9 | Erling Haaland - 2025/26

[skybluepower]

This is the kind of Erling we really miss. It’s true his form dipped a bit, but that season he was backed up with assists from the brilliant Kevin De Bruyne, Mahrez and a useful Grealish, Gundogan, etc
We haven’t had anything like that in the two seasons since.

I’m hoping Cherki, Aït‑Nouri and Reijnders will make up for all those missing assists.

 

[KDBPLGOAT]

Genuine question, does playing to his strengths, hinder the team as a whole in BIG GAMES especially now with KDB gone. For me I’d start him next season vs the smaller teams, he rips them apart like prime Batistuta, but I will play False 9 aka Marmoush against Liverpool, Arsenal and the likes of Madrid, Barca, PSG etc in the UCL or cup finals, no one says this, but for a couple seasons now I’ve seen him really struggle when he comes up against smart defenders too many times. What the likes of Rudiger, Bastoni and Van Dijk have done to him consistently is extremely worrying. They don’t even only tackle him, they win the ball off him dribble past him and start attacks!! He definitely has a mental block in huge games, I finally watched back extended highlights of the FA cup game, and giving the penalty to Marmoush was ridiculous, and once again big game he performed like shit. Big big season ahead for Mr Erling.

 

[bluedreamer]

Genuine question, does playing to his strengths, hinder the team as a whole in BIG GAMES especially now with KDB gone. For me I’d start him next season vs the smaller teams, he rips them apart like prime Batistuta, but I will play False 9 aka Marmoush against Liverpool, Arsenal and the likes of Madrid, Barca, PSG etc in the UCL or cup finals, no one says this, but for a couple seasons now I’ve seen him really struggle when he comes up against smart defenders too many times. What the likes of Rudiger, Bastoni and Van Dijk have done to him consistently is extremely worrying. They don’t even only tackle him, they win the ball off him dribble past him and start attacks!! He definitely has a mental block in huge games, I finally watched back extended highlights of the FA cup game, and giving the penalty to Marmoush was ridiculous, and once again big game he performed like shit. Big big season ahead for Mr Erling.

Yeah I think you have a point.
I’m not sure how many easy teams there are these days though.
He didn’t exactly tear into Al Ain and Al Hilal.
The days of teams playing a high line against us are over.
Sit deep with 2 banks of 4 and we’re struggling.

 

[Paul1970]

Genuine question, does playing to his strengths, hinder the team as a whole in BIG GAMES especially now with KDB gone. For me I’d start him next season vs the smaller teams, he rips them apart like prime Batistuta, but I will play False 9 aka Marmoush against Liverpool, Arsenal and the likes of Madrid, Barca, PSG etc in the UCL or cup finals, no one says this, but for a couple seasons now I’ve seen him really struggle when he comes up against smart defenders too many times. What the likes of Rudiger, Bastoni and Van Dijk have done to him consistently is extremely worrying. They don’t even only tackle him, they win the ball off him dribble past him and start attacks!! He definitely has a mental block in huge games, I finally watched back extended highlights of the FA cup game, and giving the penalty to Marmoush was ridiculous, and once again big game he performed like shit. Big big season ahead for Mr Erling.

I agree massive season for him and we will probably know how it’s gonna go by October with him . That first season was fantastic and j wish we cutie get back to that

 

[ChicagoBlue]

In CWC, I think we have seen a different Erling. Granted, the Al Hilal game wasn’t good for anyone, but I think we saw a fitter, more mobile Erling.

That said, and crazy as it sounds, he needs to up his productivity in front of goal. If he played for Liverpool or Arsenal, he’d be scoring double digits more goals, because they break quicker and feed the central areas more.

Watch him play for Dortmund and look at what we bought. Now, look at how we play and play him!

 

[WallyA]

Think this is a nice video of Haaland's striker movement.

 

[skybluepower]

If Haaland had played with KDB from the 2015-16 season until the end of the 2022-23 season, he would have scored 400 goals.

 

[Craig]

In CWC, I think we have seen a different Erling. Granted, the Al Hilal game wasn’t good for anyone, but I think we saw a fitter, more mobile Erling.

That said, and crazy as it sounds, he needs to up his productivity in front of goal. If he played for Liverpool or Arsenal, he’d be scoring double digits more goals, because they break quicker and feed the central areas more.

Watch him play for Dortmund and look at what we bought. Now, look at how we play and play him!

Not convinced that would be the case with Arsenal. Look at them as last season went on and they had the same problem as us. By that i mean teams were all parking the bus against them and they were passing it about trying to break them down. The Dortmund Erling was him getting to play to his best and clearly a much more exciting player to watch. Yes at times we could play quicker but the vast majority of the time that space for isn’t there and won’t be whilst he’s playing for us.

 

[ChicagoBlue]

Not convinced that would be the case with Arsenal. Look at them as last season went on and they had the same problem as us. By that i mean teams were all parking the bus against them and they were passing it about trying to break them down. The Dortmund Erling was him getting to play to his best and clearly a much more exciting player to watch. Yes at times we could play quicker but the vast majority of the time that space for isn’t there and won’t be whilst he’s playing for us.

They also had no center forward to take advantage of their wing play.

 

[Belgian Flash]

The man just cannot anticipate deep in the box if his life depends on it. Someone like Osimhen buries this ten times out of ten.

 

[domalino]

Genuine question, does playing to his strengths, hinder the team as a whole in BIG GAMES especially now with KDB gone. For me I’d start him next season vs the smaller teams, he rips them apart like prime Batistuta, but I will play False 9 aka Marmoush against Liverpool, Arsenal and the likes of Madrid, Barca, PSG etc in the UCL or cup finals, no one says this, but for a couple seasons now I’ve seen him really struggle when he comes up against smart defenders too many times. What the likes of Rudiger, Bastoni and Van Dijk have done to him consistently is extremely worrying. They don’t even only tackle him, they win the ball off him dribble past him and start attacks!! He definitely has a mental block in huge games, I finally watched back extended highlights of the FA cup game, and giving the penalty to Marmoush was ridiculous, and once again big game he performed like shit. Big big season ahead for Mr Erling.

I think ONLY relying on him for goals is what hampers us in big games.

Ultimately the best teams in the world have the players and management to neutralise any single player. Teams did it to messi and Ronaldo, they can do it to Haaland.

The reason it really killed us last year is Foden and KDB stopped being the secondary goal scorers who would take advantage of Haaland drawing all the attention.

When Marmoush gets fully up and running and Foden is back, maybe one of Savinbo or Doku start scoring more - those other players will either score a bunch in big games, or teams will have to give less energy to stopping haaland and he’ll start scoring in big games again.

 

[domalino]

The man just cannot anticipate deep in the box if his life depends on it. Someone like Osimhen buries this ten times out of ten.

I feel like I could post 20 goal videos of him scoring from that exact kind of chance?

I’m not going to before you ask, as any goal compilation like the one posted on the last page has plenty.


But if you asked me what the problem was with that gif, it would be that one player is being marked by 3 defenders and he’s still the one being passed to. You can see Savinho free at the back post in a dangerous position, Nunes in loads of space arriving at the edge of the box, Silva in yards of space 8 yards out from the goal and Cherki(?) in space at the front post expecting the ball, and Doku only has eyes to get it to the 1 city player who isn’t in space.


Lastly if you look at where Haaland ends up, having dropped the 3 defenders and made the run….he’d have tapped in if the cross was just better. Doku has asked way too much of him, if his cross goes across goal 2/3 yards ahead of Haaland he scores, instead he’s asked him to make up 5 yards from an almost standing start.

Honestly I think you’ve posted a gif that highlights the problems perfectly, you’ve just drawn completely the wrong conclusion about what the problems are from it.

5 (FIVE) players in decent goal scoring positions and the player with the ball simply didn’t find any of them.

 

[goatfeeder100]

The man just cannot anticipate deep in the box if his life depends on it. Someone like Osimhen buries this ten times out of ten.

If he anticipates that any quicker then he probably moves into an offside position...so not sure this is the best gif to use to beat Haaland with. A bit mad considering the bulk of Haalands goals to question his anticipation in the box as well.

 

[Belgian Flash]

If he anticipates that any quicker then he probably moves into an offside position...so not sure this is the best gif to use to beat Haaland with. A bit mad considering the bulk of Haalands goals to question his anticipation in the box as well.

Most of Haaland's goals (which are not deflections or penalties) are vertical runs when there is a lot of space. In the exact moment Doku makes the pass/cross hes literally chilling between three defenders as if Doku is on the middle of the pitch and not deep in the box:






At this distance and congestion you have to move the moment before the winger makes the cross. You have to be able to expect in this moment where the pass would go. Even if Doku takes a shot here, he needs to rush forward to convert any save from the keeper. Sorry but his movement in this area is simply disappointing.

 

[super_city_si]

Most of Haaland's goals (which are not deflections or penalties) are vertical runs when there is a lot of space. In the exact moment Doku makes the pass/cross hes literally chilling between three defenders as if Doku is on the middle of the pitch and not deep in the box:


View attachment 162433



At this distance and congestion you have to move the moment before the winger makes the cross. You have to be able to expect in this moment where the pass would go. Even if Doku takes a shot here, he needs to rush forward to convert any save from the keeper. Sorry but his movement in this area is simply disappointing.

Whats really disappointing from that still is that Doku doesn’t pass it to cherki for a certain goal and instead rifles it to no one. Haaland has no chance of getting to the cross where it’s played and to get to it he woukd have to be starting from an offiside position. All you’ve highlighted is Dokus failing in his choice of pass and execution of it.

 

[Craig]

The man just cannot anticipate deep in the box if his life depends on it. Someone like Osimhen buries this ten times out of ten.

If he goes any sooner there he’s offside. He goes as the ball is played and is still miles off it and there’s not many quicker strikers about than Haaland.

 

[goatfeeder100]

Most of Haaland's goals (which are not deflections or penalties) are vertical runs when there is a lot of space. In the exact moment Doku makes the pass/cross hes literally chilling between three defenders as if Doku is on the middle of the pitch and not deep in the box:


View attachment 162433



At this distance and congestion you have to move the moment before the winger makes the cross. You have to be able to expect in this moment where the pass would go. Even if Doku takes a shot here, he needs to rush forward to convert any save from the keeper. Sorry but his movement in this area is simply disappointing.

The guy has scored over 200 goals in his career already. If you have a graph that backs up this idea he only ever scores goals from vertical runs when he has loads of space then I await your presentation of it.

As for your assessment of that one individual moment, let's just say I don't agree. Seems like you're using it as a way to be hard done by on Doku's behalf because he didn't get an assist. I'd probably argue that Haaland is sick and tired after spending the last 2 years trying to anticipate if and when a ball from Doku is coming anywhere near him.

 

[Belgian Flash]

If he goes any sooner there he’s offside. He goes as the ball is played and is still miles off it and there’s not many quicker strikers about than Haaland.

No, if you start your move/run in this exact moment instead of standing




its not offside. Hes literally behind the defenders, not even in line with them. Amazing that we are even debating this.

 

[Belgian Flash]

I'd probably argue that Haaland is sick and tired after spending the last 2 years trying to anticipate if and when a ball from Doku is coming anywhere near him.

So instead of learning to anticipate it, he basically gave up and decided to stand around?

Again this is not only a Doku issue although its very prominent when he's the passer/crosser. Haaland is a player who thrives in open space, not in small areas. As I said before Osimhen easily scores this one and there is no offside because hes always on his toes unlike Haaland who just switches off when the run is not 100 percent obvious and he can't use his pace to do it.

 

[Craig]

No, if you start your move/run in this exact moment instead of standing

View attachment 162456


its not offside. Hes literally behind the defenders, not even in line with them. Amazing that we are even debating this.

You’re talking fractions in a fast moving scenario. He’s only just pulling his foot back and Haaland is starting to move