No, we have a world class goal scorer.
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9 | Erling Haaland - 2025/26
- Thread starter jimharri
- Start date
Well, he was on to beat his own league record until a few weeks ago and had missed plenty of good chances alongside the 19/20 league goals he’d scored. So i’m struggling to see how the tactics have been hindering him that much.He’d be on 45 goals now in our 2017-2019 team.
We don’t play to his strengths, and he doesn’t compliment our weaknesses. I’m starting to think he’d be better off elsewhere for his own records sake.
You can’t really build a team like ours completely around such a limited actual footballer unless you are suggesting we just let the other team have all the ball and play purely on the counter! Crosses are harldly his forte either unless someone can magically get each cross past 3/4 defenders to the back post.
Before Saturday’s shitshow(where his lack of fight and commitment was frankly a disgrace). During the 3 games that all but ended our chance of winning the league. He missed a sitter against Brighton, sittter at Sunderland and a decent chance or 2 against Chelsea. He missed a sitter last night too that would have got us back into the game before h/t. Obviously every striker misses plenty but when someone is offering so little else to the team it’s very costly.
And we still don’t put balls through to him . Start of season we were pushing balls through and he was causing havoc then suddenly we now go back to death by a thousand passes . He will be looking to get out if nothing changes .No, we have a world class goal scorer.
At times i really don’t know what we are supposed to do. Take Sunderland at home for example. They completely parked the bus happy to play for a point.We kept probing and eventually won 3-0.Yes i know the constant how many touches are boring but i think Haaland didn’t touch it for the first 42 minutes.Obviously he was happy to just keep trying to be in position in the box but it was still bizarre when we must have had +70% possession for your superstar striker to not once just come and get a touch of the ball.And we still don’t put balls through to him . Start of season we were pushing balls through and he was causing havoc then suddenly we now go back to death by a thousand passes . He will be looking to get out if nothing changes .
That shows how little our star man contributes at times. Now in that game we won well and we created a sitter for him which he missed.So, nobody is particularly arsed he’s a unique player because of his goal scoring record.
Fast forward to the derby where the team struggled. For your striker who’s fucking massive to not show commitment and look to hold the ball up and battle a little for the team whilst doing absolutely nothing else i think is totally unacceptable. It was like playing with 10 men and was a hindrance to the team.
Think this is an excellent analysis of the situation.Think this is worth looking at tbh. The best Pep teams have always had mobile forwards (or false nines) who pull defenders all over the place. Aguero, Jesus, De Bruyne, Gundogan. That run between 2020-21 and 2021-22 is the best this team has been imo.
Since Haaland has come in, we were largely inconsistent in the treble season until we hit a purple patch that got us over the line. In 23/24 it was muscle memory and a Foden streak (and an Ortega save) that got us there. Last season we played our best football and hit our best form without him, then just let him back in for the FA Cup final. This season we seemed to finally work out that he was a player that thrives on fast breaks and using his physicality in foot races but we've gone back to playing a style he doesn't suit.
It's Pep or Haaland. We clearly can't have both. Something's gotta give.
Think this is worth looking at tbh. The best Pep teams have always had mobile forwards (or false nines) who pull defenders all over the place. Aguero, Jesus, De Bruyne, Gundogan. That run between 2020-21 and 2021-22 is the best this team has been imo.
Since Haaland has come in, we were largely inconsistent in the treble season until we hit a purple patch that got us over the line. In 23/24 it was muscle memory and a Foden streak (and an Ortega save) that got us there. Last season we played our best football and hit our best form without him, then just let him back in for the FA Cup final. This season we seemed to finally work out that he was a player that thrives on fast breaks and using his physicality in foot races but we've gone back to playing a style he doesn't suit.
It's Pep or Haaland. We clearly can't have both. Something's gotta give.
It'll be Pep because I don't see the club selling Haaland no matter how much Pep has won. Haaland is the poster boy on a ten year deal. He's on everything advertisement wise.
He is the least of our problems, the build up play is just terrible. Nevertheless he does need a break
When the opponent press you can play long balls to your striker. But if he can't win duels... opponent will press without any fear. Also numerically is one man less in possession because literally doesn't get involve at all.
M18CTID
Well-Known Member
I see the knives are out for him. Not disputing that he's not been on it recently as the stats alone back that up. What I would say is that when he was banging them in for fun not long ago, all his critics were conspicuous by their absence in this thread and absolutely nobody was calling out his effort or saying he doesn't suit our style of play, etc. In fact, many were saying he'd actually stepped it up a notch this season and his all round play has improved. Now all of a sudden, he's no use whatsoever to the team if he isn't scoring goals. Yet plenty of times this season, he's been our best defender when heading balls clear from danger so all this bollocks that he doesn't add anything to the team except goals is exactly that...bollocks.
Personally I just think he's on a poor run of form and he's as frustrated as the rest of us about that. It's not the first time that he's suffered a dip in form around this time of year either, so I'm fully expecting him to be back scoring soon enough.
Personally I just think he's on a poor run of form and he's as frustrated as the rest of us about that. It's not the first time that he's suffered a dip in form around this time of year either, so I'm fully expecting him to be back scoring soon enough.
Funny that isn’t it that nobody said anything when he was banging them in for fun. Almost like if a manager kept winning games they wouldn’t get criticised. However, if they only won 1 in 8 they might get questioned a little!I see the knives are out for him. Not disputing that he's not been on it recently as the stats alone back that up. What I would say is that when he was banging them in for fun not long ago, all his critics were conspicuous by their absence in this thread and absolutely nobody was calling out his effort or saying he doesn't suit our style of play, etc. In fact, many were saying he'd actually stepped it up a notch this season and his all round play has improved. Now all of a sudden, he's no use whatsoever to the team if he isn't scoring goals. Yet plenty of times this season, he's been our best defender when heading balls clear from danger so all this bollocks that he doesn't add anything to the team except goals is exactly that...bollocks.
Personally I just think he's on a poor run of form and he's as frustrated as the rest of us about that. It's not the first time that he's suffered a dip in form around this time of year either, so I'm fully expecting him to be back scoring soon enough.
He gets cut more slack than anyone especially for a Pep striker.We don’t play to his strengths or create enough bla bla. Despite him having the most shots, chances, goals and missing plenty of great chances. Ok, forgot he can be good at heading corners away at the near post. Gives us so much more as a forward than goals. He’s like a modern day Tevez that lad!
Petetheblu
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- 10 Sep 2007
- Messages
- 7,573
Never in the history has football scene a player score 30-40 goal every season.
Sadly life gets in the way.
He'll be back.
If you don't have faith in a machine like Erl then you're broken...go and get fixed!
Sadly life gets in the way.
He'll be back.
If you don't have faith in a machine like Erl then you're broken...go and get fixed!
M18CTID
Well-Known Member
You sound like the kind of **** who thinks all our players are wank and our manager is a useless twat because we're on a poor run of form. I'm glad you're not stood next to me at the fucking match!Funny that isn’t it that nobody said anything when he was banging them in for fun. Almost like if a manager kept winning games they wouldn’t get criticised. However, if they only won 1 in 8 they might get questioned a little!
He gets cut more slack than anyone especially for a Pep striker.We don’t play to his strengths or create enough bla bla. Despite him having the most shots, chances, goals and missing plenty of great chances. Ok, forgot he can be good at heading corners away at the near post. Gives us so much more as a forward than goals. He’s like a modern day Tevez that lad!
The grief Haaland gets is unbelievable. We have a shit load of gobshites who support us.You sound like the kind of **** who thinks all our players are wank and our manager is a useless twat because we're on a poor run of form. I'm glad you're not stood next to me at the fucking match!
warringtonblue
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- Joined
- 7 Nov 2010
- Messages
- 2,334
The problem is, if he’s not scoring goals he’s contributing fuck all.I see the knives are out for him. Not disputing that he's not been on it recently as the stats alone back that up. What I would say is that when he was banging them in for fun not long ago, all his critics were conspicuous by their absence in this thread and absolutely nobody was calling out his effort or saying he doesn't suit our style of play, etc. In fact, many were saying he'd actually stepped it up a notch this season and his all round play has improved. Now all of a sudden, he's no use whatsoever to the team if he isn't scoring goals. Yet plenty of times this season, he's been our best defender when heading balls clear from danger so all this bollocks that he doesn't add anything to the team except goals is exactly that...bollocks.
Personally I just think he's on a poor run of form and he's as frustrated as the rest of us about that. It's not the first time that he's suffered a dip in form around this time of year either, so I'm fully expecting him to be back scoring soon enough.
We all know what he’s good at, but it’s what he’s not good at is showing itself more and more if he’s not scoring
RodneyRodney
Well-Known Member
KF scored against the ragsMight as well be Kevin Francis.
So has Haaland.KF scored against the rags
M18CTID
Well-Known Member
Same with Foden mate.The grief Haaland gets is unbelievable. We have a shit load of gobshites who support us.
Listen gobshite. I don’t have a problem with Haaland and i don’t have a problem with Pep. If you think Haaland would be Pep’s dream striker then you’re very deluded. We know what Haaland is like as a player and we know he’s an unbelievable goal scorer.You sound like the kind of **** who thinks all our players are wank and our manager is a useless twat because we're on a poor run of form. I'm glad you're not stood next to me at the fucking match!
Haaland not scoring whilst the team is also struggling is a problem. It’s more of a problem than if you had a Kane or Tevez and they’d scored 1 pen in 8 games. Of course you’d want them to start scoring again soon but they’d be contributing far more to the team.
He will obviously get back to scoring again but at the moment the team is struggling and either resting or dropping him for a week or 2 wouldn’t be the worst idea. If we’re still shit he can come on off the bench.
If you think he’s beyond criticism after such a gutless derby performance because of how many goals he’s scored then that’s up to you. May as well close this part of the forum as nobody could criticise Pep or half our players ever.
M18CTID
Well-Known Member
You can say the same about most strikers. I'm old enough to remember people coming out with that line about the likes of Ian Rush and Gary Lineker when they were in the middle of a barren spell, but they were both back scoring soon enough just as Haaland will beThe problem is, if he’s not scoring goals he’s contributing fuck all.
We all know what he’s good at, but it’s what he’s not good at is showing itself more and more if he’s not scoring