9 | Erling Haaland - 2024/25

[jacko74]

How do you play more direct if the default game-plan by 99% of any opposition is do defend deep?

Well they already defend deep in response to our usual possession based game anyway, so we've got nothing to lose in that respect.

 

[applejuice]

Who's seriously got the cash to sign Haaland?

Bayern or Barca from what I heard. Sir Harry wants to go home and Lewandowski will be 37 next season. Bayern has plenty of cash in the bank. Barca does not but you know they always find some miracle at the end of the summer

I don't want to lose Erling though.

 

[sir baconface]

For a quick fix, Pep should switch to a false nine system that our other winning players are familiar with, bench him to reignite his desire, or sign another striker to pressure him, like when we had Alvarez.

Quick fix, you say?

How long do you think he’d hang around in a team that gives him no service, then humiliates him by dropping him?

Or maybe you’d be happy to lose one of the world’s best strikers.

 

[mosssideblue]

Quick fix, you say?

How long do you think he’d hang around in a team that gives him no service, then humiliates him by dropping him?

Or maybe you’d be happy to lose one of the world’s best strikers.

The conundrum for me is, if we don't currently have the wherewithal to provide the service that Erling needs, do we continue to play him, or do we try something different

 

[Tricky_Trev]

Be interesting to see what alternative striker we bring in...i personally hope its Isak fgom Newcastle

Haaland needs actual elite competition for his place, and so does the squad

The ‘striker’ we buy needs to not actually be a striker first and foremost. It needs to be a position they are comfortable/good in, but they mainly need to be able to play elsewhere, either on the wing or deeper. If people want to sign an out and out number 9, then they also need to accept that player won’t actually be good enough for us.

 

[Sibierskii]

Bayern or Barca from what I heard. Sir Harry wants to go home and Lewandowski will be 37 next season. Bayern has plenty of cash in the bank. Barca does not but you know they always find some miracle at the end of the summer

I don't want to lose Erling though.

Used to feel the same but meh, why not?

 

[sir baconface]

The conundrum for me is, if we don't currently have the wherewithal to provide the service that Erling needs, do we continue to play him, or do we try something different

It certainly is a conundrum. We are limited with what we have but the coaches surely need to work towards quicker, more incisive forward passing. Easier said than done, of course, when so many players are out of form and accustomed to playing like crabs. I’d hope Doku and Savinho in particular would respond to focused coaching. We might also possibly bring in someone who could give better service.

I guess an alternative is to sell him at the end of the season and play the way the coaches want and can deliver.

I really don’t think Haaland will put up with this for ever, though. He’d get in any side in the world and, if dropped, it would be a sad indictment of both our coaching abilities and resource management. The “cheque book manager” brigade would cream themselves.

No easy answers with the massed defences we encounter most weeks. Glad I’m not the boss.

 

[mosssideblue]

It certainly is a conundrum. We are limited with what we have but the coaches surely need to work towards quicker, more incisive forward passing. Easier said than done, of course, when so many players are out of form and accustomed to playing like crabs. I’d hope Doku and Savinho in particular would respond to focused coaching. We might also possibly bring in someone who could give better service.

I guess an alternative is to sell him at the end of the season and play the way the coaches want and can deliver.

I really don’t think Haaland will put up with this for ever, though. He’d get in any side in the world and, if dropped, it would be a sad indictment of both our coaching abilities and resource management. The “cheque book manager” brigade would cream themselves.

No easy answers here. Glad I’m not the boss.

Agreed. Haaland is no fool and knows Kev is his best route to goals so, it would be interesting to know what discussions he has had with Pep regarding signing players with a first insticct (and ability) to supply him

 

[bennyboy]

Who's seriously got the cash to sign Haaland?

I think he has a release clause.

 

[RayCTID]

Not a chance Haaland will leave immediately if we didn't qualify for the Champions League. Another season like we are currently having then no doubt about it he would move on.

 

[sir baconface]

Agreed. Haaland is no fool and knows Kev is his best route to goals so, it would be interesting to know what discussions he has had with Pep regarding signing players with a first insticct (and ability) to supply him

I think that’s quite likely. I don’t expect players to be routinely consulted on signings but that wouldn’t rule out occasional input.

 

[applejuice]

Agreed. Haaland is no fool and knows Kev is his best route to goals so, it would be interesting to know what discussions he has had with Pep regarding signing players with a first insticct (and ability) to supply him

It is not that complicated.

Halaand needs player to supply him from the right hand side so he can finish with his preferred left foot.

He does not have to have a world class crosser like Kev. Average ones are good enough for him.

The problem is - Pep insists on playing multiple left footed players behind him - Bernado Phil Savihno. All of them have no right foot. And the only right footed player on that side are Rico and Walker who never manage any crosses.


Trust me even if Pep plays the likes of Nunes or Grealish as right back, ask them to practice a little bit, Halaand will be bagging loads every week. If we get a right back with a cross, Halaand will be happy enough.

 

[citytill1die84]

I think he has a release clause.

Ye a 200m one nobody can afford it.

 

[I'm With Stupid]

I think that’s quite likely. I don’t expect players to be routinely consulted on signings but that wouldn’t rule out occasional input.

'Buy a player that can create loads of chances for me.'

'Oh yeah, we hadn't thought of that.'

 

[I'm With Stupid]

The problem is - Pep insists on playing multiple left footed players behind him - Bernado Phil Savihno. All of them have no right foot. And the only right footed player on that side are Rico and Walker who never manage any crosses.

If he wasn't such a prick, Cancelo would be perfect.

Or there is another fantastic crosser from the right side who's out of contract in the summer...

Yes, I'll go and wash my mouth out before I even say it.

ETA: to call Cancelo a prick.

 

[applejuice]

If he wasn't such a price, Cancelo would be perfect.

Or there is another fantastic crosser from the right side who's out of contract in the summer...

Yes, I'll go and wash my mouth out before I even say it.

Technically Cancelo is the perfect right back candidate to build around Halaand once Kev gets old and cannot overlap any more.

But hey it is not difficult to find a right back with a cross. Plenty options.

As long as Pep gives up his inverted fullback crap and we can put some good old school fullbacks on both flanks. Halaand will be very very happy.

But I doubt it will happen.

 

[I'm With Stupid]

Technically Cancelo is the perfect right back candidate to build around Halaand once Kev gets old and cannot overlap any more.

But hey it is not difficult to find a right back with a cross. Plenty options.

As long as Pep gives up his inverted fullback crap and we can put some good old school fullbacks on both flanks. Halaand will be very very happy.

But I doubt it will happen.

It's not even inverted full backs these days. For a lot of the last two seasons, it's basically been four centre backs, with Walker not inverting (because he's shit at it) and not really going forward either, and Ake doing the same on the other side. Gvardiol has got forward a bit more, but he's still essentially a CB and doesn't really have a cross on him. One of the basic tenets of having inverting wingers is you have someone to go on the outside of them. That's why Grealish and Bernardo linked up so well on the left at times.

 

[applejuice]

It's not even inverted full backs these days. For a lot of the last two seasons, it's basically been four centre backs, with Walker not inverting (because he's shit at it) and not really going forward either, and Ake doing the same on the other side. Gvardiol has got forward a bit more, but he's still essentially a CB and doesn't really have a cross on him. One of the basic tenets of having inverting wingers is you have someone to go on the outside of them. That's why Grealish and Bernardo linked up so well on the left at times.

yep

Jack and Bernie on the left

beat rags every time

 

[super_city_si]

I've spoken about how many players we have above the ball a lot at matches in recent times. Teams are not scared to leave men high against us now knowing the transition chance is so big because we are a lot more careless on the ball than we used to be.

Plus our press is half hearted at best. High line needs an effective press so we smother and clean up the loose balls and return the pressure.
With a very poor press it’s just our defenders against their attack/midfiled when they play through.

 

[madloaf]

Not surebit he was fucking shite again

Which one?