9 | Erling Haaland - 2025/26

thebiglug said:
All top strikers miss "easy" chances and scuff shots. If they didn't, they'd be all banging in 80 a season. It's just highlighted more with Haaland because he's held to very high standard when it comes to goals.
Click to expand...
Absolutely, but it's also the case that he needs to improve his all round game. If we are going to play to his strengths and play a more direct style, then his hold up play needs to improve and his ability to challenge in the air needs to improve too. How many long balls aimed at him from Trafford did he win against Brighton? I'm going to guess zero is the answer. Similarly-sized players like Didier Drogba used to win about half of those sorts of balls. I'm not saying we should just use him as a target man, but if we're going to shift more to that sort of direct style, then he needs to be available as an outlet.

But perhaps this insistence that he gets more involved in the build up is the reason for his drop off in performance. In his first season, people pointed to his lack of touches, but if you watched him off the ball, he was constantly making dangerous runs even when the ball didn't come to him. It shit up defenders completely. Now I feel like those runs have dropped off massively, and instead he's wasting his energy pressing and getting more involved in the build up. And it would be fine if he scored less but the team scored more, but that isn't happening, so we're neutralising our biggest threat for no obvious benefit.
 
Paul1970 said:
most potent striker in football yet we don’t play to his strengths laughable . He looks very pissed off abd if it carry’s on he will be gone . Pep need to get this sorted abd quick .
Click to expand...
what do you consider his strengths to be? which part of his game should we prioritise?
 
I'm With Stupid said:
Absolutely, but it's also the case that he needs to improve his all round game. If we are going to play to his strengths and play a more direct style, then his hold up play needs to improve and his ability to challenge in the air needs to improve too. How many long balls aimed at him from Trafford did he win against Brighton? I'm going to guess zero is the answer. Similarly-sized players like Didier Drogba used to win about half of those sorts of balls. I'm not saying we should just use him as a target man, but if we're going to shift more to that sort of direct style, then he needs to be available as an outlet.

But perhaps this insistence that he gets more involved in the build up is the reason for his drop off in performance. In his first season, people pointed to his lack of touches, but if you watched him off the ball, he was constantly making dangerous runs even when the ball didn't come to him. It shit up defenders completely. Now I feel like those runs have dropped off massively, and instead he's wasting his energy pressing and getting more involved in the build up. And it would be fine if he scored less but the team scored more, but that isn't happening, so we're neutralising our biggest threat for no obvious benefit.
Click to expand...
Did you notice the lack of accuracy from the kicks though, it seemed like they were almost deliberately aimed at the opposite side of the pitch where Haaland actually was. We can't complain about him not winning anything if we're not giving him a chance
 
madloaf said:
Scoring with his feet, not his head.
Click to expand...
ha, he does a weird way of heading it, for sure.

I have noticed these opening games he's more competitive with the defenders in the air though. Only 3 games in, mind.
 
shemnel said:
ha, he does a weird way of heading it, for sure.

I have noticed these opening games he's more competitive with the defenders in the air though. Only 3 games in, mind.
Click to expand...
And has scored all 3 of his goals with his feet.
 
thebiglug said:
All top strikers miss "easy" chances and scuff shots. If they didn't, they'd be all banging in 80 a season. It's just highlighted more with Haaland because he's held to very high standard when it comes to goals.


Sent from my Asus iPad.
Click to expand...
He still misses too many chances. Maybe lack of focus or being in the moment. If he worked on this relentlessly he could improve significantly. We need it.
 
CambridgeExileBlue said:
He does not time his jumps well at all and it goes wrong, usually wide or over the bar.
Click to expand...
My point is not that his heading is bad (2nd, 4th, 4th in the PL in headed goals in the last 3 seasons) - its that his feet are so good.

This stuff, "we need haaland to improve". He's literally, by every single solitary yearly metric, the best goalscorer that the premier league has ever seen.
 
CambridgeExileBlue said:
He still misses too many chances. Maybe lack of focus or being in the moment. If he worked on this relentlessly he could improve significantly. We need it.
Click to expand...
He misses more chances than most because his positioning is excellent, he gets more chances than most and scores more goals than anyone. I think some believe he should score every chance, but nobody ever has done that.
 
Bournemouth Blue said:
He misses more chances than most because his positioning is excellent, he gets more chances than most and scores more goals than anyone. I think some believe he should score every chance, but nobody ever has done that.
Click to expand...
Same people who criticised Sterlings finishing. Apparently he missed so many goals but the only reason for that was that he got himself into the position to go for goal so well.
 
I'm With Stupid said:
instead he's wasting his energy pressing and getting more involved in the build up.
Click to expand...
This was Sergio’s fate, when Pep was having a problem with him and they went to his restaurant to iron things out!

Erling has to either get fitter (stamina-wise), so he can press, or we need to actually play him as the player we bought…exploiting the high line in the channels and running onto through balls.

I was a big CF myself back in the day and we are built for speed, and shirking the challenge, not chasing rabbits and shadows without the ball!
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Unread Posts

Don't have an account? Register now and see fewer ads!

SIGN UP
Back
Top