There's very little new to say about Start's disastrous 2016 season. Comfortably relegated with four games to spare, they amassed a measly 16 points letting in 59 goals in the 30 games they played. Their first win of the season came in late September and their top scorer was Lars Jorgen Salvesen who found the net four times in 26 appearances. These shortcomings go a long way to describe Start's horrendous season, but Steinar Pedersen will be hoping that he can build a team that will come back stronger in the future. They picked up four points in the games immediately after relegation was confirmed but, just as people were starting to say the team had started building for the future, they stumbled badly in their last two games. The 3-0 drubbing against Stabaek on the last day of the season was a real eye opener, with the players having no answer against a team directly above them in the table at the time. The path back to Norwegian top flight football once again seems a long one.
For Start to compete and challenge for an immediate return to the Tippeligaen there has to be a major clear out of the current squad. While the likes of Rolf Daniel Vikstol and Espen Borufsen have the experience needed, and will be surely taking the step down with the club in order to get them out of the sorry predicament they are currently in, other players have not really done enough to warrant the club making the effort to keep them. Defender Alex De John has not been good enough, while Uduak Idemokon injured himself before the season had even got started in earnest. It was a costly mistake as Start could not afford any replacement and, while Dennis Antwi has the potential to score hatfuls of goals in the OBOS ligaen, his pedigree as a Tippeligaen striker is far from proven. Major midfield surgery is also required with a decent partner to Andreas Hollingen needed, while the club will do well to keep hold of livewire Chidiebere Nwakali who is definitely good enough to remain in the top flight with another club should an offer come in. And financially Start might not have the courage to say no to decent offers.
The fact that the Tippeligaen might not have any teams from the southern part of the country representing it next season, depending on how Jerv perform in their postponed play-off, is desperately sad. The region is as football mad as any other in Norway but they are falling short at the moment. While Start have always been the flagship of football in the south, they will now be competing with neighbouring Jerv and Arendal in the division below next season. That promises to be six tasty games at the very least with all to play for. But Start have a much longer way to go than Bodo/Glimt if they are planning an immediate return to the top flight. For one they have to have much more of a squad clear out, and their finances are not as sturdy as their fellow relegation companions. It will be interesting to see how the football club looks come March next year. It might take them an awful long time to cast off the shackles of this demoralising mess. Which would be a huge pity for them.
