Eliteserien and they all have the ability to massively elevate the level of the squad. At the same time, experienced pair Gjermund Asen and Thomas Lehne Olsen provide a bit of continuity in the final third and will look to find their best form again after an up-and-down 2022 for both of them. Overall, this Lillestrøm side looks quite good and on current level may well compete for a spot in the top four again. The one main concern is the too many few faces and whether they can gel quickly enough but the coach will feel confident in getting them up to speed quickly.