Why Everybody's WRONG About Erling Haaland 

Watch Foden's second goal against Brentford away. The spare centre back panics that Haaland is one-one with the other centre back, rushes to double up and leaves a huge gap for Foden to drift into & have a free header. Haaland doing his job perfectly..... It's probably not much fun for him though.

The ruthless striker I thought of was Erling Haaland. I have no imagination.

He's basically City's tank. He exists almost entirely to draw aggro.

Keane still mad about Haaland Sr, it seems.

finally someone talking sense. this topic is an perfect example of the part of the population not being able to form their own opinion and just repeating what the pundits say. Last season haaland linked up with KDB well with lots of first time passes. One of his first goals he got the ball deep, carried it to the edge of the area and then scored a long shot. It emphasises how important pundits are and how they can easily shape a narrative however they like

Along with him being human, it seems people have forgotten that he has lost his grandmother recently as well as coming from injury he just hasnt been as consistently clinical. Everyone is just so quick to judge there is no room for just being human, apparently he should be a "robot" 24/7

People are forgetting the fact that he’s playing for the Pep’s Team!!! You r supposed to do only what you are told to, even Thierry Henry can’t do what he want when he’s in Pep’s Team!

Interesting? Thinking about it, if he stays in that central spot, no defender will gamble, which means he is doing his job and the wide/AM players aren’t maximizing the opportunities he is enabling.

Finally! For the love of God, someone who actually analyzes what Haaland did and does (national team) in other teams when evaluating his overall football ability! I've followed his career, and it is only at City he has been restricted to just staying in the box, and it's too bad. I know they won "everything" the last season, but I'd much rather see Haaland at a different club where he is allowed more liberties. And, if I'm not mistaken, despite "everyone" claiming City "creates loads of chances" for him, stats show that they are quite far down the list of creating chances for the striker. And, seeing all the lost passing opportunities due to the obsession with control is illuminating. And, poor Erling, his heart must sink whenever he sees Doku is in the line-up as this means balls will be flying in all sorts of directions except in his!

The criticism was from Roy Keane, a man with the modern day tactical knowledge of a pub player, so what did we expect?

Ruthless striker. Batistuta, even his crosses could blast a hole through the net

Lets not forget he's still the top scorer in the league and one of the top scorers in the Champions League. The narrative that Haaland "ghosts" in big games is because the big teams are worried about leaving him open. Just look at Arsenal, they had two of the best CBs in the world doubled up on him because of the threat he poses. He doesn't pose as much of a creative, playmaking threat as an Mbappe or Kane, so he is regarded as lesser.

Who did i think of when you said ruthless striker? Long hair Torres

These videos really are brilliant. funny, well researched and informative. Well done.

I mostly abstain from criticising a player based on how the team plays or the instructions from the manager, this is one of such examples

His technique on the ball can look awkward but has provided some great assists for City too. He's just going through a dip in form, missing some chances he'd usually score. Credit must also go to Arsenal for absolutely shutting him down when he did receive the ball also.

Love u bro, great episode, keep it up champ 🥰

Keane has personal beef with the Hålands that explain his remarks, but even if he didn’t he really shouldn’t be leading the agenda. Really good analysis though. Before the FA Cup semi final can you do one on Mark Robins’ Coventry side?

This is man One of ur great vids and commentary on a player and giving proof to others ;] Nice job and also yeah he is in a system but still he has to go and do more and more Especially in Real Madrids match

In any case haaland has improved his general play massively since last season he has also become a magnet of sorts because of last season the Bournemouth luton games showed that his on the ball movement and passing are getting really good but against opposition who obsess over him so hard it just becomes impossible to him to do what he does

Haaland is a League 2 quality striker that the other 19 PL team would take in an instant... Esp his beloved team Man Utd.

I love it. You’re absolutely right, there is an under appreciated art of staying off the radar and living disciplined and knowing your part in the grand scheme of things and it’s people that don’t want to be honest with themselves who react like this because they live in fear.

It's definitely not "only now" lol. There was plenty of talk about it last year and even before he joined city. The difference is that then the retort was "but muh goals" and you really couldn't press the issue.

I heard Pep would go ballistic if you dont do what you're told. EH is just doing what he is told. Also, I heard that Pep cares about longevity of his players' health and would manage the player's load.

No, many of us were saying that Haaland doesn't provide much more than finishing the many chances that his team provides. Even last season. This is a belief that I've had since watching Ajax batter Dortmund a few seasons ago.

As a city fan so many teams worry about him due to last season and it gives other players chances to score. And KDB is back so Haaland has someone to feed him actually good passes

Let's have a test, can the best league 2 striker have Haaland's stats if they were ro play in City?

I'm an Arsenal fan and it's clear as day that Haaland is an incredible striker, I understand where people are coming from with him lacking in technical ability compared to other CFs but I can't think of a team that wouldn't take him.

Finally, a sensible view on Haaland’s contribution in games against strong teams with limited space. His main role is to occupy the 2 central defenders to provide space for Silva, Foden, KDB and Rodri etc. It’s not hard to see or understand, happens every time. How did Silva find so much time and space to score 2 against Real Madrid in the CL last season? As with Arsenal recently, the defenders were entirely focused on keeping Haaland quiet, as was the plan. Worked like a charm, yet everyone complained about how invisible he was… Ridiculous really. Thanks for this! Haaland would likely score more goals for a team that played more direct, as a Liverpool fan I would imagine he would have scored multiple hat tricks in recent weeks with all the chances created and missed…

Excellent video. My favourite football analysis channel

Agreed, it’s his job to hold the other team in a certain position until the ball is closer to the goal area.

Haaland has the best minutes per goal ratio of any player to compete in the champions league scoring on an average of every 64 minutes, fastest player to 10,20 and 30 Champion league goals most of these broken before joining city, Quickest and youngest player to reach 50 goals in Bundesliga history, broke the epl top scoring record for 1 season in his first season Ronaldo: Minutes per goal or assist at 21 was 156. Messi: Minutes per goal or assist at 21 was 103. At 22 Messi had 92 goals and 46 assists in 200 games while Haaland had 187 goals and 44 assists in 236 games He offers a lot more the tap ins and if scoring them was so easy every striker would do it Haaland has played most of his career in weaker teams compared to Barca and Man United playing with the like of Durtmund until he joined city This dude can reach any heights

People nowadays critique the individual who gives the take instead of critiquing the take itself . You did such a good job of this. Haaland is the best striker in the world. They will soon learn to fear the Norwegian. CTID!

I agree with this. Haaland just isn't tasked with the general play, which has seemingly been forgotten by many all of a sudden. And his role is important, as he bullies the opponent''s defense and just is intimidating by just existing in the area, not because he is just killing everyone with brexit tackes, but because of the possibilities in which if the defense do leave space for him to freely play, he kinda just scores them. This is mostly due to opponents now knowing how to play against City than Haaland's "inability" because of tactics Pep is using after Haaland did arrive to City.

I just subscribed to your channel in hour ago,i am so happy with this new video

My mind went to March 1984... but then to Haaland.

Great analysis as usual Adam. Haaland is the best striker in the World no doubt. What Roy Keane fails to undertstand is that good teams like Arsenal have now worked out how to restrict players like De Byrune & Rodri from feeding the ball to Haaland hence it that game he looked redundant. That was a tactical masterclass by Arteta and i think he learnt a lot from the Porto defensive structure on how the whole back four stick together in a narrow formation. Hence restricting room for Haaland to maneuver.

Spot on. I think his dip in performance is a combination of teams forming their defense to make life hard for him and maybe he's getting in his own head a bit, but that's purely my gut-feeling speculation.

Ruthless striker: Aguero. Best finisher: Son.

People's expectations have risen for Haaland because of the amount of goals he's scored last season. These results are not always going to happen, and you dont expect him to score 30 goals a season, do you? Try to score 30 goals a season, its not easy.

AGUEROOO. Most Hatricks in Premier league history ever , and best gaol per minute ratio ever .

thank you for making this video. People show they didn’t watch haaland before he joined the prem when they criticize him for not helping out in the open play. They all act as if he’s incapable of a single pass or control of the ball

0:56 the mentioning of this important fact gained my subscription

The ruthless striker I thought of was Jermain Defoe.

Haaland is a significant threat to all teams, and that is why most teams we have faced this season have tried to play narrowly to limit the chances going up to him. Also, most teams try to 'quiet' him down by closing him down with at least two players to defend against him. However, as you have pointed out in the video, that opens up a tactical opportunity for Guardiola since he can hope that they use two players to defend against him and leave spaces to be exploited and ironically, Haaland can get chances to score based on that!!

We often see sport commentators make such uninformed comments on players, and to see that Roy is the person making them breaks my heart everytime. Maybe his is doing it for thr reactions from social media like it inspired this video, it this is the case then he is doing well.

I still don't see why when Haaland is standing in between the two centre backs they can't just either play one to feet or over the top for him to take on the turn and get a decent shot off. Just in the photos that were shown in the video there were numerous chances they could do that and he'd probably score from it

Couple of questions to consider: Has Pep changed the formation & tactics of the team compared to last season? Yes. - Has the team lost any GA from last season? Yes. 45GA gone with Mahrez & Gundo and at least 1/2 of KDB's 41GA gone as he was out this season. - How much GA did City bring in to replace the loss of GA in the summer? 25GA total across Gvardiol, Kova, Doku and Nunes which = a 62% net loss in GA season over season. - Are the aforementioned the sole reason why Haaland is looking mediocre relative to last season? Absolutely not. He has spurned many chances, but to say it falls squarely on him would be just as untrue as it would be say that it is due to the discussed changes in the team season over season. I think it is a combo of Haaland AND the changes in the squad personnel and respective massive GA loss that was not properly addressed by CIty board along with Pep changing formations and player positions. Using walker in the attack as a wingback has been a failure as he offers little in the attack at the expense of his defensive prowess, and yet Pep has continued to do this, as an example.

It looks like people didn't even know what he did in Germany and Austria - while still at RB Salzburg, he was the first teen in history to score goals in five consecutive CL matches. He scored against the likes of Napoli and Liverpool, strong defensive sides from some of the best leagues in the world. At Dortmund, he won the golden boot in CL, against top sides, he single-handedly beat PSG in Dortmund's 2-1 win at home that season. So, he was amazing against top teams at Salzburg, which are nowhere near a world-class team, he wreaked havoc on defenses while at Dortmund, also against top sides, but Dortmund were and are nowhere near City levels. And, yet, people said he would be useless in the PL because he wasn't that level of player. When his first season beat records left and right, the same folks attributed his goals and success to an overall dominant City side. It's absolutely ridiculous, Keane is talking out of his arse, this is likely due to his ancient beef with Haaland's father. Erling is an incredible player, and has been for many years, and regardless of which team or competition he joins. Blaming him for Pep putting him into a much more passive number 9 role is just stupid. Oh, I almost forgot; Haaland score nine (!!!) goals in a single match in the U20 WC, an unmatched feat in the history of the sport. Clearly, all the hallmarks of a League 2 player.

I thought of Son when you talked about ruthless strikers. He may mostly be a winger, but he outperforms his xG by more than any other player most seasons. Also, now I want a donut.

Ruthless striker: Vangelis Pavlidis. He converts some crazy shots. Fantastic finisher

One point is that City scored a lot more PL goals in season before Haaland and probably this one so maybe the cunning plan isn't actually the best one? 🤔

Damn, I can listen to this guy for hours ❤️‍🔥

Very good content, mind-blowing when it's analysed properly like you did, how excellent Haaland and his team and coach are!

It's like having Desean Jackson on the field and just his mere presence forces the defense to have to have a safety over the top of him freeing up the lower part of the field in the NFL. (insert Randy Moss or Tyreek Hill as well). Haaland attracts so much attention it frees up others and then when they finally get marked it frees up haaland.

Always awesome analysis.

You are so right. In the begining I was thinking wth are he doing. Why he always run another way to let his team mate kick that ball in instead. And why he play like this. But after a few game I understand it's Pep tactic. To use Halaand to take all attention away so they can create space for Fooden, Alvarez and Bernardo etc score.

Yes he can improve his defending but no one is noticing the fact that the service he is receiving has reduced so much compared to last year.

This Haaland's general game play debate is exactly the reason i appreciate strikers like Benzema, Harry Kane and Nuñez (this season).

There are some times when I wonder if City's procurement of Haaland had a touch "evil takeover" to it. Like, "Haaland my not fit our system of play entirely, but better have him locked up with us than having him play against us with some potential competing team".

I so enjoy your commentary

I can't wait for Chelsea vs man united analysis

Teams literally have 2 or even 3 players glued to his area nearly the entire game. They dont even need to risk the pass to him.

Felt like it was a problem with tactics rather than Haaland. They got some play in wide areas but what does that matter if every cross that came from that was completely shut down by Saliba/Gabriel. Haaland couldn't get into the game at all and didn't even have a chance of scoring. Pep should have changed up his gameplan after 60-70 minutes of nothing versus Arsenal's defense.

The fact a ruthless player like him has the mentality and discipline to play a role for the team instead of being all about himself and looking good speaks volumes about him. Elite mentally, elite mentality and an elite baller. He was injured for about 10 games and he’s still the top scorer in the league.

Keane is an old school pundit who doesn't understand the modern game and its new tactics along with Chris Sutton, Don Hutchinson and the majority of the Talk Sports clowns

That's so right and so overlooked - Haaland is perceived as such a threat that he effectively gives City a man advantage for much of the game.

The space opened up by haaland attacked by ball carriers like grealish doku and gvardiol seemed to have been the plan. My question is why doesn’t haaland then drop off a little after the space has been attacked? Too many times have we seen city attacks crumbling due to the fact that they allow no space whatsoever for the opposition, which in turn also kills off any space for city themselves to exploit

I had an argument with my friend about Haaland. I said he isn't as affective as he could be at City (yes I know he's bagged mental amount of goals last season). But my point was, with his pace, power and all round quality, he would he more effective in a side like Liverpool who play at frightening pace with the ball played in behind. And because City don't play that way, he does look like he's not doing much in most games unless he scores.

Michael Cox aka Zonal Marking whilst watching a screamer scored in a non league football match once said that the difference between them and the top leagues isn't their quality but the consistency in which they achieve such moments.

Haaland is the best out and out Striker in the World, one the best 4-5 players in the world currently, Roy Keane has been, is , and will be an attention w*ore who'll say anything he knows isn't true but will insight outrage to get himself attention cause he is incapable of actually providing anything of real value as a pundit. Nuff said Arsenal fan btw

For some stupid reason, I thought this was well understood. City's system is very specific. They use Haaland to pin back the defence. He would happily get involved but Pep will be furious LOL

I feel part of it is technically he is not as good on the ball as the team around him, where he was closer to his team at Dortmund for example, and so Pep wants to keep the ball so hes not going to use him in build up because he would lose it more often than everyone else. I still think its pretty fair to say hes not an all around striker like Kane or Lewandowski but definitely still a fantastic striker in his own like.

Great vid mate, from a Gooner no less

Poor haaland getting so much grief for being in a team that plays against all his strengths and still scoring loads of goals

Thierry Henry Also Great video I love donuts

Great analysis 👍 👏

I’m an arsenal fan and immediately thought of Son when Adam mentioned a clinical finisher

I think Haaland should focus on dropping more often as if he is doubled he would open up spaces for others. He used to do that during dormund counters. Maybe pep should allow him to play his game.

Very nice video. Keep it real

Most ruthless striker, my mind went instantly to Sonny.

I already knew this and have been telling people whenever people have criticised this aspect of his game. My real problem with him is he’s anonymous in big games

I think and hope he isn't too bothered by what pundits think let alone Keano who seems to have slipped from his 'but what trophies has he won' judgement. Maybe Keano is thinking of ballon d'Or. I can't even imagine what star football players think or feel but I hope he is trusting his close friends colleagues and primarily a very successful manager to bring him as much success as he dreams off.

I love how the pundit we are all left referring to likely couldn’t put in a better performance in his prime in such position

Jelevic had a season at Everton were he couldnt stop scoring. The next season, he couldn't get a goal to save his life. Sometimes it happens

I wanna see the Haaland vs Chris Wood stats

Thats what i am saying! Haaland at Dortmund was so much fun to watch

Well he did win a treble with a manager who I guess seems to know what's he's about. I would trust the process guys.

I think Haaland is just a striker machine and that’s all he really needs to be. He’s strong, fast, and clinical. He doesn’t need to touch the ball 40-50 times a game. I think Pep has got too many weapons to really utilize him like that since everyone can score on that team. I personally think Nunez used to be like that but Klopps made him play in a way that benefits the team for when the goals just don’t come.

By far the best football content on RU-vid. Thank you for this simple reasonably obvious video that clarifies reality that these fraud pundits misrepresent.

Was hard to concentrate on what you were saying because I was so distracted by your shirt... still can decide if this outfit doesn't quite come off or if you're a fashion genius.

How have you not made a video on arsenals defence i would really be interested in that

Spot on. very measured take. I think Pep is right--how quick people forget

I thought of Son when you said ruthless striker. Admittedly only recently playing as a striker, but imo the definition of lethal and clinical.

I can say with confidence this is all on Pep's style of managing, he doesn't want them to pass to Haaland, it's clear.

He’s a league two player in terms of being an attractive dude, but he’s clearly one of the best finishers and most ruthless goal scorers around.

You are spot on bro

Great video! Helps me realise that no, I am not going insane, everyone else is.

So was he hopeless in the Bundesliga when he scored millions of goals? The PL is allowing centre backs to constantly wrestle with Haaland to prevent him getting into the positions he wants to. This happened particularly against Arsenal last weekend. It really is about time that ref's stopped thinking that football matches are all- in wrestling. From the clips I have seen, Bundesliga ref.s are not so lenient with defenders.

Ruthless striker? None other than Luis Suarez. He was a different beast.