Football Season Guide

Newly promoted Bodo/Glimt will be hoping to turn a few heads on their return to the Norwegian top flight after just one season away. Relegation hurt them badly two seasons ago, as Asmund Bjorkan was unable to halt the slide from the touchline, but having guided them back to the top flight he has moved to a director of football role and left the head coach post to Kjetil Knutsen. It will be interesting to see how he approaches his first manager role in the Eliteserien, but despite being newly promoted Bodo/Glimt are in no way relegation fodder. Players like Kristian Opseth excelled in the division below last season, and he more or less single handedly fired them up again having scored 28 goals. The midfield was well marshalled by experienced Spaniard Jose Jurado, while his fellow countryman Jose Isidoro looks an interesting fit at right back for the coming season. Newly recruited goalkeeper Zoran Popvic is something of an unknown entity, but the Serbian's performances in the domestic league meant Bodo/Glimt thought it worth a punt. Pre-season form hasn't been too bad at all, with both Molde and Sandefjord beaten in recent weeks. Only Swedish Allsvenskan team Djurgarden proved to be too strong for Glimt in the February friendlies. Knutsen is expected to stick with the team's 4-3-3 formation of last season, a shape that served them so well in getting back into the top flight on the first attempt. The budget is tight, as it is for many Norwegian clubs, but Bodo/Glimt have an advantage going into the 2018 season on the back of a terrific promotion winning 2017 campaign. If they can ride that wave of optimism into the early stages of the new season, they should be able to fight any relegation fears head on. Injuries might hamper them along the way, but if their preferred eleven get any momentum going, Bodo/Glimt should be relishing their top flight return. This is after all where they want to be and where they believe they belong.