He has some blame in him because he become pretty lazy when he stablished in City...on his defense he was also told by his mates to play more simply and expect the ball further and combine more than dribbling. When Pep arrived he had to add at least some defensive shadow and less free movement so the whole combo might have create an idea of him being a pure goalscorer, but not the extreme I've even saw Lineker talk about. In fact even then he did some slaloms and some of those ended in goals. Yet at the end of the day he certainly wasn't the sort of second forward/"mediapunta" with goal from his Independiente and Ateltico days, he certainly was more fun to watch than City's fatty injury prone one as great as he still was.
Nordic Ghost Yeti (Scandi Carroll) | Haaland at City
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He has some blame in him because he become pretty lazy when he stablished in City...on his defense he was also told by his mates to play more simply and expect the ball further and combine more than dribbling. When Pep arrived he had to add at least some defensive shadow and less free movement so the whole combo might have create an idea of him being a pure goalscorer, but not the extreme I've even saw Lineker talk about. In fact even then he did some slaloms and some of those ended in goals. Yet at the end of the day he certainly wasn't the sort of second forward/"mediapunta" with goal from his Independiente and Ateltico days, he certainly was more fun to watch than City's fatty injury prone one as great as he still was.
All this slating Haaland is hilarious 
it’s like trying to slag off your neighbour’s Ferrari.
He‘s simply a goal machine.
it’s like trying to slag off your neighbour’s Ferrari.He‘s simply a goal machine.
All this slating Haaland is hilarious
He‘s simply a goal machine.
If you own a lamborghini you'd goona look down on a Ferrari.
I like Porsche
Porsche, Lambo and Ferrari...Blondes, Brunettes and Redheads...what's not to like on either case
Separate the goal scorer from the player. Haaland is a great goalscorer and potentially one of the greatest goalscorers in history. I'll tell you how he will be judged in the end; as a great goalscorer just like Muller, just like Shearer if you consider the premier league. The rest of his play too mediocre to be considered amongst the best ever to play the game.
Don't know why you need to exaggerate so much. Norwegian?
Or Aguero, who was a fine striker and considered one of the world's best but never scored at the same rate as Haaland, despite playing with De Bruyne's service too.
Kevin De Bruyne says Sergio Aguero is the best all-round striker he’s played with
"Yeah. Honestly, Kun is probably the best all-round striker I’ve played with. Just everything. He had speed, power, could go deep, could go short, left or right, headers… he was unbelievable. So, so good.”
"He wasn’t just about goalscoring – something he was obviously incredible at.He had it all, as De Bruyne says. He could link play brilliantly, and also had the technical qualities to make him useful between the lines. He’d run the channels, too."
https://www.manchestercity.news/kev...s-the-best-all-round-striker-hes-played-with/
Funny reading this thread! Did anyone ever say Haaland compares to Messi et al? I don’t get this incessant need to state the obvious. Even reading this thread Cristiano Ronaldo is reduced to a poacher I’m very happy I got to experience CR’s most exciting and perhaps best seasons before he deliberately changed his game..
Haaland isn’t a GOAT fotballer-material, he might become a GOAT striker though. A striker’s first job is to score goals unless I’m remembering it wrong.
I’m very happy I got to experience CR’s most exciting and perhaps best seasons before he deliberately changed his game.. Haaland isn’t a GOAT fotballer-material, he might become a GOAT striker though. A striker’s first job is to score goals unless I’m remembering it wrong.
Based on his posting, @heraklion most likely rides a tricycle.
All this slating Haaland is hilarious
He‘s simply a goal machine.
Don't think he's getting slated that much. There's some people going OTT with the praise(like best goal-scorer ever up to this point in his career historically or comparisons to Messi/Ronaldo focusing only on goals).
He's an incredible player either way.
Incredible goalscorer, boring footballer.
more like your neighbour's cybertruckAll this slating Haaland is hilarious
He‘s simply a goal machine.
You seem to lack basic comprehension skills.
Funny reading this thread! Did anyone ever say Haaland compares to Messi et al? I don’t get this incessant need to state the obvious. Even reading this thread Cristiano Ronaldo is reduced to a poacher
Haaland isn’t a GOAT fotballer-material, he might become a GOAT striker though. A striker’s first job is to score goals unless I’m remembering it wrong.
People are certainly comparing their numbers at the same age. However both Messi and Ronnie had spent most of their time as wingers at that age. Haalands numbers are stellar though.
Indeed.
Ronaldo became a poacher after age of 30 as an adaptation to loss of pace which he relied on ALOT. He had to do this because the other aspects of his game like playmaking and close control were never great.Funny reading this thread! Did anyone ever say Haaland compares to Messi et al? I don’t get this incessant need to state the obvious. Even reading this thread Cristiano Ronaldo is reduced to a poacher
Haaland isn’t a GOAT fotballer-material, he might become a GOAT striker though. A striker’s first job is to score goals unless I’m remembering it wrong.
Having said that, his allround play while much better earlier than 05/06, it wasn't as amazing as that of
other greats.
It's not even about position. Messi in the false 9 did far far more than just score as did R9.
I'm not critical of Haaland per se. He is doing what he has been bought to do. It is the hype that is being created that I'm against. He is a great goalscorer. Period. No need to say things like he is going to surpass so and so if he continues like this or that he is amazingly unique. Every great player is unique.
What hype is that precisely?
Most of the coverage around him has been about his insane goal record, which he's replicated everywhere (so it's not just about him playing for City)
Has anyone said he's better than R9 or CR7? Or Van Basten, or the other striker-playmaker-dribblers in one darlings of our draft forum?
Really is this simple to me. Efficient goal scorer but there’s something so oddly unexciting about him as a player. Statistically superb, can’t be argued.
Yeah, because their numbers are comparable. People keep saying wingers, Giggs was a winger, Beckham as well, do you guys really delude yourselves into thinking Messi and Ronaldo played in a similar setup?
Agree that he’s a pretty boring fotballer though! Doesn’t make his goal record any less impressive.
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Just say you only started watching football a few years ago, no need to write a long post
He changed into a goalscoring focal point from the left for RM loooong before his pace went.Im talking about their main positions and roles they had played in at the age 23. At 23 they were forwards without defensive duties but they actually started out as wingers. Inverted wingers are still wingers. Haaland has been a striker all his career. Ronaldo absolutely was a traditional winger in his 1st 4 seasons.
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And his numbers didn’t compare to Haaland’s until his 4th season, isn’t that right? That’s what I meant when I said his best and most exciting. 06/07 if I’m not mistaken. That year he was the best player in the world in my opinion. When he started putting up those numbers consistently he didn’t really have those same defensive duties (not counting close games vs top opposition). I don’t think we’re in disagreement here. Just a thought, but would Messi and Ronaldo put up the same numbers as lone strikers in those years? Different players and styles altogether.
Like I said, it’s fair to say Haaland’s numbers are amazing without going into a debate comparing him to two of maybe the 4-5 best players in history. You only need to watch Haaland once to reach the conclusion that he’s never going to compare favourably to any of those giants of the game. His numbers still might.
My point was that @troylocker was comparing goal stats of Haaland vs Messi and Ronaldo in their total goals, total Cl goals at the age of 23. Its somewhat misleading as both of them had only been proper forwards for a 1 season or 2 at that age and had completely different roles prior to that.
Doesn’t really matter does it? Goal stats aren’t debatable, just factual numbers. Like I said, you only need to watch Haaland once to understand he’s not like these other guys. Again, I don’t think they would’ve been capable of matching his output even if they were played as strikers from the start. So your focus on their initial position is just a theoretical discussion.
What i mean its pointless to compare goals stats vs Messi and Ronaldo at this stage when they had only been forwards for 1 or 2 seasons. It makes more sense to compare him with Müller, Rvn or other great strikers at age who played in the cl. Mpabbe is the more obvious comparison. Or R9 who didnt play that much in cl. Or Pelé for total goals at that age. Not knocking Haaland, he could end his career as the most prolific scorer ever.
This triggered a thought I had since ever...I always thought Messi had everything to be a lazy rival's area merchant with a Romario/Aguero type of player atributes and style, yet the lad (in many ways thankfully) doesn't feel that, nor any sane manager would use him like that in his best years. But let's say these last 3 years till he retires (of course with teams that can manage to play him that role and do not need him in the mid controlling everything) it would have been fun to say the least.
Regarding atributes to do such thing he has it all in spades to play such role, yet two probably issues: his desire to be this natural "enganche" all around mid/forward...his disconnection with the game when he doesn't receive the ball.
In any case would have been fun watching him scoring galore with a well oiled machine behind not needing him to do the cooking, laundry and everything like normally happens with him and just putting the ball in every corner trolling the game till he retires. Yesterday I watched him in Miyami, he is in troll mode, he has attemp at least two Olympic goals, dinking the ball above a player in the ground, I wish at least Miami was a better assembled team to fullfill my Messiromario dream, he can play till he is 45 in such role.
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I watched Cristiano since his debut vs Bolton in 2003. Yes Ronaldo was a great goalscorer even before he became a poacher. Your point is?Just say you only started watching football a few years ago, no need to write a long post
I would have thought that was obvious.
The reason I've followed him so closely is that I'm a tall guy (6'3''+) who played my entire football career (25 seasons at senior level) as a striker myself. Combine that with a fascination for statistics and abnormalties in statistics and you can maybe see why this guys catches my attention. The comparisons with the greats aren't exaggerated when it comes to numbers. He is an insane outlier that I haven't seen before. To be that flawed in so many areas and so extreme in the things he is good at is very rare. His movement, anticipation and reactions is best I've ever seen and his combination of size and explosiveness is also the most brutal I've seen. I'm sure City could get a lot more out of him if they adjusted their game a bit more to suit his strenghts. They literally very rarely exploit the space between oppo GK and defense both in transitions or with crosses. Just imagine if they mixed it up and played more direct just a little more often. That's pretty scary.
He is good in a very different way than the silky #10s and wide forwards because he is so far from complete.
Just scored his 8th hat trick for City. Interestingly, or not, it's his first away from the Etihad.
I know it's Luton, but if city play more like this, playing to Haalands pace and strength, with KdB behind piercing the balls, I don't think anyone can stop them.
And there you go, another KdB to Haaland.
He is warming up for the title.
Who's he got next with no fit defenders and a wank manager?
He’s just warmed up for a customary Etihad hat trick against us with a fecking quintet
Luckily I'm still stuck to 5 posts a day, cause at this rate I won't keep up with Haaland.
He's gonna eat Maguire for breakfast.
Jesus christ