Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola heaped praise on Oscar Bobb after the Norwegian attacker produced an eye-catching display in City’s pre-season friendly against AC Milan at Yankee Stadium on Saturday night.
Bobb, who scored once and assisted twice in City’s 4-3 defeat against Celtic during the week, provided yet another assist in City’s 3-2 defeat against AC Milan on Saturday, superbly laying the ball on a plate for Erling Haaland’s first-half goal after ghosting past several Milan defenders.
The 21-year-old Norwegian attacker was a constant threat for Guardiola’s side on both flanks and almost set Haaland up for a second midway through the first half after weaving his way past two Milan defenders.
Guardiola described Bobb’s performance as “really, really good”, stating that the Norwegian plays the game at the “highest level”.
“He’s decisive in one versus one and in the one versus two. He is aggressive with and without the ball and played in many positions,” Guardiola said, adding that Bobb made a significant impact on the game outside of his goal contribution.
Bobb made 14 Premier League appearances for City last season as Guardiola pipped Arsenal to the league title, with Bobb’s only league goal coming in the form of a crucial last-minute winner against Newcastle United in January.
Guardiola said it was a “question of time” before Bobb delivers consistently. However, the youngster needs to be more composed in the final third, pointing to a moment in the first half when Bobb missed the target from a promising position.
“Sometimes in the last part, he has to be more composed and reduce his speed — for example the chance he missed in the first half, he has to be more calm, shoot or pass to Erling,” Guardiola said. “It’s a question of time, he’s young but his work ethic is unbelievable. He can play striker, in the pockets, winger.”
Guardiola, who fielded an inexperienced side in New York, also heaped praise on the other academy graduates who featured on Saturday night.
He said it was “an incredible experience” for his youthful side to take on AC Milan, adding that the experience should enable players to develop and grow.
“It’s good to see how they play against top teams like Celtic and AC Milan,” Guardiola commented. “It’s a top experience for our growth. These games are fantastic because it’s difficult to see them (academy players) during the season.”
City winger Jack Grealish was one of the few experienced players to feature during Saturday’s friendly, with the English forward looking to rediscover his form after missing out on the England squad for Euro 2024.
Speaking after the FA Cup final in May, Guardiola backed Grealish to “bounce back” after his “struggles” during the 2023/24 campaign. Addressing Grealish’s form on Saturday night, Guardiola said the England star would have to take it “step-by-step” and get minutes under his belt.
“It’s important that he’s getting minutes after (his) holidays. He is trying and he will get (back) to his
best.”
