Joe Bell (Viking FK | Norway)

Bell full game in a 1-1 draw. D'Agostino with Viking's goal.

Aussies - Aggers a full game, and Yazbek off at 70 mins
Stensness continues his comeback with 20 mins off the bench.

Bell needs some Kiwi company. Ben Old?

Good to see Bell making a comeback. Gives you hope for guys like Singh. Just find a club where you click and it flows from there.

Another midweek Cup game for Viking. This time they travel to non league Torvastad.

https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2024/04/24/norway/nm-cupen/torvastad/viking-fotballklubb/4350356/

Viking won their cup game 4-3 against Torvastad.

They also had a 3-3 draw with Odd (8th) in the league. Viking 10th. Bell full game & another assist (Viking's 2nd goal). Aussies - Aggers & Yazbek started. Stensness off the pine.

https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2024/04/28/norway/eliteserien/odd-grenland-ballklubb/viking-fotballklubb/4286629/

Joe Bell with another assist, this one in a bonkers 3-3 draw for Viking away vs Odd

Bellinho’s been in resurgent form to start the new Eliteserien campaign#FlyingKiwis pic.twitter.com/04z9d6FqDR

— The Niche Cache (@thenichecache) April 28, 2024

Another away game in the Cup. This time at 3rd tier Tromsdalen.

https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2024/05/01/norway/nm-cupen/tromsdalen-ungdoms-og-idretts-lag/viking-fotballklubb/4352924/

Viking won 4-0

4-0 win to Viking FK. Unsure if Bell played.

Bell off at 78 mins (3-0).
Full game Stensness as he continues his injury comeback. Yazbek on at 68 mins (2-0). No Aggers

Has the story of the Viking goal keeper who made the goal smaller come up? Weird story, if true!

Viking (10th) host Tromso (16th/last)

https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2024/05/05/norway/eliteserien/viking-fotballklubb/tromso-idrettslag/4286637/

Full game Bell in a 2-1 win. Late 95th min winner for Viking.

Stensness on at HT (0-0), and Yazbek got 71 mins (1-1). No Aggers

Another midweek Cup tie. Viking away at 2nd tier Levanger.

https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2024/05/08/norway/nm-cupen/levanger-fk/viking-fotballklubb/4354645/

Someone in Norway likes Joe Bell.

Unfortuntely overnight Viking are knocked out of the Cup losing 4-2 at 2nd tier Levanager, in ET. Round of 16 tie. Was 2-2 end of NT.

Bell & Stensness 120 mins. Yazbek on at 54 mins (Viking down 2-1). No Aggers.
Bell the assist for Viking's 2nd goal.

Viking with 2 players sent off late on, at 110 & 120 mins. Already down 4-2 by then. Stensness the 2nd guy who got his marching orders (2nd yellow)

https://www.flashscore.com/match/xM3Hxtpn/#/match-summary/lineups

Joe Bell can play ball. Correct. https://t.co/ThEltjB0vc

— Jason Pine (@pineynz) May 8, 2024

Viking (7th) travel Stromsgodset (6th).

https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2024/05/12/norway/eliteserien/stromsgodset-idrettsforening/viking-fotballklubb/4286640/

Bell full game a in a 1-0 win.
Aussies - Yazbek off at HT (0-0) & D'Agostino on at 80 mins (1-0). No Stensness.

Viking (5th) host Lillestrom (14th)

https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2024/05/16/norway/eliteserien/viking-fotballklubb/lillestrom-sportsklubb/4286649/

Bad day at the office for Viking, as they get thumped 1-4 at home by Lillestrom.

Bell a full game, with Stensness getting his first start since his injury return, at CB. 
Stensness (88 mins) & both full backs were dragged off before the final whistle. 

Yazbek an unused sub, and Aggers on at HT, when Viking were already down 0-3.

Viking seem to like a good ANZAC ALM signing. Could be a good 1st European destination for someone like Ben Old. One summer league to another.

Viking (6th) travel to Sandefjord (14th)

https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2024/05/20/norway/eliteserien/sandefjord-fotball/viking-fotballklubb/4286655/

The ANZACs all start in a 3-0 win.

Full games Bell, Stensness and Aggers. Yazbek off at 56 mins

Bell an assist for the 3rd goal

coochiee

The ANZACs all start in a 3-0 win.

Full games Bell, Stensness and Aggers. Yazbek off at 56 mins

Bell an assist for the 3rd goal

https://highlights.eliteserien.no/playlist/as9i1goidgl6p

Defence splitting pass for that assist.

Keeps up his excellent form to start the season - We've got the 2021 Joe Bell back in action!

With an xA/90 (expected assist per 90) value after 9 games sitting at 0.30/90 minutes is also excellent areas too. For reference a value of 0.20 is good, 0.30 is excellent, 0.40+ is pretty much top of the pops (all league relative of course).

Viking (5th) host HamKam (8th)

https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2024/05/26/norway/eliteserien/viking-fotballklubb/hamar-kamaratene-fotball/4286666/

3-0 win for Viking. Full game for Bell and got an assist too.

The goal itself a bit more impressive than Bell's assist. But he's having an impressive start to this Norwegian season. Viking up to 5th

Full game Stensness (at CB), and 73 mins Aggers. No Yazbek.

Yep, that looks like another Joe Bell assist - his fourth of the season (finish wasn’t bad either from Simen Kvia-Egeskog tbf)#FlyingKiwis pic.twitter.com/IRcs8ZaydO

— The Niche Cache (@thenichecache) May 26, 2024

Absolute bullet. I didn't think he was going to land that second flip.

Niche Cache.

Four assists already from deep in the midfield. There are a bunch of other blokes with four assists across the league but the only player with more is Bell’s own teammate Zlatko Tripic (six).

Viking (5th) travel to Molde (4th)

https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2024/06/02/norway/eliteserien/molde-fotballklubb/viking-fotballklubb/4286671/

Bell a full game in a 2-2 draw
Viking’s goals both oggies 

Aussies - full game Stensness. Aggers off at 80 mins & Yazbek off at 71 mins.

Mid summer break now in Norway. League resumes again 30th June.

Given his strong start to the season I wonder if any UK clubs will be looking at Bell again (UK passport). Des's promoted Oxford one obvious candidate.

Tuiloma his French. Singh with his German. Thomas with his Dutch. Libby with his Italian. Stamenic his Serbian. Now Bell with his Norwegian.

Joe Bell etter at han selv leverte nok en god kamp og Viking tok tre poeng - Veldig bra mål av Simen og Sondre ⚽️⚽️⚽️ pic.twitter.com/SvjEpzWyxP

— Vikingpodden (@vikingpodden) May 26, 2024

coochiee

Tuiloma his French. Singh with his German. Thomas with his Dutch. Libby with his Italian. Stamenic his Serbian. Now Bell with his Norwegian.

Joe Bell etter at han selv leverte nok en god kamp og Viking tok tre poeng - Veldig bra mål av Simen og Sondre ⚽️⚽️⚽️ pic.twitter.com/SvjEpzWyxP

— Vikingpodden (@vikingpodden) May 26, 2024

That is one happy Joe Bell. Fantastic to see! 

martinb

coochiee

Tuiloma his French. Singh with his German. Thomas with his Dutch. Libby with his Italian. Stamenic his Serbian. Now Bell with his Norwegian.

Joe Bell etter at han selv leverte nok en god kamp og Viking tok tre poeng - Veldig bra mål av Simen og Sondre ⚽️⚽️⚽️ pic.twitter.com/SvjEpzWyxP

— Vikingpodden (@vikingpodden) May 26, 2024

That is one happy Joe Bell. Fantastic to see! 

I think I might be able to decipher a bit of what he said - based on Danish/Swedish (can't understand the interviewer though).

He mentions there were some nice goals by Simon and [Sondre] Auklend. Then he jokes that he doesn't really deserve an assist for the goal [the one from deep last week] after the interviewer said he got one. 

Then he mentions that they are missing/dropped [mangler is literally 'missing'] a few points they have deserved but also have got some points they didn't deserve.

He mentions the important match vs Molde next weekend [at the time, it was the 2-2 draw]. Wanting to finish the first ten matches on a high point, but that they are a very good team and they have to focus. They have a long time and some good training so he hopes it will go well.

He then gets asked his plans for the holiday [no mention of national team or anything]. He said he's going down with his friends to Mandal, on the southern tip of Norway as someone [couldn't get who] said it looks nice. So he is hoping for sun there.

I'm sure I got a bit wrong, but it's similar enough to recognise stuff. It is cool to see him comfortable på norsk, the time in Denmark wouldn't have harmed his grasp too much by the looks. Think of Danish as the Scandinavian equivalent of someone with a really strong Scottish accent, the subtitles are necessary (the pronunciation of Superliga side/town Hvidovre, for example, is just brutal) but written isn't too far from Norwegian (bokmål specifically, they have a lot of dialects).

Viking's next league game is 30th June, around same date as the Nations Cup final. Viking with a friendly a week prior. So it's probaly as simple as the dates just couldn't work for Bell & Bazeley, re getting him too & from Vanuatu.

Still he has a UK passport, looks like he's playing well, now has an ex U20 coach in The Championship, plus it seems likely a couple of AWs team mates (Waine & Stamenic) in that league next season. He will being looked at by some clubs for sure. Plus Viking a bit like the Nix are a 'selling club'. Transfer fee income is part of their model.

However after his unsuccessful stint in Denmark, Bell being the smart lad he is, will take his time to make sure any potential suitor is a good fit. But we all hope he can at a higher level than Norway.