Pep’s little Wizard
Bobb is the man with the magic feet... and the reason City were happy to let Palmer leave
SATURDAY started with people again questioning the wisdom of Manchester City allowing Cole Palmer to leave and ended with the reason why.
Oscar Bobb announced himself to the Premier League in the 91st minute with a goal of understated brilliance, a winner scored with the sharp footwork that Pep Guardiola demands from his wingers.
He has been in the Treble winners’ first-team squad all season, making seven league appearances and scoring a maiden Champions League goal last month, but this was the moment Bobb arrived on the big stage.
City’s wild celebrations, and their bench’s chippy exchanges with the Newcastle United crowd, showed the importance of this comeback, inspired by the genius Kevin De Bruyne.
Hours earlier, former City player Palmer had won Chelsea another game during his own encouraging breakthrough year and it brings to mind a sliding doors moment in August. Chelsea’s interest grew stronger and Guardiola told Palmer that his two options were either stay or leave permanently — no loan deal. City’s position on Palmer was financially driven, but they were safe in the knowledge of who stood behind him.
Sporting director Txiki Begiristain expressed to Guardiola that Bobb, 20, must come up to the seniors and City then told the winger he was the reason they felt comfortable selling Palmer.
There had been a deluge of interest in Bobb from top clubs at home and abroad — to be repeated this summer — but City saw the Norwegian’s integration into Guardiola’s squad as a key stage of his development.
They were confident he would feature more than Palmer had done last season. Bobb has played 456 minutes so far, compared to 850 for Palmer last season.
‘There were no promises!’ said Bobb. ‘It was an opportunity to be a part of this team, that’s all I wanted. To get to be around it every day is literally a dream come true. It’s the best feeling ever. I thought my first league goal would be hopefully at the Etihad already winning three or four nil. To get it in a game like Newcastle away is something you don’t really think is going to happen.’
Still wide-eyed. Perfect for Guardiola, exactly what he wants from young players. Others with just as much talent aren’t given chances. Bobb can be hard on himself, and was upset at his display during the club’s first pre-season game against Yokohama in Japan. That did not go unnoticed.
‘Immediately, Oscar got something that is the most important thing: the reliance of his team-mates,’ said Guardiola. ‘That’s more important than the manager. When the team-mates say that a player can play with us that is the best success, and it was immediate. ‘Cole is doing really well and I’m so happy for him. With Oscar, we have a player for many years for us — if he decides to stay. Now he’s happy with his minutes like Cole was happy. But after two or three years, they want more and it’s completely understandable. If he decides to stay, we have a player for many years.’
It has been a slow burn. Bobb joined City in 2019, signed from Valerenga in his native Norway after a move to Porto sell apart because FIFA refused to provide the relevant paperwork.
Bobb suffered injuries and wasn’t being tested at the level he ought to have been at Valerenga but stuck with it. He has long been viewed as a child superstar in Norway and the hype around him there now is huge. Manchester is the Norwegian media’s second home — for Erling Haaland primarily — yet the amount of interest in Bobb has been disproportionate for a youngster with a few substitute outings. He already has a first international goal.
At his first club, Oslo-based Lyn, they nicknamed him the ‘Little Wizard’ and in his fleeting moments this year, it’s easy to see why. City’s academy player of the year two seasons running, Bobb is proving that you can force a way into Guardiola’s thinking.
‘How much of his trust you have is hard to tell at times,’ said Bobb. ‘One of his main messages is always to be ready and that is what you have to live by. It’s envisioning when you might come on. Training as if you will start. It’s a mindset. I’m not saying I’m the best at it but I try.’ NEWCASTLE (4-3-3): Dubravka 7.5; Trippier 7, Schar 7, Botman 7, Burn 5; Longstaff 6, Guimaraes 7.5, Miley 6.5; Almiron 6.5, Isak 8, Gordon 7.5 (Hall 86min). Scorers: Isak 35, Gordon 37. Booked: Guimaraes. Manager: Eddie Howe 6 MANCHESTER CITY (4-2-3-1): Ederson 6 (Ortega 8, 6); Walker 6.5, Dias 6.5, Ake 7, Gvardiol 5.5; Kovacic 6, Rodri 8.5; Foden 7.5, Silva 8 (DE BRUYNE 69, 9), Doku 6 (Bobb 82); Alvarez 6. Booked: Rodri, Silva. Scorers: Silva 26, De Bruyne 74, Bobb 90+1. Manager: Pep Guardiola 8. Referee: Chris Kavanagh 5. Attendance: 52,190.