9 | Erling Haaland - 2024/25

[Kippax Street 1880]

I work harder than him taking the dog to the park and back. Never see him bursting a lung or getting a sweat on.

Well that's just bollocks or you have the most vigorous dog walk ever.

 

[ChicagoBlue]

He can, we just choose not to do it. The only time we ever pump it to him is out of desperation, and when we do that. The ball won't be good, odds will be heavily against him and they'll be nobody within 20 ft of him anyway.

If we actually set out to play through Haaland, He's shown he can do that extremely well, the two arsenal games a couple of years back are the only times I can recall us ever truly plan to use him in that way and he was very effective. it's not his fault we never do it.

West Ham on his debut was decent. At least we were looking for a through ball, which WAS his meat and drink before Pep decided it wasn’t a high enough percentage pass, so play a 5 yarder to the player next to you.

We should “unleash the hound!” And, by that, I mean either play him the way he needs to be played or shop him for good money while he’s still under a decent length contract and get a 2 for 1 exchange for top strikers.

When you see a good striker highlighted for his success, it is rarely because he’s flourishing in a team that is NOT playing to his natural instincts!

Being a striker, and goal scorer, is 75% instinct on where to be when, in order to receive the ball with an advantage.

Haaland makes those runs all day, every day most games, but as soon as he sees us tippy tapping our way into the opposition half, he realizes his job is to either occupy two defenders or try to create half a yard for himself.

The latter is hard to do when there are about 16 players in the 18 yard box!

 

[bluegaz13]

I think he's stopped making the runs across goal because the ball rarely gets played in by the wide men.

It cost us last night with the low cross from Doku which Haaland failed to anticipate.

 

[Craig]

He can, we just choose not to do it. The only time we ever pump it to him is out of desperation, and when we do that. The ball won't be good, odds will be heavily against him and they'll be nobody within 20 ft of him anyway.

If we actually set out to play through Haaland, He's shown he can do that extremely well, the two arsenal games a couple of years back are the only times I can recall us ever truly plan to use him in that way and he was very effective. it's not his fault we never do it.

Very rare examples of a team taking the game to us and they’ve not done it since. He’s not aggressive enough most of the time for a player with his physicality

 

[Nellies left peg]

Do people really expect a 6ft4 brick shithouse to be pressing like a Suarez 3 games a week all season with no rest? He's clearly shagged already as a result of our batshit insane recruitment policy. Where we spend every waking moment moaning about our players playing too many games and being tired then go into a season with 1 full back 1 dm and 1 striker.

Considering he’s a 6’4” brick shithouse he doesn’t half find his way into the pocket of a lot of defenders.

 

[Mancini’s Pastilles]

If we aint gonna use him properly no point in having him

 

[Akira]

He should be coming deep when it’s clear the team is struggling to attack. Hold up the ball and link in the wingers.

More runs needed to the near post aswell. We very rarely get the ball deep to him so it’s pointless.

A goal poacher who is not getting any attempts at goal is not much use to us in this situation.

Maybe we should go false 9 again.

He was dropping deep more and doing link-up against Forest. I just don't understand why one game he's asked to do that, and not most games. I felt he always looks better when he's given more freedom to maneuver.

 

[Colin Bells Boots]

Considering he’s a 6’4” brick shithouse he doesn’t half find his way into the pocket of a lot of defenders.

Odds of 5 to 1 don't help him much.

 

[69FACUPfinal]

Very rare examples of a team taking the game to us and they’ve not done it since. He’s not aggressive enough most of the time for a player with his physicality

I totally agree and remark on it every game. He comes off worst 98 times from 100 vs opponents of any height/ build.

 

[gaz76]

I totally agree and remark on it every game. He comes off worst 98 times from 100 vs opponents of any height/ build.

Which is bizarre as when he first arrived defenders were just bouncing off him, I've said it before but he looks smaller now than when he first arrived