A Manchester City star has been slammed by Norway national team boss Stale Solbakken, after their 1-1 draw against New Zealand on Tuesday.
Norway’s first World Cup appearance in over 25 years is within touching distance; just Estonia and Italy now stand in their way.
Along with England, Erling Haaland’s side are the only other team to have a 100 per cent record in Uefa qualifiers so far, meaning they boast a three-point gap over second-place Italy.
And while the City star bagged a hat trick in his side’s recent qualifier against Israel last week, the superstar failed to find the back of the net during Norway’s 1-1 draw - because he was rested from the squad altogether.
Instead, his City team-mate Oscar Bobb, playing in a more unnatural position, was the subject of fury from his boss in the media after the disappointing result.
The 22-year-old, who featured in both international games during the break, played in a more unfamiliar central midfield position, as opposed to his usual position on the flank.
Norway boss Stale Solbakken has slammed Oscar Bobb's recent performance for the national team
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Despite this, Solbakken did not mince his words on the youngster after the game, who took the brunt of the boss’s frustrations.
“He was very poor in the first half,” he told Norwegian outlet VG Report. “He is lacking everything.
Oscar Bobb featured in both of Norway's matches during the international break
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“He takes too long with the ball, positions himself strangely and doesn't press well. He's done that in training and been very good at it.
“But if you ask Oscar, I think he'll say that the first half was his weakest performance for the national team. The second half was the next weakest.”
And Bobb himself surprisingly agreed with his manager’s public verdict: “It’s a fair assessment,” he said.
Despite the extraordinary criticism, Solbakken remained insistent that his performance was not a concern, and his international displays have actually given much encouragement.
“I’m not wasting any energy on that,” he continued. “He has performed very, very well in almost every game, both further up the pitch and further out. It's not a concern.”
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Norway sit top of their World Cup qualification group thanks to a recent Erling Haaland hat-trick against Israel
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The comments will come as a surprise to City fans alike, with the forward clearly a favourite of legendary City boss Pep Guardiola.
The Norwegian has already featured in six of the Citizens’ seven Premier League games so far, providing one assist in that time.
Oscar Bobb scored a memorable goal against Newcastle in Manchester City's most recent Premier League triumph
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Bobb has scored three times for Guardiola’s side, with just one coming in the Premier League, but it was special; a last-minute winner at St James’ Park during their last Premier League title win in 2024.
Profiting from a trademark delivery from Kevin de Bruyne, Bobb snuck in behind Newcastle’s Kieran Trippier, taking the ball down expertly before shifting the ball between both feet to take it around the on-rushing Martin Dubravka and tapping into the empty net.
His development was halted in the following season, though, after he suffered a devastating leg break in August, all but ending his season just one week into the campaign.
The Norwegian has since returned to the City squad, looking to rediscover the form that Guardiola initially saw in him just two years ago.