9 | Erling Haaland - 2023/24

Can make all the excuses we want, but his return in big games, and clutch moments is worrying.

He’s obviously an amazing player, and the documentary reminds us of how good he was last year. But he’s had a bad season by his standards. I can’t think of too many “clutch” goals or performances against big teams since the end of last season.

No goals:
Liverpool A last season
RM both legs
CL final
FA Cup final

Lpool this season both games
Arsenal this season both games
RM last night

He needs to be making the difference in these games not often. Can’t score a hat trick every game, or even a goal in all of them, but disappointing to not have scored in *ANY* of these games.
 
donsmoke said:
Whether "fully fit", "half fit" or "not fit", Haaland doesn't have good ball control and in our team due to the amount of technically good footballers we have, if your ball control is even half decent, you will stick out like a sore thumb.
People keep talking about our midfielders not passing the ball to Haaland, well from what I've seen, they don't trust him to keep the ball when and if they do.
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I hadn't realised I had claimed he had good ball control.

Haaland seems to score 2 types of goal. The most common is a strike in the penalty area, very often with his first touch. We found him enough times last season for him to break damn near every scoring record through a combination of his movement and incisive assists. Cant remember many that were down to technical ball control although you could argue that the gift of being able to strike the ball accurately where he wants it to go with only a split second to do it is a technical skill.

the second and much less frequent is him running into space onto a through ball - maybe 20% of his goals last season were like that. We try that less this season, maybe because of Kev being missing. He makes good runs to encourage this. If you watch him live you see him constantly on the shoulder of any high line. Good example was against Arsenal where we had so much difficulty breaking them down when they were deep. When they adopted a high line it was crying out for the right pass over or through their back 4 for him to run on to. Never happened.

He has lost something this season. His sixth sense in the box isn't what it was and I don't think in general our attacking play is as effective in getting the best from him. Complaining about his lack of technical ability is missing the point though - he ain't that player. What he is is an elite, once in a generation goal scorer that needs feeding the right balls in the box on a consistent basis.
 
Saddleworth2 said:
I hadn't realised I had claimed he had good ball control.

Haaland seems to score 2 types of goal. The most common is a strike in the penalty area, very often with his first touch. We found him enough times last season for him to break damn near every scoring record through a combination of his movement and incisive assists. Cant remember many that were down to technical ball control although you could argue that the gift of being able to strike the ball accurately where he wants it to go with only a split second to do it is a technical skill.

the second and much less frequent is him running into space onto a through ball - maybe 20% of his goals last season were like that. We try that less this season, maybe because of Kev being missing. He makes good runs to encourage this. If you watch him live you see him constantly on the shoulder of any high line. Good example was against Arsenal where we had so much difficulty breaking them down when they were deep. When they adopted a high line it was crying out for the right pass over or through their back 4 for him to run on to. Never happened.

He has lost something this season. His sixth sense in the box isn't what it was and I don't think in general our attacking play is as effective in getting the best from him. Complaining about his lack of technical ability is missing the point though - he ain't that player. What he is is an elite, once in a generation goal scorer that needs feeding the right balls in the box on a consistent basis.
Click to expand...
I agree but there is no room in the box and he is slow with a poor touch for that deftness required.
 
kaz7 said:
Thought he was terrible last nite , he doesnt press, intercept, tackle , anything to get the ball and create his own chances , he has to learn how to do it , jogging about is not enough
Click to expand...
Right little double act you and nelly. Both not got a clue mind, but it’s fun to read.
 
donsmoke said:
Whether "fully fit", "half fit" or "not fit", Haaland doesn't have good ball control and in our team due to the amount of technically good footballers we have, if your ball control is even half decent, you will stick out like a sore thumb.
People keep talking about our midfielders not passing the ball to Haaland, well from what I've seen, they don't trust him to keep the ball when and if they do.
Click to expand...
Not having this. We knew what we were buying and we used him well last season. This isn't about players not trusting him to not lose possession in build up play, it's about players and tactics completely disregarding playing through bass to the most lethal finisher on the planet, even in games where that is the thing needed most.
 
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