Wasn't there this theory that Pep wouldn't know how to get best out Haaland because Zlatan flopped at Barca in his system?!
Nordic Ghost Yeti (Scandi Carroll) | Haaland at City
- Thread starter Samid
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If he stays 10 years in the EPL he will personality break down Agueros statue and put his up.
So what? What makes you think that this is the best performance Haaland is able of? He looks far from being fully integrated into the team.
Haaland isn't fit to lace R9's boots.
It is an insulting comparison.
He doesn't possess the innate talent Ronaldo had.
Definitely a fair amount of him in the mix!
If my memory serves me right, that was the time Messi wanted to move from the right to play in the center so Zlatan needed to make way.
Yeah the comparisons to R9 are silly. Haaland nowhere near as talented or all round a footballer. In terms of effectiveness on goal, yes you can compare Haaland to the GOATs but that is as far is it goes. He could be the next Gerd Muller though, someone so clinical and dangerous that he forces his way into the GOAT forward discussion.
Skills such as hold up play I’m not sure ronaldo was better as he was very much an on the shoulder centre forward as well at least in his early years. Haaland can improve this part of the game definitely
I just don’t get the dismissal of haaland as if he’s nowhere near r9 at the same age.
His early career is very reminiscent.
Unless he has some bad injuries he’ll probably go on to have a stronger career and i get the nostalgia but I think he really is that good.
you may disagree of course
This is true.
He messaged Pep telling him "am I not important anymore"(paraphrasing that a bit) and Pep then moved him more centrally.
Ibra was a bad fit though. Haaland is way more mobile than him and doesn't need the ball played into his feet to be effective. Ibra needs the play to funnel through him.
You say no a lot. Do you even understand the point I was making when I say the format has changed?!
Serious? He would do it voluntarily?
R9 before his injuries is on a different planet to Haaland.
It's not even close. Some of you must not have watched R9 in his peak/prime.
Mbappe is a much more complete footballer than Haaland too for starters, and Ronaldo Nazario eclipses Mbappe easily too.
Haaland is already better than Zlatan ever was. Just far more effective and a bigger threat. Better mentality in big games. He's nothing like Zlatan.
I don't see the R9 comparisons. Totally different players.
Haaland is like Ruud Van Nistelrooy on steroids, albeit much weaker in the air.
I'm surprised that for the last 2 seasons, Haaland wasn't even the 2nd top scorer in Bundesliga yet he has taken to the PL like a house on fire. PL top scorer this season guaranteed.
I don't see the R9 comparisons. Totally different players.
Haaland is like Ruud Van Nistelrooy on steroids, albeit much weaker in the air.
I'm surprised that for the last 2 seasons, Haaland wasn't even the 2nd top scorer in Bundesliga yet he has taken to the PL like a house on fire. PL top scorer this season guaranteed.
Zlatan didn't flop under Pep. He was very good for the first couple of months until Messi exploded in the false 9 position so he kinda became redundant
He is better than Mbappe. I'm quite certain this will be a proven accepted statement 1 year from now.
Players like this don't come very often. He is as fast as you've ever seen, as strong as anyone and has every possible finish in his locker. Special player.
Players like this don't come very often. He is as fast as you've ever seen, as strong as anyone and has every possible finish in his locker. Special player.
Totally agree.
He has strength, speed and certainly can smell a goal opportunity but is nowhere near R9, especially in terms of skills. I swear people making these comparisons never watched R9 before his injuries.
People watched Ronaldo weekly for years, he didn't play in the 50s. He wasn't just an incredible finisher, his all round game was exceptional. His finishing may be comparable but overall game play not close. Ronaldo at this age was making entire teams look stupid and making them run around in circles
I don't see why Halaand has to be compared to anyone, he is an incredible talent and his own player. Halaand if he keeps this up will be remembered as one of the best strikers of all time, whether people will pick him over their other favourites is subjective
It's very sad for us that he is at City and will be for the foreseeable future - only hope is oddly if he wins enough soon he will feck off to go win elsewhere
Come on now...
What do you mean we barely saw Ronaldo, was able to watch a lot of his games for Barcelona and his spell in Italy was heavily covered by Channel 4.
I think Haaland is a phenomenal striker and he and other signings are for me making a mockery of the false 9 which was aolways a myth for me, cost City in Europe last year.
But he is a totally different striker to Ronaldo and also incomparable. ROnaldo was so good you could give him the ball from a standing start on the half way line and he was capable of twisting and turning and running at the opposition with amazing close control and technique before the injuries he was already carrying began to take hold. Only Messi and Maradona had that kind if dribbling ability as Ronaldo, cant think of another striker minus the pace capable, Weah is the only one I can remember really and that was as much about power and strength.
Haaland could go on to be an all time great, but comparing him to ROnaldo, arguably the most naturally blessed player of all time, do me a favour
As I said earlier I’m plenty old enough to have watched r9 in his prime.
Haaland is not as good in the ball but equally as good if not better in other areas
Agreed.
He has - Ronaldo had 16 goals in the CL, and Haaland has 23, if I remember correctly.
If you compare at the same age, Ronaldo hadn't played in the CL yet. But he had been scoring at an even more prolific rate in the UEFA Cup and Cup Winners cup than Haaland has been doing in the CL.
I’ve watched almost every match of Ronaldo playing for Barcelona in 1996/1997, he was by a mile the best player Ive ever seen bar Messi and Cristiano, he was absolutely phenomenal.
No he doesn't. He's weak in the air and doesn't really score from a slightly longer distance.
If anything, he has a few types of finishes but he's insanely efficient and consistent at them.
I understand he has had a tremendous start but let's not go overboard and just invent stuff.
He's a very limited player but an absolute monster of a goalscorer and when you get the numbers he's producing, does his overall game even matter that much for City?
He is goal per game against Bayern, PSG, Liverpool, Netherlands and god knows who else, all of them.
As for Haaland, Mbappe and R9 are completely different players from Haaland. They are both more skilful in terms of dribbling and artistry, by some distance.
Haaland is the superior goalscorer. The only comparable player is Lewandowski, who still has a foot on Haaland.
I said 'by comparison' - please don't use selective reading. And I absolutely stick by it, you legitimately and quite easily could of watched almost every single Haaland goal from Salzburg onwards and get access to endless FULL 90 minute matches of his at every level.
There simply, the in the UK at least, a big football market, was not that level of access in the mid 90's to I dunno, well let's just say 2000. PSV full matches on regularity? Yeah right... Barcalona full matches every week? No...all their european and cup games? Nope. Every Brazil match in it's entirely? Eh no. Highlights at the absolute best for a 50% of this, and even some of them would been purely the goals at times. The Welsh highlight show 'Sgorio' was better than almost anything English channels would give you. Unless you were genuinely searching and tape trading for this stuff, like I said, by comparison.
This isn't specifically aimed to anyone in particular and here in general so don't take it as so, but I'd dare say a lot of casual fans claiming this comparison is well off have probably already seen more actual gametime minutes Haaland was on the pitch for at age 22 than they have for Ronaldo in his WHOLE career without actually realizing this.
I also prefer 22 year old Ronaldo to him.... but again, I don't think this is some massive insult comparison. They (and Mbappe) and ludicrious performers from the 18-22 years.
Eight goals, less than 100 touches.
He's an absolute menace in and around the box, and I don't doubt one second he'll smash the PL goal records if he stays fit. Ballons d'Or he'll win some. However I can't for the life of me understand how people find similarities with R9. They are completely different kind of strikers. R9 was a much better rounded striker and he still is to this day the best number 9 that ever graced a football pitch. If any, Haaland has the upper hand in terms of heading ability.
Close one
Mbappes stats
21/22
46 games, 39 goals, 26 assists
19/20
36 games, 30 goals, 18 assists
National Team total
57 games, 27 goals, 21 assists
Yes, he has had problems with Neymar (and covertly Messi) recently but Mbappe is not a selfish player that never assists or one that lacks an eye for a pass. But of course he is a striker that is capable of scoring 0.85-1.15 goals a game in a season so his assist rate won't be higher than 0.3-0.6 because he is looking for goals first and foremost.
I watched Ronaldo's whole career and Haaland, despite being excellent goalscorer, isn't near Il fenomeno. Lets not go overboard here.
Bloody hell, he is not even our player to do that
Out of all the young players out there. No one matches his desire for goals. It took Cristiano Ronaldo until his 20s to get the hunger for goals this guy has.
These lot had Sterling as their poacher for years and he was scoring 20-30 a season in all comps and he’s a terrible finisher. Not surprised by Haalands start. As a United fan with the current state of things can’t say im even bothered. With or without Haaland city have and will stack up league titles whilst we’re battling for 6th.
Also this bloke has now apologised to Haaland
Also this bloke has now apologised to Haaland
Come on people, he is good and all that but can you stop comparing him with Ronaldo (or even Mbappe).
Ridiculous
Ridiculous
The main similarity is the ability to time a run in behind and obliterate any defender who tries to catch up either through raw speed or by bouncing off them. Very similar in that respect and finishing is equally as impressive.
Haaland is a better header of the ball no doubt but ronaldo had superior skill whilst dribbling.
im a massive fan of ronaldo (and I agree he’s probably the best pure centre forward to play the game) but I’m not blind to say that haaland on balance, thus far in his career is on equal standing.
How were you accessing ... most of that career?
And sorry, but in the 18-22 years, exactly how many other players have had this level of performance in terms of goalscoring accross multiple leagues, cups and internationally for almost the whole period.... this is gonna be fun. (It's Mbappe and Messi fyi, who are a fair bit below on a goal level actually, but we'll throw them in due to assists, still a pretty goddamn exclusive list for 30 years)
In fairness, not many have seen Haaland in his prime either...
Ronaldo (r9) is football god. Out of this world. He is labelled as one of the best in history of football. Players and coaches who worked woth him think that he is the goat.
And now, people try to compare Haaland with him? So people are trying to say that Haaland is (can be) one of the best in history? Come on.....
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