Introduction
Rosenborg Ballklubb, established on May 19th 1917 is arguably the biggest football club in Norway. With their 26 league titles, 12 cup titles and 11 seasons in the Champions League, they had their golden age during the 90s. Racking up 13 consecutive league wins, on a European level, their record is only beaten by Latvian Skonto Riga with their 14 consecutive Virslīga wins. RBK also had sensational results against big European clubs like Inter Milan (1-2, 1996), Real Madrid (2-0, 1997), and Borussia Dortmund (0-3, 1999).
But how could a mere football club from little Norway, almost exclusively consisting of local, unknown players achieve these things? A lot of people will tell you this was all the feat of their head coach and club legend, Nils Arne Eggen.
Nils Arne Eggen & his philosophy
Nils Arne Eggen (17 September 1941 – 19 January 2022) was closely tied to Rosenborg and managed them for 23 years between 1970 and 2010. Arguably the most winning manager in Norwegian football history with his 15 top division wins and 6 cup titles. He first became the head coach of RBK in 1971, already winning in his first season. He would, however, soon leave before making a return in 1988, and this is when the golden age began.
Eggen's football philosophy was, according to himself, inspired by total football and Rinus Michels. This would revolve around every individual being part of a collective team, where the sum of each player could overcome the individual talents of other, and sometimes better teams. Sensational results in European competitions, and at one point a place in the quarter final in the Champions League, shows that this did indeed work.
The 4-3-3 formation was a core part of his tactics, with heavy emphasis on attacking play and how to create problems for the opposing team. Whether it was a third division team or Real Madrid on the other side of the pitch, Rosenborg would almost always attack any match the same way, playing on each of their players' strengths to create a great collective football team. This is what Eggen called the "Godfotteorien" or "The Good Foot Theory" in english, and is to this day an integral part of the club's culture and values.
"Godfotteorien" in Football Manager
For this blog I will use Rosenborg in FM23 and try to create a tactic that plays on each player's strengths in a 4-3-3 system. The idea is that you figure out where on the pitch each player is best, and in what role. Then you need each of these roles to compliment each other in the best way possible. With a well drilled team with hight team cohesion, and with players knowing their roles and the tactics in and out, you can overcome a lot.
The Team
Goalkeeper
For the GK position I have chosen to go with Sander Tangvik. Young, holds a top division level, and will only get better with more playing time. His best role is the Sweeper Keeper on defend, therefore I will choose this as my first piece in my tactic.
Right Back
Leo Cornic is my choice on the right back. His best role is as a Wing Back on defend duty. As this is a role i prefer over the classic fullback in my tactics, he will get this place in my team.
Left Back
Adrian Pereira is my preferred choice on left back. His offensive qualities excel those of Leo Cornic, and he will therefore be more offensive in a WB support role so he can do what he's best at.
Centre Backs
Sam Rogers and Ulrik Yttergård Jenssen both as Ball Playing Defenders. They would be equally as good as normal Central Defenders, but as I like my team controlling possession, this is a role I think they'll both fit.
Defensive Midfielder
Markus Henriksen. Captain, but also a great fit for my preferred Half Back role. This will enable the Wing Backs to get further forward, and also let our centre backs bring the ball out of defence a lot more often.
Right Central Midfielder
Marius Broholm as a Central Midfielder on attack duty. Like our keeper he is young and with lots of potential. He will provide lots of offensive qualities and flair from the midfield.
Left Central Midfielder
Edvard Tagseth as a Deep Lying Playmaker on support duty. He'll be in a position to play our left flank into optimal situations, while also being a defensive cover for our offensive Wing Back and his midfield partner.
Right Winger
Carlo Holse as an Inverted Winger on support duty. With high crossing and playmaking abilities, Carlo is my preferred choice here. He could also work wonders in midfield, as he does in real life, but the winger role will let him play on his strengths relative to the rest of the team. He is also our only left footed winger.
Left Winger
Jayden Nelson as an Inverted Winger on Attack duty. His speed and ability to get in behind makes him a perfect fit for this role. He might not be the best crosser of the ball, but his weakness in the game will be covered up by Pereira and his crossing ability in his complimentary WB role, "Godfotteorien" in action.
Striker
Ole Sæter as a Pressing Forward on attack. Good in the air and a good finisher. Since our other player roles encourage a lot of crosses and balls into the box, this will give him a lot of opportunities to utilise these strengths.
Final Tactic
Conclusion
I hope you learned something new from this and that this made you want to try this way of playing the game! Note that how your tactic ends up completely depends on your players, what they're good at and also what kind of football you yourself believe in. You can obviously use any other formation than 4-3-3 as well.
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nils_Arne_Eggen
https://www.rbk.no/english/club-history
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosenborg_BK
Introduction Rosenborg Ballklubb, established on May 19th 1917 is arguably the biggest football club in Norway. With their 26 league titles, 12 cup titles and 11 seasons in the Champions League, they had their golden age during the 90s. Racking up 13 consecutive league wins, on a European level, their record is only beaten by Latvian Skonto Riga with their 14 consecutive Virslīga wins. RBK also had sensational results against big European clubs like Inter Milan (1-2, 1996), Real Madrid (2-0, 1997), and Borussia Dortmund (0-3, 1999). But how could a mere football club from little Norway, almost exclusively consisting of local, unknown players achieve these things? A lot of people will tell you this was all the feat of their head coach and club legend, Nils Arne Eggen. Nils Arne Eggen & his philosophy Nils Arne Eggen (17 September 1941 – 19 January 2022) was closely tied to Rosenborg and managed them for 23 years between 1970 and 2010. Arguably the most winning manager in Norwegian football history with his 15 top division wins and 6 cup titles. He first became the head coach of RBK in 1971, already winning in his first season. He would, however, soon leave before making a return in 1988, and this is when the golden age began. Eggen's football philosophy was, according to himself, inspired by total football and Rinus Michels. This would revolve around every individual being part of a collective team, where the sum of each player could overcome the individual talents of other, and sometimes better teams. Sensational results in European competitions, and at one point a place in the quarter final in the Champions League, shows that this did indeed work. The 4-3-3 formation was a core part of his tactics, with heavy emphasis on attacking play and how to create problems for the opposing team. Whether it was a third division team or Real Madrid on the other side of the pitch, Rosenborg would almost always attack any match the same way, playing on each of their players' strengths to create a great collective football team. This is what Eggen called the "Godfotteorien" or "The Good Foot Theory" in english, and is to this day an integral part of the club's culture and values. "Godfotteorien" in Football Manager For this blog I will use Rosenborg in FM23 and try to create a tactic that plays on each player's strengths in a 4-3-3 system. The idea is that you figure out where on the pitch each player is best, and in what role. Then you need each of these roles to compliment each other in the best way possible. With a well drilled team with hight team cohesion, and with players knowing their roles and the tactics in and out, you can overcome a lot. The Team Goalkeeper For the GK position I have chosen to go with Sander Tangvik. Young, holds a top division level, and will only get better with more playing time. His best role is the Sweeper Keeper on defend, therefore I will choose this as my first piece in my tactic. Right Back Leo Cornic is my choice on the right back. His best role is as a Wing Back on defend duty. As this is a role i prefer over the classic fullback in my tactics, he will get this place in my team. Left Back Adrian Pereira is my preferred choice on left back. His offensive qualities excel those of Leo Cornic, and he will therefore be more offensive in a WB support role so he can do what he's best at. Centre Backs Sam Rogers and Ulrik Yttergård Jenssen both as Ball Playing Defenders. They would be equally as good as normal Central Defenders, but as I like my team controlling possession, this is a role I think they'll both fit. Defensive Midfielder Markus Henriksen. Captain, but also a great fit for my preferred Half Back role. This will enable the Wing Backs to get further forward, and also let our centre backs bring the ball out of defence a lot more often. Right Central Midfielder Marius Broholm as a Central Midfielder on attack duty. Like our keeper he is young and with lots of potential. He will provide lots of offensive qualities and flair from the midfield. Left Central Midfielder Edvard Tagseth as a Deep Lying Playmaker on support duty. He'll be in a position to play our left flank into optimal situations, while also being a defensive cover for our offensive Wing Back and his midfield partner. Right Winger Carlo Holse as an Inverted Winger on support duty. With high crossing and playmaking abilities, Carlo is my preferred choice here. He could also work wonders in midfield, as he does in real life, but the winger role will let him play on his strengths relative to the rest of the team. He is also our only left footed winger. Left Winger Jayden Nelson as an Inverted Winger on Attack duty. His speed and ability to get in behind makes him a perfect fit for this role. He might not be the best crosser of the ball, but his weakness in the game will be covered up by Pereira and his crossing ability in his complimentary WB role, "Godfotteorien" in action. Striker Ole Sæter as a Pressing Forward on attack. Good in the air and a good finisher. Since our other player roles encourage a lot of crosses and balls into the box, this will give him a lot of opportunities to utilise these strengths. Final Tactic Conclusion I hope you learned something new from this and that this made you want to try this way of playing the game! Note that how your tactic ends up completely depends on your players, what they're good at and also what kind of football you yourself believe in. You can obviously use any other formation than 4-3-3 as well. Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nils_Arne_Eggen https://www.rbk.no/english/club-history https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosenborg_BK
