Football Season Guide

Tromso had a massively underwhelming second half of the season and struggled for cutting edge and anything different against teams accustomed to their specific style of play. Finished in the bottom half of the table after initially looking like an outside shop for a European spot. Now the challenge for the tactically clever and also quite eloquent coach Simo Valakari is to make real progress and show that he can adapt with a team that still has some good players. The Northerners lost their most creative and consistently impressive player of the last two seasons in Gjermund Asen and he is close to impossible to replace in the system that is used by the coach. Signed a few mostly unknown players but left-back Juha Purinen seems to come with the pedigree of a likely starter over the course of the season. Brayan Rojas may prove an inspired signing too as the Costa Rican has struck 11 goals in just 17 games in the local league last year. Otherwise, the hopes are that Runar Espejord comes back fit and firing after missing the whole second half of last season, having done very well early on. Tromsø have the capacity to do quite well but will need to find the spark and energy in some players who have frittered away and show more desire and drive when things do not go their way.