Xoland supports the decision to reinforce the basic structure of the Commission
Norway national team forward Erling Haaland supported head coach Stale Solbakken's decision to rest key players following a heavy defeat against France. This was reported by Zamin.uz.
The footballer noted that the drastic rotation in the lineup will have a positive impact on the team's overall condition ahead of the play-off stage. This is being reported by Goal.com.
In an important match within the World Cup group stage, Norway's coach Solbakken unexpectedly left ten members of the starting lineup on the bench. Only Frederik Aursnes retained his position from the previous game.
As a result, the Norwegians, who took the field with what was effectively a second-string squad, lost 1-4 to the French national team. This decision faced sharp criticism from fans and experts.
Among the stars left on the bench were leaders such as Erling Haaland, Martin Odegaard, and Antonio Nusa. According to De Telegraaf, the coach stated that he does not regret his decision.
Solbakken emphasized that his primary goal was not to finish first in the group, but to take the team as far as possible in the tournament. Erling Haaland also expressed his agreement with the coach's position.
"I said even before the game that I was not against this decision, and my opinion has not changed now. France was stronger anyway.
I think we wouldn't have been able to beat them even if we had played with our strongest lineup," the Manchester City forward noted. The striker specifically acknowledged the high level of the French national team.
According to him, the abundance of skilled players in the opponent's squad makes them one of the main favorites of the tournament. For Norway, preserving their main strengths for the play-off stage is considered more strategically important.
Stale Solbakken stated that he only regretted one thing: the fans who came to the stadium to see stars like Erling Haaland and Martin Odegaard. However, from a professional point of view, he preferred to prioritize the team's physical condition.
Norway is now expected to prove the benefit of this rest in the play-off matches.
