Was I Right About Erling Haaland?

Erling Haaland came off before extra-time against Real Madrid after failing to make an impact in the 180 minutes of the tie.
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[@RoryJenningsFootball]

Weird as it sounds…Do you think Haaland is costing Man City?

[@Me-gs3uu]

Rory, attackers these days benefit from defenders being utter shit, and goalkeepers literally passing them through on goal. The fact of the matter is that modern football doesn't value footballers that can actually play football. Akinfenwa said it best. If Haaland was playing in the previous era, he wouldn't have even scored HALF of the goals he did last season. Players like Haaland, Salah and Rashford are Volume players, NOT FINISHERS, they need 10 chances to score 2. The Art of Finishing has fully died.

[@viktormettler7508]

It was a mistake to start Grealish over Doku

[@Me-gs3uu]

@@viktormettler7508 That is just stupid. Doku is a horrible footballer. Easily the worst player in City's squad.

[@Adade999]

Nope. The team isn't helping him. It even gets worse when Foden plays because he never looks at Haaland. Prioritises trying to create goals for himself unlike KDB. Another reason is that Pep is not telling the team to find him. He prefers passing sideways all over the pitch

[@not2busy]

Personally I think it's City's insistence in keeping possession, keeping the ball for as long as possible in order to breakdown a defence that is their main problem. They spend far too much time doing that and it gives the defenders time to regroup. So when facing Man City, many teams have adopted a defensive wall and swift counter-attack strategy. Keep the game close and they have a chance. And this season, many opponents have succeeded in scoring this way. They do not hesitate to take a shot and go for a deflection, rebound, handball, keeper mistake or even just straight in. City want perfection. You rarely see them engaged in a running attack. It may start out that way, but at some point the attacker stops, waits for his teammates to arrive and then the passing around can begin. Erling is basically there to attract defenders towards himself and to head the ball if it ever comes his way.

[@alexedwards9152]

He’s literally the opposite of Darwin Nunez lol. Elite finisher but doesn’t contribute much else. Darwin is a defenders nightmare but can’t finish to save his life.

[@click8708]

If those two have a DBZ fusion then it would be the perfect attacker lol

[@user-bp1be1yg2h]

Elite finisher who broke the record for most big chances missed

[@ralphyz2437]

This is bang on correct.

[@lxCIRCUSDOGSNPX]

​@@user-bp1be1yg2h Also broke the record for most goals scored, what's your point?

[@kwanman5146]

@@click8708 Isak? Imagine him at Liverpool or Man City?

[@EisernRob]

Let it go Rory. You said he wouldn’t score more than 15. You were wrong. Accept it.

[@Salibascored]

He goes missing in every big game, needs to be studied

[@CristanioPeweyyy]

Every big game? False, go into his career and you will see he shown up in multiple big games.

[@hellohi1445]

Every big games is not right. He has shown up in multiple occasion. This season he’s barely shown up tho. This is a poor season for him.

[@MajorMango28]

​@@hellohi1445bro name a big game... not a match winner a season reliant game where you needed him. I'll wait

[@hellohi1445]

@@MajorMango28 4-1 arsenal. 1st vs 2nd where he absolutely dominated arsenal. Link up play, G/A etc. he did everything that game.

[@camerontoy9119]

@@hellohi1445 The game where rob holding was starting centre back? Interesting.......

[@Moorend_]

in my opinion Haaland isn't a great technical footballer, he is just a great finisher and all of his attributes feed into that

[@Me-gs3uu]

He is not even a great finisher. That is a myth. He is a volume player like Salah. Aguero, Cole, Fowler, Wright, Van Nistelroy, RVP. Those guys are finishers Haaland and Salah are volume players that are the focal points of very creative teams over the years

[@RM360CR]

What....? 1st if you are good footballer you are good all around with your feet your head your dribbling your Iq haaland is lacking in some of those.... so technical what?

[@click8708]

@@Me-gs3uu Cristiano Ronaldo and Mbappe are also volume players but they have so much more in their skillsets to swing a match despite taking way more shots than virtually any other player. But Haaland is 23, not even in his prime yet and still has 2-3 years before he reaches said prime and he has about 150 more goals than Cr7 in 60 or so less games at the same age so he is doing just fine in terms of numbers. Either he is like Wayne Rooney and is peaking early or Haaland is going to be the top scorer of all time by miles if he stays healthy, the only other player that really compares to Haalands goalscoring abilities is Ronaldo fenomeno, not even Messi comes close (100 goals behind Haaland at the same age despite Haaland playing less) If you are scoring 150 more goals than CRISTIANO RONALDO in 60 less games then no one should be doubting how good you are, especially since he is playing in Europe and not American Samoa or something. Hopefully Haaland can live up to his numbers so far because it would be phenomenal to see.

[@darreltan1694]

​@@click8708flawed comparison. What makes CR7 so special is his longevity. He didn't develop into a full on goalscorer till he joined Madrid, so naturally his goalscoring stats at that age aren't spectacular.

[@JoesSmirkingRevenge]

@@Me-gs3uuNot even true, last years stats prove it, its only post injury hes been so off in conversion

[@ReizoM]

I really think Erling is subconsciously no longer hungry, Alvarez is the more complete player

[@Model_Roe]

He doe snot have that elite mentality he is not a warrior if anything Haaland comes across kinda lazy him asking to com off last night was hilarious to me I was like tired form what bruh? LOL Haaland does absolutely nothing every game except looking confused

[@mattlloyd-davies9993]

but funnily enough Alvarez ghosts today when all I need him to do is get 1 shot on target for me to win my bet haha

[@nkosanamakhubela2586]

😂😂😂😂

[@datboidiego9164]

Does anyone else find it funny how Rory criticizes Haaland for not showing up in the big games, yet he claims that City would be better off with Kane who is literally known for not showing up on the big occasions and being a notorious trophy dodger

[@magik410]

This is the opinion of a hurt arsenal fan. Congrats to you and the rest of the mugs liking your comment 👏🏾

[@user-bp1be1yg2h]

Kane schooled arsenal at the Emirates though. A lot of the dangerous runs made by musiala and sané came from kane playing them in. He had a mediocre game at the allianz though.

[@MinisterManDan]

Kane played for a team that needed him to be Superman to ever win anything because it was flawed. Haaland just needs to be Clark Kent in a big game for City to win and he turns into Jimmy Olsen. If you wanna see someone score 6 goals by himself in FA cup game or Carabou Cup game against a league one side, Haaland is your man. If it’s a game that matters, you’re better off playing someone else and leaving him at home because he’ll shit himself.

[@user-rt7sp1nt7i]

A very jaundiced comment about Kane . Kane is a wonderful footballer who doesn't choke in big games. Haaland is supposed to be a best poacher but who fails other ingredients to be a top forward. Kane is as good as they come

[@Naveen-rl1jv]

Harry Kane is a better overall footballer than haaland tho. He would fit citys play style more

[@CFC_44]

I think he doesn’t suit their style of play. He is a big strong forward who probably would play better in a more direct style of play. Last season it was all about get the ball to him, this time round he does look slightly lost. Pep’s style was adjusted last season which got them over the line in the CL, but this season, it hasn’t happened.

[@IceValley388]

2nd season always drops off, we saw it with salah. Teams double up and generally have more idea of how to play against him

[@enkalon333]

Yeah, he was never gonna score 50 plus again. Plus he is only 23

[@KMD-qj1qc]

These people are so delusional comparing albeit a world class striker in Kane to a never before seen freak like Haaland 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

[@rodrigofernandezmattos1583]

dominant, and yet RM were ahead during 116 minutes out of 210 over both legs while City only managed 18 minutes. City are inefficient, and when you look at the stats in relative terms, RM were superior both offensively and defensively .

[@keithharding9575]

He just doesnt suit citys style of play. Still scores goals for fun but not when needed

[@Model_Roe]

which kinda defeats the purpose I mean youre paying him millions of dollars a year to breathe air? Make it make sense

[@Brandon-nq7ys]

This is how much people hate City. A single game Haaland goes without scoring a goal it's front page news

[@Model_Roe]

@@Brandon-nq7ys he has gone several games without scoring not to mention he is not a big game player that is why people are making fun of Haaland and clowining him saying he is trash its not just a one off incident its several games now this dude has not been delivering not to mention he is getting paid millions of dollars it looks like to breather because every game he gives absolutley nothing respectfully and if youre a fan of his sorry he is starting to look like a joke

[@ashhabchoudhury7352]

Ppl say city dominated but only led the tie for less than 20 mins and the team that got dominated led the tie for over 100 mins. Over 2 legs

[@gabrielguerrero3404]

And that’s why you don’t go with stats…just watch the games and you’ll see why your comment is stupid

[@CheeseyMilkshakes]

Haaland is a 2000s forward in the 2020s imo, only works in one system

[@bernard2658]

Very true

[@Jomgg]

It wasn’t long ago that people were comparing him to mbappe 🤣🤦‍♂️

[@joelhume]

2000s Elite forwards like Van Nistelrooy or Samuel Eto'o (to name just two) had a lot more technical ability to play in tight spaces than Haaland does.

[@CP-sp1zl]

Played for 4 clubs and scored a goal a game at every club, but yeah works in one system 🙄

[@CheeseyMilkshakes]

@@CP-sp1zl ur mum sells cat litter to elderly gentleman

[@adilimaturlu8431]

This sounds very much like an English bias. Harry Kane wouldn’t necessarily be better at city but offer a different dynamic. What Haaland done last season is historical. First season and he’s not only shattered records but won a treble. And he’s still amongst the top 3 goalscorers in the league this season. Not only is Halaand struggling, so are city. I’m a United fan through and through, but I see the English bias a lot in the British media when it comes to foreign players in this league.

[@ThatBlackGuy1616]

The man isn’t a Pep style player! If anything, he’d flourish more under Klopp than Pep! He’s not technical, he’s incredibly athletic and a solid finisher. He’s more of a volume finisher that needs to keep getting chances to score goals

[@hair6789]

he wouldnt work in klopps system either though lmao

[@ThatBlackGuy1616]

@@hair6789 he could do exactly what Darwin does except better. I don’t see why he wouldn’t work in Klopp system. It’s more direct, it’s high intensity which suits a runner like Haaland, the only thing that could hold him back is that a lot of the production comes from wide and the center forward is more of a facilitator for the wide attack but at the same time I think he would still be able to feast on the crosses into the box and the chances that Salah and Diaz would create

[@liamobrien8538]

@@ThatBlackGuy1616 I agree with that. That pace and size leading a Jurgen Klopp line would be insane.

[@alexwarren9730]

@@liamobrien8538 klopp is leaving in the summer id you didnt know already...

[@Kaizerchiefable]

But why Haaland scored 36 goals in the PL last year and won every important trophy under Pep when he Is not a Pep player? Your take is empty wannabe blabla

[@flynngoodwo]

Rory Jenny is an embarrassment

[@R3FU3D]

As for the infamous Haaland prediction. Amazing how wrong Rory was and correct he was at the same time. No one will ever achieve that level of delusion & accuracy simultaneously again.

[@ammonia309]

He was only wrong statistically lol. But his sentiment wad correct

[@hellohi1445]

@@ammonia309 no he was literally wrong in every single way. Man City are literally the current treble winners and current UCL winners. Haaland was a clear catalyst to that. One stinky season doesn’t change that.

[@ActiveArron]

Or his eye test was right and in the long term was proven right … and everyone else too stat obsessed these days

[@Publius_Enigma]

Even in that "stinky" season Haaland is currently the favourite for a golden boot in pl​@@hellohi1445

[@MOH_AL_K]

Real Madrid were the only team to retain the champions league in the past 30 years or something like that. Certain people keep predicting that certain teams will retain it like it’s easy.

[@eavyeavy2864]

Easy with bribing ref

[@MOH_AL_K]

@@eavyeavy2864 the only people that make up stuff about Real Madrid and Refs are Barca fans who wanna cover up the fact that their club got exposed bribing refs like Negreira !

[@kuromori6200]

@@eavyeavy2864 We're talking about Real Madrid, not Barcelona.

[@daysleeper3910]

I have a maybe unpopular opinion. I think the rest of the team dont want to make it "The Erling Haaland Show". Ive seen them 'overlook' obvious goalscoring opportunities in favour of setting up a more 'team oriented' player. I will freely admit I only watched the highlights of the most recent game, but I would say that this dip in form is not something he is doing 'wrong'.

[@davidrudie3462]

Haaland does have room to develop his hold up play. He’s only 23 and he has never even had to really use those skills until this season. City is playing differently this season, he’s not getting nearly as many quality chances in open space. He will adapt, but their style of play this year has gotten stale, and they are not playing to one of their best players strengths. Great teams like Real Madrid know how to adjust and handle him. City deserved to lose because they were out coached. And City needs to bounce back next year. Haaland has had a dip, let’s not overreact, it was bound to happen this is football. It will be interesting to see how he responds, as well as the rest of the team.

[@Me-gs3uu]

Attackers these days benefit from defenders being utter shit, and goalkeepers literally passing them through on goal. The fact of the matter is that modern football doesn't value footballers that can actually play football. Akinfenwa said it best. If Haaland was playing in the previous era, he wouldn't have even scored HALF of the goals he did last season. Players like Haaland, Salah and Rashford are Volume players, NOT FINISHERS, they need 10 chances to score 2. The Art of Finishing has fully died. You won't see any PROPER finishers like Aguero, Andy Cole and Robbie Fowler anymore

[@CristanioPeweyyy]

52 goals last season, Haaland is a FINISHER!!

[@hair6789]

did you just compare two wingers to a striker? anyways

[@Me-gs3uu]

@@CristanioPeweyyyyou just showcased why you don’t have a clue about finishing. Nice one 👍

[@Me-gs3uu]

@@hair6789There are all strikers. Modern football trying to redefine what a winger is. And you’re missing my points. They are not finishers. They are volume players given ample chances and opportunities to score a goal. And they are playing in the WORST era of defenders and goalkeepers.

[@not2busy]

Yes, Erling has not been as prolific as in the past, but you also have to see how many times he is actually getting the ball. This season, you've rarely seen the kind of passes that were made to him in the past, like the one that Cancelo sent for the winning goal against Dortmund, or the one that Jack sent him for that bicycle-kick goal. He was so much more open those days and received a lot of passes from De Bryne, often on the run. But this season, City seem to want to get closer to the goal. They pass, endlessly, all around the wall to try and find an opening. If you watch the replay of these games, you have to wait a long time before you hear Erling's name mentioned as receiving the ball, and often it is in congested space. A couple of games ago, I think it was Bernardo who had a break and running towards the goal. Erling was on the side in a good shooting position but no pass came his way. Last season, that was a given. Personally I have the idea that Erling grabbed too much attention last season, from a team filled with established and rising superstars. I think Pep has been trying to keep the peace ever since. Maybe that's why Pep publicly, and on camera, openly chastised him after he had scored 2 goals in the first half of a game. But as usual, it's a combination of things. The style of play is one thing and I think he has become frustrated with the long periods of waiting for the ball. But I also think that his being snubbed for the Ballon d'Or after having had such an incredible season has affected his eagerness. Anyway, way more than my 2 cents worth but you already knew this was coming.

[@Boy_Cry_Wolf.]

Blah blah blah I thought you made a little sense until you mentioned the balon dor

[@not2busy]

@@Boy_Cry_Wolf. I guess it depends on how much worth you give it. He had accumulated a number of awards but all of the greats have won that one. So I imagine he would really have wanted it. But to me, this award is just a popularity contest, nothing more. I just thought with a season like that, he would have automatically received it, but . . . .

[@Boy_Cry_Wolf.]

@@not2busy after Messi won the World Cup? He would be dreaming if he thought he will beat Messi to any award

[@not2busy]

@@Boy_Cry_Wolf. I think if Messi hadn't finally won the world cup, the award was Haaland's.

[@lilnutty6821]

Messi should not have won that award at all. He wasn't even the best player for Argentina

[@toddzilla7423]

He isnt getting as many chances as last year. And i think part of it is on him and some is just the emergence of Phil Foden and Man Citys overall teamwork which spreads the ball around to everyone. Haaland is still a Top 3 striker in the world and will be a beast for years to come.

[@Easy_Now_Star]

First season wins the treble, that could have potentially been his downfall, as the novelty may have worn off.

[@lico2076]

It kind of shocked me when I realised that Haaland and his father truly believed that he should have won the last ballon d'or.

[@Takkks]

Bobby Firmino is the polar opposite of Erling Haaland. Contributes all to the game, but he gave the goals to Salah and Mané.

[@Young_Brumm15]

Haaland is a great striker of the football, and is a physical specimen in terms of conditioning. However, Haaland's biggest flaws are that he is not a player that can break you down in the dribble, creating chances for himself, and that he needs an elite level passer to get him into good spaces to score. That's also why Haaland will never be better than Mbappe to me personally, because Mbappe is not only an elite scored of the football, but also is a good creative dribbler that can find spaces on the pitch to give himself the best opportunities to score, and he is a quick player, who can burn past elite defenders, which Haaland cannot. Also, Haaland has Thierry Henry syndrome when it comes to big moments (no shade to Henry as a player, because he's better/more talented than Haaland will ever be), where he falls short and doesn't provide goals when it matters most, like the Champions League Semi-final last season and this season, and Final last season. Haaland only provides goals, and when his goal scoring gets stiffled, he doesn't provide any other positives to the match, unlike Henry, who was, at least ,a great passer of the ball besides his goal scoring, and could get his teammates into great positions to score.

[@vine191]

I listened to 2.5 minutes Rory and you can’t disguise it mate…. you are happy city got beat and you are still trying to dismiss Halland…simple as that bud.. City got beat because they missed a couple of pens, nothing more mysterious than that… no need for any clever descriptions or tedious amounts of data… they missed a couple of pens… had they won on pens , which is a toss of the coin, you wouldn’t have got a chance pour out your grief, but why not just try and get a life man…😊😊

[@efun8334]

Yeah Liverpool “could easily have won” the finals against Real Madrid 2 years ago but we all know that’s not how football works. Nearly doesn’t count and history has no place for runners up

[@HarryCessford]

the man city hate is absolutely mental. The only way to stop halland is to sit in ur own box and triple mark in. It’s absolutely insane they lost a game on penalties that they never looked like losing and ur trying to blame haaland. Mental

[@dylanbrzozowski9092]

Totally agree

[@dannyduggan4324]

You weren't right because he scored 50+ and won a treble. Whether he is ideallt suited to the system city play is another conversation. The drop off is because Gundogan and Mahrez have been replaced by Doku and Kovacic who are miles off their levels, and Grealish isnt as good this season.

[@dejan9005]

Rory, Manchester City only had the lead of the match for 18 minutes, out of 210. Real Madrid held the lead for 116 minutes. Having possesion of the ball does not equal being dominant. Real Madrid knew what they wanted and how to get it, so they did.

[@LilDanCP]

I take your points about Haalands all around game but the reality is, when Haaland is being ‘pocketed’ by those elite defenders, they aren’t defending anyone else. Haaland is such a presence and such a threat that he HAS to be marked, 100%. This opens the door to the other sensational footballers they have around him to flourish. Foden doesn’t get the time and room without Haaland. KDB doesn’t get the time and room without Haaland. Doku doesn’t get the 1v1s without Haaland. His mere presence is enough to occupy 2 centre halves and irrespective of his personal performance, Man City are a far more threatening side with him in it.

[@epicfootball123]

Haaland this season has lost confidence since city are not playing to his strengths.Although his game is down he has scored almost over 30 goals

[@samholt9177]

Haaland this season has been figured out and shut down by a lot of teams

[@sophomorehat]

I actually agreed with your hot take last season. I thought you underestimated his final goal tally, but you were right when you said the league needs to be respected and one player doesn't just come in and make a mockery of the entire thing.

[@youtubebanme7179]

He is winning the golden boot again mate. Get a life

[@sophomorehat]

@@youtubebanme7179 Yes 21 goals so far, very impressive. How many of them are against the top 6 teams again? I'll give you a clue, you can count them on one hand and you won't even need your pinkie. How many in the UCL knockouts? I'll give you another clue, remember that pinkie you aren't using? You can use it now. Winning a golden boot because you pad your stats against relegation fodder doesn't make you elite. No doubt he's a good player but people act like he doing to British football what Messi and Ronaldo did in Spain and it just isn't happening mate.

[@alistaircampbell2129]

I just don't think Haaland is big game player, same as Kane. Great goalscorers, grab you 30 a season without breaking a sweat. Put them in the thick of it, they fluff their lines. Haaland is a box player, he needs a Dennis Bergkamp type player with him. Pulling defenders away and making space for him to run in. KDB needs to be up top with him playing as a No.10. Attacking midfielders and No.10s are two players. City need to play faster as well, tippy tappy around the box isn't scoring them goals. 4-4-2, like the old Arsenal system. They need a strong, powerful box to box midfielder to compliment Rodri. Doku wide left, Rodri middle with a Gundogun replacement, Grealish wide right. This time I'd give Grealish the free reign to drive the ball to the by-line and cut it back across the face of goal. I'd have Haaland up top with KDB as a No. 10, someone who can play silky and guarantee you a perfect lay-off every time. You could argue Grealish is better suited as a No 10, he's the silky/sexy side of the game. But I don't think he's the brain to ghost around, drag defenders out of position and play that killer ball every time. He's better driving at defences as he can take a man on the inside and the outside. City need to re-invent themselves if they want to get back to the top of European football.

[@free7816]

Haaland is the same person that people says without him City would won and he can only score goals. If he scored goals he is suffering if he doesn't he is suffering. I don't think Haaland will be this quite he is just tired and a little bit of frustration last season was soo a tiring season for City, for me , for them to still compete I respect them a lot so if Haaland is not doing well is the whole team that's not doing well. And I know next season will be different

[@mrhussain9008]

Brilliantly done.

[@andrepiper]

Amazing you have revived this narrative. Let's see if Haaland will regain confidence, dude just having a dip.

[@James-hates-VAR]

What is this video 😂 the purpose, the quality, the waffle 😂

[@chimporila]

Haaland is not a very participative player, but he is a great player. The games he plays well are practically identical to the games he doesn't when it comes to participating, the difference are the goals scored. His job is to score goals and that's the metric, not build-up plays or anything, and in that metric he's doing considerable below average compared to what he's been doing in the last seasons. His style of play suits a counter-attacking strategy the best I suppose, and City are not very big on that, but it worked out last season because he is very good at finishing and was very composed and collected. I think what is going on recently is: he's not as calm as before, he's rushing and sometimes it feels like he's nervous and the quality that kept him vital to the team despite not suiting his play style is no longer there.

[@danielnysterud9605]

I think the biggest problem here is haaland style of play dosent suit Man City. Haaland with more space is World class. When halaand has no space like he has in man city. He struggles. The lack of quality service is a problem without kdb. Haaland also dosent use his strenght enougth. Or run more in the box. I think alot of this is down to pep guardiola for using halaand as an tap in merchant and a magnet for defenders. Dortmund haaland was more versitale and more all around type of player. I simply thinks Man City is not the rigth Club for him. If he wants to score more goals and of Higher quality and be more involevd. He has to leave the Man city for his own career.

[@maazshaikh9688]

I bet if City had bought Kane instead of Haaland they would have been twice successful as they are today. Kane reads the game beautifully, he creates chances if needed. Haaland on the other hand is a fantastic finisher who is CURRENTLY void of confidence. Roy Keane was spot on, his link up play is not that of a world class player.

[@famousmortimer7933]

How could they possibly be 2x as successful if they just won a treble? 🤡😂🤡

[@drep9028]

So are we going to be contradicting as well. Some people say Pep only wins because he has everything he needs. Same people say that Haaland isn't what he needs and it handicaps him😂

[@TacitusKilgore165]

Wed have won two trebles and be about to win a third 🤡​@famousmortimer7933

[@Rezashah21235]

Well during the euros Haaland should train with Benzema and learn how to play off the ball. It’s appalling that he doesn’t contribute anything when he’s not through on goal. A player like him should learn other aspects of the game. And pep should bench him unless he improves that. It’ll be better for his career.

[@MCFCTheMadHatter]

I think what Rory and most people who go for the low hanging fruit of criticism miss is the root problem at City this season which has had a deleterious effect on both the defense and attack: Pep's absurdly high line and his inability/refusal to adapt it like he did last season City defenders are all the same from last season and yet their defensive record has fallen off a cliff. Did they all just drop tremendously in unison over the summer and then have continued that poor form all season? Highly unlikely. What else has changed since last season? Pep's tactics. He has gone from a flat back 4 in some games where he wanted to be more defensively sound and then inverting Stones in other games where he thought he could be more aggressive to effectively playing CBs as wingbacks AND always inverting one of the CBs in the middle (Stones or Akanji). He has done this in every game regardless of the competition and as a result of not having the correct players to execute a proper wingback system, City give away amazing counter attacking chances to EVERY team they play. He has also pushed the 2 CBs so that 1 is inverted and nearly always above the 1/2 way line while the other is in or around the 1/2 line which also allows opposition teams plenty of space to put a ball over the top through the middle and be in on goal. The results of this idiotic positioning has been catastrophic relative to City's historic defenses. We have conceded more goals this season with 6 games left in the season than the entirety of each of the last 3 PL seasons; we rank as the worst defense against counter attacks in the league; we have the fewest clean sheets in the PL this season compared to the past 3 full seasons. Every team we have played from Luton Town to Copenhagen to LFC to Palace to Real Madrid have all gotten numerous chances on the counter, mostly down are flanks and yet Pep persists with this. It is the very definition of insanity. As per Haaland, Pep's high line combined with the lazy slow buildup play creates more issues and most affect Haaland. By condensing the amount of space the opposition has with such a high line, it then limits the space Haaland operate it. Combine that with CIty's slow buildup and almost near refusal to pass to Haaland when he does make runs in the box, and City have taken Haaland out of the game save for headers which are more easily defended against, especially in a low block. Why? The slow buildup play allows all team defenses the time to reset and since City wont pass the ball to Haaland if he breaks the lines, they have all the time they need to rest their shape and crowd out the box. We saw this to great effect with Real Madrid. In the Madrid game 2nd leg, the combo of City's high line and slow buildup along with great marking by Rudiger made Haaland nearly ineffectual while at the same time, giving Real the opportunity for great chances to score on counter attacks down the flanks, which they took full advantage of. Again, Pep refused to modify his tactics. The lack of space in the box due to City's slow buildup play not only negatively affected Haaland, but made it very difficult for the rest of the attack to create any solid scoring chances, let alone convert. Thankfully, Doku's chaos was enough to get something, but again, it didn't matter bc the damage had been done with the high line in conceding 4 goals across 2 legs. Perhaps had Pep modified his line to be a bit lower, like he did all last season, maybe RM would not have been able to score the 4 goals? Maybe had Pep instructed the players to quicken the buildup play, especially when the chance for a thur ball to Haaland etc presented itself, City would've score more instead of slowing down the game when the players were in quick transition only to pass back and then allow RM to reset. Yes Haaland deserves criticism. 100% But to say that it is all on him and overlook what has been the one constant and the root problem for the team so far as I can tell would be shortsighted. Love Pep, but it is like everything he should've learned last season in adapting his tactics by winning the treble went right out the window this season and he has since reverted to type: doing what he wants to do even in the face of overwhelming evidence which unequivocally shows that the tradeoff that accompanies the high line simply is not worth it. I think if City lose the league, Pep is at fault for his recalcitrant & intractable positions for not adapting his tactics when even a blind person can see this problems his high line creates.

[@terryli1783]

Nothing is wrong with him he’s just not having a superhuman season that broke records. He’s doing exactly what pep is telling him to do which is to sit in front do the defenders and occupy at least 2 cb’s

[@comedychannels]

The only man a Fila tracksuit top makes him look like he mixes paints at B & Q.

[@jamnewt7338]

This is why I laugh at people who would take Haaland over Kane.

[@danielvaega]

Rory knows ball .

[@leestevenson1236]

Funny how no one is mentioning how quiet Fodden was, talk about no description!

[@tomekkaminski2677]

Just like no one is speaking out loud that araujo is to blame for Barcelona blunder

[@richarddcrossley]

It’s funny really as all the things you highlighted he doesn’t do is what was levelled at Lukaku at Manchester United and Chelsea. His scoring record was actually pretty good at most clubs but give me a whole host of players who scored less but did more at both clubs.

[@gislelien7600]

I always go to Rory before I need to sleep. cannot simply sleep without my «Rory fix» 😅 Even though the content is biased😂 Keep em´ coming back for more Rory !

[@viktormettler7508]

Rory you are hoping something is wrong 😂

[@GabrielJuca]

Honestly, City should cut their losses and sell Haaland if there is a decent offer. The Harry Kane counterfactual was spot on, Rory.

[@tf2368]

They are playing with 10 players

[@hadyahmed7148]

I suggest you watch the games again if you think that City was dominating for 3 out of 4 quarters , outside of dominating means have more possession which is meaningless .

[@broccolibeater]

erling worked in his first season fine. but its obvious that its not a great place for a striker, man city that is. they have the ball and their opponents stand deep. there are strikers that fall back a little more and are better in combination play. it was obvious from the start that he chose the wrong team. there is a reason why pep hasnt played with a real number 9 for yrs. erling needs space and city is maybe the one team that doesnt give him that. he should have chosen any other prem side or in fact real madrid, they like these attacks..

[@chancencube]

I agree with you, I don't think Halaand is good enough, last season he didn't score or assist in any semi finals or finals that city played in, Halaand is a finisher not an all round good player

[@doncarlo4576]

City are and liverpool are just only doing what bayern and Real madrid do always and thats be favorites everyyear , back to back finals, the pressure is insane

[@nelsoncarvalho6338]

Sounds like the complaints about Ronaldo after Ten became manager. I agree that if Halland isn't scoring he brings less to the game than Ronaldo, Messi, Mbappe, etc, but when Halland is in form he's unstoppable so he covers his faults problem is he massively out of form right now and hurts more than he helps

[@shaneodwyer6132]

The City style doesn't suit him at all, he relies on space to run into

[@mizayek4986]

Man city didn't play in the entire match at all, no offensive game no good shots from outside the area as well as from inside, it was very weird like they wanted to fail , it was for me like they were with the idea to lose the match, i'm a fan of premier league and city in every single match really play very well even if they lose, there is no way for me that madrid could beat them unless they made an agreement 😮

[@lefthandlee]

Haha what are you on about haha,modern day football glory hunter fan who knows f all about football

[@lefthandlee]

An city are the most boring team I've ever seen

[@Leonmanc]

I hear you spot on 👌🏾

[@larryjohnston5995]

Haaland is a good finisher but city's system doesn't often suit his qualities.

[@kingjames1101]

Nothing has changed with the way he plays? Ever since Keane called him out now it’s the popular thing to do. Outside of goals he’s never offered anything.

[@marquinho999]

Haaland was so catastrophic last night!

[@alexariton8063]

i have to admit that disclaimer at the beginning prevented an angry comment from me😭

[@pedromegashit9999]

Haaland isn’t as complete as Kane but he could still become elite. He’s at a rough stage in his career where he needs to adapt to a different system and that’s affected his finishing. It’s a shame because Pep is always trying new tactics but Haaland isn’t versatile

[@lefthandlee]

He scored 50 goals last season He adapted straight away it was a new team bounce, hes a crap footballer it was obvious

[@laurasands8322]

Saw a comment calling him the Norwegian Andy Carroll.

[@zakarichapman3426]

He’s still scored more than 15 goals this season so no you’re still wrong Rory

[@ActiveArron]

Everyone is so stat obsessed that it makes us question our own eye test sometimes

[@capitalismisfun]

NOTE: Mbappé and Haaland haven’t scored more than fifty goals this season, so no one can say if one or another is doing better.

[@VIVIHESS]

Mbappé is above.

[@mr_j9207]

@@VIVIHESS Mbappe is better overall than Haaland wrt his attributes, however he hasnt done anything of note with PSG in his 7year tenure(PSG were winning Ligue 1 even before his arrival). He has also been poor in important matches in UCL. He was good in WC, but in a double horse powered French team.

[@user-qz8gy8jm5b]

If - over the length of a season - one says all opposing things at least once, YES, then one must be right with something. A reason to be proud of and make an extra video about? Didn't think so either.

[@clinton2935]

Meanwhile rory is about to ginx himself as erling haaland goes might go and score a hatrick tonight🤣🤣🤦‍♂️

[@jellyhead8107]

He just ain’t a big game player. Not on drogba level

[@famousmortimer7933]

Drogba was dookie

[@liamanderson6191]

Did anyone watch last nights game or is everyone going for clicks, he didn’t even play bad yesterday his link Up play was fine until Madrid sat deeper and no one was passing him the ball

[@gabrielguerrero3404]

The guy is about to win 2 golden boots in a row at 23 lol so needless to say no you weren’t right. I find it funny when people immediately go to numbers when it comes to talking crap about haaland because that instantly tells me they don’t watch man city games. Haaland is so obviously given instructions to not get involved in anything else by pep other than goal scoring and people won’t get that if they don’t watch games

[@peterndungu6743]

TBH I think Harry Kane will be remembered more than Haaland even though he doesn't win any trophy....

[@user-bz4zn3xw7k]

U r looking very 80's footy hooligan today. Lol

[@SeekrofTruth25]

Rudiger, Saliba, Gabriel, Van Dijk, Nacho ones of these seems out of place 🤔🤣

[@wynandvanzyl9820]

He is still young, he will get better.

[@cameronhirtle7316]

He is just a pure finisher. And that is supposed to be his role in City. And no Rory, you don't get to be right after one tough season for Haaland. You said he was going to flop, and he was incredible in his first season and won the damn treble. You don't get to swing this one back around, you lost the argument last season.

[@leojagawaga6481]

Update Two weeks later from this video Haaland scores 5 Goals ! Rory is a legend always My go too for his predictions which are guaranteed to be the opposite

[@AWF_93]

Always said I was a lot more nervous about city signing Kane than haaland. Kane in that city team would be scary

[@tomekkaminski2677]

They are still scary

[@AWF_93]

@@tomekkaminski2677 I meant Kane within the city team, think he’d score similar to haaland and add assists for others. Obviously city are still a top team

[@samburnscomposer]

I mean for a supposed bad season he’s still on for a golden boot

[@user-yc3zp3le1b]

Can we do a “ the problem with Rory Jennings?” Next

[@danielturner7213]

Tbh yesterday in the 2nd half haaland wasn't getting good service. In the first leg against madrid he didn't get service at all

[@jamesriley3041]

Fully agree your bang on

[@nkahrachid4851]

Haaland in his down side now. Never saw this coming from Haaland. What the hell not Nacho

[@CFCMAMO1]

This pompous pom is a top tier troller.

[@-_Blitz_-]

The Norwegian Andy Carroll

[@travelingbostonian]

Rory come on. 56 goals in 61 apps. Probably not time to take a victory lap on this one yet.

[@tonybutler2942]

The question is are Manchester City better without him due to tactics? Answer, no they won the treble last year… he was probably the missing link

[@pallavivardeborkar5004]

i am a city fan and trust me on this halland is just having a bad season and i personally think its cause city as a whole is having a bad season with respect to our previous seasons cause we lost key players but i do belive with erling getting a nice vacation during euros and returning fully rejuvinated he will take over the pl and ucl again next season

[@leojagawaga6481]

Pep Blew It Your the coach if the players say I want taken out You say No ! we need you now to shoot Penalties Now I Don’t get it ? Real Madrid already had players picked for penalties before the game started

[@Samuel-qe9lj]

Kane would work better with MC… passing and distribution

[@ricoj8448]

Tap in merchant, look at his goal map, its 95 percent from 5 yards or closer

[@KarlSkorger]

Lol Alvarez is wayyy better

[@marenjajo8621]

It's the style he's not suiting... counter will suit him