Post by bigfudge on Apr 15, 2015 14:08:11 GMT
The Rolvsøy IF team begin their season this coming Tuesday and I've decided to catch up with CH's resident Viking and find out about his thoughts and feelings building up to the big kick off.....
Are you happy with how your pre-season has gone?
I am quite happy with how things have gone but not as prepared as I would have liked. We have had quite a large injury list which has hampered our progress somewhat and we only finished building our squad last week as well. I am happy however that throughout pre-season all of the teams we have played have been from a higher level and I hope that the players have learned from that and can inject what they've learned into all aspects of our games this season.
In the Norwegian media Rolvsøy have been written off this season. Are you confident that the players can repeat last years excellent achievements and avoid relegation?
Our ambition first and foremost is to remain in the division, however it is also very important to us that we use every single game to grow and develop our players and the result isn't the be all and end all. It will be a hard season for sure but if we fight hard every week, I think we can surprise a few people.
Which players names should we look out for this year?
I honestly believe that we have the best goalkeeper in the league, Vebjørn Sahlin. We also have some exciting young players, I have particularly high hopes for Martin Samuelsen, Trond Jensen and Sindre Luther. One of our newest additions, Artur Faranshuk, is a very high quality player that will give us some solidity in defence.
It is very difficult to just pick out a few players though as the team performance is the most important thing. Everyone must be at their best if we are to achieve the results we want.
What kind of game will you be wanting your team to play and have you learned any lessons from your time in Stockport that you will be trying to implement into your league games?
We want to consistently have more possession than any opposition that we play and we want to defend tight and try and dominate the game across the entire pitch. We are currently working hard on our counter-attacks and judging when it is best to try and counter and when it's best to hold possession. It is also crucial that we are a hard working team that will never give up.
We learned an awful lot from our time in Stockport but I don't think we will be able to use it in our games very much as it is a completely different style of football than we are used to, I was very impressed with the attitude and work ethic of our English opponents though and will be trying to use that for our upcoming season.
Do you think the Stockport Tour has helped the squad in more ways than just a training session? Has it brought the lads closer together like you were hoping?
Definitely! The whole group are much closer now and this is evidenced in our last game, even though we played terribly we were trailing 5-1 and brought it back to 5-5 which I believe showed a great team spirit we have perhaps lacked in the past. I think the Stockport Tour has changed the entire mentality of the squad for the better.
How did the lads respond to the support they received during the tour and what did they think of the town in general?
The support was absolutely great and the lads really did appreciate it and, apart from the questionable hotel, the trip was absolutely fantastic! We had people coming to the games and even to the hotel and training to support us and it was incredible. We have learned lessons from this trip about planning our next trip if we choose to do another one but overall a wonderful experience.
You were kind enough to let me do some coaching during the tour and you obviously went head to head with English managers as well. What were the main differences and similarities you noticed between British coaching and Norwegian coaching?
Hmmm that is a tough one! I don't think I am a typical Norwegian coach but I think there are more possibilities as a coach in England. The English system has more leagues, more teams and better facilities which generally makes the coaching more professional. I would love to work in England at some point in my career but believe it or not I think in general style there are more similarities than differences.
We now have a question that has already been submitted by our very own Gazza007.....What coaching badges do you currently have and what do you see yourself doing if/when you ever leave Rolvsøy?
Cheers Gaz! I currently have my UEFA B Licence and will start working towards my A Licence as soon as the Norwegian Football Association allows me. My ambition is to go all the way to my Pro Licence. It is hard to say where I want to be as it is early on in the season and in my career but I would like to move up to maybe the third tier and see where that can lead me.
Being a manager is my dream and I want to follow it but I'm not unrealistic and I realise how hard it actually is. I'm also doing my teacher training so I do have a career to fall back on. My job as a youth coach at Fredrikstad FK is obviously a great opportunity for me to show what I can do at a high level and a great chance to work with some of the brightest prospects in Scandinavian football. Time will tell and nothing is confirmed but this could possibly be my last season with Rolvsøy. As much as I love the club and always will do, I have to consider my own development as well.
As a manager and a fan of Stockport County, how do you judge the job Alan Lord has done at County?
Well first of all it has to be said that I have nothing but respect for the job that Alan has done at County. I just wish that everyone could see what an amazing job he has actually done with the club. He took us from the brink of oblivion to genuine promotion contenders for the majority of the season. This was always going to be a tough season and I think that he has laid the foundations for a team that can get promoted next year.
When Alan decided to leave his position at County I was delighted to see his is remaining in an important role at the club. Lordy always puts County first and it's obvious that he works his socks off for the club, the players and the fans. You would struggle to find a more loyal man in football and in life and to me Alan is a County hero. He remained at the club through the toughest times and has stepped down as he believes it's in the best interests of the club. I was hoping he would carry on as manager next season as I think he'll be very hard to replace.
If you were made manager of Stockport County tomorrow which of your current squad would you bring over with you?
In that unlikely situation I would try and bring Vebjørn, the goalkeeper, but other than that the level we play at sadly isn't the level of player County needs.
All of the lads impressed me when I saw them play but especially Edmond Neziri, Rajan Doski, Joakim Brevik, Haris Dedic and Vebjørn Sahlin. Are these players that you think could have a real future in the game?
All of them are great guys but with the exception of Vebjørn it's unlikely that any of them will make it professional. It may seem strange for me to say that but the difference between our level and professional is massive and it is sadly the case that alot of our players won't be able to bridge that gap, mainly because alot of them don't put football first in their lives and that is fine but to make it to the top you need to have that inner drive that you simply can't teach. Some of them could make it to the third or second tier, I'd love them all to prove me wrong!
Would you ever consider bringing your team back to Stockport? Maybe for a bit longer next time!
Definitely! I was very impressed with the facilities and the opponents we experienced whilst over in England. The only thing I would change is that I'd like more training sessions, not quite so many games and a better hotel! I'd also try and do something about the food!
Is it difficult splitting your time between Rolvsøy and Norwegian giants Fredrikstad?
Not really, during the day I work with FFK and at night I work with Rolvsøy. The real difficulty comes in trying to juggle football and family. I often feel bad that I am away from home so much and I have to say that Lise is very patient and she is an amazing woman for giving me a family and letting me follow my dream. That is one of the few things that could make me give up on being a coach and get a 'regular' job instead, if I haven't made any real progress as a coach in the next few years I would definitely consider giving up coaching and being more of a family man.
During the Stockport Tour you were introduced to walking football by the Senior Seasiders of Blackpool FC. Do you feel the boys have taken a lesson in the importance of possession out of it?
Haha yes mate, I think so! We have actually started doing walking football in training as part of a fun session to lighten the mood. I loved the game and the guys did as well. The Blackpool players were amazing and I hope I get the chance to meet them again, maybe get them over to Norway sometime.
Finally do you have anything to say to anyone who helped with the tour and has passed on their support for the upcoming season?
Yes, I would like to say a huge, unreserved thank you to everybody that supports us all the way from England. We really do appreciate your support and kind thoughts and it inspires us to go out and be the best we can be. As for the tour, I have to start by thanking you for not only organising but also helping out by being a member of our coaching staff. The trip couldn't have happened without you. A massive thanks also to Rob Clare, Jon Hudson, Mark Weaver, George Hudson, Alan Lord, Richard Landon, Danny Hurst, all the fans who came to support us and meet us in the pub before County on the Saturday and anyone else I may have missed, I apologise but a lot of people helped us!
One man I can't forget though is Hatter_In_Macc. Who was excellent as our one man media team in them few days working our Twitter, setting up match pages on CH and conducting an interview with me. Maccy also helped us in training on the Friday by giving us a good work out in the walking football game so a huge thanks to him and of course Gazza for the great artwork and designing of our subforum on CH and last but not least thanks to Lennie as well for getting the walking football game sorted as well, best of luck in your upcoming games!
Thank you to everyone who continues to support us.
A massive thanks to Jarkko for taking the time to answer my questions and of course I'm sure you'll all join me in wishing him all the best for his upcoming season!
You can follow Jarkko on twitter @th_johnsen
You can follow Rolvsøy on Twitter @rolvsoyif and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RolvsoyIFfotball
Are you happy with how your pre-season has gone?
I am quite happy with how things have gone but not as prepared as I would have liked. We have had quite a large injury list which has hampered our progress somewhat and we only finished building our squad last week as well. I am happy however that throughout pre-season all of the teams we have played have been from a higher level and I hope that the players have learned from that and can inject what they've learned into all aspects of our games this season.
In the Norwegian media Rolvsøy have been written off this season. Are you confident that the players can repeat last years excellent achievements and avoid relegation?
Our ambition first and foremost is to remain in the division, however it is also very important to us that we use every single game to grow and develop our players and the result isn't the be all and end all. It will be a hard season for sure but if we fight hard every week, I think we can surprise a few people.
Which players names should we look out for this year?
I honestly believe that we have the best goalkeeper in the league, Vebjørn Sahlin. We also have some exciting young players, I have particularly high hopes for Martin Samuelsen, Trond Jensen and Sindre Luther. One of our newest additions, Artur Faranshuk, is a very high quality player that will give us some solidity in defence.
It is very difficult to just pick out a few players though as the team performance is the most important thing. Everyone must be at their best if we are to achieve the results we want.
What kind of game will you be wanting your team to play and have you learned any lessons from your time in Stockport that you will be trying to implement into your league games?
We want to consistently have more possession than any opposition that we play and we want to defend tight and try and dominate the game across the entire pitch. We are currently working hard on our counter-attacks and judging when it is best to try and counter and when it's best to hold possession. It is also crucial that we are a hard working team that will never give up.
We learned an awful lot from our time in Stockport but I don't think we will be able to use it in our games very much as it is a completely different style of football than we are used to, I was very impressed with the attitude and work ethic of our English opponents though and will be trying to use that for our upcoming season.
Do you think the Stockport Tour has helped the squad in more ways than just a training session? Has it brought the lads closer together like you were hoping?
Definitely! The whole group are much closer now and this is evidenced in our last game, even though we played terribly we were trailing 5-1 and brought it back to 5-5 which I believe showed a great team spirit we have perhaps lacked in the past. I think the Stockport Tour has changed the entire mentality of the squad for the better.
How did the lads respond to the support they received during the tour and what did they think of the town in general?
The support was absolutely great and the lads really did appreciate it and, apart from the questionable hotel, the trip was absolutely fantastic! We had people coming to the games and even to the hotel and training to support us and it was incredible. We have learned lessons from this trip about planning our next trip if we choose to do another one but overall a wonderful experience.
You were kind enough to let me do some coaching during the tour and you obviously went head to head with English managers as well. What were the main differences and similarities you noticed between British coaching and Norwegian coaching?
Hmmm that is a tough one! I don't think I am a typical Norwegian coach but I think there are more possibilities as a coach in England. The English system has more leagues, more teams and better facilities which generally makes the coaching more professional. I would love to work in England at some point in my career but believe it or not I think in general style there are more similarities than differences.
We now have a question that has already been submitted by our very own Gazza007.....What coaching badges do you currently have and what do you see yourself doing if/when you ever leave Rolvsøy?
Cheers Gaz! I currently have my UEFA B Licence and will start working towards my A Licence as soon as the Norwegian Football Association allows me. My ambition is to go all the way to my Pro Licence. It is hard to say where I want to be as it is early on in the season and in my career but I would like to move up to maybe the third tier and see where that can lead me.
Being a manager is my dream and I want to follow it but I'm not unrealistic and I realise how hard it actually is. I'm also doing my teacher training so I do have a career to fall back on. My job as a youth coach at Fredrikstad FK is obviously a great opportunity for me to show what I can do at a high level and a great chance to work with some of the brightest prospects in Scandinavian football. Time will tell and nothing is confirmed but this could possibly be my last season with Rolvsøy. As much as I love the club and always will do, I have to consider my own development as well.
As a manager and a fan of Stockport County, how do you judge the job Alan Lord has done at County?
Well first of all it has to be said that I have nothing but respect for the job that Alan has done at County. I just wish that everyone could see what an amazing job he has actually done with the club. He took us from the brink of oblivion to genuine promotion contenders for the majority of the season. This was always going to be a tough season and I think that he has laid the foundations for a team that can get promoted next year.
When Alan decided to leave his position at County I was delighted to see his is remaining in an important role at the club. Lordy always puts County first and it's obvious that he works his socks off for the club, the players and the fans. You would struggle to find a more loyal man in football and in life and to me Alan is a County hero. He remained at the club through the toughest times and has stepped down as he believes it's in the best interests of the club. I was hoping he would carry on as manager next season as I think he'll be very hard to replace.
If you were made manager of Stockport County tomorrow which of your current squad would you bring over with you?
In that unlikely situation I would try and bring Vebjørn, the goalkeeper, but other than that the level we play at sadly isn't the level of player County needs.
All of the lads impressed me when I saw them play but especially Edmond Neziri, Rajan Doski, Joakim Brevik, Haris Dedic and Vebjørn Sahlin. Are these players that you think could have a real future in the game?
All of them are great guys but with the exception of Vebjørn it's unlikely that any of them will make it professional. It may seem strange for me to say that but the difference between our level and professional is massive and it is sadly the case that alot of our players won't be able to bridge that gap, mainly because alot of them don't put football first in their lives and that is fine but to make it to the top you need to have that inner drive that you simply can't teach. Some of them could make it to the third or second tier, I'd love them all to prove me wrong!
Would you ever consider bringing your team back to Stockport? Maybe for a bit longer next time!
Definitely! I was very impressed with the facilities and the opponents we experienced whilst over in England. The only thing I would change is that I'd like more training sessions, not quite so many games and a better hotel! I'd also try and do something about the food!
Is it difficult splitting your time between Rolvsøy and Norwegian giants Fredrikstad?
Not really, during the day I work with FFK and at night I work with Rolvsøy. The real difficulty comes in trying to juggle football and family. I often feel bad that I am away from home so much and I have to say that Lise is very patient and she is an amazing woman for giving me a family and letting me follow my dream. That is one of the few things that could make me give up on being a coach and get a 'regular' job instead, if I haven't made any real progress as a coach in the next few years I would definitely consider giving up coaching and being more of a family man.
During the Stockport Tour you were introduced to walking football by the Senior Seasiders of Blackpool FC. Do you feel the boys have taken a lesson in the importance of possession out of it?
Haha yes mate, I think so! We have actually started doing walking football in training as part of a fun session to lighten the mood. I loved the game and the guys did as well. The Blackpool players were amazing and I hope I get the chance to meet them again, maybe get them over to Norway sometime.
Finally do you have anything to say to anyone who helped with the tour and has passed on their support for the upcoming season?
Yes, I would like to say a huge, unreserved thank you to everybody that supports us all the way from England. We really do appreciate your support and kind thoughts and it inspires us to go out and be the best we can be. As for the tour, I have to start by thanking you for not only organising but also helping out by being a member of our coaching staff. The trip couldn't have happened without you. A massive thanks also to Rob Clare, Jon Hudson, Mark Weaver, George Hudson, Alan Lord, Richard Landon, Danny Hurst, all the fans who came to support us and meet us in the pub before County on the Saturday and anyone else I may have missed, I apologise but a lot of people helped us!
One man I can't forget though is Hatter_In_Macc. Who was excellent as our one man media team in them few days working our Twitter, setting up match pages on CH and conducting an interview with me. Maccy also helped us in training on the Friday by giving us a good work out in the walking football game so a huge thanks to him and of course Gazza for the great artwork and designing of our subforum on CH and last but not least thanks to Lennie as well for getting the walking football game sorted as well, best of luck in your upcoming games!
Thank you to everyone who continues to support us.
A massive thanks to Jarkko for taking the time to answer my questions and of course I'm sure you'll all join me in wishing him all the best for his upcoming season!
You can follow Jarkko on twitter @th_johnsen
You can follow Rolvsøy on Twitter @rolvsoyif and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RolvsoyIFfotball
