Jan Åge Fjørtoft, on Norway + England's Nadir
About this episode
The episode features Jan Fjørtoft discussing Norway's rise in football during the early 1990s and their significant victory over England in 1993.
Welcome back to It Was What It Was, the football history podcast. Today co-hosts Jonathan Wilson and Rob Draper are joined by a very special returning guest - Jan Fjørtoft! In this episode, we will explore Norway’s remarkable rise in the early 1990s and their famous 2–0 win over Graham Taylor’s England in 1993. Fjørtoft explains how Egil “Drillo” Olsen took a previously struggling national team and built belief through a disciplined, direct style, carefully defined roles, and detailed match analysis using hand-written stats and video. The episode breaks down the key tactical choices that unsettled England, revisits both Norway goals, and follows the qualifier run that took Norway to their first World Cup since 1938. Norway will return to the World Cup this summer for the first time since 1998. This episode will be followed by a three part special on Graham Taylor. 01:12 Norway before the rise 04:09 Olsen arrives and stirs 06:47 Direct football philosophy 14:31 Stats and analysis 20:05 Defined roles and system 23:40 Beating England 28:12 Tactical switch 31:33 Gascoigne fitness factor 32:50 Olsen’s Selection Mind Games 37:20 Two Goals Breakdown 42:41 Road to USA 94…
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