9 | Erling Haaland - 2023/24

[Blu1]

We are just not playing to his strengths

 

[supercity88]

Certainly in poor form at the moment and for a team of our level we need a better option from the bench.

I'd be tempted to bench Haaland and start Alvarez! Imagine that tonight. It was a little more stretched at times and Haaland would have probably thrived.

I don't really judge our strikers in these games. Pep wants control above all else when we play counter attacking teams like Real. So the early ball in behind or swung inis usually ignored whilst we pass it to death looking for an opening.

Not easy for either to impress when feeding off scraps.

 

[EdersonsSmiley]

I hope some of the posters in this thread will look back in 6/9/12 months and cringe at what they have posted.

 

[WallyA]

Saying we played worse with Alvarez isnt completelt fair as they were all very tired already.

With that though, something is off in how we use him or his development.

Simply "occupying the central defenders to give others space" is fine for an average tall striker, but if he is suppose to be elite, then we need more from him.

 

[B\connellblue]

This occupying defenders talk needs to stop. If he was occupying all these defenders there would be room for others. He isn't and there wasn't. Another poor showing unfortunately.

 

[Lavinda Past]

I'm banning myself from this thread.

Suffice to say, I think he's bobbins. A stat padding, big game bottler. I've seen enough him.

 

[Legal Alien]

We stopped playing when he came off and Alvarez looked fucking awful.

It’s a strange game for Guardiola to take him off when there’s been ample opportunity to play Alvarez in recent weeks and give Haaland a bit of a reminder of how he needs to up his level.

I agree, especially when Doku comes on and starts putting balls across the box and no-one was there!

 

[RayCTID]

Nothing has changed. For now we can still rely on him but still has to be managed really carefully. Plans have probably been drawn up for finding a replacement in the near future.

 

[decmancity]

I'm banning myself from this thread.

Suffice to say, I think he's bobbins. A stat padding, big game bottler. I've seen enough him.

Thank fuck for that.

 

[DMA's]

Another big game passes him by. Honestly I think he is very overhyped and I have said as much for quite a while. He has been found out imo. He can’t cope with defenders who bully him as his technique and hold up play is really poor.

Be interesting to see if he can evolve and learn to adapt. Not a patch on Sergio