1. Erling so far is a player with almost a goal per game ratio in his carreer. Resting merit to "that" talent/attribute no matter how he does it, is RIDICULOUS in itself. Like it's ridiculous to doubt his contribution with his teams winning games and achieving titles.
2. Erling has to improve his overall game (he is very young, time is on his side), he has to better in situations where he is man marked and has to hold the ball, he has to be better in keeping it and gaining time, he has to use his head a lot better given his size, not only to score, but to defend, to play as pivot when his team needs to release a long ball in order to get away from some pressuring situation, etc. In games where he touches the ball few times, he MUST do better and I'm not talking about goals, but stuff like I've mentioned above, because later it doesn't matter if his team wins anyway, he deserves to be criticized.
3. Erling would be criticized when he blows some clear chance, or many, some even in some clouncy fashion, yet...see point 1. he'll come around, every player has to deal with some bad timing, bad form phase.
4. City, not always plays to his strenghts and that will affect his game. Given that he doesn't manage all that great what I've said in point 2., he clearly feels better running into spaces using his pace and size, playing with more space in general, like many of his best goals in Germany.
On the negative side the City we all know can put their own players in tight situations mostly pressed by their own mates since they play so far ahead in the pitch against defences with lots of bodies. In those tight spaces Erling will struggle. Also he finds himself multiple times running into spaces without receiving the ball, because City sometimes would not risk it at all. Erling is a player that loves verticality full time, City will be vertical in few ocassions. There is no mistery why Kevin, the player that takes more risks with balls in to space and more risky passes, is the one that served him better.
On the other hand in the positive side, City will provide lots of centres, lots of incursions in the little area that will generate rebounds, one/twos that will make players receive almost in front open nets, this with Erling ability to be in the right spot will help him to score a lot too.
Yet when he gets frustrated in those tight scenarios and the ball for whatever reason does not get in the rival's net in those clear chances, Erling starts to feel less comfortable and his finishing ends suffering, but like I've said in 3. he'll get better again, he has the right mindset and ambition, but news, he is human, not a cyborg.
5. And last, to defend him there is no need to create some sort of super special ability from him, nor bring clearly way better players than him "failures" to somehow imply that he is on that level of talent or whatever. He is a specialist building a carreer where it's almost a sure bet that he'll end in one of the best goalscorers ever. A player that no one bar some really footy ultra fan would now that reminds of him was Artime. This dude just scored goals for fun, he was heavily criticized his whole carreer as a fecking bricklayer, but he time and again respond with goals. Like Erling his mindset was surreal, strong as fvck. The thing with Erling is that I see atributtes in his physical side that he MUST improve for his own good, there is lots of room there to become overall a better player than he already is...in any case, if he doesn't, no big deal: see point 1.
PD: Sorry for the long rant and just some side note, Mayweather is far from an accurate analogy, this lad manages almost every aspect of boxing, the criticsm towards him was always based on the somehow extreme pragmatism and intelligence devoid of "passion" for lack of better word. Pragmatism that he also translates into his fight choices ,the timing of them, etc...clever fvcker no doubt and with a huge mouth too.
Yet, Floyd it's on the very skill ranking on multiple skills regarding boxing. The only thing that can be relate to Erling is that Overall pragmatism regarding their aims. Erling enters into the pitch to score goals, Floyd to win a bout in the safest way making his best effort to not jeopardize his carreer strategy...that pragmatism is in both, but Floyd does it with a very complete bag of skills being as cynical as he can.
