9 | Erling Haaland - 2024/25

[oldius]

It really isn't too difficult to see what the issue is for Erling.
At this moment in time, our success has led to most teams playing ultra-defensive formations that pack the central areas. There is very often no space for a central attacker surrounded by three or four defenders. Now, we need to find a way, as all teams who are successful for long periods must, to counteract the methods that opponents have developed to combat us. We have to have a more direct approach in our locker. We don't abandon our principles, but we must also be able to break at pace using fast-direct attacks and to utilise the runs in behind. We should also not be afraid to play Erling in some games but not in others: false nine and number nine. You can only set up to defend in the way that our opponents are doing if you know exactly what your opponent is going to do.

 

[Keeper!]

Yeah, i totally agree about the lack of movement, it’s like we’ve become risk averse. Sometimes Doku who had 2/3 on him and passed it inside quickly and whoever he passed it to then took a few touches and allowed them to shuffle back across. The odd time Doku was one on one we played 2/3 passes before getting it to him where one would have done. By which point again they had at least 2 on him.

The only player we have that takes risks is Marmoush and he gets dropped, says it all.

 

[Newman Noggs]

The issue we have is the midfield. They are not just pedestrian in support of the attack and the defence but slow of thought. The number of times one of our midfielders has the opportunity for a through ball but stop, turn round and pass back, must be criminally frustrating for any forward or overlapping player.

Poor old KDB's radar has almost completely gone and no one has replaced him. I listened to the game commentary on the website on Saturday as I couldn't find anywhere to watch it and the commentary went "Akanji, Dias, Akanji, Lewis, Akanji, Lewis, Dias, Gvardiol to Foden, Dias, Akanji....".etc, etc ad infinitum. It was even more stark than when you see it in the flesh. There's a complete absence of a creative midfield.

 

[Blue Maverick]

If you watch the El Classico yesterday and see the speed of Madrids attack you could see how Haaland would flourish under something similar, yes I know Madrid lost but fast attacking is the key to this, if we pass the ball out slow from the back everyone just regroups it’s fucking dire then we face a wall of players, Haaland has zero space and isn’t the most mobile. He’s here for 10 years we need to change our style to get the most from him now KDB is going.

 

[skybluepower]

If you watch the El Classico yesterday and see the speed of Madrids attack you could see how Haaland would flourish under something similar, yes I know Madrid lost but fast attacking is the key to this, if we pass the ball out slow from the back everyone just regroups it’s fucking dire then we face a wall of players, Haaland has zero space and isn’t the most mobile. He’s here for 10 years we need to change our style to get the most from him now KDB is going.

We are destroying ourselves with a slow pace , every time in 100 years we have a chance to counterattack, someone of our players returns the ball back and establishes a positional attack.

Real Madrid, Barcelona, Inter, PSG, Liverpool rush towards the opponent's goal like crazy in those moments.

.

 

[Blue Llama]

If you watch the El Classico yesterday and see the speed of Madrids attack you could see how Haaland would flourish under something similar, yes I know Madrid lost but fast attacking is the key to this, if we pass the ball out slow from the back everyone just regroups it’s fucking dire then we face a wall of players, Haaland has zero space and isn’t the most mobile. He’s here for 10 years we need to change our style to get the most from him now KDB is going.

The frustration is that it's so fkin obvious

 

[KDBPLGOAT]

We need to buy better. I’m sick of rumours of players that no big team wants being linked heavily to the club. Let’s be real, in 2025, we don’t have a single player that creates loads of chances. Haaland is a limited all round footballer but An all time great goal scorer, he’s pretty useless without a technical wizard alongside him. Our biggest issue is all four of Grealish, Savinho, Marmoush and Foden create maybe 2 good chances a game COMBINED! We NEED to get Wirtz. This is a non negotiable, without a chance creating machine like Wirtz, Yamal, Saka, Prime KDB or Salah, Haaland will continue to play like 6’5 Nketiah, we will not challenge next season. We will barely get 80 points tbh.

 

[Blue_Lightsaber]

There is an elephant on this forum:
With Pep and all his overthinking farts,

we play better as a team without Erling.

Well if we're gonna play sideways.. ofcourse.

Erling doesn't shoot sideways.. he shoots straight between the goal posts!

 

[Blue_Lightsaber]

We need to buy better. I’m sick of rumours of players that no big team wants being linked heavily to the club. Let’s be real, in 2025, we don’t have a single player that creates loads of chances. Haaland is a limited all round footballer but An all time great goal scorer, he’s pretty useless without a technical wizard alongside him. Our biggest issue is all four of Grealish, Savinho, Marmoush and Foden create maybe 2 good chances a game COMBINED! We NEED to get Wirtz. This is a non negotiable, without a chance creating machine like Wirtz, Yamal, Saka, Prime KDB or Salah, Haaland will continue to play like 6’5 Nketiah, we will not challenge next season. We will barely get 80 points tbh.

The 115 allegation has fucked the club in more ways than can be imagined.

No one wants to come here until that's done with.

 

[eversince 76]

The 115 allegation has fucked the club in more ways than can be imagined.

No one wants to come here until that's done with.

Yep. No one came in last window …

 

[KDBPLGOAT]

Yep. No one came in last window …

None of those players we brought in January in would start for us in previous seasons. Nor do they have the potential to be as good as any regular starters from 2018-2023. Maybe Marmoush will work out, but he wont get to prime Bernardo Sterling Mahrez KDB Silva levels. Once again we need to get players who are actually wanted by other top teams too. It seems every player we are heavily linked to are Aston Villa standard at best. Someone like Kvaratshkelia would’ve been perfect, he’s miles better footballer than every attacking player at the club currently and was available in the summer and January.

 

[skillman]

I would buy into this theory that he's not suited to our style of play...if he hadn't broken records galore since joining us. Fuck me, some of the comments in here.

You'd think he's some make a wish kid, not one of the most sought-after strikers in world football with a goalscoring record to back himself up with.

I do wish he'd come central/near post every now and again, though!

IMO it's down to Pep to figure it out. Haaland is a goalscorer, he can't do that without getting chances - and when the team is being told to play passive, possession football then it's going to leave him feeding off scraps. If he's not being used in build up, he needs to start being used in another way. Essentially, using him to occupy space/defenders for others to be able to attack elsewhere - maybe that's why he goes far post after all!

 

[Lavinda Past]

Yeah, i totally agree about the lack of movement, it’s like we’ve become risk averse. Sometimes Doku who had 2/3 on him and passed it inside quickly and whoever he passed it to then took a few touches and allowed them to shuffle back across. The odd time Doku was one on one we played 2/3 passes before getting it to him where one would have done. By which point again they had at least 2 on him.

Our whole system of play is risk averse. It has been for a couple of years. Pep seems to have fewer alternatives than bloody Maggie Thatcher.

Young, fresh players have little or no chance to express themselves under Pep's obsessive retention-based instructions. Probably because he doesn't trust them as much as his 'old guard'.

Risk averse...? Definitely.

 

[skillman]

If you watch the El Classico yesterday and see the speed of Madrids attack you could see how Haaland would flourish under something similar, yes I know Madrid lost but fast attacking is the key to this, if we pass the ball out slow from the back everyone just regroups it’s fucking dire then we face a wall of players, Haaland has zero space and isn’t the most mobile. He’s here for 10 years we need to change our style to get the most from him now KDB is going.

To be fair. Barca are known for their high line so Mbappe and Vinicius should be exploiting that with their ability and pace. Same way I presume we would if they played it against us. I don't think every team Madrid come up against play that way.

Just nobody will or does in the Premier League. Southampton had all 11 players within 25 yards of their own goal on Saturday - which is their prerogative - which makes it impossible to exploit space in behind.

 

[skillman]

Agree. We are much more direct and dynamic without him

Frustratingly, we should be more direct when he's playing. He lives for long, direct balls into space - whether that's into the channels or in behind a defence - but we don't do them.

We don't really do them regardless of who is playing - Haaland, Marmoush or somebody else.

It just so (annoyingly) happens that we've seen it more while Haaland has been out. But that won't be because of him.

I think it's because of the people playing on Saturday. Gvardiol at CB and O'Reilly at LB both look for long passes in behind - on Saturday, Dias/Akanji don't and Gvardiol must be told not to.

Haaland was working with nothing on Saturday. Absolutely maddening.

 

[Craig]

Frustratingly, we should be more direct when he's playing. He lives for long, direct balls into space - whether that's into the channels or in behind a defence - but we don't do them.

We don't really do them regardless of who is playing - Haaland, Marmoush or somebody else.

It just so (annoyingly) happens that we've seen it more while Haaland has been out. But that won't be because of him.

I think it's because of the people playing on Saturday. Gvardiol at CB and O'Reilly at LB both look for long passes in behind - on Saturday, Dias/Akanji don't and Gvardiol must be told not to.

Haaland was working with nothing on Saturday. Absolutely maddening.

As much as our play was frustrating on Saturday and the team selection appalling. There was absolutely no chance of anybody dropping a long ball over the top with them all camped on the edge of their box all game

 

[Gabriel]

As much as our play was frustrating on Saturday and the team selection appalling. There was absolutely no chance of anybody dropping a long ball over the top with them all camped on the edge of their box all game

From the kick-off, the ball was rolled back to Ederson and by the time it had reached him, the Southampton players had already retreated to their Theodosian Walls and the die was cast. Could genuinely have made a substitution from the first minute, as it was painfully evident that Southampton had no intention of attacking and that our narrow approach was doomed.

 

[Gray]

If we don’t play to his strengths, what is the point of having him.

 

[KDBPLGOAT]

If we don’t play to his strengths, what is the point of having him.

Playing to his strengths means we will never see the best of Savio, Foden, Marmoush. Haaland can ONLY flourish if we have a player like Ozil or KDB or Salah or Fabregas aka someone who just loves creating chance after chance. Currently, Only players like Wirtz, Yamal or even that Rat Bruno Fernandez would make Haaland look like the best striker in the world again so Pep HAS to go for one of those type players in the transfer window. Foden as a no10 DEFINITELY ain’t gonna be the one to unlock Haaland, I can’t even remember him assisting Haaland in his entire city careers.

For me, something like this would be the way to go:

DM Rodri
DM Reijnders
RW Foden
CAM Wirtz
LW Rodrygo
CF Haaland

Bench: Marmoush, Savio, Doku

 

[Claytop]

Ever since that dreadful run of form over winter time Pep has become even more risk averse to ball turnovers. Under no circumstances does he want us to lose the ball in our own half trying to break at speed.

I remember being at a match earlier this season when Gvardiol had a chance to break down the left & the crowd all groaned when he turned and passed it sideways/backwards, Pep literally turned to the crowd and told them to calm down.

So far away from what we were style wise in his earlier years here.