Haaland 'not interested' as Norway fall to Wales hours after Man City guilty verdict

Erling Haaland was condemned as ‘shocking’ and offering ‘nothing’ for Norway in their 2-1 Nations League defeat to Wales at Cardiff City Stadium on Thursday, just over 48 hours after Manchester City were found guilty of all charges relating to breaches of Premier League financial regulations between 2009/10 and the years that followed.

The 26-year-old arrived in Cardiff having scored seven goals in his previous five matches, facing a Wales side winless in six and fielding five Championship players from the start. Instead, Haaland endured a frustrating evening — missing a header that he directed straight at goalkeeper Danny Ward and sending another effort over the crossbar, while managing only 11 touches in the first half.

Former Cardiff and Celtic midfielder Joe Ledley, analysing the performance for the BBC, did not spare Haaland. “I thought he was shocking. He didn’t offer anything for Norway and I was watching him all game,” Ledley said. “His movement wasn’t there, he wasn’t coming short, his touches… The majority of the time he gets on these crosses, but Ben Cabango was outstanding. Ben Davies as well managed him very well. He can leap, is physically strong, he’s quick — Wales were so high, I was expecting him to run in behind, but he wasn’t interested at all.”

Defenders Ben Davies of Tottenham and Swansea’s Ben Cabango largely nullified Haaland throughout, with Ledley crediting both for making the task look straightforward.

Ex-Nottingham Forest and Wales forward Robert Earnshaw echoed the assessment, though he pointed to Wales’s defensive organisation as much as any failing from Haaland. “He was quiet because the moments he could have scored — at the far post, a headed goal — we were right there to stop him,” Earnshaw said. “When you’re defending against him it’s about the first contact. He relies on people to create and we were able to stop the ball coming in early.”

Norway had taken the lead through Oscar Bobb, but Wales fought back with Dan James — on loan from Leeds — levelling before Nottingham Forest’s Neco Williams completed the comeback in the second half to give Stale Solbakken’s side a defeat that compounded an already difficult week for Haaland and his club.

Manchester City’s guilty verdict on all Premier League financial charges represents one of the most significant rulings in English football’s history, and the fallout is expected to continue well beyond the international break.