When Sandviken Kvinner was renamed Brann Kvinner in 2022, it led to immediate success on the field, with both the Toppserien title and the Norwegian Womens Cup being secured that year. 2023 may not have been as bountiful a campaign for the Bergen-based club, with them currently sitting fourth in the league and already out of the Cup. However, it has still been a positive one for them, especially when remembering the disruption they have faced due to a coaching change partway through it.
Whilst there are still four matchweeks and potentially a Champions League group stage to think about shortly, there is also a need now to start looking ahead to next season, with the club laying some strong foundations during the second half of the season under former Manchester United Women assistant Martin Ho and looking to build on them when 2024 comes around.
With that in mind, this tactical analysis will take a closer look at his in-game philosophy, breaking down the simple attacking and defensive tactics that he has introduced since moving to Norway and showing why they could be a team to watch as his tenure goes on. The analysis will also highlight which players have shown themselves to be vital to his game plan and where his ideas have been influenced by his time in the WSL.
Build-up play
As any coach will state when discussing how their teams are set up, building phases of play and ensuring that possession is not conceded cheaply is always a vital aspect of any game plan. It is evident when looking at Brann Kvinners performances that Ho believes in his side, keeping things smooth and efficient and not introducing too many complicated ideas.
This is most evident when watching the Norwegian side transfer the ball around the pitch, with their primary mantra always being to show patience whenever they have the ball in promising areas and never to force the issue when it is unnecessary to do so, and this is one of the reasons that they have tended to control games and have averaged 58.11% possession as the top flight season has gone on.
However, tactics and coaching can only get teams so far when it comes to this because making the right decisions and knowing when to be direct and when to not take the risk comes down in no small part to individual player intelligence.
Fortunately fo
