Craig Bellamy has told his Wales players they must improve when they host Norway in Cardiff on Thursday, after admitting he did not recognise his own team in their 2-0 Nations League defeat against Denmark in Copenhagen. Wales go into the game looking for a first win since last November and a first since their promotion to Nations League A.
Bellamy took the blame for the performance in Copenhagen. “I didn’t recognise anything about us in the game and that was hard,” he said. “We didn’t look clear in what we were doing, we were ‘in between’ and that comes from myself. I want us to improve as a team and I want to improve.”
The Wales head coach was careful to talk up the opposition, highlighting Ståle Solbakken’s side’s run to the World Cup quarter-finals as proof of their quality. “This team has been on a surge,” Bellamy said of Norway. “They are progressing and they will keep going as well – they ain’t going away, especially with the youngsters they’ve got coming through. We’ve all been waiting [for them to flourish]. But it was coming and it’s come with a bang.”
Speaking to the Norwegian media at his pre-match press conference on Wednesday, Bellamy noted that Norway having two clubs in the Champions League, Bodø/Glimt and Viking, would have been a “miracle a number of years ago”. He added: “I think you’re all sneakily hoping we don’t talk about you as much but the World Cup exposes you. But I’m on to yous. I know what you’re up to and I know your younger age groups are getting even stronger.” He also pointed out that Sander Berge, Martin Ødegaard and Erling Haaland are close friends whose three sons were born within a few months of each other, joking: “They’re already preparing the next generation, so we’re all in trouble.”
The build-up to the match has been dominated by Haaland’s club situation, after Manchester City were found guilty of breaching the Premier League’s financial rules across a nine-year period. The Brentford defender Kristoffer Ajer insisted the striker has shown the same personality as always. “Ever since I met him he’s been a guy that brings a lot of energy and joy to the group and that’s the biggest compliment I always give Erling,” Ajer said. “When people ask about him, he hasn’t changed one bit since the first time I met him, even though he’s the biggest star on the planet right now. He’s been exactly the same the last few days as well, which is not a surprise for me.”
Solbakken, Norway’s head coach for the past six years, said “everything’s fine” with Haaland, who has scored three goals in his past two matches, and played down the idea that the City verdict has been a distraction. “[He’s been] very good, scoring goals,” Solbakken said. “He missed one chance against Portugal that he usually doesn’t miss and that’s the only thing I can say negative, because he’s on fire.” Bellamy said he did not expect Haaland to be bothered by events at his club. “I don’t think he’ll be distracted, the guy’s a machine,” he said. “Have you seen his record at international level? He’s brilliant. If you love football, you have to appreciate him. Remember the Jonah Lomu factor [in rugby union]? We’re coming through the Haaland factor at this present moment.”
Norway have a doubt over captain Ødegaard, who is a concern for Thursday after a poor challenge by Bernardo Silva in the 2-1 defeat against Portugal on Sunday. “He will probably test himself a bit today,” Solbakken said of the Arsenal midfielder before training in the Welsh capital. “If he had no chance [of playing], he wouldn’t be here.”