Tigerish OB take Denmark to task

Quick transformation
With the Danish season usually kicking of a month or so before the transfer window closes at the start of September, teams tend to go through dramatic changes in the opening fixtures of the Superliga season, and can be transformed by signings or sales from game to game. This time around, OB started the campaign as one of a number of title hopefuls for what was predicted to be a tight race. However, now they look like favourites.

'We have done well'
Forwards Björn Runström and Peter Utaka have joined OB along with midfielders Eric Djemba-Djemba and Henrik Hansen and all are already in line for first-team places. Meanwhile, defender Espen Ruud, midfielder Timmi Johansen and veteran keeper David Preece have given the squad more depth, with coach Olsen saying: "I think we have done well in this transfer window. We have managed to sign some good players, who will definitely make our team even stronger."

Record fee?
OB have endured one significant departure, with Danish international midfielder Jonas Borring joining FC Midtjylland for a fee rumoured to be the largest ever to pass between two Superliga clubs, but there is little doubt that they go into the autumn as a much stronger side than they were in the summer. Not that they were not strong enough. They have won five of their first six league games and already three points clear at the top of the table.

Missing piece
The club deposed as champions last season by Aalborg BK, FC København, are four points adrfit in fourth but reckoned as OB's most realistic challengers, though Midtjylland and second-placed Brøndby IF might disagree. They signed Swedish defender Peter Larsson, Brazilian forward César Santin and Danish midfielder Thomas Kristensen, and managed to hold on to Czech midfielder Libor Sionko, who played at UEFA EURO 2008™. However, coach Ståle Solbakken did not get everything he wanted. "We were looking for real box players, but we couldn't find the right ones at the right price," he said.