Are City a better all round team without Haaland?

Aguero would have got 6 ;)

I thought his all round game tonight was amazing & listening to Erling when describing his goals & not thinking about it it reminded me of his finishing before Christmas. Then listening to Pep talking about being more involved whilst the rest need to use him quicker show we haven’t scratched the surface.
 
Next season will be frightening. Pep said last night that sometimes it is Erling he doesn't move enough (Palace Away) and sometimes its the rest of the team (Many games this season). Last night it worked and it will work many more times.
 
Liked seeing more of him dropping to half way, laying it off, spinning and making the runs behind. Liked it even more that the midfield saw it and used it. I reckon that aspect of our game will only improve too.
 
Julien Laurens and Gabriele Marcotti had an interesting debate about this on ESPN. Laurens thinks it's not Haaland's natural game to drop deep and it never will be because he doesn't enjoy doing it in the same way that Kane or Benzema do and all he cares about is scoring goals. Marcotti said that we're a different team now and we're not as good as previous seasons but acknowledged that there was always going to be a period of adjustment and that in the longer term we're going to be a better team. He also pointed out that at 22, Kane wasn't doing what he does now so Haaland still has plenty of time to improve his all round game.

I get the argument that there's a clash in style between Haaland's game and how Pep likes every player to be involved but I just don't see that this transfer would've happened if both parties weren't willing to compromise a little bit. We're bound to be different with a player like Haaland leading the line as opposed to someone like Aguero but I don't think we're going to be THAT different. It just needs a bit of tweaking and some new personnel to execute the new system we're playing. This season has been somewhat of a transitional one but if we get our transfer business right in the summer then I think next season is when we'll really start to see what the third iteration of Pep's Manchester City looks like and I have a feeling it's going to be pretty special.
 
I thought Haaland looked far better against Leipzig when he was doing more than 'lurking'. He was literally like a man v boys with his speed and strength and I do think his link up play is top class. He really doesn't get much credit for it when he drops deep. His speed is absolutely incredible, I would love to know who's quicker than him! He treated some of their defenders like ragdolls as well! That Gvardiol must've felt like giving football up after that game.

I do think that Kane would've been a better fit for us, but he's not in the same league as Haaland. Kane is one of the best strikers in the world and one of the best ever in the PL and he's an extremely intelligent footballer. However, we won't be talking about him in the same breath as both Ronaldo's, Messi, Mbappe, Henry etc etc in a few years time. I think Haaland will be. That's the difference - he's got the potential to be the absolutely finest striker that ever lived, I think he's that good.

We've been playing without a striker for a few years and some of the players just don't seem to be adjusting to that. I'm sure Pep knows who needs to be moved on and who will come in to compliment Haaland.

I do wonder though if Pep ends up with something like Dias/Stones/KdB/Bellingham/Haaland etc... will he really want someone else to come in and finish the job? I can imagine he will be fizzing just thinking about this! I think he will extend his contract as well! :)
 
Mad Eyed Screamer said:
What a shite thread. The OP needs banning.
Click to expand...
Why? At the time you posted it you might have been right. There have been games where Haaland was anonymous, at the point you’d posted it we’d scored more goals and won more games without him last season than with him at the same point this season.

We also played better football last season than we have done for the majority of this season bar a handful of games.

Things have started to change now the team are coming into a bit more form like we had at the start of the season, and the team getting used to Haaland and him to the team, but that doesn’t mean the you were wrong at the time you posted the thread.
 
No he seems to be loving it too and things will get even better next season if we get Bellingham his mate.
 
I think Tuesday padded his stats out.
Maybe Pep should try him at centre back. Good in the air, fast, no one would get past him.
Yeh I reckon it could work.
 
Maybe we shouldn't start Premier League games with Haaland. Teams play 11 behind the ball for 90 mins and their is no space for Haaland. Bring him on after 70 mins when the opposition are tired and he scores a hat trick in 10 minutes. In the Champs Leauge there is more space so he can play from the start and score 6-7.
 
David El Mago Silva said:
Julien Laurens and Gabriele Marcotti had an interesting debate about this on ESPN. Laurens thinks it's not Haaland's natural game to drop deep and it never will be because he doesn't enjoy doing it in the same way that Kane or Benzema do and all he cares about is scoring goals. Marcotti said that we're a different team now and we're not as good as previous seasons but acknowledged that there was always going to be a period of adjustment and that in the longer term we're going to be a better team. He also pointed out that at 22, Kane wasn't doing what he does now so Haaland still has plenty of time to improve his all round game.

I get the argument that there's a clash in style between Haaland's game and how Pep likes every player to be involved but I just don't see that this transfer would've happened if both parties weren't willing to compromise a little bit. We're bound to be different with a player like Haaland leading the line as opposed to someone like Aguero but I don't think we're going to be THAT different. It just needs a bit of tweaking and some new personnel to execute the new system we're playing. This season has been somewhat of a transitional one but if we get our transfer business right in the summer then I think next season is when we'll really start to see what the third iteration of Pep's Manchester City looks like and I have a feeling it's going to be pretty special.
Click to expand...
Haaland has said multiple times how he always wants to improve, I'd hazard a guess that he's absolutely loving playing for Pep. I can't see Haaland going anywhere while Pep at least is still here, where else could he learn from the best out there?
 
GoatersLeftShin said:
...

I do think that Kane would've been a better fit for us, but he's not in the same league as Haaland. Kane is one of the best strikers in the world and one of the best ever in the PL and he's an extremely intelligent footballer. However, we won't be talking about him in the same breath as both Ronaldo's, Messi, Mbappe, Henry etc etc in a few years time. I think Haaland will be. That's the difference - he's got the potential to be the absolutely finest striker that ever lived, I think he's that good.

...
Click to expand...
Regarding Kane, there will always be that thought that he'd be considered much more as one of the greats if he'd played in a successful team.
 
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