Erling Haaland

[Maly]

I'm fairly sure I've heard Pep on various interviews in the past suggest he would like a proven goal machine or something along the lines since we don't have a recognised striker so we need to play this way i.e. false 9.

Our football attacking to date most likely arose from the lack of availability of Sergio during his latter years with us & Pep more from design by necessity than by choice adopted the false nine approach to acquire the goals which has been effective.

However, its obvious in certain games where there are fine margins & a player will only get one or two chances to make a difference a goal machine would aid us. Otherwise, we're expecting & I doubt Pep is either (no matter how high his expectations) for one of our midfielders to not only be creative but also become a Haaland goal machine which is unrealistic.

Agree with most of that, but just to play devil’s advocate, those tight games we’ve had this season, would they still be tight if we lost a midfielder for a striker, potentially giving some of our control up?

Or could we be 2 goals down & chasing the game as we’re not controlling it as well?

Whatever we gain from signing a striker will be offset somewhat by losing a wee bit of control

I find it all intriguing as it will mean a shift in tactics as/when/if we sign a striker

Whatever happens, I just think that Pep will figure a solution to keep on winning

 

[StillBluessinceHydeRoad]

The lack of plan B has been evident a number of times during that period. Whenever Aguero was actually fully fit Pep would usually start him and wanted to sign Kane. So evidently the manager wants a striker.

To not be bothered about signing the best striker in Europe at 21 a year after losing our best ever striker Is a bit bizarre for me. The kind of complacency other top clubs have suffered from on the past.

I don't think our pursuit of a striker has anything to do with a Plan B. I think we saw on Saturday how well Harry Kane would play our Plan A and I think that if Pep wants Haaland he's sure that he too could play in our team without any change in approach. Pep got Sergio operating in areas of the pitch he hadn't really operated in before and though he wasn't really a false 9 he could have some of the characteristics. But Kane or Haaland would certainly increase our goal tally.

 

[StillBluessinceHydeRoad]

Agree with most of that, but just to play devil’s advocate, those tight games we’ve had this season, would they still be tight if we lost a midfielder for a striker, potentially giving some of our control up?

Or could we be 2 goals down & chasing the game as we’re not controlling it as well?

Whatever we gain from signing a striker will be offset somewhat by losing a wee bit of control

I find it all intriguing as it will mean a shift in tactics as/when/if we sign a striker

Whatever happens, I just think that Pep will figure a solution to keep on winning

I think it's actually an intriguing question as to whether we need lose any control by playing a striker/number 9 if the striker were Kane or Haaland. Kane seemed to give Spurs a degree of control when he came back that they didn't have at other times, and his runs into the box from deep were devastating. Haaland is quite capable of the same.

 

[Maly]

I think it's actually an intriguing question as to whether we need lose any control by playing a striker/number 9 if the striker were Kane or Haaland. Kane seemed to give Spurs a degree of control when he came back that they didn't have at other times, and his runs into the box from deep were devastating. Haaland is quite capable of the same.

With Kane, I think you could well be right. I’ve not seen enough of Haaland to know if his link up play & passing is as good as Harold’s

I’m sure I’m not alone in being fascinated by our patterns of play & how we always look like we have an extra player on the field when we have the ball, so I’m even more fascinated by what tweaks Pep will make if we sign a striker.

Every season there’s small tweaks regardless of playing staff. Never seen anything like it before & even in Pep’s first season, I was blown away by the football we played. You could tell from the word go that Pep is indeed a genius

 

[EL APACHE TEVEZ]

Dortmund out of Europa,probably make a decision next week where he’s going

 

[nellyonthewing]

Were we to get Haarland I think Pep would improve and add to his game, and he could become more of a potent threat than the label 'striker' has come to have.

Pep would probably play him as a false 1.

 

[Barcon]

I saw a report say he will say he’s leaving and or where he’s going today

What day is today?

 

[Barcon]

Today as in Friday

Cheers. It's Thursday over here still.

 

[Xhavenjoe]

Pep would probably play him as a false 1.

Only if Carson was injured

 

[rickmcfc]

This is turning into Messigate part 2.
Just come out and say where you want to play football Haaland.