He's an absolute fanny. There isn't a defender currently at the top level that he shouldn't be winning the vast majority of duels against and instead he's chucking himself to the ground a minute in against Martinez.
Nordic Ghost Yeti (Scandi Carroll) | Haaland at City
- Thread starter Samid
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I don't disagree there, he'll be hard to replace. But in the games I've seen this season they've been carrying them both at times and I think their whole game obviously suffers. Wasn't surprised to see him hooked when he was.
Haaland to an extent, unless they can find him with crosses. De Bruyne has been effective against every type of team, think that's a bit harsh on him. Bruno thrived today because City were open with a high line. De Bruyne at his best was much better than Bruno.
Very unlucky to not score to be fair but he was crap apart from that
I knew the moment he hit the crossbar it was our day.
Bruno’s assist to Mainoo wasn’t really down to them playing a high line. Only players like him can spot and execute that pass to perfection.
Like I've always said, he's not a player I'd pay to watch.
He would have been so perfect for us under Ole playing on the swift counter.
An extremely effective but utterly joyless footballer.
Fits in nicely at City then
Down to them being so open though.
De Bruyne has been great since he recovered from his injury. I don't get why he has been so called out here. He had a bad game, that's all.
Agree with this. I loved watching him at Dortmund. Now he basically doesn’t do anything unless the ball arrives at his feet in the box where he then bangs it in. I understand the effectiveness but it’s so boring.
Just loved that moment Mainoo fecked him to the ground like a ragdoll.
He's a good player no doubt, but like a lot of bullies he can't handle it when people put it up to them. Saw Dawson earlier on in the season stay tight to him and rough him up, Martinez did the same today. I genuinely think more defenders need to do the same.
He's a good player no doubt, but like a lot of bullies he can't handle it when people put it up to them. Saw Dawson earlier on in the season stay tight to him and rough him up, Martinez did the same today. I genuinely think more defenders need to do the same.
That's a Ballon d'Or contender? Alongside the other scham on its way to Madrid?
Yikes.
Yikes.
Hope and Think Højlund will show everyone next season that he is way better and more complete as a striker than Scandi Carroll
Sorry but Scandi Carroll is just too good.
He’s no mbappe
When he gets this kind of criticism not his fault entirely. I would blame the pundits and all the “fanboys”. You know the “he’s a robot omg” ones. Built him up way too much.
People got way too carried away with him scoring basically tap ins against average opposition.
People have spoken about him and Mbappe being the next top two superstars. I wouldn’t even put Haaland in a list of the ten best players in the world. That 0 goal return in 9 games is not a surprise at all. He isn’t there yet. And it’s notoriously difficult for one dimensional strikers to have impact on the biggest games.
People got way too carried away with him scoring basically tap ins against average opposition.
People have spoken about him and Mbappe being the next top two superstars. I wouldn’t even put Haaland in a list of the ten best players in the world. That 0 goal return in 9 games is not a surprise at all. He isn’t there yet. And it’s notoriously difficult for one dimensional strikers to have impact on the biggest games.
A bit like David Silva, he looks the same but he's lost a step and it's time to go.
I think we look at Haaland as some others might have looked at Van Nistelrooy. An endless parade of goals but was the team better in that time period?
Best number 9 in world football but quite honestly think City were better without him.
Whoever came up with Scandi Carroll deserves the keys to the city.
What did the team win? Not disrespectful to compare him with Haaland at all they’re both terrifying to play against and guarantee a goal in most matches.
The team was not better but that was because we failed RVN. Not because of his style of play.
Scandi Carroll is fecking brilliant! Fair fecks to whoever coined that one.
I dont think his all round game is good enough for Real Madrid. Also with his frame and size he will start to pick up more injuries as he gets older. Guardiola already said he requires a lot of physio/massage work after games due to his build.
Ruud was much more dynamic in the build up play compared to Haaland. The injury suffered in 2004 took away his pace and reduced his overall impact. The club was also in transition mode and going through the motions of league change and competing with an artificially inflated rival (Chelsea) along with Arsenal and resurgent Liverpool. It's not the same as Haaland today, Ruud wasn't the problem. If anything, it was trying to stick Veron into the midfield quintet, altering the tactics that often isolated Ruud, and the transition phase post 2003 league title. And signing a bunch of young talents that didn't pan out - Bellion, Djemba, Kleberson - while waiting for Ronaldo and Rooney to mature into winners.
Absolutely, I'm just making a broader point. Haaland is also younger but his build could be an issue in terms of his future effectiveness. Ruud suffered from Becks leaving too, they were a deadly combo.
Definitely would be better in the United team
Van Nistelrooy was absolutely crucial in winning us the title in 2002/03 against an outstanding Arsenal team with a brilliant end to that season. That Arsenal team probably should have won 3 in a row and broke the away wins record the previous season and then went invincible the following season. From the 22 March:
- A hat-trick, all 3 goals in a 3-0 win against Fulham - where he scored the best goal he ever did for the club, a mazy dribble from halfway
- First two goals in a 4-0 win over Liverpool
- Goal against Newcastle in 6-2 win
- First goal in key draw against Arsenal away - where he destroyed Sol Campbell and then dinked over the keeper, brilliant goal
- The first goal in a 3-1 win over Blackburn - fantastic header
- Scored against Spurs in 2-0 win - clinching goal
- Hat-trick against Charlton in 4-1 win - hat-trick to clinch the title
- Scored against Everton in 2-0 win.
So that season he finished with 13 goals in the last 8 games, scoring in all 8 games.
There's an interesting push and pull around strikers, he made brilliant runs and scored a lot of goals, but his was a game that didn't bring others into play so much as the more dynamic front three that
Absolutely, he was terrific. That's not what this debate is, Haaland is terrific as well. It's whether at the very top, at fine margins, for the top clubs a different system may work better to win the biggest games. That's what's currently being levelled at Haaland, and by United's standards they underperformed during that 2001-2006 period.
It's worth considering but also United's team significantly dropped off after that 2003 season, Scholes spent a lot of time out with an eye injury, Keane had the hip problems and then eventually got sacked. A lot of the time United were playing Phil Neville, O'Shea in midfield, a young Fletcher. Kleberson and Djemba Djemba failed miserably. There was also the keeper issue between Barthez and van der Sar, and Rio Ferdinand got an 8-month ban for missing a drugs test. It feels harsh to blame Van Nistelrooy for those problems for the team not being as successful.
As for Haaland, City are very successful with him, they won the CL without him and a treble, won the league this year so you could hardly say they're getting worse. Better with or without him? Probably not all that different, gain in some ways, lose in others without him. Do they win the game yesterday with Alvarez up front on his own instead of Haaland? I don't think it makes a difference.
Obviously they've been more successful with their current approach, but I still think the best City team in terms of how frightening they were to play was the one with Fernandinho, Silva and De Bryune in midfield, Sané and Sterling out wide and Aguero up front.
I wasn't that worried yesterday until Doku came on whereas with aforementioned team, they were a nightmare to play against for the full 90.
I wasn't that worried yesterday until Doku came on whereas with aforementioned team, they were a nightmare to play against for the full 90.
All fair points. Keane especially the midfield got shifted to accommodate him as he lost mobility, and Fletcher came good a bit later didn't he. Maybe it's more about Guardiola's use of the squad, yes I think Alvarez would have made more of an impact from the start, slippery customer. It felt like a slightly lazy selection from Pep.
Doku was frightening, glad he stayed against AWB for so long, tricky fast wingers are his specialist subject on Mastermind.