From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Market8 Feb 2027
Fee agreed, wages agreed, and Mjondalen waiting with a shirt. Nobody at Odd is pretending otherwise, and the supporters have stopped asking whether and started asking when.
Market8 Feb 2027
“This is not anger. I have thought about it for months, and nothing that has happened lately changed my mind.” The request is on a desk at Odd, and it is not being withdrawn.
Transfer targets8 Feb 2027
$460.0K on the table at Lillestrom. The manager wanted him, the board agreed a number, and the only voices still to be heard are the ones at the other club.
Transfer targets8 Feb 2027
Odd have gone to Stabaek with a bid, and the supporters have gone to the internet with an opinion about it. Whether either changes anything is up to the selling club.
Squad8 Feb 2027
Tempers go at Odd
Noah Sahsah was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
Transfer targets8 Feb 2027
Odd asked and Lillestrom said no without discussing a figure. It is the least ambiguous answer in football and the one clubs most often come back to test.
Squad8 Feb 2027
Every footballer has an answer to the question about his boyhood club, and most of them never get to act on it. Joachim Williamson has, at Odd, and the first month will show what that does to a man.
Squad8 Feb 2027
Josef Baccay falls out with a teammate over standards
The oldest argument in any dressing room and the only one that is genuinely about football: one man thinks another is not putting enough in. It is also the row a manager privately does not mind having happened.
Market8 Feb 2027
He is 19, and nobody at Odd signed him for this season. Deals like this are judged in four years, by people who may not still be in the building.
Back issues
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Squad1 Feb 2027
Noah Sahsah in a row with a teammate
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Odd this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Squad1 Feb 2027
Words at Odd training over how hard people work
Somebody said out loud what several people had been thinking. Josef Baccay is at the centre of it, and the squad will now find out whether the standard rises or the pair of them simply stop speaking.
Squad1 Feb 2027
“The easiest signature of my career.” Noah Kojo and Odd agree another 4 years, and the manager can plan around him rather than about him.
The dugout1 Feb 2027
“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
The dugout1 Feb 2027
Justin Salmon is still paying for one afternoon at Odd
Nobody will confirm this and nothing else explains the last month of selections. A costly error buys a player a period of being second choice that is always longer than the error was.
Market1 Feb 2027
Another week, another link, another denial nobody quite believes. Odd know the market decides these things, not the back pages — but the back pages are louder.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Squad25 Jan 2027
Anders Kristiansen damages knee ligaments — 16 days out
The words a physio says slowly. 16 days is what the club will announce and everybody who has heard this diagnosis before knows the number is the least of it: the knee comes back before the player does.
The dugout25 Jan 2027
“I was told what my role would be, and I signed on that basis. It has not happened.” A grievance with a date attached is the hardest kind to settle.
Squad25 Jan 2027
Tempers go at Odd
Josef Baccay was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
The dugout25 Jan 2027
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Odd, and both men came out saying it was fine.
The dugout25 Jan 2027
The manager makes Jacob Buus a promise
Nothing in writing and nothing in public: a word about playing time, given face to face at Odd. The team sheets over the next month will show whether it was worth having.
Squad25 Jan 2027
Numbers do not stay secret in a dressing room. He is not asking for more than he is worth; he is asking why somebody beside him is worth more, and Odd have no good answer.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Squad18 Jan 2027
Anders Kristiansen damages knee ligaments — 24 days out
The words a physio says slowly. 24 days is what the club will announce and everybody who has heard this diagnosis before knows the number is the least of it: the knee comes back before the player does.
Squad18 Jan 2027
“Some decisions take a long time. This one took ten minutes, and most of that was finding a pen.” Syver Aas and Odd agree another 4 years.
Squad18 Jan 2027
Words exchanged at Odd
Noah Sahsah and a teammate said things this week that will take longer than a week to unsay. It was not about football, and both of them play on Saturday.
Squad18 Jan 2027
Words at Odd training over how hard people work
Somebody said out loud what several people had been thinking. Josef Baccay is at the centre of it, and the squad will now find out whether the standard rises or the pair of them simply stop speaking.
The dugout18 Jan 2027
“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.
The dugout18 Jan 2027
A conversation in the manager’s office, and a commitment that came out of it. Promises like that are cheap to make and expensive to break, and Justin Salmon has written the date down.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Squad11 Jan 2027
31 days on the announcement, and a year of quiet, unwatched rehabilitation behind it. Odd lose a player for a season; he loses something harder to name.
Squad11 Jan 2027
A falling-out at Odd
Josef Baccay and a teammate went at it, and not about football. Training grounds are small places and a long season makes them smaller.
Squad11 Jan 2027
Words at Odd training over how hard people work
Somebody said out loud what several people had been thinking. Jacob Buus is at the centre of it, and the squad will now find out whether the standard rises or the pair of them simply stop speaking.
The dugout11 Jan 2027
He asked about his future and was given an answer with minutes in it. The manager has now made a promise in a building where promises are remembered, and the clock on it has started.
Market11 Jan 2027
It has been denied twice and printed three times, which is the usual arithmetic. Until Villads Rasmussen signs something — a contract at Odd or anywhere else — this column belongs to him.
The dugout11 Jan 2027
Jakob Vadstrup knocks on the manager's door
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Odd, and both men came out saying it was fine.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Squad4 Jan 2027
39 days on the announcement, and a year of quiet, unwatched rehabilitation behind it. Odd lose a player for a season; he loses something harder to name.
Squad4 Jan 2027
Words exchanged at Odd
Josef Baccay and a teammate said things this week that will take longer than a week to unsay. It was not about football, and both of them play on Saturday.
Squad4 Jan 2027
“I never wanted to be anywhere else. There is unfinished business here.” Jacob Buus commits to Odd for another 3 years.
The dugout4 Jan 2027
Justin Salmon is still being punished for one mistake
Nobody will confirm it and the team sheets confirm it every week. One error has bought him a spell as second choice that is already longer than the error deserved.
The dugout4 Jan 2027
Justin Salmon knocks on the manager’s door
“Thirty minutes, door closed, everything said. We shook hands after.” Whatever was in the room stayed in the room, and Justin Salmon trained the next morning like a man with less to carry.
Market4 Jan 2027
Another week, another link, another denial nobody quite believes. Odd know the market decides these things, not the back pages — but the back pages are louder.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Squad28 Dec 2026
Anders Kristiansen damages knee ligaments — 47 days out
The words a physio says slowly. 47 days is what the club will announce and everybody who has heard this diagnosis before knows the number is the least of it: the knee comes back before the player does.
The dugout28 Dec 2026
“I remember the meeting. I remember exactly what was promised in it.” Odd may remember it differently, which is precisely the problem.
Squad28 Dec 2026
“The easiest signature of my career.” Villads Rasmussen and Odd agree another 3 years, and the manager can plan around him rather than about him.
Squad28 Dec 2026
Words at Odd training over how hard people work
Somebody said out loud what several people had been thinking. Josef Baccay is at the centre of it, and the squad will now find out whether the standard rises or the pair of them simply stop speaking.
Squad28 Dec 2026
Words exchanged at Odd
Samuel Skree Skjeldal and a teammate said things this week that will take longer than a week to unsay. It was not about football, and both of them play on Saturday.
The dugout28 Dec 2026
“I pick players who do the work. All of it.” No name was spoken; every camera still turned to Justin Salmon, and the manager let it.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Squad21 Dec 2026
Anders Kristiansen damages knee ligaments — 55 days out
The words a physio says slowly. 55 days is what the club will announce and everybody who has heard this diagnosis before knows the number is the least of it: the knee comes back before the player does.
Squad21 Dec 2026
Josef Baccay falls out with a teammate over standards
The oldest argument in any dressing room and the only one that is genuinely about football: one man thinks another is not putting enough in. It is also the row a manager privately does not mind having happened.
The dugout21 Dec 2026
Jacob Buus gets it from the manager
“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
The dugout21 Dec 2026
Nothing in writing and nothing in public: a word about playing time, given face to face at Odd. The team sheets over the next month will show whether it was worth having.
The dugout21 Dec 2026
Casper Glenna knocks on the manager’s door
“Thirty minutes, door closed, everything said. We shook hands after.” Whatever was in the room stayed in the room, and Casper Glenna trained the next morning like a man with less to carry.
Market21 Dec 2026
Another week, another link, another denial nobody quite believes. Odd know the market decides these things, not the back pages — but the back pages are louder.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Squad14 Dec 2026
Anders Kristiansen damages knee ligaments — 63 days out
The words a physio says slowly. 63 days is what the club will announce and everybody who has heard this diagnosis before knows the number is the least of it: the knee comes back before the player does.
Squad14 Dec 2026
Tempers go at Odd
Noah Sahsah was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
The dugout14 Dec 2026
Syver Aas knocks on the manager's door
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Odd, and both men came out saying it was fine.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Squad7 Dec 2026
70 days on the announcement, and a year of quiet, unwatched rehabilitation behind it. Odd lose a player for a season; he loses something harder to name.
The dugout7 Dec 2026
“I remember the meeting. I remember exactly what was promised in it.” Odd may remember it differently, which is precisely the problem.
Squad7 Dec 2026
“The easiest signature of my career.” Josef Baccay and Odd agree another 3 years, and the manager can plan around him rather than about him.
Squad7 Dec 2026
Noah Sahsah in a row with a teammate
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Odd this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Squad7 Dec 2026
The one award nobody else on the pitch can win goes to André Hansen, on 8 clean sheets across the season. Keepers wait a career for a season like it.
The dugout7 Dec 2026
“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Squad30 Nov 2026
Anders Kristiansen damages knee ligaments — 78 days out
The words a physio says slowly. 78 days is what the club will announce and everybody who has heard this diagnosis before knows the number is the least of it: the knee comes back before the player does.
Market30 Nov 2026
The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at Odd is pretending he will be back in the shirt.
Squad30 Nov 2026
Tempers go at Odd
Josef Baccay was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
Squad30 Nov 2026
38 days, the scan says, and scans are kinder than reality. The fixtures in that window have just become somebody else’s job.
Squad30 Nov 2026
Words at Odd training over how hard people work
Somebody said out loud what several people had been thinking. Jacob Buus is at the centre of it, and the squad will now find out whether the standard rises or the pair of them simply stop speaking.
Market30 Nov 2026
1 months remain and no agreement is close. Every week without a signature costs Odd money.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Squad23 Nov 2026
Anders Kristiansen damages knee ligaments — 88 days out
The words a physio says slowly. 88 days is what the club will announce and everybody who has heard this diagnosis before knows the number is the least of it: the knee comes back before the player does.
The dugout23 Nov 2026
“I remember the meeting. I remember exactly what was promised in it.” Odd may remember it differently, which is precisely the problem.
Market23 Nov 2026
Fee agreed, terms agreed, medical booked. Zakaria Mugeese will be somebody else’s player by the weekend, and around Odd the goodbyes have quietly begun.
Squad23 Nov 2026
Josef Baccay in a row with a teammate
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Odd this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
The dugout23 Nov 2026
The manager makes an example of Jacob Buus
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
The dugout23 Nov 2026
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Odd, and both men came out saying it was fine.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Squad16 Nov 2026
97 days on the estimate, and a long, private, unglamorous year of a rehabilitation nobody watches. Odd lose a footballer; he loses considerably more than a season.
Market16 Nov 2026
Only the photograph left for Josef Baccay
Fee agreed, terms agreed, medical booked. Josef Baccay will be somebody else’s player by the weekend, and around Odd the goodbyes have quietly begun.
Squad16 Nov 2026
A row about effort at Odd
Somebody said out loud what several people thought about how hard another man trains, and Josef Baccay was in the middle of it. The one dressing-room argument that is genuinely about football.
Squad16 Nov 2026
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Odd this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
The dugout16 Nov 2026
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
The dugout16 Nov 2026
Josef Baccay knocks on the manager’s door
“Thirty minutes, door closed, everything said. We shook hands after.” Whatever was in the room stayed in the room, and Josef Baccay trained the next morning like a man with less to carry.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Squad9 Nov 2026
104 days on the estimate, and a long, private, unglamorous year of a rehabilitation nobody watches. Odd lose a footballer; he loses considerably more than a season.
Squad9 Nov 2026
A row about effort at Odd
Somebody said out loud what several people thought about how hard another man trains, and Josef Baccay was in the middle of it. The one dressing-room argument that is genuinely about football.
Squad9 Nov 2026
Tempers go at Odd
Samuel Skree Skjeldal was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
The dugout9 Nov 2026
The manager makes an example of Casper Glenna
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
The dugout9 Nov 2026
Justin Salmon is still being punished for one mistake
Nobody will confirm it and the team sheets confirm it every week. One error has bought him a spell as second choice that is already longer than the error deserved.
Market9 Nov 2026
“We keep meeting, and we keep leaving the room with the same numbers we walked in with.” Another round of talks at Odd, another week without a signature from Justin Salmon.
The dugout9 Nov 2026
Josef Baccay knocks on the manager’s door
“Thirty minutes, door closed, everything said. We shook hands after.” Whatever was in the room stayed in the room, and Josef Baccay trained the next morning like a man with less to carry.
Market9 Nov 2026
Another week, another link, another denial nobody quite believes. Odd know the market decides these things, not the back pages — but the back pages are louder.
Market9 Nov 2026
2 months left and the two sides are nowhere near each other. Every week this drags on takes money off what Odd could get for him.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Match31 Oct 2026
15 matches without a win for Odd
The run now stands at 15, and the questions being asked around Odd are no longer polite ones.
Squad2 Nov 2026
Anders Kristiansen damages knee ligaments — 112 days out
The words a physio says slowly. 112 days is what the club will announce and everybody who has heard this diagnosis before knows the number is the least of it: the knee comes back before the player does.
Match31 Oct 2026
13 matches without a goal for Odd
The chances are being made and something is happening between the making and the finishing. 13 matches now, and the anxiety in the ground arrives a little earlier every week.
Market2 Nov 2026
The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at Odd is pretending he will be back in the shirt.
Player ratings2 Nov 2026
Successful dribbles: 24. He went past people as if he had been told there was a prize for it, and by the end the full-back had stopped pretending to try.
Market2 Nov 2026
Odd and Josef Baccay are talking past each other
“There is a gap, and pretending there is not helps nobody.” Neither side has moved, and the calendar is working for exactly one of them.
Squad2 Nov 2026
André Hansen makes the team of the month
Four or five weekends of consistency, measured against everybody else in the division. A quieter compliment than an award and a more reliable one.
Squad2 Nov 2026
It will be explained as a change for the team and it may even be one. Nobody who has worn one believes that, and neither does the man who has just had it taken away.
The dugout2 Nov 2026
The view from the dugout
“We did not lose. Some weeks that is all you get, and I would rather have the point than not.” Marcus King chose the glass-half-full version of 0‑0; the supporters left with the other one.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Match24 Oct 2026
No end in sight to Odd's wait for a win
14 matches now without a victory, and the excuses have worn thinner than the patience. Somebody at Odd has to find a result from somewhere.
Squad26 Oct 2026
119 days on the estimate, and a long, private, unglamorous year of a rehabilitation nobody watches. Odd lose a footballer; he loses considerably more than a season.
Match24 Oct 2026
Odd cannot find the net
12 games without scoring. Strikers stop looking up, midfielders take the extra touch, and every shot that clears the bar is followed by a groan that has been building since the last goal.
Market26 Oct 2026
Fee agreed, terms agreed, medical booked. Zakaria Mugeese will be somebody else’s player by the weekend, and around Odd the goodbyes have quietly begun.
Squad26 Oct 2026
“I never wanted to be anywhere else. There is unfinished business here.” Filip Rønningen Jørgensen commits to Odd for another 3 years.
Squad26 Oct 2026
Words exchanged at Odd
Noah Sahsah and a teammate said things this week that will take longer than a week to unsay. It was not about football, and both of them play on Saturday.
Player ratings26 Oct 2026
Syver Aas ran the middle of the pitch — 7.11
He won it back and then made something of it, which is two jobs and the reason the scoreline looks the way it does. 14 combined actions and a mark of 7.11, and not one of them will make a highlights package.
Squad26 Oct 2026
Josef Baccay falls out with a teammate over standards
The oldest argument in any dressing room and the only one that is genuinely about football: one man thinks another is not putting enough in. It is also the row a manager privately does not mind having happened.
The dugout26 Oct 2026
“A point is a point and I will take it, but we should have had all three.” Marcus King after the 0‑0 draw, and the sentence every manager in the country said at some stage this weekend.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Squad19 Oct 2026
126 days on the announcement, and a year of quiet, unwatched rehabilitation behind it. Odd lose a player for a season; he loses something harder to name.
Match17 Oct 2026
13 matches without a win for Odd
The run now stands at 13, and the questions being asked around Odd are no longer polite ones.
Match17 Oct 2026
11 matches without a goal for Odd
The chances are being made and something is happening between the making and the finishing. 11 matches now, and the anxiety in the ground arrives a little earlier every week.
Market19 Oct 2026
Josef Baccay has one foot out of the door
Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around Odd they have already started talking about him in the past tense.
Squad19 Oct 2026
Tempers go at Odd
Noah Sahsah was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
Player ratings19 Oct 2026
Successful dribbles: 21. He went past people as if he had been told there was a prize for it, and by the end the full-back had stopped pretending to try.
Squad19 Oct 2026
Words at Odd training over how hard people work
Somebody said out loud what several people had been thinking. Josef Baccay is at the centre of it, and the squad will now find out whether the standard rises or the pair of them simply stop speaking.
The dugout19 Oct 2026
“I pick players who do the work. All of it.” No name was spoken; every camera still turned to Daniel Söderberg, and the manager let it.
The dugout19 Oct 2026
Clubs make promises constantly and the page usually only hears about them when they are broken. This one was honoured, and the dressing room noticed that faster than any supporter did.
In brief
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The dugout
The view from the dugout
-
Looking ahead
Odd take on the side everybody is chasing
-
Squad
Samuel Skree Skjeldal has to sit this one out
From our football correspondent
Crisis
Match10 Oct 2026
The wait goes on for Odd
12 without a win now, and the ground has developed the special quiet of a crowd that expects the worst. One scrappy 1-0 would cure most of it; that is the maddening part.
Match10 Oct 2026
10 matches without a goal for Odd
The chances are being made and something is happening between the making and the finishing. 10 matches now, and the anxiety in the ground arrives a little earlier every week.
Squad12 Oct 2026
Words exchanged at Odd
Josef Baccay and a teammate said things this week that will take longer than a week to unsay. It was not about football, and both of them play on Saturday.
Player ratings12 Oct 2026
Successful dribbles: 20. There is a particular sort of despair on a full-back's face by the seventieth minute, and it was on display.
Match10 Oct 2026
Haugesund left with the points after a 0‑1 defeat that will take some explaining on the terraces.
Squad12 Oct 2026
26 days, the scan says, and scans are kinder than reality. The fixtures in that window have just become somebody else’s job.
The dugout12 Oct 2026
“I could talk about decisions and I could talk about luck. I will not. We lost.” The manager, 0‑1, and a press conference that lasted four minutes.
The dugout12 Oct 2026
“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
The dugout12 Oct 2026
Justin Salmon is still paying for one afternoon at Odd
Nobody will confirm this and nothing else explains the last month of selections. A costly error buys a player a period of being second choice that is always longer than the error was.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Match3 Oct 2026
11 matches without a win for Odd
The run now stands at 11, and the questions being asked around Odd are no longer polite ones.
Match3 Oct 2026
9 matches without a goal for Odd
The chances are being made and something is happening between the making and the finishing. 9 matches now, and the anxiety in the ground arrives a little earlier every week.
Market5 Oct 2026
Justin Salmon has one foot out of the door
Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around Odd they have already started talking about him in the past tense.
Squad5 Oct 2026
A falling-out at Odd
Noah Sahsah and a teammate went at it, and not about football. Training grounds are small places and a long season makes them smaller.
Squad5 Oct 2026
A row about effort at Odd
Somebody said out loud what several people thought about how hard another man trains, and Josef Baccay was in the middle of it. The one dressing-room argument that is genuinely about football.
Player ratings5 Oct 2026
Successful dribbles: 20. He went past people as if he had been told there was a prize for it, and by the end the full-back had stopped pretending to try.
The dugout5 Oct 2026
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
Squad5 Oct 2026
Too much change too quickly at Odd
11 signings in three months. Every one of them may be an upgrade and the team can still be worse for a while, which is the part of a rebuild that never appears in the transfer-window verdicts.
The dugout5 Oct 2026
A promise honoured at Odd
Something was said to Nikolas Walstad and then it happened. In this industry that passes for remarkable, and the dressing room noticed faster than any supporter could.
In brief
-
The dugout
The manager’s verdict
-
Match
Odd and Mjondalen cancel each other out
-
Market
Josef Baccay runs his contract down
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Match26 Sep 2026
The wait goes on for Odd
10 without a win now, and the ground has developed the special quiet of a crowd that expects the worst. One scrappy 1-0 would cure most of it; that is the maddening part.
Match26 Sep 2026
8 matches without a goal for Odd
The chances are being made and something is happening between the making and the finishing. 8 matches now, and the anxiety in the ground arrives a little earlier every week.
Match28 Sep 2026
Odd sink to position 14
7 points, and a fixture list that is running out. The mathematics are not yet cruel, but they are no longer kind.
Market28 Sep 2026
Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around Odd they have already started talking about him in the past tense.
Player ratings28 Sep 2026
Successful dribbles: 22. There is a particular sort of despair on a full-back's face by the seventieth minute, and it was on display.
Squad28 Sep 2026
Josef Baccay in a row with a teammate
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Odd this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Player ratings28 Sep 2026
A midfielder is measured on whether the team functions when he is on the pitch, which is nearly impossible to see and completely obvious in retrospect. 9 actions, 6.87, and a manager who will not be substituting him again in a hurry.
Squad28 Sep 2026
A row about effort at Odd
Somebody said out loud what several people thought about how hard another man trains, and Jacob Buus was in the middle of it. The one dressing-room argument that is genuinely about football.
The dugout28 Sep 2026
Josef Baccay knocks on the manager's door
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Odd, and both men came out saying it was fine.
From our football correspondent
Crisis
Match19 Sep 2026
No end in sight to Odd's wait for a win
9 matches now without a victory, and the excuses have worn thinner than the patience. Somebody at Odd has to find a result from somewhere.
Market21 Sep 2026
The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at Odd is pretending he will be back in the shirt.
Match19 Sep 2026
The goals have deserted Odd
7 matches, no goals, and a training ground that has tried everything. It will end — droughts always do — but nobody at Odd can tell you which week it ends in.
Squad21 Sep 2026
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Odd this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Match19 Sep 2026
Sandefjord left with the points after a 0‑1 defeat that will take some explaining on the terraces.
The dugout21 Sep 2026
The view from the dugout
“We will look at it, we will learn from it, and we go again.” The three sentences every manager keeps for a 0‑1 defeat, delivered by Marcus King to a room that had heard them before.
Player ratings21 Sep 2026
Successful dribbles: 14. There is a particular sort of despair on a full-back's face by the seventieth minute, and it was on display.
The dugout21 Sep 2026
Josef Baccay asks for a word with the manager
“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.
Looking ahead21 Sep 2026
Every squad has one of these fixtures for somebody every season. This one is John Kitolano’s: the club that knew him first, the supporters who will decide in the first minute whether to applaud, and Odd needing him to play as if none of it matters.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Match12 Sep 2026
8 matches without a win for Odd
The run now stands at 8, and the questions being asked around Odd are no longer polite ones.
Match12 Sep 2026
The goals have deserted Odd
6 matches, no goals, and a training ground that has tried everything. It will end — droughts always do — but nobody at Odd can tell you which week it ends in.
Squad14 Sep 2026
A row about effort at Odd
Somebody said out loud what several people thought about how hard another man trains, and Josef Baccay was in the middle of it. The one dressing-room argument that is genuinely about football.
The dugout14 Sep 2026
The manager makes an example of Jacob Buus
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
Market14 Sep 2026
Odd and Justin Salmon are talking past each other
“There is a gap, and pretending there is not helps nobody.” Neither side has moved, and the calendar is working for exactly one of them.
The dugout14 Sep 2026
Half-satisfied: Marcus King on the draw
“There are things I liked and things we will be doing on Tuesday until they are right.” 0‑0, and a manager who had already decided what Tuesday looked like.
Player ratings14 Sep 2026
Noah Sahsah beats them one at a time
Successful dribbles: 13. There was always a defender in front of him and there was never a defender in front of him for long.
Match12 Sep 2026
Ninety minutes, two goalkeepers with clean gloves, and not one finish worth keeping. IK Start will be the happier side with the point.
The dugout14 Sep 2026
“Thirty minutes, door closed, everything said. We shook hands after.” Whatever was in the room stayed in the room, and Samuel Skree Skjeldal trained the next morning like a man with less to carry.
From our football correspondent
Crisis
Match5 Sep 2026
7 matches without a win for Odd
The run now stands at 7, and the questions being asked around Odd are no longer polite ones.
Market7 Sep 2026
Only the photograph left for Justin Salmon
Fee agreed, terms agreed, medical booked. Justin Salmon will be somebody else’s player by the weekend, and around Odd the goodbyes have quietly begun.
Match5 Sep 2026
5 matches without a goal for Odd
The chances are being made and something is happening between the making and the finishing. 5 matches now, and the anxiety in the ground arrives a little earlier every week.
Boardroom7 Sep 2026
There is no worse way to lose a footballer. Justin Salmon has pre-agreed a move away, which means every appearance between now and June is made by a man the club can no longer sell, and somebody upstairs will be asked why the contract was allowed to get here.
Squad7 Sep 2026
A falling-out at Odd
Noah Sahsah and a teammate went at it, and not about football. Training grounds are small places and a long season makes them smaller.
Squad7 Sep 2026
Josef Baccay falls out with a teammate over standards
The oldest argument in any dressing room and the only one that is genuinely about football: one man thinks another is not putting enough in. It is also the row a manager privately does not mind having happened.
Match5 Sep 2026
Odd come up short against Tromso
Tromso left with the points after a 0‑1 defeat that will take some explaining on the terraces.
The dugout7 Sep 2026
“I pick players who do the work. All of it.” No name was spoken; every camera still turned to Nikolas Walstad, and the manager let it.
Market7 Sep 2026
“We are a long way apart, and pretending otherwise helps nobody.” Neither side is close, and the calendar is not on the club's side.
In brief
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Squad
Too much change too quickly at Odd
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The dugout
Marcus King answers for it
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Player ratings
Noah Sahsah runs at them all day
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Match29 Aug 2026
The wait goes on for Odd
6 without a win now, and the ground has developed the special quiet of a crowd that expects the worst. One scrappy 1-0 would cure most of it; that is the maddening part.
Market31 Aug 2026
Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around Odd they have already started talking about him in the past tense.
Match29 Aug 2026
4 matches without a goal for Odd
The chances are being made and something is happening between the making and the finishing. 4 matches now, and the anxiety in the ground arrives a little earlier every week.
Squad31 Aug 2026
Words exchanged at Odd
Noah Sahsah and a teammate said things this week that will take longer than a week to unsay. It was not about football, and both of them play on Saturday.
The dugout31 Aug 2026
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
Player ratings31 Aug 2026
Successful dribbles: 16. Every time he got the ball somebody had to make a decision, and every time the decision was wrong.
The dugout31 Aug 2026
John Kitolano knocks on the manager’s door
“Thirty minutes, door closed, everything said. We shook hands after.” Whatever was in the room stayed in the room, and John Kitolano trained the next morning like a man with less to carry.
The dugout31 Aug 2026
Marcus King: “We have to be better”
“It is not the end of the world and it is not good enough. Both of those are true.” The manager, after a 0‑0 draw, said the honest thing and then went to say it again inside.
Match29 Aug 2026
Odd and Valerenga cancel each other out
Nil-nil, and few chances worth the name. Valerenga came to defend and left with exactly what they came for.
From our football correspondent
Crisis
Match22 Aug 2026
The cup run ends for Odd
0‑1 against Bodo/Glimt, and the road stops here. Cup exits are quick deaths — no second leg, no next week, just the league from now until May.
Market24 Aug 2026
Josef Baccay has one foot out of the door
Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around Odd they have already started talking about him in the past tense.
Market24 Aug 2026
Everything was agreed until it was not, and Justin Salmon reports back to Odd with a summer to forget. Neither club is saying who walked away from the table.
Match22 Aug 2026
No end in sight to Odd's wait for a win
5 matches now without a victory, and the excuses have worn thinner than the patience. Somebody at Odd has to find a result from somewhere.
Squad24 Aug 2026
Words at Odd training over how hard people work
Somebody said out loud what several people had been thinking. Josef Baccay is at the centre of it, and the squad will now find out whether the standard rises or the pair of them simply stop speaking.
Match22 Aug 2026
3 matches without a goal for Odd
The chances are being made and something is happening between the making and the finishing. 3 matches now, and the anxiety in the ground arrives a little earlier every week.
Transfer targets24 Aug 2026
Odd asked and Ilves said no without discussing a figure. It is the least ambiguous answer in football and the one clubs most often come back to test.
Squad24 Aug 2026
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Odd this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
The dugout24 Aug 2026
“I pick players who do the work. All of it.” No name was spoken; every camera still turned to Tim Erlandsson, and the manager let it.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Squad17 Aug 2026
André Hansen is the hero from the spot
A shoot-out is remembered by its ending, and this one ends with André Hansen: 2 kept out, and a set of supporters who will describe every one of them for the next twenty years.
Match12 Aug 2026
Odd march on in the cup
Stromsgodset are out and Odd go through, 1‑1 the final word. The bracket opens up a little, and everyone allows themselves a look at it.
Player ratings17 Aug 2026
Marked 7.94 at 20, in a side that makes no allowances for age. He did not need any, and he looked the least nervous man on the pitch.
Market17 Aug 2026
Noah Sahsah arrives at Odd in a $1.4M statement of intent
There comes a point where a club either backs its own ambition or admits it does not have any. Odd have paid $1.4M for Noah Sahsah, which is the loudest way there is of saying which one it chose.
Boardroom17 Aug 2026
Deadline passes with 19 signed and 0 gone
That is the business done at Odd until the window opens again. Whether it was enough will be answered on Saturdays rather than in a column, and the first Saturday is close.
Transfer targets17 Aug 2026
$1.8M was the most the club would pay and Bodo/Glimt were asking for more. Deals like this are revived in the last week of a window roughly half the time, and everybody involved knows it.
Market17 Aug 2026
Sandefjord come back empty-handed
The bid was some way short and Odd did not need long over it. Nobody in the game reads a first refusal as the end of anything.
Transfer targets17 Aug 2026
Not now, not at any price the club was prepared to say out loud. Tromso have kept their man, and Odd go back to a list with one name crossed off it.
Market17 Aug 2026
The interest is real enough to have reached print. Odd have said nothing, which in a transfer window is its own kind of answer.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Market10 Aug 2026
The offer was not close and it was refused without much discussion. Whether the second one is refused as quickly is another matter.
Squad10 Aug 2026
John Kitolano gets the move he always wanted
Footballers are asked about their boyhood club so often that nobody listens to the answer. John Kitolano has just signed for Odd, and for once the answer mattered.
Transfer targets10 Aug 2026
The clubs had agreed and the player had not. A snub, and a public one: Randers keep him, and the supporters here are left wondering what he had heard about the place.
Boardroom10 Aug 2026
The rules permit it and it stings anyway. Zakaria Mugeese has agreed terms with Rosenborg for the summer, and until then he pulls on this shirt as a player who has already chosen his next one.
Squad10 Aug 2026
“The easiest signature of my career.” Hinrik Harðarson and Odd agree another 4 years, and the manager can plan around him rather than about him.
Squad10 Aug 2026
Josef Baccay in a row with a teammate
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Odd this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Market10 Aug 2026
As if he never left: John Kitolano returns
Some transfers need a press campaign. This one needed a shirt with the old number on it. John Kitolano is a Odd player again, and the town has its story of the summer.
Boardroom10 Aug 2026
Valerenga will keep picking him until June and will get nothing for him after it. Magnus Westergaard has pre-agreed a move to Odd, and the only people who lose in that arrangement are the ones who let the contract run down.
Market10 Aug 2026
One of our own: Ruben Normann joins the Odd first team
Clubs spend fortunes looking for players and occasionally find one down the corridor. Ruben Normann is that, and the reception he gets on his first appearance will be different in kind from the one any signing receives.
In brief
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Market
One of our own: Bjorn Daehli joins the Odd first team
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Squad
12 new faces, and Odd are still learning each other
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Transfer targets
A loan move for Teemu Hytönen is in the works
From our football correspondent
Triumph
Player ratings3 Aug 2026
Marked 7.75 at 20, in a side that makes no allowances for age. He did not need any, and he looked the least nervous man on the pitch.
Transfer targets3 Aug 2026
Everything agreed with another club, everything agreed with the player; a doctor is the only person left to persuade. The photograph is a day or two away.
Boardroom3 Aug 2026
The rules permit it and it stings anyway. Josef Baccay has agreed terms with Tromso for the summer, and until then he pulls on this shirt as a player who has already chosen his next one.
Squad3 Aug 2026
“The easiest signature of my career.” Filip Rønningen Jørgensen and Odd agree another 4 years, and the manager can plan around him rather than about him.
Squad3 Aug 2026
A row about effort at Odd
Somebody said out loud what several people thought about how hard another man trains, and Josef Baccay was in the middle of it. The one dressing-room argument that is genuinely about football.
Boardroom3 Aug 2026
The paperwork is done long before the player is. Kreshnik Krasniqi has agreed terms to come here when his current deal runs out, which means Odd have spent a summer's transfer budget on a phone call.
Squad3 Aug 2026
Words exchanged at Odd
Samuel Skree Skjeldal and a teammate said things this week that will take longer than a week to unsay. It was not about football, and both of them play on Saturday.
Match1 Aug 2026
It finished 2‑1, and it was Abduljeleel Abdulateef’s afternoon: on the scoresheet when it mattered, and the reason the points belong to Odd.
The terraces3 Aug 2026
He is 22 and the ground already sings his name, which is a thing that happens to local boys and almost never to signings. Everything from here is measured against an affection he did nothing to earn except be from here.