Tonight we need something to smile about – VG

A good result is followed by a strong recession. Within matches too, it has fluctuated dramatically, also in the previous home match against tonight’s opponent Romania, where Norway led 2-0, but was caught again. The loss of points meant a lot to the continuation.

Tonight we all need something to smile about.

The head of the national team, Lars Lagerbäck, believes that the media did too much, that this is an “acceptable” national team, but not one that can be demanded of everyone at the moment. But here too, one is influenced by the result: if Norway wins, “hausingen” is not a problem.

Only if there is a loss.

Is that how it works. The media don’t win, anyway.

But Lars Lagerbäck should win against Romania tonight to have something nice to talk about, again, after the very weak performance against Serbia on Thursday. A weak match against Austria was replaced by a very strong one against Northern Ireland, before being weak again against Serbia.

So it is not so easy to know whether one should be positive or negative …

There is a lot of talk about a young Norwegian team and that there is a reason for the instability.

26.6 years was the average age of the players Lagerbäck sent onto the field against Serbia. A completely normal average age, neither high nor low. Expectations are probably more due to the fact that Norway has produced quite a few good soccer players in recent years, mostly offensive players.

Part of Lagerbäck’s problem is that the youngest are also the best and most important players, that it is they who must take the greatest responsibility, now. And it has been difficult. Defensive stability is frighteningly weak. The best Norwegian teams from the days of Drillos and Nils Johan Semb have been built on defensive security, where the attacking game has come as a result of good defensive play.

The same would happen with Lagerbäck. The goal was to go down to 0.5 backward on average per game. He did it, in 2018, but then the opponents were also weaker than in 2019 and 2020.

The average backhand over the past two years is now up to 1.2 per game.

Then there will be problems. Norway have conceded goals in 10 of their last 13 games. Against Serbia, it was only a brilliant goalkeeper from Rune Almenning Jarstein, and a miserable finish from the Serbs that made the result not unpleasant for Norway. Lagerbäck’s team missed 12 goal chances, at home against. In Northern Ireland, the home team scored their only chance. Against Austria, the opponent scored two out of five opportunities.

This must end, if Norway is to have any chance. We cannot demand that three or four goals be scored in every game. The defense needs to be strengthened a lot, and if we take the League of Nations specifically, then the chance is pretty good of reaching the top of the group.

With the victory in Northern Ireland in September, as well as Austria’s loss at home to Romania, the group suddenly opened up completely. And Norway have two home games now, against Romania and Northern Ireland. Two wins here, then we reached the group final in November, with Norway involved.

So the next two games mean a lot, both for Lars Lagerbäck and for Norwegian football. With weak performances and ditto results in both games this week, it will be a dark November for Norwegian football. It is up to Lagerbäck and his players to make sure that doesn’t happen.

Romania ranks 10 places better than Norway in the FIFA rankings (34 versus 44), with the last two matches ending in a draw (1-1 and 2-2 in 2019).

This indicates an even match in Ullevaal tonight.

Start of the match 18:00