retired_amyslack

Season Three

The summer months were relatively quiet – with no transfer funds available I had to content myself with picking up a couple of free agents, neither of whom looked like they would set the world on fire. I released several players at the end of their contracts and we welcomed four graduates from the youth academy, one of whom was highlighted as a potential star of the future.

After a couple of warm-up games our first competitive action came at the end of July 2006 with a trip to non-league Brabrand in the 1st round of the Danish Cup and a comfortable 2-0 win courtesy of Thomas Christoffersen and Mikkel Junge.

Prior to our opening league match at Brønshøj there were a few more changes to the squad – we signed Paul Obiefule, a young Nigerian midfielder, on loan for the season and picked up left winger Christoffer Olsen, who did well on loan for us last season, on a free after he was released by his club. We also allowed three more out of contract players to leave the club. In the game itself a goal from Thomas Christoffersen gave us the lead at half time but we conceded two penalties in the second half to give us an opening 2-1 defeat.

We were quickly back into action with our 2nd round cup tie at Glostrup and a thriller of a game. Having established a 3-1 lead through Lars Holm Jensen, René Kjærsgaard and Mikkel Junge we conceded two goals in the last 4 minutes of normal time. The extra 30 minutes produced no further goals but we won the penalty shootout 4-2 – sadly we lost veteran winger Lars Holm Jensen for three weeks with a broken arm.

Our first home game of the season was a Sunday match against Holbæk and an inspired Christoffer Olsen did his best to win the game single-handedly, scoring our opener after ten minutes and going close with several other efforts. The points were made safe in the last quarter of the game when Johnny Laursen netted from the penalty spot to secure a 2-0 win.

A midweek trip to Dalum followed as a very busy month continued and we had keeper Mikkel Andreasen to thank for a clean sheet and a point in a 0-0 draw. This was followed by a Sunday game at home to Kolding FC and a 1-0 win courtesy of Thomas Christoffersen. There was no let up in the schedule with another midweek game and another road trip – Bramming the hosts this time in the 3rd round of the Cup. With several players in need of a rest I made some changes to the starting eleven for this game, which turned out to be another eventful encounter. We eventually came out 4-2 winners with goals from Dennis Østergaard, Mikkel Junge and Svend Larsen and our opponents contributing an own goal.

We faced another away game back in the league, travelling to face B 93 who were relegated from Division One last season. Christoffer Olsen scored what proved to be the only goal of the game shortly before half time as we returned with a narrow 1-0 win. Our final game of a hectic month was a midweek visit from league leaders NFA, another relegated team that were looking to make an immediate return to the First Division. Despite our obvious fatigue we put in one of our best performances of the season so far, Mikkel Junge and Thomas Christoffersen giving us an excellent 2-0 win to end the month in 3rd place.

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |Pos | Inf | Team | Pld | Won | Drn | Lst | For | Ag | G.D. | Pts | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |1st | | Slagelse | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 2 | +6 | 14 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |2nd | | NFA | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 4 | +6 | 13 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |3rd | | HERNING FREMAD | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 2 | +5 | 13 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| </pre>
September would be another busy month and it began with a visit to bottom of the table Hjørring who had yet to gain a point. Unfortunately we didn’t do ourselves justice and a poor quality game ended goalless, much to my frustration. The next weekend we were at home to FC Bornholm, another struggling team, and we put in another less-than-sparkling performance. Our opening goal from Casper Rasmussen came just before the break and a late penalty from Johnny Laursen put a gloss on the 2-0 scoreline. In midweek we travelled to promotion challengers Næsby where we gained a thrilling 3-2 win. Perhaps we raise our game against the stronger teams but whatever the reason we played much better than in our previous two games. Mikkel Junge gave us an early lead but the home side tied the game shortly afterwards. On 65 minutes we fell behind but the veteran Lars Holm Jensen equalised within five minutes. The winner came from winger Christoffer Olsen with ten minutes remaining and we had to withstand heavy pressure in the closing stages to hold on to the points. With other results going our way we found ourselves at the top of the table for the first time since I joined the club. This proved to be short-lived as we lost our weekend game at home to Brande by a single goal scored just before half time and slipped to second place. Next up was a midweek 4th round Cup match at home to Premiership FC Midtjylland and given that I fielded a changed side to preserve our first eleven for the league, our 3-0 defeat was no great surprise. At least the fans turned up – a gate of close to 11,000 was a new club record and gave us a good bit of cash to reduce the overdraft slightly. The month ended with a visit to Kalundborg and another disappointing 1-0 defeat. We had enough chances to at least take a point but poor finishing cost us dear. Despite a poor set of results we still sat in 3rd place although the table was looking very congested and any team that could put a run of wins together had a chance of opening up some daylight.

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |Pos | Inf | Team | Pld | Won | Drn | Lst | For | Ag | G.D. | Pts | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |1st | | NFA | 11 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 16 | 7 | +9 | 21 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |2nd | | Kalundborg | 11 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 15 | 6 | +9 | 20 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |3rd | | HERNING FREMAD | 11 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 12 | 6 | +6 | 20 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |4th | | Næsby | 11 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 12 | 8 | +4 | 20 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |5th | | FC Roskilde | 11 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 9 | 6 | +3 | 20 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |6th | | Slagelse | 11 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 12 | 8 | +4 | 19 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |7th | | Brønshøj | 11 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 10 | 11 | -1 | 18 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |8th | | Dalum | 11 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 14 | 11 | +3 | 17 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |9th | | Brande | 11 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 12 | 8 | +4 | 16 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |10th | | B 93 | 11 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 9 | 8 | +1 | 15 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |11th | | Kolding FC | 11 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 9 | 6 | +3 | 14 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |12th | | Holbæk | 11 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 13 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |13th | | Jetsmark | 11 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 7 | 18 | -11 | 11 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |14th | | Holstebro | 11 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 9 | -6 | 7 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |15th | | FC Bornholm | 11 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 5 | 16 | -11 | 7 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |16th | | Hjørring | 11 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 2 | 19 | -17 | 3 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| </pre>
Before our next game I was offered the chance of another career move when Icelandic First Division club Valur came knocking but I declined, feeling that my present club still had some potential to offer. After a weekend off because of World Cup qualifiers we were back in action with a visit from Jetsmark. Despite dominating play our lack of a cutting edge up front meant another frustrating afternoon and a 0-0 draw. A further blow was the loss of left winger Christoffer Olsen for a fortnight with a groin strain. I was desperate for a win as we entertained Slagelse the next weekend and when Mikkel Junge put us ahead on the half hour that looked a real possibility. But then we had winger Paul Obiefule sent off on the stroke of half time when he received a second yellow card and when Junge went off injured with 20 minutes remaining things were looking grim. With just under ten minutes to play we buckled under the pressure and the visitors scored to gain a 1-1 draw. Our injured striker would miss three weeks of action and I despaired of how our powder puff attack would cope in his absence. Holstebro were our hosts in the last game of a short month and my fears were confirmed when we lost 2-1 and we slipped down to 6th place.

November kicked off with a midweek game at home to 3rd place FC Roskilde and with barely five minutes of normal time remaining the game was still scoreless. Henrik Johansson, replacing the injured Junge, then scored to give us the lead. We sealed the points in stoppage time, first when Johnny Laursen converted a penalty and then Johansson scored his second of the game. The win shot us up to 2nd place, an indication of how congested the table was. Another home game followed, our last match before the winter break, as we entertained Dalum. Unfortunately we were unable to keep our momentum going and we lost a tight game by a single goal to go into the break in 4th place, two points outside the promotion places.

retired_amyslack

I had hoped that over the winter I would be able to strengthen the squad but despite scouring the market for free transfers and loan signings I found none that felt offered much more than the current playing squad, at least none that were willing to sign for us.

April 2007 saw us back in competitive action with a visit to Holbæk and looking rusty after the long layoff we slumped to a terrible 4-0 defeat. The normally reliable Mikkel Andreasen had a poor game in goal but even had he been at the top of his game I doubt that we would have avoided defeat. Frustrated by our inconsistency and our scoring problems, I decided to give Academy graduate Casper Rasmussen a serious runout in first team. The 18-year-old striker had been used intermittently but was yet to make much of an impression but he was performing so well in training that he was worth a shot. Paired with the experienced Henrik Johansson, he put in a strong performance, opening the scoring just before half time in our game at home to Brønshøj. The visitors equalised after the break but a late penalty allowed right back Jacob Andersen to seal a 2-1 win. Once again we were unable to build any momentum on the back of a win as we lost our next game 3-1 at Kolding FC, Rasmussen scoring our single goal. We had now slipped down to 9th but were still only three points outside second place, such was the competitive nature of the league. We hosted B 93 in our next game and a rare goal from Thomas Gaede. His first of the season, gave us a good start early on. Two more followed from Rasmussen in the second half and a missed penalty denied the youngster his hat trick. The 3-0 win was a welcome sight and once again I had hopes that we could put a run of wins together. At last my hopes were not dashed as we manufactured a comprehensive 5-0 win at NFA, aided and abetted by the home side managing to get two players sent off. Rasmussen underlined his potential with a hat trick and Johansson scored twice to complete the rout. The month closed with a visit from bottom club Hjørring and despite dominating play the game ended scoreless. Rasmussen looked like he had kept his amazing scoring run going in the second half but his strike was ruled out for a misdemeanour that only the referee saw.

With 8 games left to play we had now moved into the last of the three promotion places and given the impact that our young striker had made, I was hopeful that we could keep our form for the run-in. Such was the contribution of Rasmussen that I was amazed that I hadn’t spotted his potential earlier. The coaching staff had indicated that they thought he had potential when he graduated from the Academy but we were all taken by surprise with the way he had contributed.

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |Pos | Inf | Team | Pld | Won | Drn | Lst | For | Ag | G.D. | Pts | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |1st | | Slagelse | 22 | 13 | 7 | 2 | 31 | 12 | +19 | 46 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |2nd | | Holbæk | 22 | 10 | 7 | 5 | 27 | 15 | +12 | 37 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |3rd | | HERNING FREMAD | 22 | 10 | 5 | 7 | 28 | 18 | +10 | 35 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |4th | | Næsby | 22 | 10 | 4 | 8 | 23 | 18 | +5 | 34 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |5th | | Dalum | 22 | 9 | 6 | 7 | 32 | 26 | +6 | 33 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |6th | | Kolding FC | 22 | 7 | 11 | 4 | 24 | 14 | +10 | 32 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |7th | | B 93 | 22 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 20 | 16 | +4 | 32 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |8th | | NFA | 22 | 9 | 5 | 8 | 35 | 33 | +2 | 32 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| </pre>
An injury to Henrik Johansson meant that Mikkel Junge was back in the starting eleven for the trip to struggling FC Bornholm and he gave us a 1-0 lead at half time. An own goal five minutes from time sealed the win but the home side were awarded a stoppage-time penalty to make the final score 2-1. Unfortunately, having fought his way back to fitness, Junge suffered a torn calf muscle during the game and would miss several months of playing time, ruling him out for the remainder of the season. A midweek visit by Næsby was next on the agenda and a 0-0 draw did little to help or hinder either team in the push for promotion. In our next game at relegation threatened Jetsmark we struggled for long periods of the game and often relied upon keeper Mikkel Andreasen to keep us alive. A goal down at the break, we finally turned the game around with Rasmussen equalising and loanee Paul Obiefule getting the crucial second. Rasmussen added his second of the game late on to put a gloss on the 3-1 scoreline and keep us well in the hunt. Another trip to lower-table opposition followed the next weekend but despite taking the lead through Henrik Johansson after just two minutes we gradually relinquished control and conceded twice to lose 2-1, a result that dropped us out of the top three. Refereeing decisions were at the centre of our next game at home to Kalundborg as we fought out an edge-of-the seat 4-3 win. We were denied two goals through offside calls and given two through penalty awards – a nice way to balance it out I thought. Paul Obiefule scored twice with Casper Rasmussen and René Kjærsgaard providing the others. Obiefule has been playing regularly since Lars Holm Jensen confirmed his retirement a few weeks back and the young Nigerian now seems to be delivering in line with his reputation. A win for league leaders Slagelse confirmed their promotion but you could perm any two from six for the remaining places. We closed the month with a midweek trip to the table-toppers, hoping to at least avoid defeat but sadly a one-sided encounter ended 3-0 in favour of the home side.

With just two games left to play the promotion battle was balanced on a knife-edge. Holbæk looked like certainties to take second place with the fight for third between ourselves, incumbents Dalum and Kolding FC.

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |Pos | Inf | Team | Pld | Won | Drn | Lst | For | Ag | G.D. | Pts | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |1st | C | Slagelse | 28 | 17 | 7 | 4 | 40 | 18 | +22 | 58 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |2nd | | Holbæk | 28 | 14 | 8 | 6 | 36 | 19 | +17 | 50 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |3rd | | Dalum | 28 | 12 | 9 | 7 | 39 | 29 | +10 | 45 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |4th | | HERNING FREMAD | 28 | 13 | 6 | 9 | 38 | 28 | +10 | 45 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |5th | | Kolding FC | 28 | 10 | 14 | 4 | 31 | 17 | +14 | 44 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| </pre>
A goal from Henrik Johansson inside the first minute got our penultimate game at home to Holstebro off to a great start and the same player scored a second on the stroke of half time. The visitors pulled a goal back with 20 minutes remaining but Johansson competed his hat trick to give us a 3-1 win. The other contenders all won with Holbæk confirming their elevation to Division One but we moved above Dalum on goal difference. Our final game involved a trip to FC Roskilde and we knew that if we won and at least matched Dalum’s result in their game at home to Jetsmark, then we would be promoted. With goal difference likely to be the ultimate decider, Casper Rasmussen picked a great day to get back on the scoresheet, completing his hat trick in stoppage time to give us an incident-packed 5-2 win. As it happened, the result was irrelevant as Dalum conceded in the 89th minute to lose their game 1-0 and promotion was ours.

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |Pos | Inf | Team | Pld | Won | Drn | Lst | For | Ag | G.D. | Pts | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |1st | C | Slagelse | 30 | 18 | 8 | 4 | 42 | 18 | +24 | 62 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |2nd | P | Holbæk | 30 | 16 | 8 | 6 | 41 | 21 | +20 | 56 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |3rd | P | HERNING FREMAD | 30 | 15 | 6 | 9 | 46 | 31 | +15 | 51 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |4th | | Kolding FC | 30 | 11 | 15 | 4 | 36 | 20 | +16 | 48 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |5th | | Dalum | 30 | 13 | 9 | 8 | 42 | 32 | +10 | 48 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |6th | | B 93 | 30 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 37 | 26 | +11 | 46 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |7th | | Næsby | 30 | 11 | 9 | 10 | 29 | 25 | +4 | 42 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |8th | | Brønshøj | 30 | 9 | 13 | 8 | 29 | 32 | -3 | 40 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |9th | | NFA | 30 | 10 | 7 | 13 | 45 | 46 | -1 | 37 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |10th | | FC Roskilde | 30 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 21 | 34 | -13 | 37 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |11th | | Kalundborg | 30 | 9 | 7 | 14 | 34 | 36 | -2 | 34 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |12th | | Brande | 30 | 6 | 16 | 8 | 28 | 30 | -2 | 34 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |13th | | Jetsmark | 30 | 8 | 7 | 15 | 28 | 48 | -20 | 31 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |14th | R | Holstebro | 30 | 6 | 12 | 12 | 19 | 27 | -8 | 30 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |15th | R | Hjørring | 30 | 5 | 9 | 16 | 15 | 40 | -25 | 24 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |16th | R | FC Bornholm | 30 | 5 | 8 | 17 | 23 | 49 | -26 | 23 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| </pre>
Needless to say, everyone at the club was delighted with our promotion, especially considering the sparse size of the squad and the mountain of debt that we were carrying. Reviewing the playing staff it was clear that young Rasmussen had been key, especially with his incredible burst of scoring in April. He was attracting some significant attention however, and it would prove difficult indeed to hold on to the talented teenager. Other good performers included right back Andersen, holding midfielder Gaede and our centre back pairing of Laursen and Kjærsgaard.

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Name | Apps | Gls | Ast | MoM | Pas | Tck | Drb | Sh T | Av Rat| | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Casper Rasmussen | 23 (2)| 14 | 9 | 5 | 82% | 0.80 | 1.65 | 62% | 7.52 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Jacob Andersen | 31 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 67% | 3.70 | 0.22 | - | 7.52 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Thomas Gaede | 32 (1)| 1 | 2 | 2 | 73% | 3.48 | 0.28 | - | 7.39 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Christoffer Olsen | 26 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 78% | 2.19 | 2.74 | 40% | 7.35 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Paul Obiefule | 15 (1)| 4 | 3 | 1 | 80% | 2.40 | 2.27 | 27% | 7.31 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Thomas Christoffersen | 32 | 4 | 7 | 1 | 78% | 1.61 | 0.78 | 40% | 7.31 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Johnny Laursen | 33 | 3 | 2 | - | 69% | 3.00 | 0.09 | 42% | 7.30 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | René Kjærsgaard | 33 | 2 | 1 | - | 69% | 3.01 | 0.16 | - | 7.30 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Lars Holm Jensen | 16 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 76% | 2.16 | 1.38 | 28% | 7.25 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Ole Lauridsen | 4 | - | 1 | 1 | 58% | 3.25 | - | - | 7.25 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Mikkel Junge | 19 (3)| 7 | 4 | 1 | 81% | 0.91 | 0.96 | 43% | 7.18 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Daniel Holm | 30 | - | 2 | - | 67% | 2.82 | 0.33 | - | 7.17 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Mikkel Andreasen | 33 | - | - | 1 | 55% | - | - | - | 7.15 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Anders Lundqvist | 4 (7) | - | - | - | 80% | 0.66 | 1.09 | - | 7.09 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Henrik Johansson | 23 (1)| 9 | 4 | 2 | 83% | 0.42 | 1.37 | 53% | 7.08 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Dennis Østergaard | 3 (3) | 1 | - | - | 75% | 1.97 | 0.84 | - | 7.00 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Svend Larsen | 8 (5) | 1 | 6 | - | 80% | 1.69 | 1.46 | - | 7.00 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Kim Risager | 3 (3) | - | - | - | 70% | 3.28 | 0.30 | - | 6.83 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Mads Hansen | 3 (3) | - | - | - | 60% | 3.12 | 0.26 | - | 6.67 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Michael Madsen | 1 (5) | - | - | - | 67% | 3.49 | - | - | 6.67 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Lars Poulsen | 1 | - | - | - | 57% | - | - | - | 6.00 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| </pre>

retired_amyslack

[/b]The relatively short summer break was spent in preparing for life in the First Division. Expectations are limited to avoiding relegation but even that modest aim will be an enormous challenge given our squad limitations. No less than seven new youngsters came through from the Academy but a couple of last year’s graduates were released after failing to make the grade. The coaches were very impressed by 18-year-old Jonas Jessen and he did indeed look quite decent in pre-season training. I did manage to sign several players on free transfers and also bring in a couple of season-long loan deals. This was balanced to some extent when Lars Holm Jensen, Robin Clausen and Lars Poulsen all retired.

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">| ----------------------------------------------------------------------| | Name | Position | Nat | Age | Value | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------| | Mikkel Andreasen | GK | DEN | 27 | £0 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------| | Niels Mørk | GK | DEN | 25 | £1K | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------| | René Kjærsgaard | SW/D C | DEN | 31 | £1K | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------| | Jacob Andersen | D R | DEN | 26 | £3K | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------| | Kim Østergaard | D RC | DEN | 32 | £1K | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------| | Rico Jørgensen | D C | DEN | 21 | £1K | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------| | Johnny Laursen | D C | DEN | 32 | £1K | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------| | Michael Madsen | D C | DEN | 26 | £1K | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------| | Lasse Sørensen | D C | DEN | 17 | £1K | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------| | Ole Lauridsen | D/DM L | DEN | 30 | £1K | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------| | Kim Risager | D/M RLC | DEN | 22 | £1K | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------| | Daniel Holm | D/M L | DEN | 26 | £1K | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------| | Thomas Gaede | DM C | DEN | 31 | £1K | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------| | Mads Hansen | DM C | DEN | 30 | £1K | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------| | Peter Henriksen | DM C | DEN | 17 | £2K | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------| | Kenni Olsen | M RC | DEN | 22 | £16K | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------| | Rasmus Beck | M L | DEN | 18 | £1K | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------| | Henrik Ibsen | M L | DEN | 16 | - | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------| | Thomas Christoffersen | M C | DEN | 31 | £3K | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------| | Dennis Østergaard | AM RC | DEN | 26 | £1K | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------| | Jonas Jessen | AM L | DEN | 18 | £6K | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------| | Christoffer Olsen | AM L | DEN | 22 | £7K | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------| | Michael Juul | AM C | DEN | 16 | - | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------| | Anders Lundqvist | F RC | SWE | 26 | £1K | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------| | Svend Larsen | F LC | DEN | 23 | £1K | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------| | Michael Müller | F LC | DEN | 18 | £1K | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------| | Morten Friis | F C | DEN | 22 | £110K | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------| | Morten Andreasen | S C | DEN | 17 | £0 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------| | Henrik Johansson | S C | SWE | 30 | £8K | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------| | Mikkel Junge | S C | DEN | 29 | £4K | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------| | Casper Rasmussen | S C | DEN | 19 | £45K | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------| </pre>
Off the pitch my main concern was the financial situation at the club but if we could boost our attendances sufficiently then our wage bill was still modest enough that we may be able to get back into the black. Otherwise we could be forced to sell our prize asset, young striker Rasmussen. As it was the lad was already unhappy that we had refused to listen to several offers that had already come through the door

Our First Division debut came at the start of August 2007 with a visit to Næstved and we travelled without centre back Johnny Laursen (injured) and midfielder Thomas Christoffersen (suspended). New signing 21-year-old Rico Jørgensen played at the back and loanee Kenni Olsen started in midfield with our other loan deal Morten Friis playing up front. A pretty even match was decided by a single goal, Casper Rasmussen scoring before half time to give us a wonderful start to the season. We faced another away game in midweek as we travelled to play Silkeborg KFUM in the 2nd round of the Danish Cup and despite making several changes to the lineup we returned with a comfortable 5-0 win. Rasmussen scored a hat trick with Friis and Christoffersen adding the other goals. Our next league match was also on the road at FC Nordsjælland and despite having the better of the first half we went into the break a goal down. We struggled to create any chances after the interval and suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat.

Our first home game came in midweek with the visit of Vejle and a nightmare start saw us three goals down inside 20 minutes. We steadied the ship but never looked like getting back into the game, a huge disappointment for the 5,500 fans that turned up to see us. At the weekend we had another home game as last season’s Division Two champs Slagelse came to town. Despite a much-improved performance we still suffered a defeat going down 1-0 to a first-half goal. Our packed schedule continued with another midweek match as we hosted FC Fredericia in the 3rd round of the cup. A first-half strike from Rasmussen was cancelled out after the break and a late penalty sealed our fate as we went down 2-1. Playing two games a week was taking its toll on the players and we had to keep shuffling the starting eleven, not a good way of establishing a regular lineup. A trip to Køge was next on the agenda and a double from Morten Friis gave us a very welcome 2-1 win. A frantic month ended with a visit by B 1909 and this time a Rasmussen brace saw us come from behind to win 2-1 to sit in a very satisfactory 9th place.

Six weeks after his 19th birthday Casper Rasmussen made his debut for the Danish U-21 team in a 5-0 win over Luxembourg when he came on a substitute in the second half. He was in buoyant mood for our first match in September at home to fellow promotees Holbæk but failed to find the net as the game ended scoreless. We followed this with a trip to HIK and after a goalless first half we conceded twice after the break. Kenni Olsen pulled a goal back but we were unable to find another and suffered a 2-1 defeat. Next we faced league leaders AC Horsens in a midweek match and the game was effectively over after a disastrous opening 30 minutes during which we conceded three goals. Our play improved after that and there was no further scoring but it was a very disappointing result. I was hoping that we would show some improvement in our first-ever televised game at home to FC Frederica. Despite the presence of the TV cameras we had a healthy 5,500 gate and the spectators enjoyed a lively first half during which we twice came back from behind. Morten Friis and Jonas Jessen were the goalscorers and with no more goals after the break the 2-2 draw at least broke our losing streak. The month came to an end with a visit to Silkeborg and a heavy 4-1 defeat that would have been worse but for the heroics of keeper Mikkel Andreasen. A poor month saw us down in 12th place just two points above the relegation places.

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Pos | Team | Pld | Won | Drn | Lst | For | Ag | G.D. | Pts | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1st | AC Horsens | 11 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 25 | 7 | +18 | 26 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 2nd | Vejle | 11 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 18 | 7 | +11 | 24 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 3rd | Slagelse | 11 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 13 | 8 | +5 | 20 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 4th | Herfølge | 11 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 13 | 11 | +2 | 20 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 5th | Lyngby | 11 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 12 | 8 | +4 | 19 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 6th | Frem | 11 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 21 | 16 | +5 | 18 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 7th | Ølstykke | 11 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 12 | 8 | +4 | 18 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 8th | HIK | 11 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 17 | 15 | +2 | 18 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 9th | Silkeborg | 11 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 21 | 18 | +3 | 15 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 10th | FC Nordsjælland | 11 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 13 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 11th | Køge | 11 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 10 | 17 | -7 | 11 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 12th | HERNING FREMAD | 11 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 9 | 18 | -9 | 11 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 13th | B 1909 | 11 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 11 | 15 | -4 | 9 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 14th | FC Fredericia | 11 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 11 | 19 | -8 | 9 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 15th | Holbæk | 11 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 10 | 16 | -6 | 8 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 16th | Næstved | 11 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 4 | 24 | -20 | 2 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| </pre>
We had a weekend off before our next game because of World Cup qualifiers and Casper Rasmussen gained his second U-21 cap with another substitute appearance. I had been looking forward to the return of influential centre back Johnny Laursen who had missed almost a month with a groin strain but sadly he broke down in training and would require another fortnight’s rest at least. He wasn’t the only absentee for the visit of Frem as had no less that four first choice players unavailable. It took just 21 seconds for us to concede the opening goal and such was the poor quality of our play that when the visitors scored again before the break it was game over. The defeat dropped us down into the bottom three and I began to realise that we were well and truly in a relegation dogfight. Desperate to get some points on the board I made several changes to the team for the visit to Lyngby but defensive frailties and poor finishing saw us ship another four goals without reply. At least when we entertained Herfølge we were back to a full-strength team but I didn’t expect to get much joy against the promotion contenders. However, a revitalised Casper Rasmussen scored twice in the first half and despite facing sustained pressure after the break we held firm, conceding shortly before the end to gain an unexpected 2-1 win. Our final game of the month was a midweek visit from Ølstykke and although we failed to score we also managed a rare clean sheet to take a valuable point. The last game before the winter break saw bottom of the table Næstved come to town and I was hopeful of keeping our momentum going. But a poor first half display meant that we went into the break a goal down and we were looking dispirited. Five minutes into the second period we got a lucky break when the visitors had a man sent off and we were able to profit from their misfortune. Two goals from Rasmussen and another from Christoffersen turned the game around and we ended with a 3-1 win. We entered the winter hiatus sitting in 10th place but, perhaps more importantly, with the team morale on the up after three decent performances. The game was also a landmark for right back Jacob Andersen as he made a club-record 115th league appearance for the club.

retired_amyslack

As usual, the winter break was spent trying to maintain the fitness of the players and several friendlies were arranged. In mid-November Casper Rasmussen scored his first goal for the Danish U-21 side, coming off then bench to grab a late winner against Germany. Then in early January the inevitable happened – we received an offer we couldn’t refuse when FC Copenhagen came in with a £150K bid for our young star. Given the parlous state of our finances the board had little choice but to accept and this triggered an even bigger bid from Brondby who offered £230K for the 19-year-old. You can imagine our surprise when the precocious youngster turned both clubs down stating that he expected a higher salary offer than those currently on the table! It was a great relief that our top scorer would be with us for a little longer and month on month I could see the club’s finances improving. The increased crowds that First Division football brought meant that we were running at a profit each month and a series of lucrative home friendlies against Premiership opposition provided a further revenue boost. I took advantage of this by persuading the Board to offer young Casper an extended contract and to my delight he accepted the three-year deal that quadrupled his wages and made him the highest paid player at the club.

Finally early March arrived and we got back into competitive action with a trip to Slagelse. Rasmussen celebrated his new contract by scoring once in each half to give us a fine 2-0 win. The bad news was that we lost midfielder Thomas Christoffersen for two weeks with a twisted ankle. Our next match was also on the road at league leaders Vejle and with Rasmussen away on international duty and a couple of other first choice players missing through injury, I wasn’t too optimistic. But it’s amazing what a difference confidence makes and goals from Anders Lundqvist, Mikkel Junge and Henrik Johansson gave us a superb 3-1 win. Our last game of the month involved a visit by FC Nordsjælland and as luck would have it both left back Daniel Holm and his natural backup Kim Risager both suffered injuries before the game so I asked Kim Østergaard to play out of position on the left. We were also missing young left winger Jonas Jessen who picked up a knock in the previous game so Christoffer Olsen was drafted in. Goals from Dennis Østergaard (his first of the season) and Casper Rasmussen gave us a good 2-0 win to boost our confidence still further. Our stand-in left back played remarkably well and he could easily be used in that role again.

April commenced with a visit from Køge and once again we had a slight injury problem. Christoffer Olsen had been hurt in training and with Jonas Jessen still unfit I decided to play Daniel Holm on the left of midfield and keep Kim Østergaard at left back. An even contest ended goalless with very little to choose between the two sides. For the trip to B 1909 right back Jacob Andersen was suspended so Kim Østergaard moved over Daniel Holm played at left back and Jonas Jessen returned to the wing. Two goals from Morten Friis proved to be enough for a good 2-0 win but we lost both keeper Mikkel Andreasen and midfielder Anders Lundqvist to injury. This gave us a problem for our next game, a midweek visit from promotion challengers AC Horsens but replacements Niels Mørk and Thomas Christoffersen acquitted themselves well and we held out for a 0-0 draw. By this point we were well clear of the relegation places and barring a catastrophic collapse of form our Division One status looked to be secure. Our next match was away to relegation strugglers Holbæk and Christoffersen was unable to play because of a chest injury so Kenni Olsen was drafted in. A Johnny Laursen penalty and a goal from Rasmussen took us into the break well in control but a second-half collapse saw us concede three unanswered goals to lose 3-2. This was a poor defeat that showed up just how reliant we were on our first choice players as their replacements were noticeably poorer. We entertained 5th place HIK at the end of the month and despite going into the break 1-0 down we equalised through Rasmussen (his 16th of the season) to salvage a 1-1 draw.

We opened May with a trip to bottom club FC Fredericia and we were hopeful of gaining a win. Front pair Rasmussen and Friis put us 2-0 ahead early on but we allowed the home side to square the game before Rasmussen’s second gave us a tight 3-2 victory. We went straight into a midweek game at home to Silkeborg and with both teams very evenly matched the game ended scoreless. There was increasing press speculation concerning the future of Casper Rasmussen and it seemed that almost every week I was approached by the press to comment on the situation. It seemed only a matter of time before a big club made a move for the young striker but until that time we would continue to make the most of him. Our league programme continued with a trip to Frem and with less than 90 seconds on the clock we were 2-0 ahead, Rasmussen and Friis providing the goals. With ten minutes gone the home side pulled a goal back but by the 30-minute mark the front two had hit the target again. Two minutes later Frem scored their second and an extraordinary first half ended with us 4-2 ahead. Ten minutes from time they reduced the deficit further but we were able to hold on for a thrilling win. With just three games remaining before the end of the season we found out that we would end our campaign without Rasmussen as he had been called up to the Danish U-21 squad for the European Championships. Our next match was at home to Lyngby and we managed a narrow 1-0 win thanks to a stoppage-time goal from Thomas Christoffersen. Our excellent recent form had moved us up to 7th and with two games to play we had an outside chance of a top-five finish. Our penultimate game was a televised encounter at Herfølge, one of three teams chasing the final promotion place available after Vejle had been crowned as champions. The home side proved to be too strong for us and they scored once in each half for a 2-0 win. With Frem losing at Næstved that result proved to be enough to secure our opponents promotion to the Premier League.

I had been keeping abreast of events at the U-21 European Championships and a win and two draws was enough for Denmark to qualify from their group but they were eliminated on penalties in the Semi Finals by Holland. Rasmussen played in all four games, three of his appearances from the bench, and he scored once. The team’s elimination meant that he was back with us for our last game of the season, a trip to Ølstykke that finished in a high-scoring 3-3 draw with Johnny Laursen, Rasmussen and Friis providing our goals. Our final position of 7th was more than satisfactory as it secured us another season in Division One.

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Pos | Inf | Team | Pld | Won | Drn | Lst | For | Ag | G.D. | Pts | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1st | C | Vejle | 30 | 19 | 6 | 5 | 50 | 23 | +27 | 63 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 2nd | P | Herfølge | 30 | 16 | 8 | 6 | 38 | 26 | +12 | 56 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 3rd | | AC Horsens | 30 | 14 | 8 | 8 | 44 | 30 | +14 | 50 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 4th | | Frem | 30 | 14 | 6 | 10 | 51 | 37 | +14 | 48 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 5th | | HIK | 30 | 13 | 9 | 8 | 50 | 41 | +9 | 48 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 6th | | Slagelse | 30 | 12 | 9 | 9 | 44 | 35 | +9 | 45 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 7th | | HERNING FREMAD | 30 | 12 | 8 | 10 | 37 | 41 | -4 | 44 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 8th | | Silkeborg | 30 | 10 | 12 | 8 | 44 | 36 | +8 | 42 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 9th | | Ølstykke | 30 | 9 | 13 | 8 | 28 | 28 | 0 | 40 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 10th | | Lyngby | 30 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 30 | 31 | -1 | 39 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 11th | | B 1909 | 30 | 7 | 12 | 11 | 32 | 39 | -7 | 33 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 12th | | Næstved | 30 | 9 | 6 | 15 | 40 | 54 | -14 | 33 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 13th | | FC Nordsjælland | 30 | 6 | 11 | 13 | 23 | 31 | -8 | 29 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 14th | R | Holbæk | 30 | 6 | 9 | 15 | 25 | 43 | -18 | 27 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 15th | R | Køge | 30 | 5 | 11 | 14 | 26 | 47 | -21 | 26 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 16th | R | FC Fredericia | 30 | 6 | 7 | 17 | 22 | 42 | -20 | 25 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| </pre>
There was also good reason to be pleased with the performances of several of the players. Casper Rasmussen was clearly our player of the season and the highest scorer in the division. Thomas Christoffersen had another good season in midfield and academy graduate Jonas Jessen made an impact on the left wing. Kim Østergaard was terrific once he made the breakthrough into the team and the experienced Johnny Laursen and Thomas Gaede both had good campaigns.

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Name | Apps | Gls | Ast | MoM | Pas | Tck | Drb | Sh T | Av Rat| | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Casper Rasmussen | 25 (1)| 21 | 1 | 4 | 82% | 0.52 | 1.52 | 64% | 7.65 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Thomas Christoffersen | 24 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 77% | 1.54 | 0.73 | 47% | 7.50 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Jonas Jessen | 28 | 1 | 8 | 4 | 75% | 2.00 | 3.78 | 52% | 7.46 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Kim Østergaard | 13 | - | - | 1 | 70% | 3.58 | 0.62 | - | 7.38 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Johnny Laursen | 20 | 2 | - | 1 | 73% | 2.60 | 0.15 | - | 7.35 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Thomas Gaede | 21 (2)| - | 6 | 1 | 72% | 2.65 | 0.14 | - | 7.35 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Anders Lundqvist | 17 | 1 | 5 | - | 76% | 2.26 | 1.01 | 18% | 7.29 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Jacob Andersen | 27 | - | 1 | - | 64% | 3.25 | 0.34 | - | 7.22 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Niels Mørk | 3 (2) | - | - | - | 64% | - | - | - | 7.20 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Mads Hansen | 11 (1)| - | - | 1 | 69% | 3.39 | 0.09 | - | 7.17 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Henrik Johansson | 7 (3) | 1 | 1 | - | 84% | 0.14 | 1.01 | - | 7.10 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Mikkel Andreasen | 29 | - | 2 | 3 | 58% | - | - | - | 7.10 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Kim Risager | 2 (11)| - | 2 | - | 70% | 2.76 | 2.17 | - | 7.08 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Morten Friis | 28 (1)| 10 | 5 | 1 | 88% | 0.44 | 1.93 | 56% | 7.07 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Daniel Holm | 22 | - | - | - | 70% | 3.13 | 0.65 | - | 7.05 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Rico Jørgensen | 25 (1)| - | - | - | 65% | 3.27 | 0.08 | - | 7.00 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Christoffer Olsen | 3 | - | 1 | - | 78% | 2.43 | 2.78 | - | 7.00 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Mikkel Junge | 3 (3) | 1 | - | - | 79% | 0.57 | 0.85 | - | 6.83 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Michael Madsen | 1 (3) | - | - | - | 70% | 1.82 | 0.45 | - | 6.75 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | René Kjærsgaard | 18 (2)| - | 1 | - | 63% | 3.17 | 0.12 | - | 6.75 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Dennis Østergaard | 19 | 1 | 2 | - | 74% | 2.28 | 3.14 | 19% | 6.74 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Kenni Olsen | 5 | 1 | - | - | 78% | 1.56 | 1.12 | - | 6.20 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Svend Larsen | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| </pre>
Our finances were significantly improved and our increased attendances had virtually wiped out our overdraft. As the players all left for their summer break we could look forward to coming back refreshed and ready for another season of toil.

retired_dmech2001

Excellent story! Jutland is a peninsula, not an island, though

retired_jgirl87

Just caught up with this story and your move from Iceland to Denmark. As per usual, I gain much enjoyment from reading your stories, Bob.

retired_gabriel1993

great story

hope to see you or your team going all the way to the premier division

retired_amyslack

Thanks for your support chaps, and for the geography lesson g00n - having worked in Copenhagen for some time a few years ago I should have kown that myself


Our financial position may have improved but there were still no funds available for transfers so July was spent scouring the market for free transfers and loan signings. Dennis Østergaard was released at the end of his contract, together with several youngsters who were clearly not going to make the grade. We received a further four graduates from the Youth Academy, none of whom looked like being world-beaters. In early July, the inevitable happened when Premiership AGF came in with a bid for Casper Rasmussen that matched his release fee and we had no option but to accept. This triggered an avalanche of bids and the youngster finally accepted an offer from AB. His transfer caused a storm of protest from the fans but there was nothing that I could do about the situation.

I did manage to strengthen the squad with the addition of two free transfers (midfielder Jens Gamborg from B 1909 and defender Jacob Juhl from HIK) and two loan deals (midfielder Casper Borup from Brande and striker Anders Kaagh from Viborg).

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">| ----------------------------------------------------------------------| | Name | Position | Nat | Age | Value | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------| | Mikkel Andreasen | GK | DEN | 28 | £1K | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------| | Niels Mørk | GK | DEN | 26 | £1K | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------| | René Kjærsgaard | SW/D C | DEN | 32 | £1K | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------| | Jacob Andersen | D R | DEN | 27 | £4K | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------| | Kim Østergaard | D RC | DEN | 33 | £1K | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------| | Rico Jørgensen | D C | DEN | 22 | £1K | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------| | Johnny Laursen | D C | DEN | 33 | £1K | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------| | Lasse Sørensen | D C | DEN | 18 | £1K | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------| | Jacob Juhl | D/DM RC | DEN | 33 | £1K | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------| | Kim Risager | D/M RLC | DEN | 23 | £1K | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------| | Daniel Holm | D/M L | DEN | 27 | £1K | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------| | Thomas Gaede | DM C | DEN | 32 | £1K | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------| | Jens Gamborg | DM C | DEN | 26 | £1K | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------| | Peter Henriksen | DM C | DEN | 18 | £3K | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------| | Thomas Christoffersen | M C | DEN | 32 | £6K | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------| | Casper Borup | AM RC | DEN | 17 | £2K | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------| | Jonas Jessen | AM L | DEN | 19 | £35K | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------| | Christoffer Olsen | AM L | DEN | 23 | £7K | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------| | Anders Lundqvist | F RC | SWE | 27 | £2K | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------| | Michael Müller | F LC | DEN | 19 | £1K | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------| | Henrik Johansson | S C | SWE | 31 | £4K | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------| | Mikkel Junge | S C | DEN | 30 | £3K | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------| | Anders Kaagh | S C | DEN | 22 | - | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------| </pre>
Before we knew where we were the season was underway and we kicked off with a game at home to Aarhus Fremad, a side promoted from the Second Division last season. An injury-time goal from Jonas Jessen gave us a 1-1 draw – not an ideal start but better than a defeat. We were quickly back into action with a midweek visit to AC Horsens and a poor defensive display saw us soundly beaten 3-0. Next up was a televised encounter at home to Hvidovre but the presence of the cameras failed to lift the team and with Thomas Gaede picking up two yellow cards we lost 1-0. Our next opponents were Fremad Amager, a team relegated from the Premiership last season and a spirited performance saw us leave with a 2-2 draw with Henrik Johansson and Anders Kaagh providing the goals. As we were preparing four our midweek Danish Cup at home to Premiership side Vejle I was presented with an interesting opportunity when Finnish Premiership side AC Allianssi approached me with a job offer. They were sitting at the foot of the table and facing almost certain relegation but I felt that I was unlikely to take Herning much further so I accepted their offer.

retired_gabriel1993

so many job offers
you must be an impressive manager

i haven't received any job offers in 3 seasons

retired_gabriel1993

how about an update on your finnish adventure, BobBev.