Erling Haaland

[00 years]

It's really not. It's because he has told us he has already chosen City.

He's certainly within his rights to fuck us over, but it would be a MASSIVE shock at this stage.

You have just cheered me up mate

 

[OccupiedPalestineBlues]

i get what your saying and I think having the “big man” may mean we have less control of games. However if a team is playing a low block and playing narrow, which they all do now then having someone to hang a ball up to changes the way they defend. They have to stop the cross, pulling a defender wide and forcing him to commit then if Haaland doesn’t win the header but challenges it presents a 2nd ball around the box for our nimble players to buzz around.

Also we have struggled with teams who have pressed us high and effectively this year like place and Southampton. I remember in one of the pep books he played against kloppdortmund and told his team to play long balls into lewi and muller for the first ten mins, it will force dortmund to drop off and stop pressing so high. We currently don’t have that option.

Then when you add Haalands pace it gives us something new again, we don’t currently have a forward who can go in behind or worry defenders in that way. If a forward is running in behind the defence has to drop creating more space for KDB, Grealish or foden.

plus imagine Haaland pulling over to the left for ten mins and Foden just popping up back in the false 9, it would cause utter confusion


For me losing a one lock picker for some who could make the lock a lot easier to break is worth it.

Yes Haaland has flaws in his game but iv never trusted a manager like I trust pep to find away to use his best features and turn him into an absolute monster.

You could be right, I’m no expert and, if we get him I’d sure like you to be right.
However, we’ve not had a big striker for so long that I have no confidence that one would work.
In recent history it was Aguero who was very good in small spaces - he had both the ability to unpick a defence and the ability to score from almost any angle.
If we wanted a big man up top later in a game then we’d put a defender on and push Yaya up front.
Maybe Pep has a master plan to play Haaland as a CDM and push him forward in the right games in the right conditions like with Toure? I kinda doubt it for many reasons but, then again, Pep’s never been scared of putting players where they’re best for the team and regardless of their preferences :-D

I also agree re playing attacking sides (like Klopp’s Dortmund) but no many sides attack us and we more often play against a low block that doesn’t come out.
Add Haaland and improve our counter attacking ability and even more sides would sit back.


All very intriguing and I’m looking forward to the outcome.

 

[freshie]

Found this interesting thread on Twitter. I don’t agree with everything they say but it does highlight my biggest concerns re haaland. I just don’t think he fits the way we play and like lukaku at Chelsea he may actually hamper us as a team.

He has used 3 clips which amount to just over 30 seconds of footage - great analysis. Think I'll trust Pep on this one

 

[Didsbury Dave]

Why, even if we could? His clause can't be activated yet, he's playing for Dortmund, City have playing matters of their own right now.

We saw how the Pellegrini thing went South after Pep was announced mid-season.

Pep more or less let this slip recently when asked about Haaland. I'm paraphrasing but he said something like "We have the business end of a season to be getting on with" unprompted at the end of a question about Haaland. I took it as a subtle good sign.

 

[FMwkdsoul]

I'd love to see a compilation of brilliant crosses that have been put in over the last 18 months only for there to be no one on the end of them. Thats enough of a reason for me to sign him.

 

[Coatigan]

Pep more or less let this slip recently when asked about Haaland. I'm paraphrasing but he said something like "We have the business end of a season to be getting on with" unprompted at the end of a question about Haaland. I took it as a subtle good sign.

Or he is thinking about the business end of the season and says so because that is his focus with the team.

 

[balotelli's back pocket]

God, Sergio's absence has hurt Kevin hasn't it? Of the 3 out and out forwards left at the club, he has:

Sterling - world class movement, shocking finishing (most of the time)
Jesus - good movement, erratic finishing
Mahrez - decent movement, good finishing

Riyad has improved both this season but Kev really needs a lethal centre forward.

 

[OccupiedPalestineBlues]

I think you're looking at it from purely on the ball perspective. Haaland's movement will drag defenders with him and allow our skilful technicians to work space around him.

Maybe, and I’d hope so, but when 10 players are closing all space in a tight low block defence then I can’t imagine where we’ll find the space for a big lad to run into to drag players out of shape.
Good low block defences are extremely disciplined so why would a defender abandon his post to go with him?
The likes of Grealish or Foden (who can both work in small spaces and play fast on the break) do all they can to pull defences out of shape and it doesn’t always work so why would Haaland (who doesn’t do so well in small spaces but excels running into open spaces on the break) be the answer?
Maybe his height and heading ability could make the difference (?) because his speed in open play wouldn’t when the play isn’t open.

As I said, if Pep gets him then Pep has a plan and I’ll put my trust in that but, in the interim, I can’t see it.

PS. I should go watch a whole bunch of Haaland ‘skills & goals’ videos on YouTube and see if I can get on the wavelength that’s bringing supreme confidence to so many good Blues.

 

[OB1]

My take is nobody outside the guy himself knows what he does next. I trust @tolmie's hairdoo when he says that the Haaland's have given City some kind of positive noises. I'm just circumspect in my own views because in this instance it really is just at his will and whim. And he has options. So lets see what he eventually decides.

TBH, I'm way more focussed on the run in and the potential trophies on offer right now!

Yeah, the business end of the season is what matters at the moment - he says, dipping into this thread.

Things can change very quickly, regardless of what the current thinking is of the people involved: we've seen them change on deadline day...

My hope is that Haaland appreicates what playing for Pep could do for him and that the only way he is ever likely to do that is to join City this summer.

 

[BillyShears]

Yeah, the business end of the season is what matters at the moment - he says, dipping into this thread.

Things can change very quickly, regardless of what the current thinking is of the people involved: we've seen them change on deadline day...

My hope is that Haaland appreicates what playing for Pep could do for him and that the only way he is ever likely to do that is to join City this summer.

I think Haaland wants to be seen as better than Mbappe and I think more importantly he wants to be seen as the best player in the world. If that is the case then I reckon he chooses Pep/City over Carlo/Madrid. No other coach will be able to elevate his game and numbers as quickly as Pep will.