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Norway coach Stale Solbakken on their UEFA Euro 2024 qualifier with Scotland
NicheSportMedia
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18/11/2023
Norway coach Stale Solbakken on their UEFA Euro 2024 qualifier with Scotland
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Sports
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00:00
So, let's bring in Stole, Stole-Bakke, head coach.
00:04
Stole, first and foremost, how big a blow not to have him available for you?
00:20
I would say that's a big blow for any team, but we have played without him before,
00:27
sometimes with success, sometimes with no success.
00:31
So, obviously he started the qualification
00:35
when he was not ready for the first two games,
00:39
but after that he has played every single game,
00:43
so it was unfortunate for us now that he got a small knock on Thursday.
00:52
How serious is the problem? Is it one where he could have played if there was more on this game?
01:00
I think that what Ola said to me was that it's some kind of...
01:06
I don't know how to put it in English, but it's his movement,
01:12
the movement in the foot that is his problem, but it's not a serious injury.
01:19
Had it been a final, I don't know.
01:23
Has there been any dialogue with Man City over it?
01:26
No, no. Maybe Erling has talked to them. I don't know.
01:30
We have not talked to them and Ola, our doctor, has made his own judgement on it.
01:39
So, I think that all parties agree that it's probably a little bit too early,
01:46
but it's not a career-threatening injury.
01:49
From the outside looking in, it felt a bit strange that he came on in a friendly
01:53
against the third round. Can you explain the thinking?
01:56
It was his choice. He wanted to play 45 minutes to keep the momentum
02:02
in a week where we were maybe not training so much.
02:06
So, it was his decision, like it was against when we had the same,
02:12
what you call it, private game with Jordaan before the Georgia game.
02:17
Then six, seven players got the opportunity to see what they...
02:23
This time one, two, maybe three players got to play many games.
02:28
We had a conversation with all three of them
02:31
and Erling's much preferred choice was to play 45 minutes.
02:37
Any other questions?
02:42
Yes, go on.
02:43
Can I say, Scotland also are without some key players.
02:46
Would you see that as a good opportunity to try and take something from this game?
02:51
Every game we try to do that.
02:54
We must congratulate Scotland with a great campaign.
02:57
They have done really, really well, not only in this campaign,
03:00
but also in the years before that, or months before that.
03:06
They have not lost many games and have played on a very high level
03:13
and have also been very good at bringing the margins on their side in tight games,
03:18
which is very important in national football when it's so few games.
03:25
So, all credit to them, but tomorrow it's another game
03:28
and we will try to have a go again.
03:31
Are you at a spot of revenge? That was a sore defeat in Oslo, wasn't it?
03:37
Yes, probably the sorest defeat you will ever feel.
03:43
I think I still wake up at night and think about those last five minutes,
03:47
but that's life, you have to go on with it.
03:49
It's not a revenge, it's another football game.
03:52
We're playing in a good atmosphere and obviously they will be celebrated
03:57
and we have to be up there, making sure that we are there for the challenge
04:01
and even if we miss four, five, six players now,
04:05
that gives an opportunity to give serious challenges
04:15
for players that want to be in this team.
04:17
How damaging was that last five minutes in Oslo for Norway's foot?
04:21
If you look back now, it was very, very damaging.
04:29
Otherwise, obviously, tomorrow would have been the final,
04:33
so that speaks for itself.
04:36
Do you still hold down much hope of getting into the playoffs?
04:41
Not really. We have to have many things that go our way there.
04:46
So, hope is one thing, belief is another thing.
04:49
Scotland had a very long period of not qualifying for a tournament,
04:53
23 years I think it was, Norway potentially 24, 27 years.
04:58
Can you take some inspiration from Scotland?
05:00
Yeah, of course we can. I think we are quite even.
05:05
We always play very tight games against each other, so obviously we can do that.
05:09
They have been better than us to bring the small margin lately,
05:12
in the last years, so we have to see if we can find that way too.
05:19
Is it OK that we switch to Norwegian again?
05:27
For you? Or do you want to take it in English?
05:31
No.
05:33
In Norwegian, the situation for the Danish champions is...
05:39
The situation? No, it's under control.
05:44
There's nothing to worry about, except that he can't play tomorrow.
05:52
We were talking to Pecon, who said that you made it easier for Scotland
06:00
to take Erling out in the last five minutes.
06:03
I would do that 100%. If the man can't run,
06:06
and it's five plus ten minutes, we can't play with ten men.
06:10
That's a leading question.
06:12
He probably didn't know how his health was,
06:17
and that he had to be replaced ten minutes before the quarter,
06:21
so if Erling doesn't play tomorrow, it's no fun playing the game.
06:25
He will most likely contribute at his highest level,
06:31
and no one can contribute like him.
06:33
But if you're ready, you're ready.
06:35
I think we've seen that in Manchester City a number of times.
06:39
That's a very cheap argument.
06:41
Those who were on that bench, me and the other coaches,
06:44
were not in doubt about that.
06:46
We still kept the ball for six or seven minutes too long,
06:49
compared to... Maybe the game was a bit off before,
06:53
and we should have made those changes five, six, seven, eight, ten minutes earlier.
06:58
If you look ahead, what do you think about the way you see the game?
07:07
We're optimistic. We all think, and I think everyone does,
07:13
that we had a lot of margin against this team.
07:16
Many people don't like to hear that.
07:18
But you can look at all the neutral numbers,
07:21
all the neutral observations, and you can see that.
07:26
We've had very few chances against us.
07:29
We've had five goals against us, nine or ten.
07:34
We've had third or fourth least chances against us in the league.
07:38
We've had a lot of penalties, and we haven't been good enough.
07:42
So that's no excuse. But those are the dry facts.
07:47
But during the qualifiers, I think we've shown that we're getting younger.
07:53
We're the next youngest team in this whole context.
07:58
We're getting more exciting guys,
08:00
and they're getting more of the same football as Oskar and Nosa.
08:06
So there's a lot to build on, and we have to make sure that we become...
08:12
How should I put it?
08:14
Even safer, in everything we do.
08:17
So good that if we have a little bit of a bad start,
08:21
we have to be so good that we move on.
08:25
That's where we're going and where we're working.
08:28
There are very few games where you're decided.
08:31
We have to get even better.
08:33
We haven't been good enough in the decisive situations.
08:37
You said that you'd rather start with three equal games.
08:44
-Yes. -And you said that you'd like to do that.
08:49
No, before that, the countries agreed.
08:56
The countries tried to agree, and if they didn't,
09:00
it was a machine.
09:04
We were just presented that we'd start against Spain and Georgia.
09:09
If we had two very good games,
09:13
we'd have the most to give in those two games.
09:16
So that's no excuse.
09:18
But to get going when there are so few games, how many are there? Eight?
09:23
So that's it. And our third game was the one that...
09:29
The mental aspect of the group changed.
09:32
If we had won against Scotland, we would have been OK,
09:36
because we had avoided the three most difficult games.
09:42
So we weren't happy with the lineup.
09:46
But that's no reason to protest.
09:49
Spain had the best lineup, for example.
09:52
They got a break in the junior games,
09:56
where their players are the most tired,
09:58
compared to the players who have played the longest season and most games.
10:03
So you're not protesting, but you can't say that it's a shame?
10:07
No, no, it's not there anymore.
10:12
Ari called me two and a half minutes later,
10:17
because I was there, just like you are now.
10:22
We flew all over Europe, and there was war in Ukraine,
10:26
so that flight was twice as long as the ones you were on.
10:30
So I was there, but there was nothing to do.
10:35
What did he say about the dialogue with Ari?
10:41
He just said that he felt that the game had come too soon.
10:46
So it was a pretty short dialogue.
10:50
He did what we told him to.
10:53
He stood up in the morning, didn't feel well,
10:56
went to the rehab to see if he could soften up a bit,
11:00
and did that.
11:02
And then we had a meeting around dinner time
11:07
about how Rola was feeling.
11:10
I've heard that you're in the European top,
11:14
and you've been in the top for six years.
11:20
What value has the European top given you?
11:25
We hope to get the value.
11:30
That it can be an important milestone for us over time.
11:36
It's not a job that starts yesterday and ends tomorrow.
11:42
As I understand it, it's something that lasts four, five, six years.
11:47
Hopefully we can do that.
11:50
We're trying to get some of the money back.
11:52
Because HÃ¥ran isn't here, the number of people has decreased from 14 to 2.
11:57
So we're getting some of the money back.
12:00
Right, Bratland? You're awake?
12:04
You've been working for more than 6,000 kroner,
12:12
and a total of 240,000 on the day of the tournament.
12:17
I don't know how... I haven't really thought about it.
12:22
It was a bit of a surprise.
12:24
We'll let them benefit from the doubt and see what comes of it.
12:29
There are many skilled people working in the European top.
12:33
Many qualified people working very hard.
12:37
If they've been pushed back a bit, we'll give them the doubt.
12:43
It can come out of it very well.
12:46
How do you see the NFS culture around money?
12:50
It's very reasonable. I don't have anything to add.
12:57
We've never...
13:00
The NFS has the most skilled president, the most skilled general secretary,
13:06
and competent people.
13:09
So I think the NFS is in good hands.
13:13
Was it a lot of money you got because of the money?
13:18
I don't think I've seen that much money around the tournament,
13:22
but I might have misinterpreted it.
13:25
-Did we do it? -Did we?
13:30
-Did we do it? -I'm not sure.
13:33
-I'm not sure. -It's your fault.
13:35
-What? -It's your fault.
13:37
-We did it too. -Yes, we did.
13:41
Good job.
13:43
-Is it the same captain tomorrow? -Yes.
13:48
How do you assess the team? There are many people out there.
13:55
Will it be a difficult composition?
13:57
It will be a bit different.
14:00
Both Nosa, Alex,
14:05
Ørjan and Martin all started very early.
14:11
And with Erling, there are five potential starters.
14:18
And some of them are not.
14:21
It will be different, but it's a great opportunity
14:25
for the next captain to step up.
14:28
Because this could happen...
14:32
If we remember the World Cup qualifier,
14:34
where we played against Montenegro for four days,
14:38
we suddenly got eight starters,
14:43
and four or five in the first half.
14:45
This could happen, and we have to deal with it.
14:53
Do you think you can ruin a party like this tomorrow?
14:57
I think it will be difficult to ruin, no matter the result.
15:01
I think they will have a good party and celebrate
15:05
the great things they have done for a long time.
15:08
Last question. Can you imagine Erling will be in Liverpool next weekend?
15:14
I haven't thought about that.
15:17
But he will play in the Premier League, or in a short while.
15:22
That's what Ola says.
15:25
And Erling says it himself.
15:29
But we gave it our all to see
15:35
if we saw a light in the tunnel.
15:40
Erling didn't do that, and Krefte and Ola did.
15:44
And that's it.
15:47
All right. Thanks a lot.
15:49
Thank you.
15:51
(PAUSE)
15:53
(PAUSE)
15:55
(PAUSE)
15:57
(PAUSE)
15:59
[BLANK_AUDIO]
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