Rosenborg's Tettey move to Rennes

Rosenborg, the current leader of the Norwegian league, has sold one of the country's brightest talents to the French club Rennes. Alexander Tettey made his debut for the club in 2004, only 17 years old. Now 23, Tettey has been a regular in the Rosenborg team the last few seasons, scoring 12 goals in 89 league matches from his central midfield position.

With four international caps for Norway and eight appearances in the Champions League with Rosenborg, Tettey has experience of top-level football and will be expected to make an immediate impact in France. While the two clubs have agreed to keep the transfer fee undisclosed, the move is estimated to have cost Rennes around 5 million euro.

Rosenborg have previously resisted several offers for Tettey, but it is thought that their shock defeat to Azerbaijani side Qarabag in the second qualifying round of the Europa League was the deciding factor in the decision to let one of their major talents leave the club.

Tettey will be the third Norwegian player in the French league, with Daniel Braathen and Torstein Helstad both performing well last season for Toulouse and Le Mans respectively.

Alexander Tettey scoring against Vålerenga in a 3-0 win earlier this year, one of his five goals this season

A European Nightmare

Serious questions are again being asked about the current state of Norwegian football. The national team have not won a qualifying match since beating Malta almost two years ago and looks set to lose out on their fifth major tournament in row. The domestic league sides are following the same trend, as there is now a distinct possibility that no Norwegian clubs will reach the main stages of any of the European club competitions this season.

It started with the biggest shock of all, Rosenborg's elimination in the second qualifying round of the Europa League. The Trondheim side have been a Champions League stalwart since its conception, with a total of eleven appearances between 1995 and 2007. Having gone through a transitional period the last few years, this season the club have again looked like the unbeatable machine that won 13 league titles in a row between 1992 and 2004. Dominating the Norwegian league throughout the first half the season, they are still undefeated and six points clear of second placed Molde.

Expectations were high that they would also rekindle their European form of years past. Instead they found a way to lose 1-0 on aggregate against Qarabag, the team that finished 5th in the Azerbaijani league last season. It was a body blow to a team that wanted a productive and long European campaign to vet the appetite for what look set to be another attempt at the Champions League next season.

Last season's league champions, Stabæk, was given a draw much closer to home in the third qualifying round to the Champions League, with FC Copenhagen of Denmark welcoming them in the first leg. Despite a good performance they face an uphill battle in the second leg, going down 3-1 to the team coached by former Norwegian international, Stale Solbakken.

At least they are still in with a fighting chance to qualify, which cannot be said for last year’s runner up in the Norwegian league, Fredrikstad. Even with home advantage they were demolished by Polish side Lech Poznan, a 6-1 loss ending their hopes of qualifying for the Europe League first round. Vålerenga's loss in the same competition was at least a bit more respectable but they still disappointed, going down 2-1 at home to Greek side PAOK FC.

The only good performance during a terrible few weeks of international football for Norwegian clubs came from the most northern team in this year's Europa League, Tromsø. They came from a goal down to take a 2-1 lead to Croatia, where NK Slaven Koprivnica can still ensure that there will be no teams from Norway joining the main stage of the two European competitions. That would be another sad indictment of the current state of Norwegian football.

Sigurd Rushfeldt's Tromsø is the only Norwegian side left with a realistic chance to go through to the Europa League 1st round.

Egil Olsen vows to attack Scots

link to same article published on bbc.co.uk: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/internationals/8175153.stm

Egil Olsen has promised an attacking approach against Scotland on 12 August in Oslo as he tries to salvage Norway's World Cup qualification hopes.

Norway, who sit bottom of Group Nine, need a victory to revive their hopes of a play-off place.

"I think Scotland would be satisfied with a draw, but that's not an option for us," said Norway coach Olsen. "It will be crucial for us to challenge them down the wings and the full-backs I selected are a reflection of that."

Young, offensive full-backs, such as Viking Stavanger's Trond Erik Bertelsen, Tromsø's Tom Høgli and Espen Ruud from Odd Grenland, have been included in Olsen's squad along with the experienced John Arne Riise.

It means that Christian Kalvenes has again been overlooked, despite the former Dundee United left-back being poised for a season in the Barclays Premier League after helping Burnley win promotion.

Even winning their three remaining games would not guarantee Norway a place among the eight teams in the play-offs in what has been dubbed as "mission impossible" in Olsen's homeland.

"The fact that we have to win this game has influenced both the selection of the squad and the way we will approach the match tactically," said Olsen, who is facing his first home qualifier in his second spell as national coach. "I expect Scotland to be very well organised defensively, keeping plenty of players behind the ball at all time."

There were no surprise inclusions in the returning coach's squad, which includes Bjørn Helge Riise, the brother of John Arne and the newest player in the Premier League, having signed for Fulham from Lillestrøm this summer.

The defence will again be marshalled by centre-half Brede Hangeland, who after a great season with Fulham has been linked to both Manchester City and Arsenal during the summer transfer window. Veteran goalkeeper Jon Knudsen, who received his debut in the away leg against Scotland in October, is set to keep his place.

Norway's two other high-profile Premier League players, John Carew and Morten Gamst Pedersen, are likely to lead the attack against the Scots. Pedersen's performance will be closely followed after he made rude gestures to the large section of supporters who booed him during the last home game against Finland in April. Norwegian fans have for a long time been largely unimpressed by the way its most famous players have performed on the international stage, with particular ire directed towards Pedersen.

He is almost certain to start on the left side of the attack, with the current form player in the Norwegian league, Erik Huseklepp, in contention for the right-sided position, and Carew spearheading the expected 4-5-1 formation.

While Norway's perceived advantage of playing Scotland in the middle of their domestic season has been much discussed, half of their starting line-up is likely to consist of players who have just finished pre-season training with their foreign clubs.

Scotland, who presenlty lie second in the group, will also take comfort that they have only once lost in Norway. That was in 1963, while the Scots won their most recent encounter in Oslo four years ago, with Kenny Miller scoring both goals.

Brann's Erik Huseklepp could be given the responsibility of breaking down the Scottish defence

Full squad to face Scotland:

Goalkeepers: Jon Knudsen (Stabæk), Rune Jarstein (Rosenborg)

Defenders: Trond Erik Bertelsen (Viking), Brede Hangeland (Fulham), Tom Høgli (Tromsø), Tore Reginiussen (Tromsø), John Arne Riise (AS Roma), Espen Ruud (Odd Grenland), Kjetil Wæhler (Aalborg)

Midfielders: Simen Brenne (Odd Grenland), Christian Grindheim (Heerenveen), Henning Hauger (Stabæk), Bjørn Helge Riise (Fulham), Per Ciljan Skjelbred (Rosenborg), Fredrik Winsnes (Strømsgodset)

Forwards: Steffen Iversen (Rosenborg), Morten Gamst Pedersen (Blackburn), Thorstein Helstad (Le Mans), Erik Huseklepp (Brann), John Carew (Aston Villa), Daniel Braathen (Toulouse)