Football Season Guide

Kristiansund make their Eliteserien debut this season. That in itself is a remarkable achievement, and very much as great an achievement as the rise (and subsequent fall of ) Sandnes Ulf and the resurgence of Mjondalen a few seasons ago. But Kristiansund have never ever played in the top tier. They have always been in the shadows of Aalesund and Molde, who they meet in a tasty opening fixture next weekend. That will give an indication of how good Molde will be this season, but perhaps more importantly, with only a few pennies of their neighbour's budget, how well equipped Kristiansund are to tackle the pressure of playing in the top tier. Because there are major doubts over whether Christian Michelsen's side are just making up the numbers this season or whether they can win the hearts of the nation as underdogs have done before them. The club's rise has not been meteoric really. A second division side until their promotion in 2012, they have steadily gained on their competitors in the OBOS-ligaen and steadily made it to the top tier. In 2013 they solidified their position in the league with a 9th place. In 2014 they finished in the play-offs ending in 4th and the season after that they went one better in the table finishing third, but still fell short when it really mattered in the play-offs. It became crystal clear that Kristiansund might not be cut out for the nervy high stakes play-offs, and so they turned many heads last season by finishing as clear champions five points above Sandefjord who joined them up. As rises go Kristiansund's looks a sensible one, and no one will begrudge them a decent showing in Eliteserien this season. But there is very little top tier experience of note, a lot of unproven players that lit up the season below last campaign but can find it much tougher at the top table, and a head coach that makes up for his lack of experience in the top flight with enthusiasm and hard work. That's what it will take for Kristiansund to survive. A siege mentality that served Mjondalen so well in 2015, until it all went horribly wrong midway through the season when everyone sussed them out. Can Kristiansund be cleverer and keep their system going for 30 games? The jury is well and truly out. Sean McDermott might get the nod in goal with Conny Mansson a veteran back-up at 37. McDermott does have some Eliteserien experience with Sandnes Ulf, although he could not stop them from relegation in 2014 after a three season stay. His finest hour must be the superb 1-0 victory Sandnes Ulf claimed at Lerkendal against Rosenborg, back at a time when the Trondheim club were still merely masterminding future Eliteserien dominance rather than executing it as they're currently doing. The signing of Estonian defender Nikita Baranov was heartwarming, as his transfer was the result of a funding plea on the club's website to their supporters. It worked, and hopefully it will all be worth it at the end of the season. Aliou Coly could also make a positive impact having previous experience at Molde. Midfielder Liridon Kalludra provided the second most assists in OBOS-liagen last season (8) while the club also boast the league's top scorer Daouda Bamba who found the net an impressive 20 times in 28 appearances. If he takes to the top flight like a duck to water then a lot of Kristiansund's prayers will have been answered very early on. In reality Kristiansund will struggle. There's not enough depth and, when injuries and suspensions loom during the campaign, it's hard to see who Michelsen will be able to turn to. The budget is a shoestring one and, having already done a fundraise for one of their transfers, it's hard to see how Kristiansund can come up with the money to strengthen if it proves necessary. A tough slog awaits, but the club should enjoy their moment in the limelight of Eliteserien football. They will after all have the neutral fan on their side at all times.