RBK's coaches Ola By Rise and Per Joar Hansen do not worry about the unstable results from the last period's friendlies. rbkweb.com had a chat with them to find out what they think of RBK's current shape, two small weeks before the league starts.

RBK's coaches Ola By Rise and Per Joar Hansen do not worry about the unstable results from the last period's friendlies. rbkweb.com had a chat with them to find out what they think of RBK's current shape, two small weeks before the league starts.

Ola By sees no reason to worry about two defeats and seven goals against in friendlies, but still - he doesn't like it. "I guess that I am more irritated than worried. At the same time, we don't like to lose matches, and we did after all try to win those two matches that we lost," By Rise says to rbkweb. By Rise observes that the mixed results lately can be a result of finding the best shape early, for the Benfica-matches. "Just look at Vålerenga, they did two good games against Newcastle, and after that they have acchieved really poor." And he continues: "Finding such a peak form, and noticing that it gives results, can make you sure that you are really good when it matters. This may make it less motivating to give a peak performance in unimportant friendlies."

By Rise has reviewed the past five seasons' training matches, and doesn't find this pre-season to be worse than any other year's. "Last year was exceptional. We did not lose any pre-season game, and this - to put emphasis on the friendlies - was emphasized. You see, our friendlies two years ago were horrible, to such a degree that players brought bad self esteem and feeling with them for quite a portion of the play in the league. This year's results is about average for the past five years, at least no weaker."

At the same time, By Rise wants to point out that it is not a stabile downwards curve in the latest results. "The weak performances are exceptions; by and large we are where we shall be", says Ola, that would very much like to have all players available after the Hammarby loss (six players occupied with the national team). "It isn't optimal that we cannot get these days together, to make the collectivity of the team work again," Ola By says and sinks into deep thoughts.

By Rises assistant Per Joar Hansen is likewise not very worried after the two losses against Kongsvinger and Hammarby. "In the Kongsvinger match, the attitude was poor. Players did not seem to understand that it was a football match, and then you will get your ass kicked against any Norwegian team. The Hammarby match also saw players performing below par and what one could expect, and hence this match became a sad story as well", Hansen thinks, and adds, "- at the same time we shall not excuse the performance in any way, but still, against Hammarby it seemed that some players had their minds elsewhere."

Hansen feels that we should not put too much emphasis in these losses, and gives a final comment: "We have talked these games through, and we are finished with them."

All in all the coaches does not seem overly worried, and feels that the losses were more due to some psychological cause than lost quality.