'He is lacking everything' — Manchester City star thrown under the bus by manager

Norway manager Stale Solbakken has brutally criticised Manchester City’s Oscar Bobb after a poor showing in their 1-1 draw with New Zealand, describing the youngster’s performance as his weakest yet for the national team.

The 22-year-old midfielder was publicly called out for his lack of urgency, poor positioning, and slow decision-making in a rare public outburst from the usually composed national team coach.

Solbakken did not mince words when assessing Bobb’s display, making it clear that the Manchester City talent fell well below expectations.

Speaking to Norwegian outlet VG, the coach said: “He was very poor in the first half. He is lacking everything. 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.”

The remarks came just days after Bobb had impressed in a 5-0 win over Israel, where he starred on the right wing alongside Erling Haaland.

Against New Zealand, however, Solbakken opted to deploy him centrally; a tactical tweak that backfired. The experiment left Norway disjointed in midfield, especially with captain Martin Ødegaard sidelined through injury.

To his credit, Oscar Bobb did not attempt to defend his performance. The Manchester City midfielder admitted his manager’s assessment was fair, telling reporters after the game that he “agreed completely” with Solbakken’s comments and knew he had fallen short of his usual standards.

The 22-year-old has featured in eight games for Manchester City this season after recovering from a foot injury and has become an integral part of Norway’s young, attack-minded side.

Norway, who have won all six of their World Cup qualifiers so far, remain on course to reach their first World Cup since 1998. They need just a single point against Italy in November to seal their spot. Solbakken’s criticism, though sharp, seems designed to sharpen Bobb’s focus ahead of that crucial game.