Football Season Guide

Viking were quite sensational for most of last season as they improved consistently after a mixed start of the campaign and by the end were probably the second best in the division after champions Bodø/Glimt. That third-placed finish earned them a second European campaign in the space of the last three seasons and they will look to cherish it and give it as good a go as they can after not doing too well back in 2020. Coach Bjarte Aarsheim won plaudits last season in his first season as a first-team manager as he really brought the best of a talented but not exactly spectacular squad, amplifying their strengths and keeping everyone grounded. He will look to use the building blocks from last season to keep the team performing at a similar level and indeed the squad lost one truly important first-team player in Joe Bell. He is hardly an irreplaceable force as well and the coach will have confidence that players like new signing Markus Solbakken or Samuel Fridjonsson can step up and provide energy and drive from midfield. The defence and the front three are looking pretty settled and overall Viking look much like a side that is ready to make a flying start and keep up the great work from last year. The one worrying thing at the moment for the Stavanger club is that main striker Veton Berisha is being chased by Swedish side Hammarby and may well leave before April 1. But as long as he stays, Viking certainly look like a force to be reckoned with the amount of firepower they have.