Erling Haaland

Birdy

Senior Member
Typical game from him, scored but general play is meh.

Can't hate on that kinda natural ability to score goals though.

There is nothing natural in being served on the platter chances of xG>0.4 week in, week out by the best oiled chance-generating machine in the world.
Yeah, he converts those, but should he really take credit because he converts huge chances?

I know, the common response that those chances are generated by his movement.
But LOL
Look at that assist by De Bruine tonight. It's 100 on him, not even 99%

(mind you Horatio:
I still have him captain of my Fantasy team. Because like I said last week: he will score a lot
That doesn't mean he makes City any better. He takes away a lot of things)
 

Temptation

Well-known member
There is nothing natural in being served on the platter chances of xG>0.4 week in, week out by the best oiled chance-generating machine in the world.
Yeah, he converts those, but should he really take credit because he converts huge chances?

I know, the common response that those chances are generated by his movement.
But LOL
Look at that assist by De Bruine tonight. It's 100 on him, not even 99%

(mind you Horatio:
I still have him captain of my Fantasy team. Because like I said last week: he will score a lot
That doesn't mean he makes City any better. He takes away a lot of things)

The thing is: Very few players in the world can score so consistently. If you put a good striker like Jesus upfront for City he isn't getting Haaland numbers, is he??
 

Birdy

Senior Member
The thing is: Very few players in the world can score so consistently. If you put a good striker like Jesus upfront for City he isn't getting Haaland numbers, is he??

Yes
But Jesus does things Haaland can't do: in receiving the ball, linking up and assisting, playing on the wing if necessary.
Jesus is more all-rounded.

Man, I am afraid Pep made a mistake similar to Ibra with this transfer
 

Temptation

Well-known member
Yes
But Jesus does things Haaland can't do: in receiving the ball, linking up and assisting, playing on the wing if necessary.
Jesus is more all-rounded.

Man, I am afraid Pep made a mistake similar to Ibra with this transfer

That's true but City have many players to do that Jesus role and bring the things he'll bring in one way or another. But now they have a fox in the box. And that is something no one in the City squad can do.

Many players in City can do the false 9 hardworking player thing Jesus can do.

Great goalscorers are very rare in World Football. Scoring goals isn't as easy as Haaland makes it look.
 

Birdy

Senior Member
That's true but City have many players to do that Jesus role and bring the things he'll bring in one way or another. But now they have a fox in the box. And that is something no one in the City squad can do.

Many players in City can do the false 9 hardworking player thing Jesus can do.

Great goalscorers are very rare in World Football. Scoring goals isn't as easy as Haaland makes it look.

But there are these games against top sides that you need all 10 outfield players to contribute to link-up, coming short and creating, defending and pressuring intensively etc

City hasn't played yet against top-6 in England or the corresponding top-6 in Europe. I am expecting to see them in those games.
If in the end Haaland makes them thrash better the mid and lower EPL and European sides (something they were already doing pretty well), but fails to give them the edge or makes them worse against top sides,
then the transfer is a failed one for me
 

Temptation

Well-known member
But there are these games against top sides that you need all 10 outfield players to contribute to link-up, coming short and creating, defending and pressuring intensively etc

City hasn't played yet against top-6 in England or the corresponding top-6 in Europe. I am expecting to see them in those games.
If in the end Haaland makes them thrash better the mid and lower EPL and European sides (something they were already doing pretty well), but fails to give them the edge or makes them worse against top sides,
then the transfer is a failed one for me

Yes there are. So far City haven't had to play such games.

City have probably had the easiest fixture list so far.
 

Co0ter

Senior Member
But there are these games against top sides that you need all 10 outfield players to contribute to link-up, coming short and creating, defending and pressuring intensively etc

City hasn't played yet against top-6 in England or the corresponding top-6 in Europe. I am expecting to see them in those games.
If in the end Haaland makes them thrash better the mid and lower EPL and European sides (something they were already doing pretty well), but fails to give them the edge or makes them worse against top sides,
then the transfer is a failed one for me

He scored 15 goals in 13 games in the CL with Dortmund. Why would he not be able to do that with a far superior team in Man City?

Most successful teams in the past have that 9 in the box that commands multicoverage and can score out of nowhere. City hasnt had that until now, and they also have 0 CL.

They didn't need an all around creative, link up 9 like Jesus the last few seasons. They needed a proven, consistent goal scorer like Halaand. They had Silva, Foden, De Bruyne, Sterling, Mahrez and all these players creating chances but not that one guy who they looked for to bang them all in. They have that now and they are clear favorites to me for CL.
 

Fati_Future_BallonDor

Well-known member
There is nothing natural in being served on the platter chances of xG>0.4 week in, week out by the best oiled chance-generating machine in the world.
Yeah, he converts those, but should he really take credit because he converts huge chances?

I know, the common response that those chances are generated by his movement.
But LOL
Look at that assist by De Bruine tonight. It's 100 on him, not even 99%

(mind you Horatio:
I still have him captain of my Fantasy team. Because like I said last week: he will score a lot
That doesn't mean he makes City any better. He takes away a lot of things)

we will see in cl if is a improvement but we have often seen that city lacked the player who converts these huge chances...
 

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