Lillestrøm failed to genuinely strengthen their squad over the close season and once again looked like a limited side with an outdated approach in the early weeks of the season. They struggled defensively against better teams and indeed kicked off the campaign with just one win in the opening seven games.
Arne Erlandsen did oversee some mild improvement as the season went on and managed to bring the best out of new signing Thomas Lenhe Olsen, who developed into the main scorer in the side as Erling Knudtzon struggled to match his exploits from the previous season.
The team remained stuck in a tough battle at the bottom end of the table as the campaign went ahead and there was always a feeling that a change in the approach is needed for the Yellow and Blue to have some success.
Indeed, the club decided to act during the mid-season summer break as Erlandsen was let go and Jörgen Lennartson took charge. He made some astute signings in due course as Arnor Snarason and Daniel Pedersen bolstered the attacking and midfield options and had tangible impact.
The results of the relegation strugglers did not immediately improve after the managerial change but there were still some promising displays, holding off rampant Molde to a draw at home and taking a point off Haugesund as well.
The big change in their season came in September when Lillestrøm claimed a couple of big wins at home against Tromsø and Stabæk and then claimed a couple of draws against the top two sides. That gave the team some real belief and confidence and they managed to get the job done at the end, with a last-day win over Kristiansund getting them to safety.
It is a case of job done for Lennartson, who rescued a team in the doldrums after coming in during the season but he will aspire for more consistency and quality from his team next year.
