Norway head coach Stale Solbakken took aim at Manchester City midfielder Oscar Bobb, suggesting his performance in Tuesday’s 1-1 friendly with Latest Zealand lacked all the things.’
The 22-year-old, who has been one in every of Norway’s standout talents since breaking into the senior team, endured what Solbakken described as his weakest display yet for the national side.
‘He was very poor in the primary half,’ Solbakken told Norwegian outlet VG.
‘He takes too long with the ball, positions himself strangely and doesn’t press well. He’s done that in training and been superb at it.’
‘But if you happen to ask Oscar, I feel he’ll say that the primary half was his weakest performance for the national team. The second half was the following weakest.’
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Bobb, a Manchester City academy graduate, had began on the correct wing just days prior before during Norway’s 5-0 thrashing of Israel, impressing alongside striker Erling Haaland.
Haaland scored a hat-trick in that match, while Bobb was substituted within the 77th minute.
Against Latest Zealand, nevertheless, he played the total 90 minutes – and Solbakken’s frustration was clear.
The criticism marks the primary time Solbakken has openly questioned Bobb for the reason that midfielder’s breakthrough into the senior squad.
Nevertheless, the Norway boss was quick to emphasize that the poor performance shouldn’t overshadow Bobb’s overall quality.
‘He has performed very, thoroughly in almost every game, each further up the pitch and further out. It’s not a priority,’ Solbakken added.
Bobb himself accepted the critique, acknowledging he had fallen wanting his usual standards.
‘It’s a good assessment,’ he said.
The City academy graduate has turn out to be one in every of Norway’s key figures under Solbakken, commonly featuring within the side’s World Cup qualifying campaign.
He is a component of a squad featuring the likes of Haaland, Martin Odegaard and Alexander Sorloth as Norway push to achieve the World Cup within the USA next 12 months.
Bobb has earned 14 caps for Norway, scoring twice since making his senior debut against Cyprus in 2023.
At club level, the midfielder has made eight appearances in all competitions for Manchester City this season, registering one assist.
His progress has been slowed by a broken leg that sidelined him for the complete 2024/25 season, together with subsequent fitness issues.
He made his Premier League debut for City in 2023, scoring his first top-flight goal in a dramatic 3-2 comeback win over Newcastle United.
He also featured on the Club World Cup for the eight-time English champions, scoring in a 6-0 group-stage victory over Al Ain.
Despite the disappointing friendly, Norway remain on top of Group I in World Cup qualifying, having won all six of their matches up to now.
A draw against Italy on November 16 could secure their first World Cup appearance since 1998.
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