Ruud 1 assist is hilarious, what a selfish b*stard
I’m surprised he managed 1 assist ….probably a miss kick picked up by a team mate
Brilliant RVN, one of the best Utd strikers ever.
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Nordic Ghost Yeti (Scandi Carroll) | Haaland at City
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I’m surprised he managed 1 assist ….probably a miss kick picked up by a team mate
Brilliant RVN, one of the best Utd strikers ever.
I think Haaland's level is comparable to around half of these players. It's just that they did it for many years whereas Haaland still is young.
The only way to criticise Haaland is to compare him to some of the greatest players of all time. I think that should protect him from being called an average footballer who happens to be great at scoring goals. I also think his passing and technique ultimately will be underrated because of his role in the team.
I don't disagree, but I feel like Haaland's physicality means he doesn't need to be as creative. While other players have to somehow get around defenders it often looks like Haaland can just power through them.
I agree he’s another level to Van Nistelrooy but Ruud played in a far more defensive era than today. 0.81 goals per 90 in the early mid 2000s would be at least 1 per 90 today.
he makes Lewandowski & Kane look like a clowns imo and he will surely surpass all the other mentioned
As a goalscorer, perhaps. Not from a technical and creative point of view. His all round game isn't as good. That was the point.
I agree that Haaland‘s level is comparable to many of those players, but not in terms of his passing, creativity and general technique.
I agree that his physicality is freakish. That height, strength and pace in one package is very rare.
Being an insanely good goalscorer but overall not a great footballer per se is actually possible. Look at Pippo Inzaghi for instance.
I think he is what city was missing. When he reached the highest stages of the UCL, City managed to create a zillion chances but didn't have a finisher like him to decide the game. We have seen City lose like this for many seasons. He was the icing on the cake. If he is healthy at the end of the season he is likely to win his first UCL with City.
I don't understand this. Goalscoring isn't a singular skill. It's a very important skillset that most teams long for.
As someone who glorifies creative midfielders I have often thought that goalscorers are a little overrated, but in the case of Haaland I feel that there's a bit of an over-correction going on now. If Haaland could dribble then he'd be a world class winger too. His talents would still be largely wasted out wide, though.
Haaland will never be the GOAT. That requires a broader world class(his technique and passing is more than fine) skillset. But to call him an average footballer because he does what the ideal CF should do, almost to perfection, is a little strange to me.
Its nothing strange really, his goalscoring abilities are fantastic, his overall play isnt as fantastic, which doesnt take anything from his goalscoring abilities.
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If you're world class at being a striker... You dont need to fecking prove it you'd cut it on the wing. Such a stupid concepts
It's like saying Rio is a shit defender because he's not an all rounder and cant play as LB.
It's like saying Rio is a shit defender because he's not an all rounder and cant play as LB.
Exactly.
I'll take a smart, hardworking CF who produces 40 goals a season over a silky, creative CF who only produces 20 goals but can play in multiple position.
But what if that silky creative CF allowed the team to function better and ultimately made them more successful?
I don't think someone with those numbers who is smart and hardworking on top of this could be detrimental to a team. But of course if you have two wingers who score and assist for fun already then there are situations where perhaps adding a more technically gifted CF could make things better. But we're talking about corner cases here.
Neutrals and City supporters alike were screaming for a CF last season even if they won the league
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Unrelated to his abilities but it was extra funny that they drew after the way he acted in that game.
When did that happen? They were losing the league till the 80th minute of the last game of the season.
For the same reason Messi will never be the GOAT, never went to Stoke to prove himself there. Shame.
yes that was sarcasm.
No wonder they were screaming for a CF then!
Aye, they only scored 99 goals and amassed 93 points
Haaland is absolutely incredible, a phenomenon, but they’d be a much better side with Kane up top. Curreny they are projecting at 85 points, 8 less than last season.
Except that a myth. We did not play better without RVN. We played better because we have better players when he left.
Put a prime RVN on a better team he'll improve the team.
Replace RVN and put a prime KDB in that team he wont make the same impact.
At the end of the day it still is about goals
Aye, they only scored 99 goals and amassed 93 points
Just two digits? Pathetic!
Right now they are on course for 105 goals if they keep the numbers up. I don't think the attack has suffered with the addition of Haaland.
Just two digits? Pathetic!
Right now they are on course for 105 goals if they keep the numbers up. I don't think the attack has suffered with the addition of Haaland.
Their entire game absolutely has suffered, but when they twat someone, Haaland seriously fills his boots. So no doubt, they give out better hidings with him in the side.
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Some embarrassing takes here. He’s scoring record levels and people are arguing over his creativity.
I don't think that his scoring abilities are that special. I think that any in form CF would be able to score in this team right now and Haaland is performing what is expected from him at this City team and nothing more.
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I think many don't understand how good Haaland's number really is. Because they are on "all time great" level when it comes to goalscoring in a top 5 league team. When you compare Haaland's numbers to the names you mention, it's rediculous how far ahead he is in the end product department. He's assist numbers doesn't stand back when comparing him to these players either:
Numbers from club football (all comps) from top 5 league teams:
Haaland (Dortmund and City):
1,15 goals/90
0,26 assists/90
1,41 goals+assists/90
Lewandowski (Dortmund, Bayern and Barca):
0,88 goals/90
0,22 assists/90
1,10 goals+assists/90
Suarez (Liverpool, Barca and Atletico):
0,69 goals/90
0,37 assists/90
1,06 goals+assists/90
Benzema (Lyon and Real):
0,65 goals/90
0,31 assists/90
0,96 goals+assists/90
Aguero (Atletico, City and Barca):
0,72 goals/90
0,23 assists/90
0,95 goals+assists/90
R9 (Barca, Inter, Real and Milan):
0,73 goals/90
0,21 assists/90
0,94 goals+assists/90
RVP (Arsenal and United):
0,64 goals/90
0,26 assists/90
0,90 goals+assists/90
Kane (Spurs):
0,72 goals/90
0,17 assists/90
0,89 goals+assists/90
Henry (Monaco, Juventus and Arsenal):
0,58 goals/90
0,25 assists/90
0,83 goals+assists/90
Eto'o (Real, Espanyol, Mallorca, Barca, Inter, Chelsea, Everton and Sampdoria):
0,58 goals/90
0,18 assists/90
0,76 goals+assists/90
Rooney (Everton and United):
0,48 goals/90
0,26 assists/90
0,74 goals+assists/90
Let's add RVN, Messi and CR7 to the list as well:
RVN (United, Real and HSV and Malaga):
0,71 goals/90
0,13 assists/90
0,84 goals+assists/90
Messi (Barca and PSG):
0,92 goals/90
0,44 assists/90
1,36 goals+assists/90
CR7 (United, Real and Juventus):
0,83 goals/90
0,26 assists/90
1,09 goals+assists/90
And then Mbappe (needs to be tested outside of PSG soon):
0,88 goals/90
0,44 assists/90
1,32 goals+assists/90
....and Lukaku since so many likes to compare the two:
0,59 goals/90
0,18 assists/90
0,77 goals+assists/90
Wether you like his style of play or not, his end product is unmatched by anyone who's played football in a top 5 league the last 60 years + (so far in his career). What the future brings is still unknown though.
If you want a forward that helps circulating the ball a lot, Haaland might not be your man.
If you want a forward that plays extremely direct and scores more goals than anyone else in modern football, Haaland is your man.
What effect he has on City as a whole is yet to be seen. Both club and player are still adapting to eachother and it is still early days.
I find it strange that Pep has used two the to most onelegged wingers in the league, in Grealish and Mahrez, as much as he has lately. Both cuts inside or backwards 19/20 times, slows down their attacks, makes them more predictable, less fluid and makes it a lot harder to find space behind oppo defenses for crosses and through balls.
Another strange thing with City this season is that they have conceded 5 goals from set pieces, corners and direct freekicks so far vs. only 1 goal the entire last season.....
I don’t think people are doing that in fairness.
People are questioning that despite what a phenomenon he is, whether or not he makes City a better side. He’d improve 99.9% of sides of course but as for City, right now it’s a very valid debate.
Are you sure that Haaland is to blame for this? As a center forward who moves well and puts away the chances he gets, I think he is the last person to be blamed for the drop in overall play. He is the furthest away from the action in City's half and he's not responsible for creating things. If he constantly got dispossessed, ran into offside or misplaced simple passes then it would be fair to point fingers.
What's making City worse is there defence and other issues.
Haaland has improved their attack no question.
People grasping at straws to pretend he is somehow not worth it despite being insane and breaking records with ease.
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It could just be purely coincidental that City have dropped off a bit this season. The same thing happened in 19/20 when Liverpool ran away with it. I suppose we will have to see if this carries on into future years to see whether Haaland is a potential cause of this.
Hot take but Haaland is better than Inzaghi
Absolutely. Well, not specifically him, but a proper CF was always going to affect their play, hell even the brilliant Aguero had to change his game for Pep.
They may eventually develop into a better side mind.
At this stage last season, City only had 2 points more than they do now and were top of the league by 1 point over Liverpool. They also have a better goal difference this season (by 4) after 16 games. Not really any significant drop off or regression IMO. Yes, they are more reliant on Haaland for goals but he is delivering (at record pace) so I don't think there's a problem with that.
If Arsenal weren't having a surprisingly stellar season, then we probably wouldn't be having this discussion and City would be top of the league as we'd all have expected. City haven't really been worse than last season. It's just that Arsenal have been better so far.
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There are certainly some discrediting his overall ability as a footballer because he’s not creative as if that really matters in someone who is a pure striker. I think there is a degree of jealousy here where sometimes you need to just hold your hands up and say while I hate it he’s just a really good player for a rival and we’ve missed out.
I think 100% City with Haaland are a better side what hasn’t helped them this season though is not having Dias, Walker and Stones in defence as much due to injuries. City haven’t been performing much worse despite this it’s more been a case of Arsenal and others raising the standard of competition.
To lay any blame on someone who has 21 goals already and who isn’t lazy upfront is ridiculous so ridiculous I’m having to double check this isn’t RAWK.
He’s part of those “other issues” though, playing with a true number 9 was always going to have an affect. A team with a false 9 is by definition more defensive.
We’ll see how they eventually adjust to it.
I bet if you were to do those stats for everyone at Haaland’s age, the difference would be ridiculous. He’s scoring for fun at the age of 22, in what’s supposed to be the most difficult league in the world and people are calling him an average footballer
Lazy has nothing to do with it, as I say, playing with a false 9 compared to a true number 9 affects how a team plays.
It''s probably not purely coincidental but I really doubt that Haaland is to blame. They score more goals now after all. It's not like he's lazy or sloppy either.