Norway coach Stale Solbakken on their UEFA Euro 2024 qualifier with Scotland

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Transcript

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 Håran 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.

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