By Roy Pedersen

I call my players “stray dogs,” Kristoffersen says over the phone 10 days before the season opener away against Sandnes Ulf in the PostNord League on Sunday at 1:00 PM

– Our playing style pays off

The Eik Tønsberg coach explains that he is inspired by the film Moneyball (2011), which is about the Oakland Athletics baseball team and their highly unconventional way of competing with larger and wealthier clubs.

“We recruit players who are undervalued and who can perform at a higher level than expected in a club with poor finances. We are very clear about bringing in players who fit our playing style. This allows some unexpected players to join us. For example, center-backs who may not have dazzling technique. This pays off for us. We would rather do it this way than be a slightly worse copy of “everyone” else who tries to “pass” and play the ball sideways in their own 16-yard box,” Kristoffersen states firmly.

Great result in 2024

After being promoted from the 3rd division in 2023, Eik Tønsberg caught many ball-dominating PostNord teams off guard with their aggressive style, ultimately finishing in a strong 3rd place in 2024. Unfortunately, the successful season was followed by turbulence and conflicts within the club, but after much back and forth, Kristoffersen and assistant coach Jan Eddie Hansen continued in their roles.

– We have developed our own playing style that is very oriented around man-to-man. There is no one else in Norway who is as extreme as we are in that regard, and we are very clear. Players who are not loyal to the playing style do not play. You can compare it to how Atalanta plays football, Kristoffersen explains.

He is fine with the criticism of having a “non-developing playing style with only long passes.”

– I’m a bit tired of it, but at the same time, I think it’s kind of cool. And we get a lot of praise for our clarity. We are also good at training what we want to see in games. I believe Norwegian coaches have too little focus on that. We play 3-5-2 with very clear roles.

Agent1: I saw your match in Horten last year (May 16) when you were leading, but then Ørn turned it around to win with 10 men. Why did you continue to play long against Arnar (Førsund) and Ørn’s defense, who won “all” the duels, instead of playing it out on the ground with the numerical advantage? It seemed to me like you didn’t have a plan B.

– We have no plan B. I don’t like plan B; I think it’s populist to say. Nils Arne Eggen had no plan B. He had a plan A and stuck with it the whole time. We do the same. We didn’t get it right in that match, and we didn’t handle it well enough. But it’s not about us kicking the ball long; it’s about not getting players into favorable positions. We failed to capitalize on our numerical advantage, and that’s on me. We were also denied a penalty, and I think the goals shaped that match significantly, says Kristoffersen passionately.

Role requirements in Eik’s 3-5-2

Agent1: What are you looking for in each role?

Goalkeeper: Low risk, keep it simple. Good in the box, solid kicking. Ideally good as a sweeper-keeper if the press breaks down and an opponent comes through alone. 

Center-back: Leadership qualities. We quickly transition from very high pressing to very low Mourinho-style pressing, and it’s the center-back who runs the “shop.”

Wing-backs: Preferably not too technical. Just kidding  . But it’s more important to have strength in duels. Must be solid as a STOPPER – not too concerned with what they do with the ball. But they need to have a good passing foot and ideally a solid kick.

Wing-backs: Great stamina since they need to run up and down constantly. They also need to be good in one-on-one situations. A physically demanding role. Ideally, they should have a good crossing foot.

6: Must have strong defensive skills and good awareness. Must be able to see the spaces defensively where the ball drops. Helst gode gjennombruddspasninger.  

Central Midfielders: Again, great running power and one-on-one skills. Aggressiveness in pressing play. I miss our central midfielders getting into the box more often and scoring more goals. Ideally, they should have great aerial strength since we like to use central midfielders as a focal point. 

Forwards: Here, I’m open to more options. Preferably a strong, physical forward alongside a quick striker who can exploit space.

Agent1: What is your dream team with this system?

Erik Muhle is training again.

Erik Muhle is one of the players represented by Agent1. After interest from Pors, Flint, and Fram this winter, the former Sandefjord player chose to renew his contract with Eik Tønsberg. He summarizes their playing style as follows:

– Constant man-to-man marking all over the field. Very different from what other coaches are trying to achieve, but it works. In high pressing situations, our one-on-one defensive skills determine whether it succeeds or not. When it works, it’s impossible to play us out.

New role as wing-back

The 21-year-old is primarily a central midfielder and played 19 matches in PostNord last year. To increase flexibility in the squad, he has been trained as a right wing-back this winter.  

– As a central midfielder, it’s quite different than, for example, in Sandefjord, where it was extremely possession-oriented. At Eik, there’s much more running as a central midfielder, constantly chasing second balls and getting into the box for crosses. At the same time, you always have a man to mark defensively. As a wing-back, it’s about positioning extremely high in the press and getting as many crosses in as possible, says Muhle.

Receiving praise from the boss

He is now almost back to full training after dislocating his shoulder this winter. Kristoffersen is glad about that.

– Erik was fantastic as a wing-back in the friendly matches against both Strømsgodset and Sandefjord, so it was incredibly unfortunate that he got injured. But he is now back in training and can participate in everything except exercises with a lot of contact, says Kristoffersen.

The pictures of Kristoffersen and Muhle were taken after the friendly match between Eik Tønsberg and Ørn Horten at Lystlunden in mid-March 2025. The final score was 2-2 in a match where Eik had large parts of what is considered their best team missing.

Agent1 wishes good luck in the upcoming season.