KRINGSJÅ (Dagsavisen): Lyn has largely played with the same constellations in defense and in the middle in recent seasons. The eternal machine William Sell has played absolutely everything, while Herman Solberg Nilsen has played almost everything. The same also applies in the middle, before Even Bydal was injured. With Henrik Kristiansen also injured, there have been many midfield partners for Julius Skaug recently.
– It is clear that it is easier to play in the same constellation all the time, but having said that, all my team-mates are terribly good players, so I feel we solve it well no matter who plays. Our continuity is a great strength with us, but fortunately we have a squad where everyone trains at such a high level that it has also gone well even with a couple of substitutions, Skaug tells Dagsavisen.
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Bydal damage has caused trouble
He is the one who has been firmly in the middle in recent games, while Lyn coach Jan Halvor Halvorsen has tried several constellations around him. Eron Isufi, Malvin Ingebrigtsen, Salim Lagzhaoui, Adrian Berntsen and most recently against Moss Massire Sylla have all played there, since Even Bydal had to pull out with an injury against Ranheim.
– Even is one of our best players, so we have missed him a lot, but we have to adapt to the players who are on the pitch and the qualities they have. Malvin, for example, has qualities that Even does not have and vice versa, and I think he has done his job well when he has come in, but then we as players around have to adapt to that. It’s just about playing in the way that gives us the greatest chance of victory, says Skaug.
Lyn captain William Sell also boasts of Bydal, and says that they notice when he is not in the eleven.
– I think Even has been terribly good for us all these years and extremely important to the fact that it has gone so well and that we can play the way we do. I think that is also part of the reason why those who come in have good opportunities to do well, since they have seen what Even has done in that role. Malvin is actually a stopper, but I think he has delivered very well and taken hold of the midfield when he has played, says Sell and continues:
– Even has set a standard there for what is required to play in that role, and is a very good role model for those who have to take up the gauntlet in his role, but first and foremost we must bet that Even will be injury-free again heading into next season and can play in that role himself. Because we need that, says the captain.
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Has a clear midfield plan
Lyn coach Jan Halvor Halvorsen acknowledges that there has been a bit more rotation in the team than he would have liked in recent games, but at the same time is not very worried about the midfield constellation.
– Henrik has suffered from an injury, and when he came back he got a new one. Then Even was injured against Ranheim, and Malvin fell ill before the match against Moss. Then Herman was also out with quarantine, so there were quite a few people out at the same time, which was unfortunate. Nevertheless, we were marginally short of points both against Åsane and Moss, says Halvorsen and continues:
– I have that midfield constellation very clear to me, so it doesn’t worry me so much since I now have the players I have available. Now Malvin is back from illness, while Eron has also been very good. We let him rest from the start against Moss since he has played a lot of games recently and has recently returned from injury, but he came on and was excellent before the goal we scored, so we have plenty to choose from, says the Lyn coach.
He believes there are several considerations to take against an opponent such as Kongsvinger, and both he and Julius Skaug are preparing for a tough and physical battle in the middle.
– We have to prepare for longer periods without the ball. This means that we have to be extra good at being tight and compact in the middle, and then I bring in the edges so that we become a five, and get Kongsvinger to play around us. Both against Åsane and against Moss, we were a little too wide and a little too long, so that it was a little too easy to play through us. Then we didn’t quite look like ourselves, and then things didn’t go as we hoped. Now we have to go back to what we are good at, luring Kongvinger into traps, winning the war in the midfield and countering them in the low, says Skaug and grins.
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– Getting closer to where we need to be
The Lyn guys have good experience with qualifying from last year, and will use it for what it’s worth.
– The fact that we have been through this before means that we know that it is like any other match. It’s about dropping our shoulders and playing our way, not thinking too much about the occasion, but recreating as good performances as possible from what we’ve done in the series this year. This year, as last year, we have the pleasure of beating from below, since we have exceeded both our own internal expectations and what everyone else expected of us. Even if we were to fail now, it has been a jubilant season, so we have everything to win, says Skaug.
Captain Sell agrees.
– If you had said before the season that we would meet Kongsvinger in a qualifying match for promotion to the Eliteserien, the vast majority would probably have seen them as favourites. However, they have had a season where they have been quite uneven and were a little behind where they would probably like to be, while we are very pleased to end up where we have ended up, and have everything to win, says Sell.
With a win, there will be an away game against Egersund, before Moss waits in the round after that. If Lyn wins both, they face a team from the Eliteserien over two rounds, and with an overall win there they are back in the Eliteserien.
– It is incredible to think about, but now we are almost where we need to be. We are going up to the Eliteserien again, even if it doesn’t necessarily have to happen this year. But it’s great that we’re fighting for it now. It’s so much more fun to play in those stadiums and take part in the matches we’ve done this year, than buzzing around down in the PostNord league and especially the 3rd division when we did it, concludes Skaug.
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