Six of the Best: Players to watch in Eliteserien 2017

Like most other European leagues, the Norwegian premier division has lost a number of star performers in the off season. This annual talent train can be a source of frustration for fans, but it also acts as a kind footballing equivalent of creative destruction, bringing change and renewal to the league. So with Eliteserien kicking off this weekend, here are six players who are expected to play leading roles as this season's drama unfolds.

Nicklas Bendtner (Rosenborg)

Well, there's really nowhere else to start, is there? Rosenborg's move for the big Dane was as audacious as it was unexpected. And while the former Arsenal man's arrival has generated excitement and buzz, there has also been a backlash. For a player who once showed sublime promise, Bendtner's career has been largely ridiculous. And one could very well question the wisdom of Rosenborg investing big money (by Norwegian standards) in a 29 year old player whose copybook has been so thoroughly and consistently blotted.

But there is also a possible redemption story on the cards here. Bendtner himself has   stressed that he is looking for, in his words, “stability”. The Norwegian league is comparatively low key, and the city of Trondheim is comparatively quaint – so perhaps Rosenborg can provide for Bendtner an environment in which he won't be so easily distracted.

In sporting terms Bendtner is a perfect fit for Rosenborg's 4-3-3 formation. An attack-minded team that creates a lot of chances, Rosenborg need a striker who can get on the end of things in the box and be a focal point in the final third with intelligent back-to-goal play. When on form, this is exactly what Bendtner can give you. If he can stay focused and find some consistency, Bendtner is a higher calibre of player than what Rosenborg could otherwise hope to attract.

Whether it succeeds or fails, Rosenborg's gamble on Bendtner is an intriguing one. For Eliteserien, 2017 will be the year of our lord.

Pål André Helland (Rosenborg)

The 27 year-old is Rosenborg's creator-in-chief, and the man tasked with providing the ammunition for Nicklas Bendtner's big gun. Headstrong and occasionally brash, Helland declared a few weeks ago that “Without wanting to sound arrogant and nauseating, we are the only title challenger. If we play to our potential, no team in Norway can compete with us”. Big words, but they're not without justification.

Rather than opposing full-backs, Helland's arch nemesis appears to be his own body. Injuries limited Helland to 16 starts last season, and Rosenborg won't want a repeat of that. While they obviously have the strongest squad in the league, Helland is by far their most potent creative force, registering 6 assists last season.

Operating primarily from right wing, Helland likes cutting inside to unleash his dangerous left foot either with shots at goal or with crosses. He has already suggested to the media that Nicklas Bendtner is a “physical monster” and that he will be “difficult to deal with on the back post”. If all goes to plan for RBK, the two should link up well and provide and awful lot of goals for the club.

Samuel Adegbenro (Viking)

While Bendtner and Helland will be shooting fish in a barrel for Rosenborg, 21 year-old Samuel Adebgenro is expected to carry struggling club Viking more or less on his own. That may sound like an unreasonable expectation, but the Nigerian winger has shown in his first two seasons in Norway that he is up to the task.

2016 was a horrendous year for Viking, a year in which the club's financial chickens came home to roost and brutal cost cutting measures had to be applied. Staff were laid off and players were sold left, right, and centre. The squad was often short handed, players had to be played out of position, formations changed to fit the limited personnel available.

Their beleaguered Swedish manager Kjell Jonevret struggled, and often failed, to keep his frustrations to himself. “It's no fun, I wish we had more players, but this is the reality in Stavanger. Viking have been badly run for many years, and now we're suffering for it”. Such an attack on his own club's administration might have seen other managers get sacked, but of course Viking could not afford to sack Jonevret – nor could they have afforded to hire someone else if they did.

For the club to finish 8h after a season like that was a minor miracle, and a huge credit to the players, Jonevret and those members of staff who were able to remain un-purged. And the player  who most caught the eye was Adegbenro.

3 goals and 1 assist in 27 games may look like an underwhelming return for a winger, but Adebengro was crucial to Viking in their season of discontent. The Nigerian completed more dribbles per game than any other player in the league (2.9), thus providing a constant (if inconsistent) attacking outlet for a team which spent the entire season being down to the bare bones.

The disgruntled Jonevret did in the end leave the club by mutual consent in the off season, with his English assistant manager Ian Burchnall taking over as captain of the stricken ship. While every other asset of the club has being stripped, they've wisely held on to Adebengro. Samuel himself has declared ahead of the new season that he wants to play well so that the club can sell him at a good price in the summer, and one suspects that this is exactly what will happen.

Gilbert Koomson (Sogndal)

Quietly and with almost no hype, Ghanian winger Gilbert Koomson had an absolutely extraordinary 2016 season. The 22 year-old notched up a whopping 10 assists, more than anyone else in the league. This was in spite of playing for a low-scoring team - only Start, who won just twice all season and were largely awful, scored fewer goals than Sogndal. Koomson's achievement is made even more impressive by the fact that Sogndal predominantly played 4-4-2 with a quite cautious approach to games, a tactical setup which requires wingers to combine attacking duties with a lot of defensive work.

Not prone to the trappings of over-elaboration, Koomson's style of play is pleasingly unfussy: He tries to beat his man and get the ball into dangerous areas as often as possible. In assisting 10 of Sogndal's 33 goals last season, his contribution to the cause was immense. It is somewhat of a surprise that he is still in the league, with a proposed move to MLS and the Colorado Rapids collapsing under circumstances which remain hazy.

Sogndal, managed by former Leeds midfielder Eirik Bakke, are a club of modest resources. Staying clear of the relegation mire, as they did last season, is a fine achievement for them. That Koomson ended up staying, rather than going to Denver, is a huge boost to their chances of repeating the trick.

Ghayas Zahid (Vålerenga)

There is cautious optimism surrounding perennial underachievers Vålerenga going into the season. The squad has an interesting mix of youthful promise and established Eliteserie-performers, but most of all the optimism stems from head coach Ronny Deila. His time at Celtic might not have worked out quite as well as either party had hoped, but in Norway he is still regarded as an inspirational coach.

If Deila's Vålerenga are to exceed expectations this season then Ghayas Zahid has a big role to play. The 22 year-old creator has shown glimpses of extraordinary promise, but consistency remains elusive. 8 goals and 6 assists in 28 games last season is of course a very decent return indeed, but he has the quality to do even better.

Deila has a strong track record of getting the best out of talented young Norwegians, and under his tutelage this could be the season when Zahid makes the leap from promise to stardom. Of course, if he does, there is an overwhelming likelihood that he'll be sold in the summer transfer window.

Rafik Zekhnini (Odd Grenland)

“I think Rafik has a bigger potential than Martin Ødegaard. Ødegaard has fantastic skill and is a better passer, but Rafik Zekhnini's acceleration and pace is extreme. He is better at dribbling and causing problems. This means he can go further than Ødegaard”. So said Zekhnini's manager, Dag-Eilev Fagermo, in 2015. Fagermo is a man who one might politely describe as “outspoken”, but his enthusiasm for Zekhnini was well founded. The young winger shot to fame with a blistering performance against Dortmund in the Europa League two years ago, during which he gave his illustrious opponents a very tough time indeed.

Things haven't quite gone to plan for Zekhnini since then. The potential is undoubtedly there, but a string of niggling injuries have curtailed his first team appearances and halted his development. For a winger whose chief attribute is speed, to pick up repeated muscle injuries is of course very concerning. While he has been repeatedly linked with a move abroad it is understandable that no club has taken a chance on him yet.

There is still reason to be very excited about Zekhnini. He is still just 19 years old, and player development is not an exact science: The injuries may have held him back for now, but having to endure a period of hardship following the initial hype is something which may stand him in good stead. This does however feel like a big year. A year to get his body right, a year to play regularly and find some consistency, a year to make the step from youtube-darling to genuine star.