9 | Erling Haaland - 2024/25

[SamBlue]

It's insane to say this about a 2 time golden boot winner and the holder of the single season PL record for goals, but the team doesn't consistently play to his strengths and optimise him.

We know he's a flat track bully, so why are we playing it out wide and crossing in so much? It's so obvious where the ball is going so defenders react as such. If you get him one on one with someone like KDB can, you're creating better shots for him.

He can still do other things really well, but you see him make those runs so much and get ignored. Sometimes he's just marooned by himself up front and might as well not be there.

How do you play to his strengths, because once the opposition takes whichever defensive position all his strengths and advantages are gone.
With him up top playing as he plays, we are always a player down in the attacking phase and that is the reason Pep has been trying all those weird positions and formations. It worked when we had players who were able to make overloads with quick and accurate passes, or had ability 1-on-1, so he would end up free. All those things are gone now. Our collapse might look coming out of nowhere, but our effectives in the box have been deteriorating for the past couple of seasons. Right now letting Alvarez go with no attempt of replacement looks like a sackable offence.

 

[Belgian Flash]

Are you kidding?

Doku hasn't the first fucking clue what he's going to do with the ball at any point, or where it's actually going to end up once he's made his decision.

In a side like ours, you need to be almost pinpoint accurate, as we have been over the last 5 or 6 years.

From the left, Doku always does one of two things:

1. cuts inside, in which case Haaland needs to make a run at the far post for a floated cross, or drop back to receive a pass between the penalty spot and the edge of the box
2. dribbles to the byline and sends a low cross to the front of the six yard box, in which case Haaland needs to get his ass there

In both cases Haaland usually reacts way too late, when he should start his run the moment Doku makes the dribble. Instead he just watches from wherever he's standing (usually far post behind three players).

 

[Damien10]

He doesn’t even challenge for the ball properly. He just runs into players half heartedly!

 

[GaudinoMotors]

Nobody can deliver an accurate cross to the tallest man on the park. (Maybe KDB on form - certainly not our 2 wingers)
And - as you say there's no longer a D Slva, a Nasri or even a Mahrez to thread him in. Grealish in a central role may develop into that - but needs work and sticking with.
Dark days - and before the flask and car rug crowd pipe up - yes there's been darker....but context is important.

 

[jamielowndes]

How do you play to his strengths, because once the opposition takes whichever defensive position all his strengths and advantages are gone.
With him up top playing as he plays, we are always a player down in the attacking phase and that is the reason Pep has been trying all those weird positions and formations. It worked when we had players who were able to make overloads with quick and accurate passes, or had ability 1-on-1, so he would end up free. All those things are gone now. Our collapse might look coming out of nowhere, but our effectives in the box have been deteriorating for the past couple of seasons. Right now letting Alvarez go with no attempt of replacement looks like a sackable offence.

This is what I mean though. They leave him alone up top, and they're far too pedestrian in their build-up at times. There have been so many times where you have the space to counter attack and they just don't, just migrating the ball up the field slowly and giving teams time to reassemble the low block.

Also think centering everything around getting the ball to Haaland is a bad idea too. The false 9 days of having so many scorers just seemed so much more natural for Peps tactics. I get that he's a superstar in terms of off field popularity, but that isn't exactly doing much for us now.

 

[EdersonsSmiley]

Watching this it's depressing how far our attacking play has fallen off. It's no surprise that 90% of the goals are from through balls or crosses resulting in a tap in, that's how all strikers score the majority of their goals.

 

[KDB4ever]

Ironically about that ''Stay humble'' saga, right now we are getting humbled by the reality real bad this season. The world of football just changes very quick I guess.

 

[Goldust]

Watching this it's depressing how far our attacking play has fallen off. It's no surprise that 90% of the goals are from through balls or crosses resulting in a tap in, that's how all strikers score the majority of their goals.

What a player.

 

[Damien10]

What a player.

Damn I miss him.

 

[samuelyeboah]

I don't know if many people will agree with me on this one but right now Erling Haaland is a much bigger problem for us than Jeremy Doku. Only one of these 2 players is doing his job.