Nordic Football Podcast

We welcome Tom Dent back onto the podcast for an in-depth interview with Steve Wyss. Hear how he has transitioned from an OBOS Ligaen manager at Stjørdals-Blink to working under Jakob Michelsen as assistant manager at Ham Kam in the Eliteserien. We discuss and dissect their season, which ultimately saw the club escape relegation by finishing 13th. Hear the intricacies of coaching, adapting to the top level along with mental & physical challenges. We discuss the league as a whole and give our team of the year suggestions. Also looking ahead to the future with VAR coming into the Eliteserien for 2023, along with personal and club ambitions. We thank Tom for his generous time again on the NFP and wish him all the best.  Itinerary:-  00:00 Intros 02:14 Moving from Stjørdals-Blink to Ham Kam 07:56 Season Objectives 11:50 Start of season adaptations 19:25 The ‘Ham Kam Way’ Formations & Identity 27:50 Coaching 3-5-2 vs 4-3-3 31:00 Statistics & types of play 38:45 Losing Kristian Eriksen mid-season 44:25 Players adapting to Eliteserien level 50:25 Defeat to Sarpsborg - fallout & rebound 59:31 Goalkeeper change 1:01:10 End of season relief 1:03:55 Tom & Steve’s Eliteserien team of the season 1:13:50 Current strength of Eliteserien football 1:18:40 VAR in Eliteserien for 2023 1:23:34 Ham Kam & Tom Dent future 1:28:35 Influence of Jakob Michelsen

In this episode we are joined by a special guest, the Kalmar Brazilian goalkeeper Ricardo Friedrich. He has had a brilliant season and just recently won Goalkeeper of the Year award in the Allsvenskan. He joins Steve & Jonathan where they quiz him about his career which has seen him play twice for clubs in the far north of Europe, ROPS & Bodø/Glimt. Hear his thoughts on current manager Henrik Rydström and former boss Kjetil Knutsen. How has goalkeeping evolved since he started his playing career and what does the future hold for a man just entering his goalkeeping prime? We thank Ricardo for his generous time and wish him all the best for the future.

Five years ago our man Jonathan Fadugba went to Gothenburg to do an exclusive deep dive into BK Häcken in a trip to Hisingen where he met the legendary former coach, manager and Sporting Director Sonny Karlsson. Listen to the man who helped build Häcken from the ground up.  He predicted back in 2017 that the club should compete to win the league title and lays out the blueprint for other clubs to progress towards the top end of the Allsvenskan. We have decided to re-relese this episode in tribute to BK Häcken's title winning 2022 campaign. 

The Swedish Allsvenskan title is now in the bag for BK Häcken as they win their maiden Swedish crown.  Hear how they managed to win the league despite being considered an unlikly outsider pre-season and with continual doubters during the campaign! Join the boys Steve Wyss & Jonathan Fadugba as we disect their title run and also look into the relegation battle in both Sweden & Norway. Additionally, we discuss the performances of several teams in their European groups this season 

In the Allsvenskan BK Häcken are now just one point away from securing a maiden Swedish crown. Can they get over the line? Join Steve Wyss & Jonathan Fadugba and both the Eliteserien & Allsvenskan are close to finishing. Relegation is on the line for several teams, who will stay up? 

Join Steve Wyss & Jonathan Fadugba to round up the latest action. Molde have won the Eliteserien title. Find out how they did it and what were the keys to their success. Also, hear why Rosenborg will not be giving them a guard of honour this weekend. Over in Sweden, BK Häcken have a five point gap at the top of the table,. This is a great chance for them to obain their first ever championship, can they hold on? Hear about the crowd unrest in the recent Stockholm derby and how Malmö's season just goes from bad to worse   Itinerary for this episode:- 00:00 Introductions 01:35 Molde re champions 07:30 Erling Moe - the manager 10:48 Molde formation & tactics 13:53 Key Molde players this season 19:55 Guard of honour debate 26:00 Rosenborg assessment 29:00 Some listener questions 36:52 Eliteserien relegation battle 42:50 BK Häcken - title in their hands? 52:00 Hammarby & Kalmar chasing 55:35 Bilal Hussein question 58:59 Stockholm derby & who is hated the most? 1:06:42 Malmö FF terrible season

Join Steve Wyss & Jonathan Fadugba as we look ahead to the midweek European matches, including Bodø/Glimt's trip to Arsenal and Molde vs Shamrock Rovers. It has been a great seaosn for Molde and they are close to securing the Eliteserien title. Hear how tthings are progressing in Norway at botjh ends of the table. Meanwhile, in Sweden several teams are dropping points in what is a very open title race battle!

Our man Jonathan Fadugba interviews Kevin Nicol, the Scotsman currently in charge of OBOS Ligaen club Mjøndalen. Hear his story in football and how things have been at the club since he took over from the long standing Vegard Hansen, who was the previous manager for 17 years! Thanks to Kevin for his time, we appreciate it. Itinerary:- 00:00 - Intros 01:10 Taking over from Vegard Hansen 04:20 Learning from Hansen & core coaching principles 13:10 Playing career, shaping management, personal influences 21:37 Mjøndalen & coaching youngsters 25:50 Mjøndalen - the club & structure 28:15 Norway - development of players system 31:50 Mjøndalen - model & young players to watch out for 35:35 The future for Kevin Nicol 38:40 Coaching mentors

Join Steve & Jonathan as they look back on the weekend action in Norway & Sweden. Molde are well clear at the top of the Eliteserien table and find out who prevailed in the North of Norway derby. Can Kristiansund still survive? Over in Sweden several teams dropped points and there was a crucial Stockholm derby. Hear how Helsingborg claimed a shock win and we look ahead to the midweek European matches inclusing a big one for this region Djurgården vs Molde 

Join Steve Wyss & Jonathan Fadugba as they discuss the recent UEFA draws whih has seen Glimt come up against the likes of Arsenal & PSV. Can any teams from Norway or Sweden progress? Meanwhile, hear about Molde's big win in the Eliteserien, late heartbreak for Hacken & what is going oh so very wrong at Malmö?