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A look at the Norwegian team that beat Kazakhstan last Sunday in Oslo reveals, among others, an Egil, a Stian, a Leo, a Morten, a Sander, a Kristian, an Erling (we know that one), a Viljar, a Sondre and a Torbjörn.
And then, wearing the number 21 and coming on as a late substitute on his international debut, there is Colin.
Colin Rosler was born in Berlin to a German father and a Norwegian mother. He is a 24-year-old defender for Malmo in Sweden. He is the son of former Manchester City striker Uwe Rosler and is named after the late great City playmaker Colin Bell.
What happened in the 86th minute at the Ullevaal Stadium had a wonderful symmetry. Rosler Jr, the son of one City legend and named after another, was sent in to replace Erling Haaland, a current City star who is also the descendant of a former club legend, father Alf-Inge.
Do we think Norway coach Stale Solbakken knew what he was doing at the time? He played briefly in England for Wimbledon when Rosler Sr. was at City but even so, it’s unlikely. Instead, we’ll chalk it up to a quirk, one of those wonderfully strange things that football occasionally produces.
But Rosler and his enduring love for City – just one of the 13 clubs he played for – is no coincidence and is important for what he talks about and why he is perhaps getting a little lost in a modern world of transient foreign footballers. and itinerant.
Colin Rosler replaced Erling Haaland during Norway’s match against Kazakhstan last Sunday.
The defender is the son of Uwe Rosler, who played for Manchester City between 1994 and 1998.
Colin is named after town legend Colin Bell, and Rosler’s other son is named after Tony Book.
Rosler, 56, a coach in Denmark, played for City between 1994 and 1998 and scored 50 league goals. He was a talented centre-forward when City played at Maine Road and was driven not by Abu Dhabi oil money but by chairman Francis Lee and his toilet paper company.
She didn’t have her two children until she left Manchester but her decision was simple. Colin and Tony. The latter is named after Tony Book, former City captain and manager.
“For me there was no other option,” Rosler said.
‘They had to be names of cities.
“I told my wife that if we had a girl then she could decide.”
It turns out that Colin Rosler is a product of City’s academy. His father returned to the Northwest at the end of his playing career. Manchester remains, literally and metaphorically, his second home.
There are reasons for affection. Rosler was born in East Germany and his move to England breathed life and vitality into a career that seemed on the verge of ending when he was 25. Years later, when he suffered from cancer that he would conquer, the Etihad Stadium sang for him. A friend called him to the hospital from the ground so he could hear love. Rosler, at that time, had not played for City in more than a decade.
So, yes, Rosler’s bond with City runs deep and is strengthened by circumstances. But it’s hard not to compare it to something new Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim said during a conversation last week.
Rosler’s move to Manchester City sparked his career and his bond with the club runs deep
Rosler, seen managing Wigan at the Etihad Stadium in 2014, previously recalled how a friend called him while he was undergoing cancer treatment so he could hear the fans singing for him.
Amorim is only 39 years old but seems to understand well some of the things that should matter. He said he had already taken a look at the Old Trafford museum and would encourage his players to do the same.
There is no intention here to pit City against United. United have their share of former foreign players whose connection to the club is real. However, it is strange that a group of footballers have to be asked to spend half an hour analyzing what their club is all about.
Footballers are not all the same. Not everyone lives in bubbles, but many do and it’s sad. Five years ago I sat down with a prominent England international and asked him what he thought of some of the great teams that had come before his club. He just looked at me. The truth is that I had no idea.
And it’s all there on YouTube. Nobody has to buy a DVD anymore. Or go to a museum. The story remains there with the push of a button on a mobile phone. But today that is not how we see or treat our footballers. We treat them like commodities and perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised that they behave this way. Just passing through. Rent, don’t buy.
And that, coincidentally, is one of the few things Rosler regrets about his time in Manchester. “I would have made more money buying a house in the right area than I would have from my football,” he told Tim Rich in his charming book Caught Beneath the Landslide.
But Uwe, as he is called at City, left quite a bit of himself behind when he finally moved on. Theirs is a rich story of sport, life, love and struggle. Colin and Tony Rosler. How can it not make you smile?
Tuchel must make an early decision on Kane
It’s surprising how many people have written off Harry Kane after a decent game from Ollie Watkins against the 42nd best team in the world in Athens.
I respect and understand the view. Kane seems to be slowing down. But this is a nuanced conversation.
Firstly, can England win a World Cup with Watkins playing up front? Is it good enough? If not, who else is in line? Dominic Solanke? Hmm..
Furthermore, Kane is the captain of England. How do you react to life as a squad player? It’s another unknown.
And finally, if this decision is to be made, it will have to be made now.
Replacing Kane with someone like Watkins would require this England team to play in a different way. It cannot be done three months before USA 2026 starts.
So this is the conundrum facing incoming manager Thomas Tuchel. It’s a puzzle with moving parts. Maybe you want to get into it soon. If you are not too busy.
Harry Kane may be slowing down, but England may lack attacking options to replace him
Thomas Tuchel must make a decision sooner rather than later if he wants to leave Kane
Only Rashford can change the narrative around him
New Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim will face the English media on Friday and may be asked about Marcus Rashford. Unfortunately, the question may not be about football.
Rashford was photographed wearing what looked like a very expensive robe (it was a Louis Vuitton coat) at a basketball game in New York last Friday. It was a look that guaranteed he would be noticed. Amorim, of course, was already in Manchester then.
Gary Neville, who once captained United, branded Rashford “unprofessional” on his podcast. Ian Wright disagreed, citing the player’s right to do what he wants with his free time.
Ultimately, the fact of the matter is that the narrative around Rashford hasn’t helped him for a while. Talk about confusing priorities. Rashford believes this is unfair, but only he can change it.
So which side of the story does his trip to New York play into? If Rashford doesn’t know, then his new manager may know.
Marcus Rashford flew to New York to watch basketball at Madison Square Gardens last Friday
The Red Devils forward came to the game wearing a white Louis Vuitton coat and black leather pants.
Manchester United coach Rubén Amorim may be asked about the star in his press conference
Bellamy and O’Neill deserve praise for their fabulous work
Lee Carsley’s time as England interim manager has been interesting and informative. But let’s not portray England’s promotion to the Nations League as some kind of great triumph. No, those stories are found elsewhere.
Craig Bellamy has returned Wales to the top echelon with six unbeaten group games, while Michael O’Neill has guided Northern Ireland out of group three and back into the midsection.
Craig Bellamy and Michael O’Neill have done a fabulous job with Wales and Northern Ireland.
International management at that level is a brutal business.
O’Neill once told me that he valued international friendlies because they allowed him to get into shape important players who were not considered good enough to be picked by their clubs.
Carsley used 32 players in six games. Wales and Northern Ireland don’t have as many international-class players between them.
Bellamy and O’Neill have done a fabulous job.