With the flag on her chest, Graham Hansen has for a long time been based in the center of the pitch, while she plays right-wing in Barcelona on a daily basis. This role continued when one of the world’s best strikers, Ada Hegerberg, returned to the national team. “Norway has two of the world’s best players – in their positions. The national team manager must take the consequences of that “, wrote news expert Carl-Erik Torp in April. Several have thought that Norway does not get the best out of Graham Hansen in this role. However, she does not agree with that herself. – I feel Martin has done an incredible amount for me, the 27-year-old says to news after Austria sent Norway headlong out of the European Championships. DISAPPOINTED: National team manager Martin Sjögren. Photo: VEGARD GRØTT / BILDBYRÅN – I think it will be very wrong to assess what he has gotten out of me by just looking at the last two matches. Then there are few who have followed in the last five years. Goal for medal Graham Hansen played the match with plaster on her left hand due to a fracture she suffered in training the day before. The Barcelona star was almost never involved in the game against Austria. – Is this the right tactic to get the best out of you? – Today I feel that we are not able to do anything out of the first half, but beyond the second half I feel we are able to get a little more dynamism in it. Then I feel that I get a lot more to my right and manage to help create things, but it is not good enough what we deliver today as a team, says Graham Hansen. Before the championship, the national team was clear that the goal was a medal. When you count up after the last group game match, Norway was far from its own goal. Now an evaluation awaits. – Had we said that the goal was to get out of the group game, it would have been too low, and when we said medal, it was too high. When you stand here with answers in hand, you can easily point out that you have overestimated yourself, but we chose to be offensive and we missed. That’s how it is sometimes, says Graham Hansen. – Do you still have confidence in Sjögren? – As long as Martin is a coach, I trust him. Understands the discussion She emphasizes that it is not up to her to assess whether Sjögren should now continue as national team manager. It is up to the board of the Norwegian Football Association with President Lise Klaveness at the helm. TRAVEL HOME: Here Caroline Graham Hansen wanders off the field after giving football president Lise Klaveness a hug. Photo: VEGARD GRØTT / BILDBYRÅN Klaveness was on TV 2’s broadcast after the end of the match on Friday, but she commented briefly that it was too early to say anything about the way forward. Sjögren himself was asked if he is considering retiring after the European Championship exit. – It’s only half an hour since the match was over, but no. I do not have a good answer right now. I’m not the one giving up, but I understand the discussion, Sjögren said at the press conference. The national team manager has a contract with the football association until after the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand in 2023. In September, the last two World Cup qualifiers against Belgium and Albania await. – I hope we can look ahead. We have to look at what did not work and what we did not achieve in this championship, so that we can move on. On to the World Cup qualifiers and to the next championship, says Graham Hansen.
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