9 | Erling Haaland - 2025/26

[Craig]

I got pelters in his first season with us when I said that Haaland 'couldn't jump his height'. His timing is poor and he almost always gets underneath the ball.

I stand by that view... 6'5", jumps 6'2".

It is strange how much he mistimes his jumps

 

[Pancake Arse]

We played far better with a false 9 and no Haaland.

 

[madloaf]

We played far better with a false 9 and no Haaland.

Was it the false 9 or was it peak Kev, peak Gundo, Peak Bernardo, Mahrez etc. unless you're referring to when he was injured last season as we played marmoush as a striker...and that run of games included the game against the rags which was the nadir of shite football.

 

[clarion]

We played far better with a false 9 and no Haaland.

Last season we had great run and it stopped as soon as Erling came back from injury. When he doesn’t score, he provides nothing.

 

[KDBPLGOAT]

Got to be honest, I think he's shit.
We don't play to his strengths either and so it's like playing with ten men.

Any decent defender dosnt fear him and for a big man he's easily out muscled.

What VVD, Rudiger, Saliba and Bastoni do to him verges on comedy tbh. Genuinely who’s gonna score in the big games for us?

 

[Match Fixer]

We played far better with a false 9 and no Haaland.

 

[Match Fixer]

I blew a gasket for his no show for the Marmoush near miss, he needs a kick up the arse.Their best fooking defender!

 

[BluestBlue]

I said it during the summer we need to take a different approach to games the back line are old and slow and we keep getting caught so maybe we should sit back 10/15 yards deeper and protect the defence. This will also create more space up top for Haaland he suffers up there with two banks of 4 around him most of the time

Pep wants us to dominate and defend with the ball that means pushing up as high as possible and suffocating our opponents. How on earth can we change his philosophy.

 

[BluestBlue]

He’s not inconsistent, he’s just consistently shit against good defences or big games. FA Cup final 23 shit, Fa Cup final 24 shit, FA Cup Final 25 shit, UCL final shit, vs Inter Milan, PSG, Liverpool shit, important games for Norway shit, at Old Trafford shit, at Anfield shit, bernebau shit, he literally has gone from being the Balondor favourite in 2023, to not mentioned at all, and all he does is laugh. We have a huge issue now when it comes to big games, KDB, Gundogan and Bernardo really stepped up in these games, I genuinely don’t know who’s gonna score these goals now to win trophies . It ain’t gonna be this lad. Marmoush looks like he has personality so MAYBE him?

Fun fact we have only 6 wins in the last 26 game vs Big 6 teams. Thats appalling

 

[NQCitizen]

He’s not inconsistent, he’s just consistently shit against good defences or big games. FA Cup final 23 shit, Fa Cup final 24 shit, FA Cup Final 25 shit, UCL final shit, vs Inter Milan, PSG, Liverpool shit, important games for Norway shit, at Old Trafford shit, at Anfield shit, bernebau shit, he literally has gone from being the Balondor favourite in 2023, to not mentioned at all, and all he does is laugh. We have a huge issue now when it comes to big games, KDB, Gundogan and Bernardo really stepped up in these games, I genuinely don’t know who’s gonna score these goals now to win trophies . It ain’t gonna be this lad. Marmoush looks like he has personality so MAYBE him?

I'd say Rodri and Foden are our two best players for grabbing games in big moments.

Those two back at their best will hopefully bridge the gap.

 

[VinceYoungisaBLUE]

I would love it if he would embrace the dark arts and become a shithouse. We need a villain in the 11 like Balotelli was. We're too fucking nice as is

 

[BlueMoonz1977]

Problem is we were used to seeing Kun and Tevez terrorise defences. These 2 had the ability to take control if the ball and create there own opportunities to score

Kun had it all as his movement in the box was second to none - near post, far post, everywhere - a proper teams nightmare

Haaland doest have that tenacity or same ability to create his own opportunities like kun did. His movement in the box has gone to being non existent (after his debut season) apart from always running to the far post - its all very predictable from him

i get really frustrated watching him sometimes, especially when the rest of our attack arent doing well - it basically rules out any slightiest threat haaland has in the game making him a total passenger

 

[KDBPLGOAT]

Fun fact we have only 6 wins in the last 26 game vs Big 6 teams. Thats appalling

And we lost most of them too. Once we go behind it’s pretty much done. Our record coming back in those big games is really bad. Once we go 1-0 behind in games that matter even if it’s 18 mins on the clock, it’s pretty much done( Outside of a few games)

 

[JOGAMIGMOG]

Nah, it’s not only that YES his movement for “through balls” is world class, and finishing in those situations is deadly and as a team we need to get better at releasing Erling Earlier BUT he needs to become a bigger threat from crosses. We don’t have KDB anymore, creating open play chance after chance, so set pieces will become more important. Haaland sometimes looks weak as shit during set pieces, big 6’5 striker and hasn’t scored a header from a corner or free kick that I can remember since the 6-3 Derby in 2022?

Poor man’s Andy Carroll ;-)

 

[Giovinco]

The players are not playing him in. Simple as.

There were numerous occasions where they could have but chose not to.

 

[Belgian Flash]

The players are not playing him in. Simple as.

There were numerous occasions where they could have but chose not to.

He lacks the positioning instincts in the box, its old news by now. As others said his best feature is off ball verticality and Pep system does not maximize that feature.

 

[I'm With Stupid]

He lacks the positioning instincts in the box, its old news by now. As others said his best feature is off ball verticality and Pep system does not maximize that feature.

Are you kidding? He has some of the best movement in world football. We've all seen it. For some reason though, he's stopped making the runs he was making in his debut season with anything like the same frequency. I'm at a loss to explain why. But he's definitely capable of it.

 

[Belgian Flash]

Are you kidding? He has some of the best movement in world football. We've all seen it. For some reason though, he's stopped making the runs he was making in his debut season with anything like the same frequency. I'm at a loss to explain why. But he's definitely capable of it.

Yes vertical movement. Movement between channels in transition. When it comes to anticipation and reaction in the box, hes no Inzaghi, in fact hes pretty average.

 

[bluedreamer]

Average points per game with him is 2.15, without is 2.41.
Odd given that he is best striker in the world.

 

[Tier2Blue]

Last 4 years have been littered with strange decisions by TB but giving EBh that deal is the most ridiculous. 3 years of loads of goals against average sides and dead rubber champions league games. Little sign of him being the difference maker in the pitch at the bernabeu, anfield or the emirates.