Craig Bellamy has urged Wales to deliver a better performance against Norway on Thursday after admitting he barely recognised his team during their loss to Denmark. He also pointed to Norway’s progress to the World Cup quarter-finals as evidence of their quality.
Wales welcome Norway to Cardiff as they seek their first victory since last November and their first after earning promotion to Nations League A. Speaking about Ståle Solbakken’s team, Bellamy said they had built considerable momentum and would continue developing, particularly because of the talented young players emerging through their system. He added that their long-anticipated rise had now arrived emphatically.
Bellamy noted that Norway having two Champions League representatives, Bodø/Glimt and Viking, would have seemed almost impossible several years earlier. Speaking to Norwegian reporters during Wednesday’s pre-match press conference, he suggested the country might prefer to remain outside the spotlight, but its World Cup success had revealed its strength. He also said he was aware that Norway’s younger age groups were becoming increasingly impressive.
He joked that Sander Berge, Martin Ødegaard and Erling Haaland are close friends whose sons were born only a few months apart. According to Bellamy, they already appear to be preparing Norway’s next generation, which could create problems for future opponents.
Reflecting on Wales’s 2-0 defeat in Copenhagen on Sunday, Bellamy admitted the team looked unfamiliar and lacked clarity in its approach. He accepted responsibility for that uncertainty and said both he and the squad needed to improve.
Brentford defender Kristoffer Ajer said Haaland has remained his usual energetic and cheerful self despite the attention surrounding Manchester City following the club’s conviction for breaches of Premier League financial regulations over nine years.
Ajer added that Haaland’s personality has not changed since they first met, even though the striker is now one of football’s biggest stars. He said Haaland had behaved no differently during the previous few days, which came as no surprise.
Solbakken, who has managed Norway for six years, said Haaland was doing well and dismissed suggestions that Manchester City’s situation had affected him. The forward has scored three times in his last two appearances and remains in excellent form.
The Norway coach said Haaland’s only notable mistake was failing to convert an opportunity against Portugal that he would normally score, adding that the striker otherwise looked extremely sharp.
Bellamy does not expect Haaland to be distracted by events involving his club when he plays at Cardiff City Stadium. The Wales manager described him as a relentless performer with an outstanding international record. He said football supporters should value Haaland’s ability and compared the striker’s impact on the sport to the powerful influence Jonah Lomu once had in rugby union.
Ødegaard remains uncertain for Thursday’s match after being caught by a reckless Bernardo Silva challenge during Sunday’s 2-1 loss to Portugal. Before training in the Welsh capital, Solbakken said the Arsenal and Norway captain would assess his condition, adding that he would not have travelled if there were no possibility of playing.
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