9 | Erling Haaland - 2022/23 Performances

[Bez]

I see the narrative that the rest of the team won't pass to Haaland is gaining more traction and feeding the City haters in the media. I must be watching a different game - last night I saw attempts to fin Haaland that were blocked out by defenders (it is what they are there to do) A couple of crosses from Walker, clearly looking for Haaland but the defender got there first. A break through the middle in the first half (can't think who and not on the highlights) where the there was an attempt to find Haaland where I'm shouting just hit it. Second half a breakaway where Gundogan beat one man and tried to get it through but the covering defender blocked the pass. And if I had time to watch the whole game there would be other moments alongside the one where maybe an attempt to find Haaland could have been made - but I don't think there was a clear opportunity it was always a difficult pass - and a failure would get the same moaners annoyed for failing to make the pass.

But you also need to look at the occasions when Haaland did get a chance - I can think of three where an elite striker at the top of his game does better. The first was the Rodri head back across the box from a corner - it was begging for a striker to knock it in - Haaland is on his heels on the six yard box still behind a defender - it was a worked move he should have been getting in front of the defender and putting it in. The second was the breakaway where he did get ahead of the defender and finished with a tame right foot well wide - those are the moments where the best strikers take time, and at least force the defender to bring them down or the keeper to save. The third is harsher - the Gundogan shot that the keeper pushed out - Haaland is again on his heels instead of being on the front foot following it in looking for the tap in.

Don't get me wrong - Haaland is great and I'm glad we have him - but it's not just about team mates not passing to him, defenders are doing their job and making it hard and Haaland has to be clinical on the chances that come his way.

Great post. City need to find a way. Hopefully Haaland will be knocking them in again for fun soon. Come on City!

 

[Tolmie scores]

IMO we either need new wide men or new 8s, probably both.

For me, last nights combination of 8s and wide men was the worst we can put out on the field. Not because they aren’t good players in their own right, but because Grealish, Mahrez, Gundo and Bernie are too risk averse to have as 4 of the starting front 5. Swap two of them out for an in-form Foden and KDB and it’s a different story, but as we know their form has been up and down all season.

I would be buying at least one pacy wide man and an 8. Convert Grealish to an 8. Let Gundo leave the club. Mahrez to be seeing a lot less game time. The front 5 to consist of Haaland, Foden, new wide man, Grealish (at 8) and KDB. Throw in Bellingham to rotate with Grealish and KDB and I think we would look a different team. It’s easy this football manager lark.

I think Grealish is changing. Maybe because he thinks ohh fk it. Im sure Pep's possession obsession doesn't help with a CF like Haaland. Can you imagine the debriefs..bernie you lost possession 2 x what are you thinking? Thats an average now of 1.877655 per game!. Makes it harder for players to try the eye of a needle ball. Kev doesn't give a toss what Pep says i bet. He pass failure obv stands out like sore thumb

 

[Tolmie scores]

Great post. City need to find a way. Hopefully Haaland will be knocking them in again for fun soon. Come on City!

Agree, all this Haalabd is best in the world is bollocks and dipperisg. He's good, but young and needs to keep working hard to inprove hus technuque like all goid young players. Get Sergio back as CF specialist coach! Majes ne appreciate Sergios rare gift if composure and rechnique even more. Im sure Haaland will imorove

 

[supercity88]

Frustrating that we had a couple of chances to play him in and either passed backwards or it was cut out, but we'll have to keep trying. He does need to do more as well, but is clearly a bit disheartened from not getting a sniff and not putting quite the same effort in. He needs to be much more dynamic in the box, but the chances will come and the goals too.

 

[DMA's]

Thanks for sharing that. Absolutely superb from Henry and perfectly highlights my issues with haaland and why I cringe when I read posters saying haaland is the best striker in the world. He needs to be involved in the build up more but when he receives the ball he just looks clumsy and never totally in control which hinders the sides build up and makes us more open to counters.

He has some unbelievable attributes but for me he is still very raw and still far from being one of the best strikers in the world (Not really surprising given his age). There is more to being a striker than just scoring goals.

Kane, benzema, lewa are the best examples of a complete striker. At the moment with haaland I just see a much better version of lukaku. Freakish athleticism, good finishing but very clumsy on the ball.

 

[01cravend]

Think everyone has to share some blame.

Haaland, in games where he feels he isn't getting the service he needs to start forcing it. Drop deep, run channels, hold on to ball to allow overlaps

Pep and his teammates(bar Kev). Pep has coached us to become very risk adverse and that's for better and worse impacted players overall game. Attempt a low percentage creation opportunity or keep probing with low probability of conceding possession? They choose the latter almost everytime.
Few things, vs well drilled teams this is extremely boring to watch and most of the time reverts to us being a cross and hope team. Also, so many of our chances recently seem to be coming from set pieces? From open play we're just not nearly as effective as we once were.

The fix, everyone needs to do their bit. Pep, sacrifice a few possession % numbers in favour of more variety to our attacking play.
Erling, mix his game up. Make 3 runs in behind and teammates ignore each one? try something different instead of running in behind a 4th time. Rest of the team, in correlation to Erling, get your heads up and look beyond who is available to the side. Increase speed and fluidity to the build-up. Moving it at a snails pace at times.

 

[bluedreamer]

Thanks for sharing that. Absolutely superb from Henry and perfectly highlights my issues with haaland and why I cringe when I read posters saying haaland is the best striker in the world. He needs to be involved in the build up more but when he receives the ball he just looks clumsy and never totally in control which hinders the sides build up and makes us more open to counters.

He has some unbelievable attributes but for me he is still very raw and still far from being one of the best strikers in the world (Not really surprising given his age). There is more to being a striker than just scoring goals.

Kane, benzema, lewa are the best examples of a complete striker. At the moment with haaland I just see a much better version of lukaku. Freakish athleticism, good finishing but very clumsy on the ball.

I totally agree.
For a big bloke his heading ability and strength holding up the ball are both poor. If he could improve the latter he could drop short and bring other players into the game.
At the moment he constantly runs away from the player with the ball looking for a more speculative through ball which has not really been the City way.

 

[bluedreamer]

Think everyone has to share some blame.

Haaland, in games where he feels he isn't getting the service he needs to start forcing it. Drop deep, run channels, hold on to ball to allow overlaps

Pep and his teammates(bar Kev). Pep has coached us to become very risk adverse and that's for better and worse impacted players overall game. Attempt a low percentage creation opportunity or keep probing with low probability of conceding possession? They choose the latter almost everytime.
Few things, vs well drilled teams this is extremely boring to watch and most of the time reverts to us being a cross and hope team. Also, so many of our chances recently seem to be coming from set pieces? From open play we're just not nearly as effective as we once were.

The fix, everyone needs to do their bit. Pep, sacrifice a few possession % numbers in favour of more variety to our attacking play.
Erling, mix his game up. Make 3 runs in behind and teammates ignore each one? try something different instead of running in behind a 4th time. Rest of the team, in correlation to Erling, get your heads up and look beyond who is available to the side. Increase speed and fluidity to the build-up. Moving it at a snails pace at times.

I think the lack of chances created is a consequence of our rigid formation up front.
Sterling, Foden, Jesus and the concept of the false nine made us a hard team to contain. Midfield could drift forward into the space left unoccupied by the absence of a centre forward.
Cancello or Zinchenko compared to Ake is also a factor

 

[Goater=Legend]

Why do we have to keep comparing him to strikers ten years older than him?

Both sides will adapt but was never going to happen overnight.

 

[chris85mcfc]

Interesting clip from Henry and does highlight a current flaw in his game

Ultimately, he's 22 years old and still has a lot to learn in terms of his all round game, which comes with experience

Can we all just do our bit to make sure he's here long enough to witness that though