On a night when Erling Haaland moped around the pitch, dragging his hulking frame across the Cardiff turf, Wales registered a welcome victory over 10-man Norway and their first this year. Was this just one of those games where the game’s deadliest finisher was stuck on the fringes or was it a case of 115 things occupying his mind? Either way, this defeat proved a humbling experience.
Daniel James cancelled out Oscar Bobb’s well-worked opener in the first half and 17 seconds after the restart Torbjørn Heggem was sent off for fouling James as the Leeds winger streamed towards goal, resulting in a free-kick from which Neco Williams earned Craig Bellamy a timely win with an unerring strike. These games weren’t easy. But I’ve seen it … I’ve seen managers before me get it.
I’ve seen the abuse the previous manager [Rob Page] got. It’s been a really difficult couple of months but it’s ‘welcome to this’ if you want to step into this … this is it. I do think we could be kinder to each other.” It was plain to see Bellamy had been hurting and he cited his daughter receiving abuse on social media.
Eight prime ministers in the space of 11 years? We’re such a small country, why can’t we have each other’s backs? Why don’t we look after each other more?
We’re too quick [to criticise].” Wales bounced off the canvas after Ødegaard’s cute ball released Bobb on goal to open the scoring on 11 minutes. Liam Cullen, now of third-tier Leicester, pinched the ball from Sander Berge after the Fulham midfielder was sluggish to claim Fredrik Aursnes’s pass and Wales raced away from the scene. Cullen and Lewis Koumas burst forward and Sorba Thomas zipped a low cross into the box, where James beat David Møller Wolfe to the punch.
Thomas, who by his own admission loves staying wide to get chalk on his boots, was a constant threat. Norway were punished for being slow out of the blocks in the second half, Heggem hauling James down after the restart. James does everything at speed and Heggem knew he was in trouble.
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