It is still early in the season, but Vålerenga are already a long way behind in the hunt for promotion.
Towards Mjøndalen, Vålerenga really had a pitch-dark day at work.
The brown jerseys led 5–1 before Vålerenga minimized the damage twice in overtime.
– The match today was terrifying in most ways. No one in or around the team can be proud of themselves, and it has been too weak for too long, says football expert and former VIF coach Lars Tjærnås to VG.
– I think Geir (Bakke) and Petter (Myhre) will sort it out and they should not be fired. But it is urgent, and there are several people and roles in that club that are not working, Tjærnås believes.
Football expert in Viaplay
Former Vålerenga hero Vidar Davidsen is also unimpressed by what he has seen of the club he captained in the 80s.
– There will be no cruise control. Five games tend to say a lot. I’m a bit unsure about the philosophy behind managing all matches – whether they are capable of it skill-wise, he says to VG.
– I have not been impressed by the newcomers who came to Vålerenga last year, he says.
Former Vålerenga captain
– What do you think of Geir Bakke’s position?
– No, others have to think about that. But so far it has been a difficult start, says Davidsen.
– But what do you think?
– No, there is no reason to do anything now.
– When is that then?
– If they do not reverse the trend in the next five games, then they must regulate the idea of a promotion.
– Do you still believe in promotion?
– I’m a strong believer, but I don’t think they’ll move up by continuing to play the way they’ve been doing now, with the quality they have in the players. I think they probably have to use the next five games very well, and if they don’t manage to reverse the trend then, the red light is on, Davidsen asserts.
Vålerenga’s former elite league rival with substitute Alie Conteh in the driver’s seat sent the Oslo club back to the capital empty-handed and humiliated.
– We work on ours throughout the week, we also come today and fail in so many areas, says Geir Bakke to TV 2 after the match.
– There is inflation in making mistakes. It is heavy, continues the VIF coach.
As the whistle signal went, some frustrated Vålerenga fans took to the pitch. The players went to the away stand to apologize.
– Of course they are, and that would just be missing. It is Norway’s best supporters who follow us everywhere and create volume and enthusiasm, sing songs and put their soul and wages into this. So I understand that they are frustrated and pissed off, says Bakke.
Conteh is a name Vålerenga fans are unlikely to forget anytime soon.
The 19-year-old came on for an injured Brinder Singh after 34 minutes and in extra time of the first half, the Sierra Leonean scored two goals in two minutes.
- The first came at 1-1. Conteh headed in a cross from Meinhard Olsen and headed in 2-1.
- Two minutes later, the same man took advantage of a gross blunder in the Vålerenga defense and elegantly lobbed in 3-1 behind Magnus Sjøeng, who had got out of his own goal.
- Over in the second half, Conteh scored his third hat trick in the quarter before the end. And that after another blunder from the guests. The match winner had the ball played straight into his legs and tricked the ball past Sjøeng.
Vålerenga progressed in the cup in midweek against Oppsal:
Sivert Øverby ensured that Mjødalen got a dream start on their own turf when he unintentionally scored a dream goal. At least that’s how it looked.
The 24-year-old’s free kick appeared to be a failed cross which found its way right up the crossbar.
Petter Strand equalized shortly after to make it 1-1, but then Conteh entered the field and made the day pitch black for Geir Bakke, Petter Myhre, Vålerenga and the Klanen.
Five minutes before the end, Keerat Singh scored the home team’s fifth of the day to make it 5-1 for Mjøndalen.
Soon after, Jones reduced El-Abdellaoui to 2–5 for Vålerenga before Christian Borchgrevink made it 3–5 from a free kick in overtime and embellished the result.
This means that the royal blues are in 11th place after five games with five poor points. Kongsvinger tops the table with eleven points, with Egersund close behind with ten and one less game played.
