Ranheim went off the boil now slightly at the end of the season, but should still be happy with finishing seventh. Svein Maalen deservedly received the manager of the year accolade, because no one would've foreseen Ranheim being hovering in the top five for most of their first campaign in the top flight. They have probably picked up around 30 points more than some pundits expected them to do at the start of the season.
They did this even after a summer transfer window, where Brann poached Christian Eggen Rismark with Kristoffer Lokberg to follow. Nothing fazed them though and Ranheim just carried on picking up points at regular occasions.
They found the going tough this autumn, but were always safe from any relegation fears because of their sensational spring and summer terms, where they took the division by storm with a fresh approach. They performed not only like an underdog but with an added swagger that made them very very hard to contain. Some of that has disappeared in recent weeks, but it shouldn't take much for Maalen to find it again for next season.
Some players proved that they were good enough, others proved that they needed to iron out some mistakes, while a handful probably found the going too much for them. Maalen will do a shrewd job in the off season no doubt, and start building on what was one of the best debut seasons by any freshly promoted side. It could even be said that it was the best.
