We Need To Talk About Haaland.

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James Allcott content focuses on Premier League, Champions League, EFL Championship talking about Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool, Man City, Tottenham, Barcelona, England, Chelsea, Jurgen Klopp, Erik Ten Hag, Mikel Arteta, transfer news, tactical analysis and much more. James has made content with Mark Goldbridge from the United Stand, Rory Jennings, Ben Foster, Spencer FC, The Club, Thogden, JaackMaate, ESPN and many more.
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[@PoliAstroN]

I don’t think Haaland is bad, but I think his playstyle does not suit Man City. Kane’s playstyle is much better for City… Haaland would shine in a place like Real Madrid with their killer transitions.

[@carlosbarton763]

How fast fans have forgotten Dortmund Haaland 😳

[@Cornwall1888]

He shines for city, he pretty much averages a goal a game

[@thetruth4654]

@@AthaillahS I mean that is blatantly false, Haaland`s movement creates space for his team mates, regardless of wheter Haaland scores or not, he is man marked by 1-2 defenders. Mbappe prefers to play on the left(Vini and Rodrygo are both best on the left) so honestly Mbappe doesn`t fit Madrid at all in any other way then helping Madrid`s global brand by having Mbappe, Haaland fits way better into Madrid`s current set up.

[@SemmeralddynamicsBaammy]

​@AthaillahS That's a lie and exactly what the original comment was saying, that the City system doesn't fit him, and he sacrificed freedom for goals.

[@gabrielsierra6344]

@@AthaillahSwouldn’t it be the other way around? Madrid literally have no number 9, and before you say Mbappe to play as it…he himself complained about playing in the middle

[@kristiankongen7117]

People just have memory loss and live in the now. 4 months ago everyone was saying "he is just another poacher", or "he just scores tap ins" to mock people that claimed what people are saying about Haaland now. He is out of form, like all players are now and then. He start scoring like mad again, and scoring worldie goals, then suddenly he is the GOAT etc etc. Everything is exaggerated. He is out of form right now, thats it.

[@droppenheimer1]

Some things don't have nothing to do with the form, but you need a bigger brain to know that.

[@isahamilton01]

@@droppenheimer1such a rude way to respond, keep it to yourself

[@PLC11]

That’s not it though. We can sit here and say he’s a world class goal scorer and in the same breath same he’s not a world class overall player. Period. Simple as that. His overall game has never been great. There’s other strikers who are considered worse than him that actually do more on the pitch. Take Nunez for a second. Most big chances misses and yet if you watch him play vs Haaland, Nunez does more, is more of a complete player. The misses are bad don’t get me wrong and he’s no where near Haaland level when it comes to that 1 specific aspect.

[@mymemories925]

Van nistelrooy clone is spot on😂

[@MM-nn8mj]

Agree, Like the media's fucking OBSESSION(!) with telling us Bellingham is Scholes/Xavi/Pirlo/Zidane/Modric/Pele/Maradona all rolled into one! last 2 games and the 'harder' England games have showed he is miles, literally miles, off being a very top player. He shows flashes of high quality, and has had a purple patch earlier in the season at Real (remember, vs teams with 8,000 crowds and budgets of a bottom Championship/top league 1 team) where he was also left top be the spearhead and not have to work that hard. Hopefully he will be tat player, but it'll take years yet for him to regularly be 'the' man to run games at the very top level in top Champions League and the very top (rare in international football!) England matches at semi/final stages

[@gabrielguerrero3404]

Does anyone remember zlatan saying “you don’t buy a Ferrari to drive it like a fiat” he was referring to pep buying him and then proceeding to use him in a way that was not gonna take advantage of his abilities and that’s exactly what is happening with haaland. Why buy players that can do extraordinary things like his goal last season vs BVB when you’re gonna pass the opposition to death?

[@emilauriel7505]

You said it! I don't believe that Guardiola style of play is optimal. If he had switched between different styles City would have been harder to read. I remember when Guardiola was in Bayern....the team was better before he took over. To all the people that talk down Haaland you should look at him when he was at Dortmund and when he first arrived at City cause he was playing much better. I don't think he enjoy playing at City now, but Haaland is loyal so he would never critise Guardiola. I hope he leaves them in the summer and join a team where they don't have a manager that need to control every aspect of the game. Guardiola is a control freak and even his tactics are great he could have done better if his players had a bit more freedom.

[@T0MMYMATTH3WS]

And Zlatan knows from experience

[@Foo-oo-oo-oolsGold89]

You must be sniffing glue ffs. He just scored another goal at the weekend and is chasing yet another title. This is ridiculous bullshit 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@cy_pher03]

English media is ridiculous. A young striker who broke the PL goal record last year in his first season is in a bad form right now (still leading PL goal scorer table) and therefore called a bad player. Are you guys mad? He is a very specific type of striker and struggles right now, as any players does in his career multiple times. He did incredible things last season, give him time and he will be able to do it again but dont expect him to score 60 goals every season

[@eternalchamp3882]

with respect to halaand there's at least 10-15 other strikers in the world who would out perform him if they played striker for city given how solid city is these past few years. Furthermore, he scores most his goals with weak ass teams while in MOST BIG matches he is no where to be found.

[@spinyslasher6586]

The problem is that he's overhyped. He never deserved to win the Ballon D'Or or even be in the contention for one.

[@EverydayOrdeals]

City create a crap ton of chances, if you have to judge sterling, mahrez, jesus, judge by what they are doing now, not what they did with City. City always cross back post, and most of the time it's KDB when he has the space.

[@eternalchamp3882]

@@spinyslasher6586 exactly People were comparing him to ronaldo and messi which is absolutely ridicolous and completely delusional. Not only that but he is no where near mbappe's quality like they are aeons appart. And people seem to forget Mbappe was a shot away from winning ballon d'or. The only reason he didn't is because he lost the world cup final, final in which he scored a hat trick btw. Im not gonna say Messi didn't deserve it because in my opinion messi is the most amazing footballer in the history of football (and im a real madrid fan so not exactly a messi lover but i cant deny his qualities) HOWEVER Mbappe certainly had solid arguments to win it meanwhile halland was like "BuT Me ScOrEs MaNy GoAlS herp derp", again with weak ass teams.

[@tise7709]

@@spinyslasher6586well beither the last 8 ballon d’or edition winners except modric

[@yousefbhacker8160]

The fact that people are even having this debate is wild to me. There are so many examples of Haaland bringing in his teammates with clever touches, passes, and runs. Just look at last season when they thrashed Arsenal 4-1. Players go in and out of form and tactics change game by game. Haaland is elite, next conversation please.

[@carlosbarton763]

This should be the end of the discussion indeed, but so many only hear what they want to hear

[@lildawg1685]

Bro Iswr to God. How the hell is this even a conversation. Football fans are such haters wtf

[@howitlookps54k]

He is bum just like his dad, soon will be forgotten lad. Ha ha ha haaland, Haaland => bumdesliga soon

[@cerotic2353]

@@lildawg1685 I actually think the worst fanbase in the word is football fans, don you agree? I didnt watch football in the past solely for those disgusting immature fans lmao.

[@niranjanrajesh1058]

no, that was last season when arsenal played a SUICIDALLY high line. This season tho, arsenal played a low block. so did real. And he did fuck all against them. You literally take one example, soo one dimensional. Youre the problem with the so called football analysts, you call everyone else idiots while sitting here shitting on them because of one example of him doing well against a high line

[@thetruth4654]

Haaland is a good footballer, yes he has had a slight downturn this season, This season is the first "bad season in Haaland`s career." This is the first season in his career where Haaland hasn`t met or exceeded his expected goals.

[@lenl860]

For people who doubt him and say he isn't world class, he is the top scorer in the league and broke the record last year while playing for a team which is not at all fitting with his game. If he went to liverpool or he goes to madrid he will show that fast paced scoring machine we were used to at BVB

[@carlosbarton763]

Well said

[@callumbigz27]

I find this whole narrative around Haaland right now a bit strange, how many of the greatest forwards of all time would be able to thrive surrounded by bodies in a deep block with minimal service? Also, how many were analysed in a way to focus on their overall game…you could name any forward and state that they’d be average in other positions, well obviously they’re forwards and don’t have the profiles to play elsewhere. It’s the same for haaland, with his profile if you provide him with a lot of service and good chances he will score the majority, it seemed like city catered more to that in his first season but have drifted away from that as you mentioned in the vid.

[@almightysantana6979]

Bro set his own bar too high lol

[@Jefstito]

I feel like this is what life is post “Messi-Cristiano”… people think that the best forward in the world should be able to do it all and/or carry the ball for the team; they dont know how insane it was that those guys did that (Cristiano being a best in all forms of finishing, and Messi being able to act as playmaker and then finish the plays). Haaland is amazing and it comes to reason that if he is not in top form and a good team closes down his play, he’ll struggle. Same thing happened to Shevchenko, to Drogba, to Inzaghi… Kids nowadays expect him to carry matches like the Goats and it doesnt work that way

[@DillaryHuff]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the arguments against Haaland these days seem to suggest that he's being serviced, but he just isn't good enough to make use of that service. I personally think the lack of service is part of the role that he's been assigned by Pep, but I get the impression that the majority of fans don't see it that way.

[@Jefstito]

@@DillaryHuff if thats the view, I find it surprising. Its not like Haaland got plenty of good balls in decent positions and mess it up. He barely managed to get involved at all, and Pep has definitely a role there, just like how Luis Enrique messed up Mbappe’s ability in the first leg against Barcelona leaving him alone on the left wing. People expect Haaland to do “something” when the team is unable to find him without actually having any clue what that “something” is or if its something Haaland can even do. Haaland is struggling, sure, but it would be insane to me that people dont see that a huge part of the problem is, like you described it, a “lack of service”. I agree with you 100%

[@otto_jk]

Getting outscored by McTominay in the Euro qualifiers and not getting to the Euros already disqualified Haaland from the ballon dor in my opinion

[@maxderdax6117]

Everyone was outscored by McTominay including Mbappe

[@otto_jk]

@@maxderdax6117 Mbappe scored two more goals than Mctominay, wtf are you talking about?

[@SemmeralddynamicsBaammy]

He played way less games than McTominay and Mbappe.

[@beastfootball1782]

​@@otto_jkhojlund scored more than mctominay Doesnt mean anything 🤷‍♂️

[@beastfootball1782]

​@@otto_jkmctominay scored more than gyrokes, who is the best striker rn in the world

[@AlexeiRamotar]

Haaland is a great finisher and everyone knows it, especially Madrid. Pep Guardiola is a genius, but taking off Haaland was a mistake, imo. When Haaland came off it was so much easier for Madrid to defend. They redeployed Nacho to help Carvajal (and then Militao) to shut down Doku. After Haaland came off Doku became ineffective. And Haaland couldn't have been tired, he barely did any running, and he would definitely be a penalty taker. It was a strange decision.

[@Hans8341]

A friend of mine told me during the post match interview, Pep said that it was Haaland himself wanted to be subbed off. I myself haven't seen the postmatch videos yet.

[@manniking233]

I personally believe Foden was not decisive or ruthless. Hot take here, but I would have taken Foden off and put Alvarez as one of the free 8s to box crash with Haaland staying upfront for a few minutes longer. I believe City would have scored in that short stretch from an Alvarez strike and won the tie before Haaland getting tired would really be a problem. Then, take him off.

[@JobHans]

I don't think haaland was tired at all, I just think he thought that nothing would happen through him and wanting to go off himself​@@manniking233

[@JLE0195]

Reminds me of a clip where Thierry Henry describes his own growth as a Striker. He said he would diversify his runs based on who he'd receive the ball from because Pires, Bergkamp, Viera, Ljungberg, etc. had varying abilities to find him in certain spaces. This is where Haaland can develop his game, but I wonder how much freedom Pep gives him to move around the pitch. If he HAS to stay in position, then Pep needs to provide other squad players capable of finding him. Joao Cancelo is fantastic, can play RB or inverted LB, but sent to Barca...

[@stanettiels7367]

I remember that interview.

[@DillaryHuff]

Isn't that just one of Henry's many "tips for Haaland"? 😅I'd be surprised if Henry ever watched Haaland before he made his transfer to Man City. His name is being dragged through the mud with how he's being utilized these days - partly because he hasn't been performing that well, but also because he's become accustomed to not having much involvement in matches. People are quick to forget what someone did in the past when it's easier to draw conclusions from what they can observe right now, and right now, Haaland is not a runner, he's not a finisher, he's not a passer.. he's basically just a glorified decoy for Man City. And I don't think that's his fault, but it is the reality of his current situation.

[@jfree672]

here is my hot take: its not haaland, its the position. strikers cant be the best player in the world anymore, they dont do enough. even if you score 40 goals, you have plenty of wingers scoring 30 with way more assists plus way more involvment in the game. the game has developed and haaland is doing his job as a striker but when years ago wingers were there to basically get the ball to their striker, they have become so good with players like vini, salah, mbappe that they just also sore a ton of goals like strikers. also striker depend on their teammates doing things for them while wingers can create more on their own because you can always get a ball to your winger on the side but it is hard to get the ball to your striker.

[@mehulsingla6539]

I see you, and raise you one kylian mbappe

[@Tomas1999Benfica]

The trend started with that Benzema Ronaldo situation. Benzema was there to create space not to score. At that same type i still think that a prototype of striker like Agüero or Suarez can be lethal in a Guardiola system

[@gr3saeyend]

@@mehulsingla6539mbappe aint a striker hes a lw forced to play there on occasion but when u see mbappe at his self sufficient work u see it at lw

[@joaovitorcamargo7165]

He will be a ST now tbh in Real.​@@gr3saeyend

[@fahim6898]

Haaland isn’t the type of forward that’d work in a pep system that controls possession. Haalands best attributes are running into space/running in behind. For a person of his stature, he’s not as physical or as much of a target player. Someone like Boniface would be much better suited to this Pep team, doesn’t mind getting physical, technically good and can link up play as a target player if needed, as we’ve seen this season where he’s links play well with Wirtz and Hofmann

[@Ryan-nj6ln]

He is very reliant on his physicality tho; you see him shoving people a lot. I mean if your 6'5 and weigh almost 200lbs, who in their right mind would not try to get physical. It's just that he isn't as creative cus pep's system sucks for a striker and limits their individuality; for example, Zlatan.

[@fpldirectory6753]

It's something you only see watching the games in person - Haaland is constantly held by 'physical' defenders like Rudiger, Gabriel etc Doesn't win fouls very often as the referees look at the size of him, so it's unpunished to hold him all game

[@Daddy_Parrot]

Heavy suspicion on how Pep has been asking him to play lately... Remember his debut season ? His movement and awareness off the ball were world class, he was making the runs, getting the ball deeper in the field for active hold-up plays or even progressive runs. Now he mostly look like a sweet giant on a camping trip, waiting for good crosses. Yes KDB not being here at the start of the season might have had some influence on his performance but dont tell me that Foden or Bernado Silva were unable to create similar chances if Pep didnt actually ask them to fundamentally change the way they would handle attacking phases... So I hope Halland would quit being a good student and play with more instinct

[@niranjanrajesh1058]

Again you are missing the key point dude. Youre literally missing the ultimate difference. Last year other than a team like Burnley, no one played a true low block against city, even madrid last season in the first leg played a mid to low block, not a true low block. and he still did fuck all. This season arsenal and madrid have played deep, and haaland has played like a "League 2 player". I despise castigating footballers, but he was so, so bad. Unbearably bad. I cant have these excuses of creating space, coz if all you get from one of the best strikers in a big game is "creating some space for some dude" then you are in deep shit.

[@Daddy_Parrot]

@@niranjanrajesh1058 I completely agree with you that most teams changed their tactics to counter City, including defending in a low block, but there are several ways to beat said true low blocks. Only Pep chose the one he's the most familiar with and knows how to handle. So he had to make Haaland play a certain way, otherwise it wouldn't stick (at least in Pep's opinion). And coupling that to the fact that he's been objectively underperforming (missing chances he wouldnt have last season) and afraid to stray away from Pep's guidelines made things even worse. But then again, his attitude started to change around the games you've mentionned, he started to struggle through the semis and the final. And he carried that through the following season.

[@oscr6771]

Pretty inarguable that Kane is the best striker in the world at this point

[@kukunase1686]

Him and mbappe clear

[@kenrahhubchannel]

Folks out here acting like Kane has scored in any big game

[@dylandgb]

@@kenrahhubchannelevery game is a big game. They’re not friendlies 🤦‍♂️

[@user-hw5xh2yw5v]

​@@dylandgbevery game is a big game? So you're gonna pretend you don't understand what he means by "big games"? 😂😂😂😂

[@SemmeralddynamicsBaammy]

​@@dylandgb Then the same argument should be used for Haaland.

[@thierryhenry674]

Build up play has become more important in the modern game. Modern teams are more compact vertically. Which means the distance between their strikers and their defenders are closer. They defend with 11 players forming a block. Therefore, you need 11 creative players to break down that block. That’s why modern defenders and goalkeepers are required to be so much more technical on the ball. In the past, being a goal hanger isn’t that big of a trade off, because your team could still be able to create through a 4 men defence. But nowadays, you can’t afford to be one man down in the build up process because you are facing 11 defenders. This is why modern football has become more “TOTAL”. A striker’s job is not just finishing, but also defending and creating. Otherwise your team would be in a numerical disadvantage in the defensive/build up phase. The same applies to defenders and goalkeepers. Being “TOTAL” not only means you are not in a disadvantage in other phases, it allows more position swapping opportunities to break down those low blocks, hence more tactical flexibility. This is why serving the system has become so much more important in modern football.

[@ivanarthuraryee781]

While you've articulated your points well, I struggle to blame Haaland. Guardiola has set up the team to be the creators and he does the finishing. At Dortmund, he was heavily involved in build-up... even had a number of assists.

[@-kaza-8498]

Modern football is shit without soul, romantics and individuality #againstmodernfootball

[@lancerebo952]

@@-kaza-8498it’s doesn’t lack individuality. The average player and level of the sport has just increased. It’s harder to stand out. While I do believe CR7 and Messi would still shine today, there’s absolutely no way these two would put up anywhere near the amount of numbers if they played in the modern day EPL where teams are constantly pressing, very well structured, physical, and the level of play on average is much higher. The same goes for most leagues as well. Even Messi struggled in la Liga as seasons progressed. Is it because he was aging? Probably played a factor. But also you can’t forget that the overall competitiveness of the league increased. Playing a team like Bilbao wasn’t just a guaranteed 3-0 victory. It became much lower scoring, more defensive, and tactically challenging match. Same goes for all football. That’s why it seems like players lack individuality.

[@enockbanda4009]

​@@lancerebo952 It depends for Messi and CR7 are they in their respective clubs Madrid and Barcelona in that theory move to the epl. If so then yes they put up the same numbers. You need to realise that both players benefitted from the systems those clubs used. E.g Benzema drifting wide to create space for CR7 in the centre. Plus those 2 had they X factor. The ability to create something from scraps. We saw Messi carry the Ball from midfield and score, CR7 beating 2 to 3 defenders and scoring. Haaland can't do that man.

[@hashimrahman51]

Then why did City go for Haaland??? What a waste

[@LocalNoob_2]

us united fans call it "the graveyard shift" because every single one of our strikers in the last 15 years have experienced it Striker gets little to no service or good chances created for them,and when they don't score people like this zestfest come out and tell everybody how bad they are That's the equivalent of Sergio Ramos starting a game where He and his team lost 2-1 and saying he is a bad defender because they conceded those 2 goals?

[@robertp2577]

He has not scored as many goals this season as he did last because opposition defences are getting tighter to him or man marking him. He will learn from this and his game will improve because of this. He will learn how to find more space, pockets of play and creating opportunities to score himself. He is 23 years of age and has another 7 years before he peeks and hits his prime.

[@tomharrison6272]

He’s a great striker. In the truest sense of the word. But dare I say it, is Pep a bit bored of him? City play a lot slower in the UCL and value control above anything else. Haaland is lethal when he’s one on one and running at the goal but that requires a lot more transitional play - which Pep has no interest in. Against Madrid he got involved where he arguably ‘shouldn’t be’ precisely BECAUSE there’s no space to run into. Alvarez felt like a much better fit for City’s plan against Madrid game. The set up effectively asks Haaland to take every chance first time and outside of that… I don’t really know?

[@irishben860]

Suffering also like Messi and Ronaldo did, they were so good that anything less than excellence is considered poor and people got bored/used to his excellence very quick, e.g. he won premier league player of the year but they didn’t give him young player of the year even tho he was nominated

[@mamookik1081]

This is exactly why Zlatan failed at Barcelona and never got along with Pep. Pep’s style of play never suited an out and out striker.

[@001M19]

Zlatan didn't really fail though he was pretty good just that pep and him did not get along

[@jahmairtrott4635]

@@001M19 yeah like people tend to forget that ibra still had solid numbers and key goals during his time at barca it was just that as his relationship with pep deteriorated so did his playing time.

[@dest5218]

​Read his autobiography, he didn't fail but he practically said that himself. He said he was no longer Zlatan, he was just another player. Pep is incredible, but he does kill individuality​@@001M19

[@OldManYellsAtSpurs]

Viking Andy Carroll

[@ayaoviespoirdjissenou8729]

🤣🤣🤣this made my afternoon lol

[@mymemories925]

Ha ha😂😂😂

[@thecrimtrbune.4270]

Whats wrong with Andy Caroll...he was a perfect PL 9. He scored goals....you lot want everyone to be some sort of midfielder hybrid false 9 type player. There is nothing wrong with a 9 that gets the goals. Mandzukic, Ibra, etc. When will we acknowledge that Pep's system can marginalize the best of 9s?

[@jason-ym6bi]

⁠​⁠​⁠@@thecrimtrbune.4270Pep’s system marginalize a lot of style. Not a fan, never was.

[@stanettiels7367]

@@jason-ym6bi Same. Don’t enjoy watching City and didn’t enjoy watching Barća. It’s impressive but so boring to watch.

[@RainZe236]

As a united fan,hes not bad,hes having a normal striker season

[@Veilou24]

Somebody give Jimbo the rights for the videos because his analysis is top quality! And with still images only!

[@danielwhite7201]

Next level analysis! I can now impress my mates at the pub once again, thanks James.

[@archielingard]

Messi and Ronaldo really have skewed everyone’s opinion just because he hasn’t got the 50 or whatever goals he got last season doesn’t mean he’s bad he wasn’t brought in to link up play he was brought in to finish chances he’s still joint top scorer in the prem so I don’t get where all this has come from

[@giles815]

KDB and Walker don’t have too many years left. That’ll be a major transformation in style with how Man City have played under Pep. Will Pep even stick around for the rebuild or adjustment? Walker has been huge in defense and KDB is KDB

[@TheSarinaide]

Haaland's issues stem from Man City being overly reliant on going through the middle, all roads go through De Bruyne, Rodri, Foden. Man City getting rid of Palmer to sign Doku was the dumbest exchange in history. Doku may be an upgrade on Graelish but City have nothing from the flanks which takes out a lot of Haalands strengths.

[@fin5796]

When he came on Doku was one of our best on the pitch, everything was going through him from that point. Yes he needs polishing a bit but there is no way Palmer was gonna get the freedom he gets at Chelsea if he stayed and once again it was his choice to leave

[@Kamva-nm8bt]

Nah nah let’s not disrespect grealish here with Doku he is purely an impact player he comes on when the opposition right back is tired if Doku started he wouldn’t have been great Carvajal would’ve dealt with him properly stop the disrespect on jack he is a baller

[@NeilLewis77]

Palmer plays through the middle too. He isn't out on the wing with chalk on his boots whipping in great crosses.

[@itachix3460]

​@@Kamva-nm8btDid you watch city games? doku is a dribbling player, it doesn't matter if the player is tired or not, in many games he is a starter, he messes up the opponent's defense, Grelish is a game that stops the game more and gives it to the side

[@AshelyBarnes-no2tw]

Bro palmer been at city for years and know the system more than Doku ,next season doku will shine

[@daledadolphin]

he’ll bang in 30+ every season for basically his whole career and win loads of trophies… people just gotta get over themselves… he’s not messi and doesn’t need to be

[@king-footy]

true

[@pedropierre9594]

Its Pep, he will turn Haaland into a forward pressing bot if it means players like KDB and Foden get numerical advantage

[@Tigerheiress]

Lowkey

[@teemedias1470]

Haaland thrives only when Bernardo Silva on the field of play cause his gotta magical pass,for him to score but not with standing haaland fits Barcelona system of play more than real Madrid. He is a complete striker.

[@MrDrezzy007]

At dortmund he was a wildcard even coming into the middle but genius pep wants him to pin the two CBs so that foden and de bruyne shine. Despite all that he scored 50 goals last year but when it comes to the biggest games he's ineffective for obvious reasons.

[@georgennajiofor3826]

He scored against real Madrid, Arsenal, Liverpool and Arsenal last year What do u mean he doesn't turn up in Big games ?

[@hmi9910]

@@georgennajiofor3826Never scored vs Madrid, and was totally ineffective vs all his games vs Rudiger. Although he did get unlucky in the 4-0 as Courtois made 2 ridiculous saves

[@MrDrezzy007]

@georgennajiofor3826 three biggest matches last year vs united in the FA cup final, CL final and final game of the season vs astonvilla where they were 2-0 down. He was nonexistent all of them.

[@georgennajiofor3826]

@@MrDrezzy007 agreed Yet he was robbed that season by Messi

[@MrDrezzy007]

@georgennajiofor3826 No, Messi won ballon d'ors before even without winning a single meaningful trophy. What do you think happens when he wins the biggest and most prestigious trophy in football ?

[@InteristaS5]

He’s an amazing striker and he’s currently out of form. Nothing wrong with that and I think the conversation is a bit silly. People who say he’s washed are ridiculous

[@BenzBarkz]

He’s a very good striker going against an even better defender

[@PhilipH-bg2ih]

Would be interesting to look at the FB stats around defenders against Haaland this season compared to previous in PL. We always say that it takes analysts and tacticians a season or so to build up enough stats on a player new to the league to learn how to counter their threats…so are defenders winning more duels against Haaland? Does he have less space afforded to him? Is he having less touches, is he shooting closer/further to goal, being fouled more/less… Those stats (and I’m sure plenty others) would go some way to pointing to if this will continue next season or not….

[@safayathimel]

Haaland is great goal scorer but only thing missing holding up play, he can learn from benzama and Kane. He’s is very young , for him it’s achievable.

[@danielstefanovic2604]

Its no all on Haaland, the service this season hasnt been that good compared to last year.

[@carlosbarton763]

With how young Haaland still is, and what he's shown already in the last few years, not least before joining City, I'm certain he'll have a season akin to the one you're suggesting he needs James, he has plenty of time to win one B'd'Or, at least

[@jahmairtrott4635]

It's great seeing someone with knowledge of the game showing exactly what's going on with haaland and city. He's not the type of player that drops into the midfield to create things nor is he needed to in city's current team. He needs proper service and while like u said his movement off ball could be a little more dynamic and less predictable if he's not getting the service in the first place u can't blame him for that. Even the odd long ball over the top for him to chase after and use his pace and strength to latch on to could be useful for him but because of the way city play you'll almost never see that ball being played to him.

[@ivanarthuraryee781]

James, could you do a comparison video between Haaland at City and at Dortmund?

[@J_Tevo]

Madrid, for good portions of the 120 minutes had all 10 outfield players either in, or directly around the box. He’s completely crowded out, but has to stay central, in case a ball drops in those areas, to give other players space by occupying the CB’s, and just to provide a balance. But because his role right now is very much, ‘be the guy that keeps the opposition from moving up’, he’s getting slated. The guy is just doing what’s he’s told.

[@PLC11]

Oh stop. At some point you have to be unbiased and call him out for not performing. Haaland is a world class goal scorer but his overall game has never been great. Using that logic, why do people shit on TAA? He’s a midfielder who plays RB in a system that doesn’t play a traditional RB. Yet people want to spread nonsense about his defending etc. his job isn’t to defend.

[@Wraithynn]

@@PLC11a midfielder who plays RB? The man has been playing Rb since the beginning with LFC. Think a bit first before you spew nonsense.

[@buffcorrellfan738]

@@PLC11 I agree his overall game is not great and I dont think it will ever be that good. However, other than Kane, nobody in the world has finishing, power, speed, and movement as good as Haaland. Only Messi and Ronaldo could score like Haaland but also dribble and pass as good as anyone else in the world (also prime R9).

[@mavsworld1733]

So... That means he doesn't fit the system. Man City didnt score more last year with Haaland. They actually scored more the year before and let in less. This suggests that Haaland didn't improve the team. He didn't make them worse, but he wasnt an upgrade on what they were doing before. Im pretty sure that if you had put Kane in that same team they'd have scored more as a team. This is why i dont think he deserved the Balon d'or last year. Haaland is a great goal scorer, that doesn't make him great at all aspects of the game. It also doesn't mean hes the best possible player for city's system.

[@buffcorrellfan738]

@@mavsworld1733 they scored more but they couldnt win the champions league with that team. They needed a true number 9 to apply pressure and occupy the backline. It is not a coincidence that once they got Haaland, they won a treble. It really depends on what you think is the better city. If you think city plays better with a false 9 that gets involved more and the goals are more spread out then sure. I think the current city is not as beautiful but they win more trophies.

[@MrHenhen5]

Isn't it crazy how some people are saying haaland is genuinely bad when he's still got 31 goals in 39 games this season. Those stats are better than many many strikers will ever get. Just shows the levels he's set for himself

[@EnriqueBartulac]

Haaland needs to be able to adapt more. He is great and did good going from Dortmund to City in his first season but I think that was largely cause that season was served to him on a silver player (not to discredit his achievements that year). In general when the way the play around him changes in a way that isn’t suitable for him he has a hard time adapting.

[@HelgeKS]

Bring back Dortmund-Haaland. The guy who was allowed to roam free and caused havoc all over the pitch.

[@KnutJohannessen]

“If you drive a Ferrari, you put premium petrol in the tank, you hit the motorway and you step on the gas. Guardiola filled up with diesel and took a spin in the countryside. He should have bought a Fiat.” - Zlatan City’s got an incredibly strong, lighting fast striker with excellent movement and finishing…. but then never plays any of his runs, passes it sideways and complain about his link up… 🤷

[@fragtige4143]

Haaland is younger than foden… we’re talking about how much potential foden has (which he could be the best) but after a season where haaland broke the goal record in his first year and got second in the ballon d’or, we’re saying he’s bad and should be dropped by man city… it’s a combo of the english agenda and man city agenda. Haaland is significantly worse than he was last season but he’s top goal scorer still in the prem

[@morpheus_313]

The last games City, Arsenal and Liverpool lost have all the same pattern. All 3 teams have a specific style of play which they try to force at all cost. As soon as they face a well organised team that is ready to fight it all starts to crumble. If you then don't take the many chances you get you end up losing. I wouldn't even blame Haaland for this loss because he simply isn't that type of player that can decide a game on his own but City have many other players that are perfectly capable of doing so and yet they decided to pass the ball around the box and somehow carry it into the goal.

[@fordy423]

Didn't he win the CL and score 50 goals last season? Still didn't win the Ballon d'Or

[@eliosdoce4124]

UCL SEMIFINALS 0 GOALS 0 ASSIST UCL FINAL 0 GOALS 0 ASSIST UEFA SUPER CUP FINAL 0 GOALS 0 ASSIST WORST PLAYER ON THE PITCH.IF HE DOESNT SCORE A TAPIN GOAL HE IS THE WORST PLAYER ON THE PITCH.HE WILL NEVER WIN A BALLON DOR IN HIS LIFE. SIMPLE AS THAT.

[@akhsdenlew1861]

u expect them to give him ballon dor for scoring goals agaisnt louton, bredford and other useless PL teams? Or liepzig? Where was haaland against liverpool? against Real madrid? in UCL final? In the final against sevilla? Only irrelevant goals that were scored in order to STOMP already defeated opponents, never goals that made the difference.. On the other hand, the short one literally carried argentina in every single BIIIIIIIIIIG game. You kidding me?

[@bigburrito2373]

i firmly believe Haaland has a turning point in his career at some point and focuses on rounding out his skill set. i can only hope it happens before it's a necessity, bc if he still can make runs like that while he learns a shade of what made Ibrahimovic a dribbling menace or Giroud a legitimate playmaking genius, he can truly leave a defense w no good answers.

[@Growlizing]

Tbf, I think Pep wants him to stay glued to the CBs. Thats just how City wants to use Haaland in posession. While he is not as great as Jesus or Alvares at being a fascilitator, he is still pretty darn good at it.

[@Chris-zs6fd]

Hey James, it's Chris from the predictions video you did at the beginning of the season when I said "Haaland will struggle to score 20 goals this season". While I might not have been correct in my prediction, it's nice to see that you acknowledge I had a point!

[@MM-nn8mj]

I see your point about 'how is he supposed to get involved in link up lay?' - but the point is when he is touching the ball, often it's a heavy touch, pointless touch. He's just fast and strong and with a good finish. Actual 'footballing ability' is fairly average, and that's as obvious as it possibly can be.

[@limpa756]

It's simple, he's been figured out. He's a brute; managers got other big players and now that he can't bully people he can't break break through. It really wasn't hard, I said this last year and people laughed at me. Look at how much emphasis managers, pundits and other players have put on height all of a sudden if you don't believe me, they sound like girls swiping on tinder. I hope this trend cuts off eventually, I miss seeing nimble fast players that are actually good at football, not basketball players using their weight to break through defences to score tap ins.

[@momotheone9700]

Haaland is not bad striker, for his size i do not think hes a terrible footballer either, for me i think if he were in a team thats not so focused on posession and controlling game so much, he would look a lot more better than he looks its because a lot of the footballers around him are such good ball players in contrast to him, obviously i think there should be more to his game than what he has now, but i think later on,not only is haaland going to be a a great goalscorer, but also hes gonna be a decent footballer as well, remember this is his 2nd season from dortmund where counterattack and moments of brilliance was the order of the day, old habits die hard sometimes i think hes transitioning into not only a great striker which he is, but an awesome ball playing forward also. He is quick he does have the size, he does have a good read of the game, good movement, these are good attribute of a 23 year old that a coach can take and mold into a top player, while i think city is not the best team for what he is now, the player he can become or improve to be, is a different story and im glad hes at city now so he can learn an overall view of what he need to be as a striker, remember even cr7 was a bit raw at first didnt know where to fit on a side like man utd, he had to gain perspective and how he can influence a match, and haaland is doing that now.

[@fillipe4700]

There's only one to blame, Pep. There are times, Haaland doesn't even touch the ball, that isn't his fault but when he has it, but misses, then it's his fault.

[@user-sd5wl1vi1g]

The problem is not scoring goals every game but the effort, he pearly touchs the ball in some games especially in big games

[@xoticnaz3296]

Pep doesn’t want haaland getting involved in the link up play not because he doesn’t think it suits the tactics, but pep knows his technically unable to do so

[@LuyandaMgobhozi]

Quality Upload James!

[@Emperor-Inker]

He's only 23 so there's plenty of room for him to grow. Bare in mind Kane wasn't the type of St he is today when he was 23. Kane also never had to deal with players bear hugging him from behind every 90mins. Haaland is just having a bad season & he's still the top goal scorer in the Prem

[@achrefkanane5640]

Score 50 goals and win the UCL ...hmm as if he has not done it before

[@okonalbert]

The issue i see about Haaland is that the teammates are not giving him the ball early where he got space to poach, and that's because city generally build from the back, and that naturally pushes teams back to their posts, and closes the spaces that penetrating passes should normally go to, for Haaland to attack. Haaland doesn't need one touch more to score.

[@Cerfpve]

Haaland suits how Madrid play to how City play. Needs space to run into. It's like playing with 10 men for City if they don't create for him.

[@theslothandthelion4600]

Haalands not a world class player and he never will be that doesn't mean he is terrible but his best trait is being a goal poacher but he has missed some sitters just like Nunez. I think the reason why he will never be in the Goat debate is that in a big game, if his team is playing rubbish he is unable to change the game and be a shining light throughout a bad team, I think his output last season was amazing but he will never be in the goat debate, so many players have the potential to be better than him. End of story.

[@ducks742]

I think you nailed it with the far-post analysis. Haaland keeps running far post every time the wingers are about to cross. I'm not a winger, but isn't that the most difficult position to pass to? Especially for low balls (since he can't seem to score a header).

[@calmvibesnamaste9946]

Haaland and Szobo should play together (again) in a german type of system.

[@BohemianRaichu]

I think he's in that Lewandowski category of player who should have won the ballon d'Or for a particular season, were robbed, and probably won't get another chance.

[@mrhussain9008]

Lewandowski is a better footballer than Haaland though. Lewandowski close control and first touch and link up play, especially in his last couple years at Dortmund and time in Bayern, was out of this world. If Pep had a mid 20s Lewandowski in this team, they definitely beat Madrid.

[@BohemianRaichu]

@@mrhussain9008 he is, but if you score as many goals as Haaland did last season while winning the treble, I think he needs to win the award, rather than another for Messi. Both should feel agrieved (well, if individual awards matter to them at all).

[@isheijr2015]

@@BohemianRaichu I agree...cos there were times last season where you could see he knew he was on for the ballon d'Or and he was looking for goals . I personally dont think he can outdo what he did last season. and what you mentioned is a big reason why. Cos if you give your everything as a player, scoring 50 something odd goals and winning a treble. and still don't get an award, then it becomes abundantly clear to you that there's nothing you can do to win it, so why keep going above for it

[@KM-VTB]

@@isheijr2015 Haaland also generously gave penalties kicks to 2 teammates when he was on the pitch - Gundogan v Leeds (and Pep was pissed bc Gundo missed!) & Marhez v Aston Villa so I don't totally buy your thought that Haaland was always looking for goals 😉. But I would have been a bit demoralized if I had been Haaland last season & not even getting the FIFA Best Award that did not included the World Cup. Glad he has a much stronger mentality than I do, ha.

[@MegaTimtheman]

​@@BohemianRaichuthere's more to football than scoring goals. His general play is average

[@mickbanner]

This seems a mad conversation to me. Top scorer in the league despite missing nearly 20% of the season. Proven winner. Scored in the last 2 PL games. The results havent exactly fallen of a cliff

[@theHURRENATOR]

Chris wood would score 20 a season for city, this conversations is about what he adds to the team or more importantly what he doesn’t add to the team he can’t handle the slow build up possession football

[@dylanbrzozowski9092]

His overall play is useless

[@Jesse_E5150]

Stat padding against bottom half Prem teams. Disappears in big matches. 👻

[@eljee102]

​​​@@theHURRENATORno Chris Wood would not sir 😂😂. On what grounds do you people keep making this " *'insert striker here'* would have scored *'insert number: x ≈ 20+'* goals in this city team" statement. You're being overly reductive and disingenuous imo.

[@carlosbarton763]

I don't get it either, Haaland's certainly going through a rough patch but people are already talking as if he's already passed the high point of his career, which is beyond ludicrous It's also funny how fans use criticisms such as how he's useless without de Bruyne, as though he assists 70% of Haaland's goals or something. It's closer to 20%, and this season Haaland was already the leagues top scorer again before KDB returned from injury

[@mrhussain9008]

The analysis has nothing to do with why people think hes an average footballer, 90% of your analysis was about his finishing and movement, most people agree hes very good at that even though its dropped off a little since last season, the issue is his ALL ROUND PLAY. Close control, first touch, passing, hold up play.. Haaland gets constantly compared to the best strikers in PL history, like Thierry Henry, Kane, Rooney etc, those guys were good goalscorers but also were brilliant at the other things. Haaland is a 6'4 Chicarito, a fox in the box, imo. Thats not good enough to be known as world class. Haalands 2nd biggest issue and the reason these conversations always seem to come up after big games, is how bad he plays against top defenders. The 3 best defenders he came up against this season are: VVD, Rudiger and Saliba He played against those three defenders in 7 games this season, and in all seven games the guy was bullied. Now its ok to look shakey in a couple big games but every quarter, semi and final?? its getting ridiculous now.

[@stacyaman]

I'm a City fan and I agree 💯

[@wassimakram4143]

he just needs to work on his game to be able to hold up play and influence the game more efficently when he comes up aginast top CBs in the ucl and big league games being only 23 there is plenty of time for this with some tactical and personel tweaks im sure he will be back to top form identifying him as a binary player is very good way to describe him. In a down year he will likely end up with around 40 goals and 8 assists which is still pretty damn good with city in the title race and FA cup still. most def is overhated but def deserves the critism this year he will def be top golden ball contender for years to come since he alr proved he can do the 50 goals plus ucl benchmark

[@mecoalford4248]

Erlin is a world class striker, but it pep technical tactics that have allow erlin to obtain goals, but other opponents strategy is to mark erlin all the way never switch off, and pep is smart because erlin is mark so much other get that freedom towards goal and that makes Manchester city dangerous, because of the unpredictability of the team, but how pep can get erlin more involved if he having lack of goals make it up for assists, I wonder pep, can tweak erlin rotation from the central attack mid CAM role and be a center forward at the same time, erlin could be flexible to rank up his passing and rotation and switch roles in a game, pep please try that method

[@mrnikeshgudka]

Great analysis James!!

[@StopLookingAtMyAcc]

At the end of the day 2 things happen 1/Teams play a low block and mark him out of the game 2/Teams don’t play a high line but have fast/Strong or fast and strong Centre back to harass him Then I know this is kind of a 3rd but his composure in front of goal is like he expects to score he seems so sure of himself every time he tries to take it round the keeper and ends up giving away a goal kick

[@sba7podcast]

Erlin Halland is treated unfairly by fans; pep system use his number 9 as a decoy to create space for his midfield if you watch last night game you will see that pep team spam a lor of crosses in a weird way when they just poke the ball and lets it bounce inside the box try score from chaos close to the goal or try to pull the players deep in the box and create space for city midfield to shoot toward the net. so all of these put Erlin in a shitty situation where he is nothing more than a piece on a board sacrificed to the mean character in pep team probably phoden or de bruyen; halland want to get invloved in the build but pep see him nothing more that dummies target to put players and creat space; and its not the first time; in barcelona iniesta Messi were the main character eto ibra david villa where nothing more than a statue upfront. Halland will do better in real Madrid, he is very explosif and like to run with his teammate if vini and jude were his teammate you will see an Ibra 2.0 people forgot how was erlin in Dortmund antics and explosiveness pep suck life out of him.

[@Derlino1]

One thing I think is important that people tend to overlook is that Håland lost his grandmother in February. That may well have had an effect on him and how he's performing, and it could take a while to recover from that loss. And if you're just a percent or two off, at this level of sports, that's enough to make you look a lot worse.

[@TheBusbyBabes]

people piled on roy keane for his comments about haaland but he was completely right with everything he said. haaland has the same problems that he already had at dortmund. hes a pure finisher and thats all he is. he is one of the best finishers in the world but hes no one that will create chances, hes no one that gets involved in build up, he just finishes. and hes abysmal in the air

[@Rezashah21235]

He won the champions league and scored 50 goals that same season but it’s not enough if you’re scoring against mid table teams. The games against Madrid, the top 4 teams in the premier league is what matters. Not against subpar opposition

[@BiggestBirdonMars]

I think haalands needs a team who moves the ball quicker Especially a team that thrives in transition His best attribute is speed, and honestly we barely utilize it Pep should incorporate a style were we can get our players into dangerous position in the transition It'll give teams something to think about

[@ottoolesen1445]

Very good takes👍

[@jakegray8164]

Haaland’s style doesn’t suit Man City. Especially against good defenders, like Real Madrid’s. He is easy to nullify for these world class defenders. It isn’t a coincidence that he never performs in big games.

[@tuneswarriors5874]

Honestly think Alvarez is 10X the player... Haaland is an incredible goalscorer but he lacks many other attributes of the Game

[@fillipe4700]

Manchester City's Haaland is an offense towards RB Salzburg and Borrusia one, which is a pitty

[@MegaTimtheman]

I think Haaland would look much better in a counter attacking team than a team that plays against park the bus football every week

[@king-footy]

its his first bad patch of form, and he's getting scrutinised so much, like give it a rest

[@benvanderberg5321]

I think another person that haaland misses their back post balls is cancelo. He could occupy that left half space area while kdb can be on the right. I can remember a bunch of balls from cancelo in the same style as you mentioned.

[@jakemaddocks435]

Hey jim. Interesting question for a video. Is this the end of possesion football? 1. Is it too rigid? Both arsenal and city didnt change their style. Yet both munich and madrid did. I look back to spurs' famous semi final win over ten hags ajax. In the second half of that game they by passed the press and went long to llorente. That ability to change style won them the game. 2. Is it too easy for quality wide men with high dribble stats to get in behind the high lines? Man citys kryptonite has always been players like son, and vinny junior. For all the complaints jarred bowen and westham have been very succesful against possession based teams with a budget fair higher than theirs by being rapid in the transition. And 3. Could city have benefited from giving madrid a 2nd out and out striker to worry about,and moving a player out of the midfield where they had total control anyway? Aka the 4-4-2.

[@JamesLawrenceAllcott]

Very interesting. Knowledge is power. You have to have so many options, that said Man City had the chances

[@jaysreacts]

I always said people need to stop the hype last year, all the hype of haaland breaking CR7 and Messi goal record after one season was insane, and I said then and I stand by it, he was new in the Premier League, in the best team in country, it's gonna take a season before people work him out and look what's happening. All the talk how he has to score 45 goals a season to pass CR7, and because of last season, it looked possible but looks like he's already falling short already! I don't mind him at all if anything when he plays United I get very nervous because he is so good, or maybe we are just that bad 😅, but seriously nobody is passing Messi or Ronaldo for that matter, especially not Haaland

[@Wolfgang-li9bx]

Haaland is heavily underperforming his xG in PL/UCL and is setting records in big chances missed

[@youtubeperson3111]

I sure Darwin Nunez has already broken these records

[@obriendenis3965]

​@@youtubeperson3111 They're both level if I'm not mistaken

[@danielcooper3868]

@@youtubeperson3111 Haaland has a much worse xG underperformance and like 25% more big chances misses this season...

[@-kaza-8498]

​@@youtubeperson3111Nwankwo Kanu broke all antirecords, scoring only 5 in 60 UCL games

[@ashtonndlovu9470]

You lost me at XG 🙄

[@KAEROSEKI_1]

as a rma fan , city was playing wing game what could haaland could do? same thing happens at barca , people think that lewandowski fell of because xavi puts more emphasis on wings rather than solely depend on lewa

[@alibarznji2000]

I think his heading needs work, other than that He's absolutely elite. When you're playing against a low block, you would need someone with great heading ability. Ronaldo would've buried two headers in that game despite being shorter than Halland

[@IsaacLevy-td4sm]

If Haaland wins the ballon d’or that award is officially bollocks. Being the best player isn’t just about positional brilliance and a clean finish

[@SemmeralddynamicsBaammy]

This proves he has excellent link up play, but Pep doesn't allow him to get involved, which is why he is constantly attacked for it. All he does is drag defenders. Pep did the same with Eto and Zlatan, and I thought Pep had learnt from it, but it seems he didn't.

[@scottymitch1]

I think City are really missing Gundogan and Mahrez this year. While they were playing, blind Freddie could get goals. I also tend to agree with many of the comments here that Haaland doesn't suit City's style of play and vice versa. Pep said that the team needs to adapt to Haaland, but that is hard to do. City do not play 'quick' like Arsenal and Liverpool. They play tic-tac football, patiently waiting to creat chances in crowded areas. That was fine for Aguero but not Haaland. I'm curious what player people here think would be better than Haaland for City.

[@overridingriot6621]

imo Haaland is just that. A Striker. he’s supposed to be the guy that’s waiting and deliver goals and has proven especially last season that he’s exceptional at it. I wouldn’t say he’s a bad player it’s just that he needs service from the team to deliver properly

[@generichuman2044]

It is just the play style of City. They will win more points and trophies playing the way they do but that means Haaland sacrificing some numbers. If City played a little differently he may score more but it could cost them in other areas. I think his best and most consistent scoring will come in international matches where he's more likely to have a manager that uses him as the sole focus

[@Nippleless_Cage]

If you watched Norway, you'd know better than to say that 😂😊

[@CristanioPeweyyy]

​@@Nippleless_CageNorway just aint good

[@markfrommontana]

" A man's got to know his limitations" Clint Eastwood as Dirty Harry.

[@MikeyBarca02]

problem is city can't make use of his entire football skill set. He's a monster at counter attacks but if city is known for sth then it is for doing ANYTHING BUT COUNTERS. They always prefer slow build up to suffocate the opponent in their own box after some time, but Haaland is not only made for this

[@stefantrofin731]

Gurdia changed tactics whe de bruyne was injured because he couldn’t rely on the perfect pass anymore so he opted that has land creates spaces for Bernardo , phoden etc

[@anguschalmers2766]

I started watching Rory’s video about haaland and then realised I needed a level headed approach to this debate … so I came here.

[@TheDYNAMITE001]

Haaland is a goal scorer. He will have to be the very best at goals i.e topscorer in Europe/England/International football. This one thing he does so well, he must make sure he cannot be compared to anyone when discussing it.