9 | Erling Haaland - 2024/25

[Chak19]

This.

I know it sounds crazy, as we won the treble with him, but it is/was the poor squad construction from Txiki and co. In my eyes, we need an athletic as-heck midfield to make up for Haaland's lack of pressing from the front, and currently, we have the opposite of that. In Txiki's defense, and in retrospect as I wasn't a big fan of the idea of signing him at the time, the Rice offer makes a lot of sense. Hence why, I'm so adamant about the idea of giving Nunes a run in the middle. We desperately need some legs in there.

We had Rodri fit, that made up for Haaland not pressing.

 

[skillman]

He is what he is. A lethal finisher who needs chances to be made for him rather than him making them on his own. His body won’t allow pressing. He’s not built for that.

When he’s got players around him who are scared shitless to try something other than a 5-yard sideways pass, he’s going to be frustrated and feeding off scraps.

It’s a shame. He’s a generational talent. A Ferrari of a striker who is being used like a Ford.

He’s scored countless goals because we use him a few times a match and he usually converts what he gets. But he should be fed a lot more than he is.

He does need to improve certain areas of his game, though. Specifically heading and holding the ball up.

 

[ninjamonkey]

Poor, but given virtually fuck all to work with.
We seriously lack creativity / the capacity to create good chances.

If he was given virtually fuck all to work with, which I agree with, what made him poor?

Feeding off scraps isn't his fault, he's being criminally under utilised, he battled hard to have a couple of competent efforts from 50/50's. He's doing his role, those around him aren't.

 

[sh249]

If he was given virtually fuck all to work with, which I agree with, what made him poor?

Feeding off scraps isn't his fault, he's being criminally under utilised, he battled hard to have a couple of competent efforts from 50/50's. He's doing his role, those around him aren't.

I‘ve got plenty of sympathy with him, and he is feeding off scraps. The drop off in quality in our creative players / wide players from when we have been at our best is alarming.
Poor might be too harsh. But he could certainly have done more to make life difficult for their centre halves. When the ball did go into him, his hold up play wasn‘t very good. Few loose touches and lay-offs. And when he did get his few rare chances, he couldn‘t finish them.

 

[MCFCFanTX]

Running on fumes. Plus with KDB out it seems our chance creation is down and just not as consistent.

 

[city warrior]

We should bring Dzeko to show him how to win duels with CBs. I find unbelievable how someone with so much strength, height and speed lose so many duels in 50/50 balls against CBs. With Haaland is 10/90, not a 50/50. It's by far the thing he should improve the most.

Days like today against teams that press a lot, someone like Dzeko, Kane or Lewandowski would be a huge assets for how good they are at winning those duels. He is superb in a lot of things, but cmon Erling, you have to show improvements in this aspect of your game.

 

[madloaf]

Probably bored. He's not the only one.

 

[Big Yaya Wilko 12]

Can’t get over that miss at the end. Awful

 

[Tricky_Trev]

After his pain-free start to the season, it does look like the inevitable Haaland injury is only around the corner. He’s limping a lot in games now. And we have absolutely nobody to score a goal other than Gvardiol when that injury comes. Nobody.

 

[Manchester_lalala]

I bet he misses Kev just as much as we miss him.