Ole @ Torslanda IK (Sweden; regional 4th division?)

Swedish clubs at this level don't really find communication important for some reason. There is never continuity. They come up with a nice graphic to present their line-up on Instagram but only use it now and then. Classic.

Anyway, I saw the Torslanda game against Vänersborg. It was perhaps the slowest match I have ever seen at this level. Torslanda were great at playing around the ball but didn't really achieve or create anything with it. Vänersborg had a few counter attacks but nothing worth mentioning exept their equaliser just before half time.

Torslanda lined up with a 4-3-3. Pijnaker as the left hand centre back, Parker-Price as deep lying playmaker in front of the centre backs and Wooldridge as one of two central midfielders in front of Parker-Price. Pijnaker was by far the most vocal player on the pitch, guiding his teammates all the time (many of them are very inexperienced so it's needed).  The others didn't really stand out. Especially the midfielders should have been able to change the pace in the game a lot more than they did and that is why Torslanda created so few scoring opportunities. Unfortunately I didn't see the last 15 minutes of the game as I had to catch a bus and of course Torslanda then scored two goals that won the game for them. I would say that two half-time substitutes were game-changing (none of them a New Zealander) for Torslanda.

This was only their second victory this season so my guess is that they've had trouble capitalising on their possession play all season.

That's our Declan!

After a mid-season break Torslanda played again this weekend and they're back on the losing track. Facing the best team in the league, they lost, 0-4 (the last two conceded in stoppage time).

However, a new Newzealander has arrived, goalkeeper Andrew Withers. Tough start for him apparently. Does he have some sort of reputation in New Zealand?

not really been Western Suburbs keeper in Central League for a few years, OK keeper but not really been looked at for higher level or rep football

...and kept for the NZ National League winners last season. Has played in the US for most of the recent NZ summer seasons prior to that.

Appears to have a British passport as well according to Transfermarkt.

oh yeah that as well - I was really meaning he's never seemed to be in the picture for NZ teams

Yeah his father is an Englishman who used to bang them in for Tawa's first team into his 40s. Suspect he's still terrorising Masters 1.

is his father called Tim?

pete

It's fair to say that Torslander have not benefited from the arrival of Ole, in the short term at least.

Its also fair to say that with Ole involved its not a short term project....

Is there even a Swedish 5th tier? Also, would the kiwi's stick around for that level of football if it came to that?

Actually just had a look and they have 10 tiers, seems a bit excessive for a country of roughly 10 million but ok...

There's more than 10 tiers in Wellington so maybe it's not that strange.

I live in New Plymouth, we couldn't even get the local clubs to agree to jump on board to put a team together in the Central League last season. ?

Wellington is almost foreign to me, well apart from the pubs and the Stadium that is.

Haha, of course there is a 5th tier (12 geographical divisions on that level). And below that there are four regional tiers in the Gothenburg district. But Torslanda IK have not been below the 4th tier for more than 20 years, so this season is horrible. I still feel that the aim of this project is unclear. I haven't exactly been visiting their training sessions but I doubt that Edge's methodology is very unique (at least in a European context). So I don't expect the club to suddenly produce superpromising prospects. And if the purpose of the project is to promote the players from New Zealand to the Swedish market they don't do it well. Because there has been no rumors during the transfer window about any of them. I have had contact with a scout from one of the city's professional clubs and they don't seem to even watch their games or anything. He didn't know Pijnaker at all (which seems to be the most interesting one), and this scout's network watches a lot of games at this level (and the club in question even has a loanee at Torslanda IK).

I'd refer you to my above comment - this is Ole so it'll be a longer term project, come back in a few years time and see what it's like - it took them 5 years to win the Central League in NZ, and now they have almost won it twice in three seasons (they should secure the second title on Sunday).

A 2-2 draw, to stay in relegation zone (2nd last) with 7 league games to go.

Latest game Harry Edge, Dan Keat, Withers, Wooldridge and Pijnaker all starters.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B1i4VkfnWlL/

A 1-0 loss on the weekend. 

Torslanda now last, and 6 points off safety with 6 games to go. A drop to the Swedish 5th tier looms.

Looks like this will well and truly, have to be a long term project for Declan & Ole.

Relax folks. Another relegation is all part of the plan.

Surely if they get relegated they'll consider a move to phoenix or will they just find another lower league scandavian team

If they end up in the Swedish 5th tier, return to Western Suburbs would be a better option let alone the Phoenix.

without knowing to much about this whole project, if the team has 4 or 5 ole boys playing in it, they dont seemed to be making an impact in terms of results at what we is apparently a "low" standard. Is this these boys are not actually as good as we think? Or is it the standard higher then we think???  Or are there more factors to it?

I actually think it's not that complicated, they are not as good as we think/thought

And I don't think that the Phoenix should be in the business of signing players from so low in any footballing structure

Every one of these players has to be asking serious questions about the advice they have been given and the decisions they have made before it's too late for them to turn this around

Like any set up, some of these players are good, some are decent and some are not so good.

It's part environment, part individual. 

I watched a game some years ago, setup X vs setup Y. Setup X got beat...well beat. (setup Y was on average about 1 year older, but this was 16-17-18 year olds, so only part of it). Spoke with setup X coach. Wasn't concerned about the result. His comment; yeah, they have some good players...we have some too. But what we have that they don't is one who is next level, who will be world class. Later to be proven so.

Question for Ole, and indeed any academy, is how many world class are they helping. And it's the sort of thing that isn't just about the setup. It needs the X-factor player to come along occasionally. In the meantime, help as many kids as you can have their shot at it.

I believe Nando and Just will become good players not sure on the rest but it is hard to play well sometimes if the team isn't just good enough

Just is playing at a different club in a different country.

What could be happening here is that the Ole Boys are maturing into Adults and therefore will probably be answering Edge back which he will not be able to handle. The Sweedish players will also be wondering what they have struck with Edge.

or its just the first year of a long term project - it took Declan \ Ole 5 years to win anything at Wests

Yes but he could be relegated first year in Sweden.

To be honest, there's probably not much difference between division 4 and 5 in Sweden. It will be another amateur league...

I have no opinion on the whole Declan saga, but I imagine he factored in he could fail in the short term. If he's playing the long game, then that's not much of an issue. I imagine expenses would be fairly low for a regional competition so he can probably afford to take it slow for a couple of years.

You say this like the only reason Wests won anything was because of the "Ole Project" - Wests have been successful over a number of years and while the side is young, they have over a period of time attracted a very high level squad including some of the most promising young players in the country.  I like Ole, but don't overplay the hype.  

Not sure how you got that. I was saying that when from when Declan\Ole got involved with Wests (formally as opposed to the informal relationship they had previously) it took 5 years for the project to win anything (not that they didn't do badly during that time)  

Definately wasn't talking about Wests in the past, when as you say have been successful 

That aside, I am still a bit confused about what the strategy is here.  If it's a stepping stone to Europe for Ole kids, it seems a bit far down the pecking order to be a meaningful place to get picked up from.  As the poster above said, it doesn't seem like a level where a lot of scouting would go on/

If it's supposed to be beneficial for Torslanda, I do wonder about the merits of bringing in a coach from the other side of the world who has never coached in professional football - whether or not "the project" takes time to get results.  Still puzzling to me.

I know what you mean - but - if you played him one on one, he would break your ankles - he has the ball skills of a midfielder. 

Being young and in a pro-environment - hopefully, he will only get better.

quality player....!  Hope this avenue develops but it is early days

A 0-2 loss for Torslanda.

5 points from safety (well relegation playoff spot) with 5 games left.