9 | Erling Haaland - 2023/24

[Jazzyblue]

Personally, I don't see Haaland as a 'generational talent', more of a 'freak' talent. He's certainly not the best footballer in Europe, nor is he at City. He's just had a few ridiculously good seasons scoring lots of goals.
Rodri is the best footballer at City by a mile.
Foden is the only 'generational talent' at City.

Largely agree. Haaland is extremely good at what he does, but what he does is quite limited. There will be arguments about whether that's down to his limitations or down to limitations Pep and our style of play places upon him, but I and many others on here knew he wasn't a creative superstar when we signed him. But he is still a superstar - and one that brings a lot to the club on and off the field. Those who don't watch City week in week out like those of us on here hyped him beyond even his considerable talent without a proper awareness that he is a finisher, and finishers depend on other people to create something for them to finish. Now the penny has dropped outside the City bubble that as a finisher he is only as good as the service he gets, and with that comes a harsh backlash. That said, I would like to see him develop as a more creative player. But Pep might not want that from him. At the same time no player is immune to dips in form and no player should be immune from rotation.

 

[abu13]

I think our style of play hugely impacts his abilty to score goals, when he played at Dortmund and in his early months with us there were lots of examples where he was played a through ball for him to run onto with his pace and strength. Clubs have gotten wise to this and are visibly sitting deeper to negate this. In addition we appear to have gone for more control in games which has resulted in slower build up. Again giving the opposition to park a bus against us.

His and Peps biggest challenge is to find a way to change his game to get the best out of him, it worked with Aguero but needed time.

 

[Phil1]

Is it only me who’s seen him make some fabulous assists and interlinked play since he’s been here?

Jesus, you’d think we were talking about Tony fucking Cascarino.

 

[Alan Harper's Tash]

Freak talent, generational talent - it’s the same thing. It’s players who you see once in a generation.

Doesn’t that make Scott McTominay one too?

Theres never been a footballer like him before and he looks like a freak.

 

[youngbob]

Is it only me who’s seen him make some fabulous assists and interlinked play since he’s been here?

Jesus, you’d think we were talking about Tony fucking Cascarino.

Honestly think a lot of people have just got used to him being there so he no longer does anything to surprise them. And at the moment he's not doing the thing he's "supposed" to do so the novelty factor's worn off for some people and they've decided it's a Haaland problem rather than theirs.

 

[nellyonthewing]

I think our style of play hugely impacts his abilty to score goals, when he played at Dortmund and in his early months with us there were lots of examples where he was played a through ball for him to run onto with his pace and strength. Clubs have gotten wise to this and are visibly sitting deeper to negate this. In addition we appear to have gone for more control in games which has resulted in slower build up. Again giving the opposition to park a bus against us.

His and Peps biggest challenge is to find a way to change his game to get the best out of him, it worked with Aguero but needed time.

imo Aguero was a better player before Pep came. Pep made him chase down and press resulting in lots of injuries and a shortened career for him.

 

[Alan Harper's Tash]

imo Aguero was a better player before Pep came. Pep made him chase down and press resulting in lots of injuries and a shortened career for him.

His injury record was pretty much the same throughout his career. He had one longer knee injury, but most of his injuries were 5-6 games out and happened in most seasons.

Its why he never scored 30 league goals in a season.

 

[Phil1]

imo Aguero was a better player before Pep came. Pep made him chase down and press resulting in lots of injuries and a shortened career for him.

Aaaaannddd, the potato watching eejit has finally jumped the shark.

 

[Lavinda Past]

Freak talent, generational talent - it’s the same thing. It’s players who you see once in a generation. I do think Foden is one and if Haaland is a freak then so is he. For me Gazza was also one.
Good as he is and by God he has been wonderful for us I don’t see Rodri like that - in part because of the position he plays.

I was making a distinction between generational, freak and best.

Foden is a rare and special English talent, like Gerrard, Bryan Robson, or Gascoigne.

Haaland is a freak, international superstar talent like Messi, Ronaldo, or Mbappe.

Rodri Is a footballer's footballer - the best player in Europe imo. If his peers had half a brain, he would have won the Ballon D'or last season.

 

[Jazzyblue]

Is it only me who’s seen him make some fabulous assists and interlinked play since he’s been here?

Jesus, you’d think we were talking about Tony fucking Cascarino.

True, and we've also seen him charge past defenders like a bowling ball through skittles since he's been here. However, we've also seem him completely out on a limb, and miss some absolute sitters, but that went without comment because eventually he scored - Leipzig being an example.