14 days with the chair empty, a list of names that grows and shrinks by the day, and not one signature on anything. Every week that passes takes the best candidates off it.
Four paragraphs on the club website, none of them about football. The board thanked him, wished him well, and had the search under way before the page went up.
“Somebody picks the team on Saturday. This week it is me, and that is as far as I have thought.” No promises were made in either direction, which is how these usually begin.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Haugesund, and both men came out saying it was fine.
He wheeled away like a man who had been carrying it for months, because he had. Haugesund have their signing off the mark and one press-conference question retired.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Haugesund, and both men came out saying it was fine.
Every touch is being weighed now, in print and everywhere else. Some players grow into that and some are quietly ruined by it, and nobody knows which in advance.
The message was aimed at the stands as much as the dressing room: Sondre Brunstad Fet plays, and the argument is closed until the manager decides otherwise.
A player who expected to start watched it instead. The manager will call it a decision for the team; Robert Undheim will call it something else in private.
In brief
SquadAmund Wichne asks for a word with the manager
The board have said in public what they had been saying in private. Results between now and the next meeting decide it, and everybody in the building knows the arithmetic.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Haugesund can pretend not to have heard.
“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” Haugesund have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
A player who expected to start watched it instead. The manager will call it a decision for the team; Ola Visted will call it something else in private.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Haugesund can pretend not to have heard.
“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” Haugesund have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Haugesund, and both men came out saying it was fine.
In brief
The terracesThe press cannot get enough of Sory Diarra
He found out with everybody else, an hour before kick-off, from a sheet of paper on a wall. Nobody at Haugesund pretended it was anything other than a decision about him.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Haugesund can pretend not to have heard.
He wheeled away like a man who had been carrying it for months, because he had. Haugesund have their signing off the mark and one press-conference question retired.
“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” Haugesund have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
He is the name in every column and on every phone-in, which is a heavy thing to carry at any age. Some footballers thrive on it; others are quietly finished by it.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Haugesund, and both men came out saying it was fine.
Haugesund spent the window trying to move Erik Brenden on and nobody came. He trains with a squad that has already told him he is not part of it, and both sides now wait for the next one.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Haugesund can pretend not to have heard.
An error at the back is a moment; an error in goal is a goal. Amund Wichne knows it, the crowd knew it instantly, and there was nobody behind him to make it anything else.
The best deals are the ones the accountants never notice. Ola Visted arrives at Haugesund with his wages the only cost and something to prove the only clause.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Haugesund, and both men came out saying it was fine.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Haugesund, and both men came out saying it was fine.
A new face in his position, and Sondre Brunstad Fet suddenly has to win back what he thought he owned. Haugesund have promised nothing — clubs rarely do at this stage.
The best deals are the ones the accountants never notice. German Utkin arrives at Haugesund with his wages the only cost and something to prove the only clause.
“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” Haugesund have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Haugesund can pretend not to have heard.
A defender's mistake gets tidied up by somebody else; a goalkeeper's ends up in the net. He knew before the ball crossed the line, and so did everybody in the ground.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Haugesund, and both men came out saying it was fine.
Shifted about, taken off before the hour, asked to do somebody else's running — Leandro Chaparro has had enough of being useful and would like to be picked. Haugesund know, and have known for weeks.
In brief
The terracesThe press have found their man in Sory Diarra
“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” Haugesund have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Haugesund, and both men came out saying it was fine.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Haugesund can pretend not to have heard.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Haugesund, and both men came out saying it was fine.
Shifted about, taken off before the hour, asked to do somebody else's running — Miika Koskela has had enough of being useful and would like to be picked. Haugesund know, and have known for weeks.
A defender's mistake gets tidied up by somebody else; a goalkeeper's ends up in the net. He knew before the ball crossed the line, and so did everybody in the ground.
“I am grateful for the games, but I did not become a footballer to be somebody else's spare part.” He wants to be at Haugesund, and 3 appearances in 9 say he has earned the hearing.
Asked to play a role that is not his, or taken off before the hour once too often — Rasmus Møller has let it be known that he does not like the way Haugesund are using him. Managers hear this long before the press does.
He wheeled away like a man who had been carrying it for months, because he had. Haugesund have their signing off the mark and one press-conference question retired.
Shifted about, taken off before the hour, asked to do somebody else's running — Martin Bjørnbak has had enough of being useful and would like to be picked. Haugesund know, and have known for weeks.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Haugesund, and both men came out saying it was fine.
Stabaek go through and Haugesund go home, 1-2 the scoreline that did it. The dressing room will call the league the priority now, because that is what dressing rooms say.
The crowd waited for a goal that never came. Molde defended in numbers and left with what they came for, and the two sides could be playing still without troubling a scorer.
A defender's mistake gets tidied up by somebody else; a goalkeeper's ends up in the net. He knew before the ball crossed the line, and so did everybody in the ground.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Haugesund can pretend not to have heard.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Haugesund, and both men came out saying it was fine.
“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” Haugesund have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
He left as a boy and has come back still knowing where the away end is. Most signings have to be explained to a town; this one needed a photograph and nothing else.
The shirt still fits. Vegard Daehli is back at Haugesund, and half the ground remembers him in these colours already. Some signings need selling to the town; this one sold itself.
The shirt still fits. Fredrik Thorsby is back at Haugesund, and half the ground remembers him in these colours already. Some signings need selling to the town; this one sold itself.
He left as a boy and has come back still knowing where the away end is. Most signings have to be explained to a town; this one needed a photograph and nothing else.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Haugesund, and both men came out saying it was fine.
He is the name in every column and on every phone-in, which is a heavy thing to carry at any age. Some footballers thrive on it; others are quietly finished by it.
The name of Håvard Vatland Karlsen has come up in conversations Haugesund were not part of. Nothing formal, nothing signed — but nothing about it accidental either.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Haugesund, and both men came out saying it was fine.
A player who expected to start watched it instead. The manager will call it a decision for the team; Parfait Bizoza will call it something else in private.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Haugesund, and both men came out saying it was fine.
Another week, another link, another denial nobody quite believes. Haugesund know the market decides these things, not the back pages — but the back pages are louder.
In brief
The terracesEverybody has an opinion about Pyry Hannola
“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” Haugesund have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” Haugesund have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
The fee is $1.4M, the contract is signed, and the argument about whether he is worth it can begin. Viking drove a hard bargain; time will say who won it.
“I was told straight, and I would rather have it straight.” The manager at Haugesund has been clear about where Eivind Willumsen stands, which is more than many ever get.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Haugesund, and both men came out saying it was fine.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Haugesund, and both men came out saying it was fine.
“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” Haugesund have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
Public backing, and the sort that costs a manager something if it turns out to be wrong. Pyry Hannola has been told in front of everybody that the shirt is his.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Haugesund, and both men came out saying it was fine.
“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” Haugesund have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Haugesund, and both men came out saying it was fine.
Some afternoons a goalkeeper is the team. 6 saves, several of them the sort nobody expects to see stopped, and a scoreline that flatters everybody in front of him.
“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” Haugesund have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
Another week, another link, another denial nobody quite believes. Haugesund know the market decides these things, not the back pages — but the back pages are louder.
A window away with the national side, and a shirt at Haugesund that briefly doubles as an advertisement. A call-up flatters the player and the club that built him in the same breath.
He found out with everybody else, an hour before kick-off, from a sheet of paper on a wall. Nobody at Haugesund pretended it was anything other than a decision about him.
Every touch is being weighed now, in print and everywhere else. Some players grow into that and some are quietly ruined by it, and nobody knows which in advance.
Shifted about, taken off before the hour, asked to do somebody else's running — Noa Williams has had enough of being useful and would like to be picked. Haugesund know, and have known for weeks.
Some afternoons a goalkeeper is the team. 10 saves, several of them the sort nobody expects to see stopped, and a scoreline that flatters everybody in front of him.
A player who expected to start watched it instead. The manager will call it a decision for the team; Niklas Sandberg will call it something else in private.
“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” Haugesund have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
A season average of 7.00 at an age when most of his year group are still in the youth team. Haugesund know what they have, and so, by now, does everybody else.
An error at the back is a moment; an error in goal is a goal. Einar Fauskanger knows it, the crowd knew it instantly, and there was nobody behind him to make it anything else.
He found out with everybody else, an hour before kick-off, from a sheet of paper on a wall. Nobody at Haugesund pretended it was anything other than a decision about him.
A defender's mistake gets tidied up by somebody else; a goalkeeper's ends up in the net. He knew before the ball crossed the line, and so did everybody in the ground.
He found out with everybody else, an hour before kick-off, from a sheet of paper on a wall. Nobody at Haugesund pretended it was anything other than a decision about him.
Another week, another link, another denial nobody quite believes. Haugesund know the market decides these things, not the back pages — but the back pages are louder.
In brief
The terracesThe press have found their man in Emil Rohd
Some afternoons a goalkeeper is the team. 6 saves, several of them the sort nobody expects to see stopped, and a scoreline that flatters everybody in front of him.
He is 20, and nobody at Haugesund signed him for this season. Deals like this are judged in four years, by people who may not still be in the building.
48 months left and silence from upstairs — no offer, no talks, nothing for his people to answer. Clubs that let a calendar do their negotiating usually end up negotiating with the calendar.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Haugesund, and both men came out saying it was fine.
He wheeled away like a man who had been carrying it for months, because he had. Haugesund have their signing off the mark and one press-conference question retired.