Alright, I take it that tomorrow at 5pm some of you might tune in to some streaming (despicable, I know - we need to report it to the proper authorities straight away) of Molde's away game at Sandnes Ulf. Let me try to give you a prediction of what we'll be watching:
Crappy stadium - Sandnes Ulf is one of the clubs which has never been in the top flight before, and was more or less unprepared for top flight football.
Semi-crappy pitch - Not too sure about this one. The club is based just outside of Stavanger, with a relatively mild climate, but some of the pitches in the Norwegian Premier League are just abysmal, and this might be one of those.
Game pattern - A bit difficult to predict. Molde's home form has been sensational result wise - undefeated for more than a year, which to my recollection has never happened before - but the away form has been patchy, to say the least (3 straight defeats before a 5-0 thrashing of the bottom club last saturday). Nevertheless, expect Molde to dominate possesion, which has become a trademark for Ole's side. Don't listen to those who call Molde a pure counterattacking side - yes, they have the ability to do that, but the emphasis is still on controlling the pace of the game through possession.
At home, Molde are a "probing" side. Pass, pass, pass, short passes inside the area, waiting for the best opportunity. Away from home, Molde tend to be more direct, but still with a clear intention of making the opponents chase the ball.
Stamina - In Ole's first year, Molde had a pattern of being sensational in the first half, and lethargic in the second half. This improved towards the end of the season, but the team has yet to produce more than 65-70 minutes of good football. Somehow, it seems that the players run out of steam in the final 20 minutes, and games which have been completely one-sided for 70 minutes tend to become a bit frantic towards the end.
Players to watch - 7: Magnus Wolff Eikrem, the engine and creative force. Loves playing small triangles and such, creating space for himself or others, but can ping 60-yard crossfield balls when he's on song. Might wear a Villa top come August. A bit lightweight, but nothing that a few daily pints of Guinness won't cure. Extremely dedicated when it comes to training and improving himself.
The centre-half pairing of Vegard Forren (5) and Even Hovland (4). Early 20s-guys. Make the odd mistake, are half asleep at times, yet have the potential to become excellent. On a good day, you might see Forren being half-dead after an aeriel duel, before picking up the ball, dummying past 4-5 players and pinging a 50-yarder to a teammate.
20: Striker Davy Claude Angan - Ivory Coast. Strong as a bull, faboulous close control - but has very little awareness of runs being made around him. Had a habit of hitting row Z last year, but has 7 goals in 9 games this year.
9: Mattias Moström, useless Swede. We've had some fabulous swedes over the years, but Mattias is not one of them. Every team has a player that could produce a moment of brilliance, but rarely does. Our own Karel Poborsky or Ibrahim Ba. Decide for yourselves which useless player of the current Villa squad Ole would have in his starting eleven.
14: Martin Linnes - the find of the year. A right back, picked up from the second tier of Norwegian football, good close control, eager to join the attack. Should become an international player within a few years.
Here's hoping for a good ending to Ole's career at Molde.