9 | Erling Haaland - 2022/23 Performances

[madloaf]

If he doesn't score or get chances he looks completely useless. That's not his fault either and isn't even a criticism. We knew what kind of player he was and it is up to us to make it work. He is one of the best goalscorers and difference makers in world but he is never going to be good at all around game.

Having 9 outfield players who participate in the build up of the attack is worse than 10 like we had last year, especially against bus defenses. That's just how it is and not the fault of Haaland. We don't create as many chances with him in the team over the course of the season as we did last season, but we sure as hell can score more goals out of the lesser chances we create.

I think Guardiola hasn't yet found a good balance. He wants to have the same control we had last year but to achieve that with one less player taking part in the general play results us in being more pedestrian. To get the most out of Haaland you have to take risks and acknowledge you are going to concede chances and goals due to possession losses, but we'd create more chances too.

I don't think he does look useless. He gets the ball, turns and looks for a forward pass quickly and then runs off the defender. It's fucking perfect but we never play the ball back to him. Never. Ever.

 

[Goater=Legend]

All you hear is how were a different team with him in, forgetting that we wasnt playing great last season. We was poor from January to March which made Liverpool get within touching distance of us.

 

[US47Blue]

I thought he made some good passes when he came up and got the ball. Not once did he turn it over or cause any issues, if I’m not mistaken.

It’s useless if we aren’t trying to send balls through to him on at least a few of his runs. Feels like only KDB is trying to find him. It’s a waste of his talent and shocking really. We’d rather give the ball away on a 5 yard pass back to Walker or Cancello than attempt a through ball with the strongest striker in the world.

 

[Manchester_lalala]

We didn’t sign mbappe

Mbappe isn’t an out and out striker, Mbappe is better than Haaland no doubt about that. But we signed the best centre forward in world football and have regressed. We may should have expected teething problems as this team had become known to play without a striker.

 

[sh249]

Poor fucker. Must be wondering what the fuck is going on. Signed to play with some top creative players, and at the moment he’s got the likes of De Bruyne and Foden struggling to make the most basic 5-10 yard passes, never mind create a chance for him.

 

[pappelg]

Everyone complaining about Haaland needs to think hard and watch todays game again. He is not the problem, the teams play is, and that is everyones problem. And his link-up game is very good imo. He is technically superb from where I stand. technique is not just dribbling and lobbing. All ball control is technique. Haaland just does not do something for the look of it but for the result. Some people just repeating the stereotypes. If you buy the worlds best no9 you feckin play as if you have a no9 then, you do not ignore his runs!

 

[thanatos]

Makes great runs that are constantly ignored.

 

[clarion]

We broke Haaland.

 

[Ryinho]

It isn’t Haalands fault, we’ve been poor all season and I think the back end of last season you saw cracks beginning to show. We don’t play to his strengths and never play a direct ball to him.

 

[Akira]

Almost frustrating the team, except for KDB, aren't looking to attempt through passes to him.