Nordic Ghost Yeti (Scandi Carroll) | Haaland at City

Whenever a player does well for us, it's always "How long until Real/Barca poaches him from us" like it's inevitable.
City have their fair share of star players (Haaland, KDB, Silva...), yet this "top Spanish teams coming for him" never occurs. I wonder why?
Secret wages and the fear of City doing a PSG to Neymar type transfer.
 
Whenever a player does well for us, it's always "How long until Real/Barca poaches him from us" like it's inevitable.
City have their fair share of star players (Haaland, KDB, Silva...), yet this "top Spanish teams coming for him" never occurs. I wonder why?

Because we all know why. It’s not really worth discussing.
 
Obviously very disappointed we failed to get him but at least he's just at City to top up his/his dad's/Riola's heirs bank balances and pick up some trophies before the £150/175m release clause kicks in and he's off to Madrid in a couple of years. The only good thing about this is we won't have to suffer him knocking them in for nearly as long as Aguero. Loathsome character that he was, got to admit Riola's played an absolute blinder with Erling's career. I imagine Haaland senior sends Roy Keane an f you text every time his son scores for City!
 
That's why I don't get all the doom and gloom. So far, he has shown to be a limited one trick pony. There's no variety in his finishes. He can't change the game on his own. As long as he doesn't start firing deadly long-range shots, we should be able to deal with him.

One trick CL goalscoring record pony.
 
You cannot omit that he has the pace of few who have played football, which is an X-factor that removes him from linear equivalency and makes him a wholly different proposition to just an old-fashioned #9 who, I'm assuming, you mean are hurly-burly and good all-rounders using their size to their advantage. Even in your own post you're comparing him to RVN; Ruud never in his career could run the lines like Haaland does, which cannot be brushed aside even if there are some similarities with the work seen inside the box.

I'd put forward he is a new breed; I was making a long post about it a few weeks ago that got lost and I haven't the inclination to do that again, but I put it to anyone to find a likeness that doesn't veer off wildly at a juncture where his components simply don't fit with whichever player he is being matched to. He's an oddity in size, frame, athleticism and the way he plays the game - great movers across the line rarely, if ever have such predatory instincts inside the box, and vice-versa, to combine both in one player, again, it's simply not something we're accustomed to.

There's a curiosity to watching him that comes from the fact he is anomalous in so many ways.
Oh yea, he is rapid at the moment, and has the speed to break away. I do think that will drop off as he moves into his mid to late 20s. Ronaldo (original) was similar in that regard when he first burst on the scene. But a striker's predatory instinct will make up for the drop off in speed, and the same will apply for Haaland. Again, he's got the facets of a top number 9, but I don't think he's as revolutionary as you're making out.
 
Whenever a player does well for us, it's always "How long until Real/Barca poaches him from us" like it's inevitable.
City have their fair share of star players (Haaland, KDB, Silva...), yet this "top Spanish teams coming for him" never occurs. I wonder why?
None of the top teams had a need for Silva/KDB TBH. Barcelona had that iconic midfield of Xavi, Iniesta and Busquets when Silva was at City and a near equivalent a little later on but with Rakitic when KDB went to City from Wolfsburg. Same with Madrid who had Ozil with Xabi Alonso and then Modric, Kroos and Casemiro a little later on. They did lose Ferran Torres when Barcelona came calling which proves my point that none of the big guns were serious about City players in the past
In 2/3yrs Lewandowski and Benzema will inevitably call it a day so they'll need a No9. Haaland's release clause will be kicking in during that period as well
 
Whenever a player does well for us, it's always "How long until Real/Barca poaches him from us" like it's inevitable.
City have their fair share of star players (Haaland, KDB, Silva...), yet this "top Spanish teams coming for him" never occurs. I wonder why?

we’re shite and they’re really good
 
There's plenty of "uhhh it hurts so much we didn't get him :( :( :(" type posts in here.
That's true.

Tbf, it's difficult to watch him and not have a hard on for him. He's mental. I do avoid watching City and Pool as much as possible to help with this:lol:
Tbh after Messi and Ronaldo it's easy not to drool over Mbappe and Halaand. At least for me.
 
He's such a unique and ridiculous player. It's irritating I can't enjoy that spectacle in the slightest, so I hope he leaves after a couple seasons.

Wasn't enough for City to financially dope for the last 14 years, they had to buy this guy too. Pointless.
You just can’t help yourself can you :lol:
 
Oh yea, he is rapid at the moment, and has the speed to break away. I do think that will drop off as he moves into his mid to late 20s. Ronaldo (original) was similar in that regard when he first burst on the scene. But a striker's predatory instinct will make up for the drop off in speed, and the same will apply for Haaland. Again, he's got the facets of a top number 9, but I don't think he's as revolutionary as you're making out.
Henry, Aubamayang, Eto'o stayed relatively healthy and as a result kept their pace into their late 20s

Then you have the likes of Owen, R9, Torres who didn't because of injuries and playing at a high level since 17

Could go either way with Haaland
 
Ridiculous player. Glad he’s playing for City and not any other top 6 club that isn’t Chelsea.
 
We were Champions of Europe and England when Ronaldo wanted to leave. Something City have never done. His point stands.
Players that City wants to keep don’t leave. Hence why the likes of Aguero or David Silva didn’t move to a Barca or a Madrid in their peak or KDB for that matter.
 
He’ll fizzle out in my opinion. Probably get a bad injury and won’t be the same player.
 
Players that City wants to keep don’t leave. Hence why the likes of Aguero or David Silva didn’t move to a Barca or a Madrid in their peak or KDB for that matter.
Only, his father said in a documentary that he would like to test himself I all big leagues. He might stay 4/5 years, and if Spanish football don’t go bankrupt (as they might) He will be off.
 
Players that City wants to keep don’t leave. Hence why the likes of Aguero or David Silva didn’t move to a Barca or a Madrid in their peak or KDB for that matter.
The difference is they didn't insist on having a buyout clause put in the contract when they signed for City
 
Players that City wants to keep don’t leave. Hence why the likes of Aguero or David Silva didn’t move to a Barca or a Madrid in their peak or KDB for that matter.
Ferran Torres?
They were open to selling Bernardo Silva too but Barca never bid due to not selling FDJ
Don't think they ever had serious interest for Silva or KDB because the Spanish Big Guns had no need for them
 
What are the odds of Haaland becoming the all-time CL top scorer?

He has 26 CL goals in 21 games. A goal ratio of 1.24 goals per game. I have never seen a guy this young (22) with such statistics across 3 clubs (Salzburg, Dortmund and now City) and 3 different leagues.

A 37.5 year old C. Ronaldo has 140 goals in 183 appearances. A 2.5 year younger Messi has 126 goals in 158 games.

In comparison C. Ronaldo first reached 26 CL goals by the age of 26.

On the other hand Mbappé has scored 36 CL goals in 55 games. He has 4 more CL group stage games to score in before he turns 24.

Hard NOT to see both of them breaking the records of Messi and C. Ronaldo barring injuries. Not sure if that is a testament to an even higher disparity between teams now, a lower level in football in terms of talent or young Haaland and young Mbappé simply being better goal scorers? Talent wise and in terms of their overall game (in particular in the case of Msssi), the two ”old ones” are the superior talents and players. That I have no doubt about.
 
None of the top teams had a need for Silva/KDB TBH. Barcelona had that iconic midfield of Xavi, Iniesta and Busquets when Silva was at City and a near equivalent a little later on but with Rakitic when KDB went to City from Wolfsburg. Same with Madrid who had Ozil with Xabi Alonso and then Modric, Kroos and Casemiro a little later on. They did lose Ferran Torres when Barcelona came calling which proves my point that none of the big guns were serious about City players in the past
In 2/3yrs Lewandowski and Benzema will inevitably call it a day so they'll need a No9. Haaland's release clause will be kicking in during that period as well
He has a release clause ?
I think he will go to Madrid after city
 
What are the odds of Haaland becoming the all-time CL top scorer?

He has 26 CL goals in 21 games. A goal ratio of 1.24 goals per game. I have never seen a guy this young (22) with such statistics across 3 clubs (Salzburg, Dortmund and now City) and 3 different leagues.

A 37.5 year old C. Ronaldo has 140 goals in 183 appearances. A 2.5 year younger Messi has 126 goals in 158 games.

In comparison C. Ronaldo first reached 26 CL goals by the age of 26.

On the other hand Mbappé has scored 36 CL goals in 55 games. He has 4 more CL group stage games to score in before he turns 24.

Hard NOT to see both of them breaking the records of Messi and C. Ronaldo barring injuries. Not sure if that is a testament to an even higher disparity between teams now, a lower level in football in terms of talent or young Haaland and young Mbappé simply being better goal scorers? Talent wise and in terms of their overall game (in particular in the case of Msssi), the two ”old ones” are the superior talents and players. That I have no doubt about.

In the case of Ronaldo it took time for him to become a pure forward while Haaland is a pure striker from the get go. Messi has fluctuated between being a inverted winger/forward and taking up positions of a attacking midfielder.

Hard to say with Mbappe he's a special talent.
 
Oh yea, he is rapid at the moment, and has the speed to break away. I do think that will drop off as he moves into his mid to late 20s. Ronaldo (original) was similar in that regard when he first burst on the scene. But a striker's predatory instinct will make up for the drop off in speed, and the same will apply for Haaland. Again, he's got the facets of a top number 9, but I don't think he's as revolutionary as you're making out.
The underlying point about his size is: to mark your typical old-fashioned #9, a certain type of defender was at hand who can match their strength and physical attributes; to mark a really fast player, a certain type of system or defender was at hand, and the same goes for box-poachers. All three of them have a matching type of defender and countering system - poachers are generally small, squat and nimble or tall, deft and lithe, you have the Martinez, Cannavaro types with the low centre of gravity that can match those kinds of forwards step for step and turn for turn and all those little, cunning actions can be negated by them. You get a Vidic, Terry etc for a Drogba and a Rio for the fast types, but when you blur the lines and have players who can poach and forage in the box like one type of forward, run and move like another and have the mass and size of an old-fashioned #9, you're entering freakish territory and the CB's needed to contain that threat are eclectic and rapid, and don't exist, basically.

At some point along the way a certain type of CB is going to be out of his area of expertise and would need to hand the job over to someone else (partner/partners - in 3-man backline) and as instinctive as Haaland is, he can just cross lines and have CB's in a tailspin as it isn't difficult for him with such clever movement and manipulation of his spatials - he is a very clean player using smarts primarily and his physical attributes to back them up, he's out-thinking defenders just as much as out-pacing/muscling/sizing them.

I don't recall a single striker like him - to even get the base attributes, the herd is thinned to very few immediately. The only player in that size class I can think of with anything like his athleticism is John Carew. Although his size isn't the be all and end all of him, it definitely cannot be swept under the rug as it makes defending against him an entirely different proposition to a number of players he is being mentioned as a likeness of. Powerhouses like Zlatan, Ferguson, Adriano and Carew had very few who could handle them, but not a single one of them, who are in Haaland's sizing were skilled, let alone world class six yard players. It really is abnormal and I do think there's good reason to say he's a revelation in part for being freakishly put together let alone how he plays the game itself.
 
Can see why Zlatan was his idol as a kid after watching him score that goal yesterday.
 
But is that because he's a poacher or that he's simply lethal in the box? If he were a 'mere' poacher, he'd be difficult to stop, but there'd still be a blueprint and a run of procedures to execute.

His runs, movement and intrinsic knowledge of how to drag defenders to where he wants them falls in line with a completely different archetype of forward, and for me, it's equally problematic when it comes to stopping him, particularly so when defenders know he has the drop on them athletically, which means they have to be counter-intuitive and take half-step, anticipatory movements because they have no chance from a standing start in either pace or strength especially when it's allied to such explosiveness and freakish agility.

There's a hell of a lot of nuance that goes into what he does in and outside the box and I think a lot of it is being missed or ignored. A true nightmare of a forward, one who, more than likely, will have his body fail on him before any set of tactics or freak defenders come alone that can match him outright do.

Tifo on YouTube have a good video on Haaland. He is absolutely not just some poacher. His vision on the game and where to be is just insane. And he also drops deep when needed. I recommend people watch it to understand. Crazy player!
 
Tifo on YouTube have a good video on Haaland. He is absolutely not just some poacher. His vision on the game and where to be is just insane. And he also drops deep when needed. I recommend people watch it to understand. Crazy player!
I haven't seen that, but if they've covered all that he is, it should put to bed the notion of him being a poacher because he does so much more than that. There's a lot of how's and why's with him that should be asked well before goals, if people are being comprehensive in assessing him. That's where what he is becomes really interesting.
 
On course for 102 goals this season with his current scoring rate.
 
I haven't seen that, but if they've covered all that he is, it should put to bed the notion of him being a poacher because he does so much more than that. There's a lot of how's and why's with him that should be asked well before goals, if people are being comprehensive in assessing him. That's where what he is becomes really interesting.

I will just post it here for people who want to watch it.
 
The interesting thing with Haaland in this city team, is they are more vulnerable at the back and are relying on some superstar moments more so.
Yesterday was two wonder goals rather than team built goals you associate with City.
They could and should have lost against Villa.
They were 2-0 down Palace and 3-1 down to Newcastle.

Interested to see if that continues (they will still blow away the really bad teams and put 4-5 against them). But teams that go at them, can see some more high scoring games.
 
Surprising that City accepted a player with a release clause. But then again they're very relaxed with letting players leave. With the exception of De Bruyne and maybe Foden, every one of their players have been linked with moves out.
Why not? €150 million (£128 million) and €200 million (£170 million) is 2x/3x of the transfer fee City paid for his service. The best way for a club to keep a player is success on the pitch and salary, not the length of the contract.
 
The interesting thing with Haaland in this city team, is they are more vulnerable at the back and are relying on some superstar moments more so.
Yesterday was two wonder goals rather than team built goals you associate with City.
They could and should have lost against Villa.
They were 2-0 down Palace and 3-1 down to Newcastle.

Interested to see if that continues (they will still blow away the really bad teams and put 4-5 against them). But teams that go at them, can see some more high scoring games.
Didnt you just describe every city start to a season? How does a number 9 contribute to letting in goals?

They identify instant that tempo is the problem. I’m glad we finally did, and are still some sort of mix.
 
Why not? €150 million (£128 million) and €200 million (£170 million) is 2x/3x of the transfer fee City paid for his service. The best way for a club to keep a player is success on the pitch and salary, not the length of the contract.

The lower release clause doesn't even kick in for four years anyway, at which point Pep likely won't be there any more either.

So Haaland might be more eager to move on, but City would still get top whack for him.