Every now and then an unfancied international team produces a couple of great players that can put a nation on their back.
Wales did it with Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey, Denmark did it with the Laudrup brothers, while going back even further, the likes of Ferenc Puskas and Sandor Kocsis were stars for Hungary.
Right now, Norway have two players that are the envy of world football in Erling Haaland and Martin Odegaard, but, for some reason, they’re not putting it together in the way they should.
Indeed, Norway have failed to qualify for Euro 2024, and speaking on the Optus Sport Football Podcast, Mark Schwarzer has struggled to explain why they haven’t been able to qualify while having Haaland and Odegaard on the same team describing the pair as arguably two of the best in the world.
Odegaard one of the world’s best
Schwarzer spoke about the £30m Arsenal ace and Erling Haaland.
“Let’s talk about Norway, we always talk about them being underachievers, Wales are a great example of the past with Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey, but what is it with Norway, they have arguably two of the best players in the world right now with Odegaard and Haaland, but Haaland barely got a touch of the ball. What is it with those two top-class players not being able to string performances and results together,” Schwarzer said.
Figure it out
Norway really need to figure out how to harness the power of this golden generation, otherwise they will live to regret it forevermore.
Any team with Odegaard and Haaland firing on all cylinders should have what it takes to have a real go at winning any competition, but, for some reason, both players don’t click on the international stage.
Something has to change on that front, because if this continues, Norway will let this potentially incredible era of football pass them by.