Solbakken criticises Bobb for poor display in Oslo friendly

Norway manager Ståle Solbakken publicly criticised Manchester City winger Oscar Bobb after Tuesday's 1-1 friendly draw with New Zealand in Oslo, saying the 22-year-old's performance fell well below the standards he has set for the national team. Bobb played the full 90 minutes after being moved from his usual wide role into a central midfield position.

Solbakken said Bobb was "very poor in the first half" and added that he "lacked everything," citing slow decision-making on the ball, unusual positioning and a failure to press effectively. He suggested that, if asked, Bobb would admit it was one of his weakest international displays. The Norway coach tempered his criticism later in the press conference, noting that Bobb has been one of the squad's most consistent performers overall and that the display did not represent a long-term concern.

Bobb accepted his manager's assessment, saying afterwards that it was "a fair evaluation." He had started on the right wing in Norway's 5-0 World Cup qualifying win over Israel days earlier, a match in which Erling Haaland scored a hat-trick. Solbakken said he had shifted Bobb centrally for the friendly to test him in a different role, a...