9 | Erling Haaland - 2024/25

[don84]

Only four behind No Salad for opening day goals.

Nine goals is Sala's opening goal tally, not nine opening goals on a streak I believe. Anyway, well done by him.

 

[OntarioBlue]

Just 91 goals in 100 games ? That’s a bit s..t isn’t it ? He really needs to improve his strike rate if he wants to be considered a world class striker ;)

 

[The Viking]

Full quote on Haaland not being a great footballer (just a great goalscorer) & often struggling in big games

How good is he really? There’s a sense of crossroads and that which way Haaland goes will be one of the stories of 2024-25.

It feels slightly insane to express any doubts about a player who reached 30 Champions League goals in virtually half the time of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé, Robert Lewandowski and Neymar. One leading manager cautioned: “Come on, Haaland is still the best No9 out there.” He may well be and he would still be my bet for (a third consecutive) Premier League Golden Boot.
But the questions are meaningful. They are about degrees. If he retired tomorrow, at 24, he would still go down as a great of goalscoring but that is not the same as being one of the great players, and such distinctions matter to the most ambitious footballers, of which Haaland is undoubtedly one.

But the questions are meaningful. They are about degrees. If he retired tomorrow, at 24, he would still go down as a great of goalscoring but that is not the same as being one of the great players, and such distinctions matter to the most ambitious footballers, of which Haaland is undoubtedly one.

He grew up idolising Cristiano Ronaldo and Zlatan Ibrahimovic — not subtle types but superstars who made no secret of their thirst to be on top — and has never shied from projecting his own career as something momentous. He believed his deliberations over which club to join from Borussia Dortmund in 2022 were a significant enough moment for football to merit the documentary The Big Decision.

He wants records and recognition, stomps off when substituted after scoring five goals in a match because he craves the distinction of a double hat-trick. Desire is part of what makes him such a force. This is an athlete who, to maximise himself, eats vacuum-packed cow hearts and goes to bed in blue-light-blocking goggles with his mouth taped up to improve sleep. This is not an athlete who came into his sport to accept limits or be stopped.

Yet, there is an echelon Haaland has not yet reached. The very best players are effective no matter who the opposition are or even how their team-mates play. They transcend — Messi and Diego Maradona winning World Cups for moderate Argentina teams, Gareth Bale taking Wales /to the semi-final of a European Championship, Mbappé dazzling even when Paris Saint-Germain fell short. The question that formed about Haaland in the second half of last season was whether that’s him.

Being among the best means, in Premier League terms, being measured against those with so much in their games that no opponent or tactic could consistently constrain them. Think Ronaldo, think Thierry Henry, think peak Wayne Rooney, Steven Gerrard, Didier Drogba — and, in a City context, Kevin De Bruyne and Sergio Agüero. Haaland is not there yet, as shown by an analysis of his 63 Premier League goals. There is a distinct pattern of him finding it much harder to score against opponents at the higher end of the league and easier against the weakest ones.

In contrast, consider that the teams Mo Salah has scored most goals against in his career are, in order, Manchester United, Tottenham, City, West Ham United and Arsenal. The incredible Agüero was most prolific against (again, in order) Chelsea, Newcastle United, Tottenham and Arsenal.

There was no lack of big-game impact in Haaland’s plunderous first season for City but last year the better opposition seemed to arrive at a common way of curbing him. A senior figure in the football department of a rival described it as: stop him jumping at the far post, stop his runs in behind and especially stop his “golden zone runs”.

 

[Vienna_70]

Nine goals is Sala's opening goal tally, not nine opening goals on a streak I believe. Anyway, well done by him.

I didn’t say Salad has scored on nine opening days in a row.

I was just repeating a statistic I heard on Saturday dinner time. He hasn’t even been with Littlewoods for nine years.

 

[don84]

I didn’t say Salad has scored on nine opening days in a row.

I was just repeating a statistic I heard on Saturday dinner time. He hasn’t even been with Littlewoods for nine years.

No, but you replied to my thread which was about streak opening day goals, so I was simply clarifying.

 

[Betterdeedthan red]

No discussion required.
This lad is simply the best forward around.
If he keeps on like this he will go down as the best number 9 of all time.
Any blue who doubts that is mad.
Another fan or pundit who can't see it is even more mad.
91 goals in 100 games .

 

[madloaf]

Clickbait garbage for red shirt morons. He's a generational talent and if he played for any other club then the British media would produce positive content about him constantly.

 

[Kippax Street 1880]

Found him laughing at Cucurella

 

[Tolmie scores]

No discussion required.
This lad is simply the best forward around.
If he keeps on like this he will go down as the best number 9 of all time.
Any blue who doubts that is mad.
Another fan or pundit who can't see it is even more mad.
91 goals in 100 games .

that stat is mental..but caveats are required to paint the full picture, his goal v Chelsea was something special mind you..the composure,,and skill...hope we have a lot more of this in tight games v top half of the table teams,,well done big Erl

 

[TonyM]

Just 91 goals in 100 games ? That’s a bit s..t isn’t it ? He really needs to improve his strike rate if he wants to be considered a world class striker ;)

Lazy fuck in 9 games FFS. But what would you expect from a Championship level player.