9 | Erling Haaland - 2023/24

[Saddleworth2]

I agree but there is no room in the box and he is slow with a poor touch for that deftness required.

Which is why he scored 50+ goals last season clearly.

 

[kaz7]

As has been said many times before If Sergio played like that pep would hook him. Don’t know why haaland seemingly gets different treatment

Sergio nearly got sold for not adapting to pep, he soon learnt and he was set in his ways for years by then , he became a better player for it

 

[nellyonthewing]

Which is why he scored 50+ goals last season clearly.

That was before coaches realised you just need to drop deep and deny him space . Our system against low block opponents does not suit him and we effectively play with 10 men.

 

[donsmoke]

I hadn't realised I had claimed he had good ball control.

Haaland seems to score 2 types of goal. The most common is a strike in the penalty area, very often with his first touch. We found him enough times last season for him to break damn near every scoring record through a combination of his movement and incisive assists. Cant remember many that were down to technical ball control although you could argue that the gift of being able to strike the ball accurately where he wants it to go with only a split second to do it is a technical skill.

the second and much less frequent is him running into space onto a through ball - maybe 20% of his goals last season were like that. We try that less this season, maybe because of Kev being missing. He makes good runs to encourage this. If you watch him live you see him constantly on the shoulder of any high line. Good example was against Arsenal where we had so much difficulty breaking them down when they were deep. When they adopted a high line it was crying out for the right pass over or through their back 4 for him to run on to. Never happened.

He has lost something this season. His sixth sense in the box isn't what it was and I don't think in general our attacking play is as effective in getting the best from him. Complaining about his lack of technical ability is missing the point though - he ain't that player. What he is is an elite, once in a generation goal scorer that needs feeding the right balls in the box on a consistent basis.

"We found him enough times" would be more like KDB finding him with his inch perfect passes. Haaland has missed many sitters this season mate (there's a 1 yarder in there too).
I'm not a saying Haaland is a bad player, for me he's still the best goal scorer in the world, jut not the best striker though.
Our players have been linking up with Aguero for many years, who they could trust with the ball even under immense pressure, from linking up with Aguero to now Haaland is a huge drop-off if we are being honest, so understand them for not trusting Haaland with the ball.

 

[Saddleworth2]

That was before coaches realised you just need to drop deep and deny him space . Our system against low block opponents does not suit him and we effectively play with 10 men.

That may be your opinion but if you believe we didn’t play against low blocks last season then your opinion is just wrong.

 

[donsmoke]

Not having this. We knew what we were buying and we used him well last season. This isn't about players not trusting him to not lose possession in build up play, it's about players and tactics completely disregarding playing through bass to the most lethal finisher on the planet, even in games where that is the thing needed most.

Teams have adapted mate

 

[TheRisingoftheNorth]

What people perhaps forget, maybe because of his size, is that he's really just a young lad, and it's not surprising that a nasty brute of a man like Ruediger got the better of him in Madrid. I wouldn't be surpised if he got his revenge next week.

 

[EdersonsSmiley]

I was curious if I was just imagining us passing the ball less to him or if it was just confirmation bias so I had a look on FBref and found the following:

Progressive passes received
2021/22 Dortmund - 6.45 which was 46th percentile

2022/23 City - 4.91 which was 33rd percentile

2023/24 City - 4.41 which is the 20th percentile

Touches in opposition box
2021/22 Dortmund - 7.02 which was 97th percentile

2022/23 City - 7.05 which was 92nd percentile

2023/24 City - 6.17 which is the 82nd percentile

I think his finishing, especially earlier in the season has been worse than last year but it certainly looks like we are creating less and less. This tallies with us being outscored by both Liverpool and Arsenal which never happens.

Is it the lack of Gundogan or Kevin's injuries? The lack of any real goal threat from out wide?

 

[Damocles]

Can make all the excuses we want, but his return in big games, and clutch moments is worrying.

He’s obviously an amazing player, and the documentary reminds us of how good he was last year. But he’s had a bad season by his standards. I can’t think of too many “clutch” goals or performances against big teams since the end of last season.

No goals:
Liverpool A last season
RM both legs
CL final
FA Cup final

Lpool this season both games
Arsenal this season both games
RM last night

He needs to be making the difference in these games not often. Can’t score a hat trick every game, or even a goal in all of them, but disappointing to not have scored in *ANY* of these games.

"The goal a game striker only scoring in some big games and not others" is one hell of a ridiculous point. He didn't score in *ANY* of those games because you specifically mentioned the games that he didn't score in.

 

[Moss Side's Finest]

Some people in here need to take a long hard look in a mirror and then slap yourself senseless. We have the best striker possibly to ever have graced the planet and yet here you are

Teams have adapted mate

I agree, teams have adapted. However, if you count, in almost every game there are numerous opportunities to play killer through balls (as Haaland is always moving around). Why we don't use these opportunities with the passers we have is astounding. It almost looks like they are intentionally trying to exclude him from the game. It's bizarre