Nordic Ghost Yeti (Scandi Carroll) | Haaland at City

Acrobat7

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He's never going to like Messi. An extremely atletic Gerd Müller though Is closer to the mark. Also a much different player to Ronnie. Even though Ronnie and Messi are very close in goal stats they turned into very different players.
Müller was way more than a poacher.
 

Oly Francis

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Haaland’s goals depends on control and creativity. And regardless of that, they’ve had no problem suffocating the opposition and walking the league in previous seasons.
That's not entirely true, Haaland could score plenty in a team that plays transition football with long balls on his head all night long and fast breaks.
 

Gehrman

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Müller was way more than a poacher.
Perhaps comparisons to Müller are way off the mark as well. Maybe more like a superb version of Lukkaku but somehow it just feels wrong.
 

Zen86

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That's not entirely true, Haaland could score plenty in a team that plays transition football with long balls on his head all night long and fast breaks.
But that isn’t really City. The last 4 or 5 years has been built on possession football, suffocating the opposition, and basically lots of forward/outfield players that are better at retaining and moving the ball than the rest.

Their strength is being better and tighter with the ball than the opposition, and Haaland impacts that.
 

Scottynaldinho

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Lesson learned, people calling him best striker of the last ten years with a sample size of a dozen games in the premier league.
 

Oly Francis

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But that isn’t really City. The last 4 or 5 years has been built on possession football, suffocating the opposition, and basically lots of forward/outfield players that are better at retaining and moving the ball than the rest.

Their strength is being better and tighter with the ball than the opposition, and Haaland impacts that.
What I meant is that Haaland's goal input doesn't really depend on the style City plays with, he'd score if they were a transition team. What he does affect though is the amount of control they can have with one less technical player and one less body in the midfield compared to when they were playing with a false 9. Rodri is no Fernandinho so he can't compensate as much (compared to the Aguero era). Haaland makes them more efficient but less in control, especially when they lose the ball. Does Haaland's goal compensate their (relatve) loss of control, it's very hard to tell.
 

A-man

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Lukaku with poor technique.
(Joking)
What's more important, control & creativity or the sheer amount of goals Haaland provides?
To win PL I would say control and creativity. But to win CL they need that edge that Haaland is giving them.
 

Zen86

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What I meant is that Haaland's goal input doesn't really depend on the style City plays with, he'd score if they were a transition team. What he does affect though is the amount of control they can have with one less technical player and one less body in the midfield compared to when they were playing with a false 9. Rodri is no Fernandinho so he can't compensate as much (compared to the Aguero era). Haaland makes them more efficient but less in control, especially when they lose the ball. Does Haaland's goal compensate their (relatve) loss of control, it's very hard to tell.
Yeah I’m not arguing that he could score goals in any team provided he gets the service, rather the impact of City having one less creative player or body in the midfield as you say.

It’s a trade-off for them, but it remains to be seen whether it’s a positive one and it’s a departure from what’s made them so successful in the league.
 

Chief123

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Despite his freakish goal scoring rate, who would have thought 2 out of the 3 teams he fails to score against would be Brentford and Bournemouth at home.
 

the_cliff

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Haaland’s goals depends on control and creativity. And regardless of that, they’ve had no problem suffocating the opposition and walking the league in previous seasons.
Isn't that because you don't really know where the goal is coming from ? harder to defend when the goals are spread around the team and quick intricate passes open up a team depending on who's in the best position not on who's the biggest name or focal point.

I feel the reason why City have looked worse than last season is because now if you stop Haaland you stop City. Last season who do you stop ? Stop KDB, Foden kills you, stop Foden, Mahrez kills you. etc......

He'll still break the goal record and will still probably win the league, do I think they're a better team than last season ? No, do I think Haaland will win them the UCL ? Hell No.
 

Sky1981

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This sort of cycle has nothing to do with forms I think. It's just the natural byproduct of teams analyzing his strength and adapting to it. Until the next cycle where Haaland or Pep create something new to counter it

We've seen it times and times again with our new players seems unstoppable for their first few games and faded to mediocrity after being found out. Daniel James iirc was unplayable when he first came.

But Haaland is a very complete striker I think, he or Pep would add variation to his game to counter and he'll start scoring pretty soon. It's not like he only relies on one aspect of his game
 

amolbhatia50k

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He has done well, and will continue to do well, but this City-side doesnt look any better this season than last.
Because he offers very little outside of goals. If they are purring he will score. When the rest of the team isn't creating chances easily he will struggle to influence games. He is exceptional at what he does but it's limited to poaching. Quality goalscorer but City do have to make a trade off with him. It could still work out in their favour of course but it's amusing to add him and then trail in the league (long way to go)
 

Zen86

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Isn't that because you don't really know where the goal is coming from ? harder to defend when the goals are spread around the team and quick intricate passes open up a team depending on who's in the best position not on who's the biggest name or focal point.

I feel the reason why City have looked worse than last season is because now if you stop Haaland you stop City. Last season who do you stop ? Stop KDB, Foden kills you, stop Foden, Mahrez kills you. etc......

He'll still break the goal record and will still probably win the league, do I think they're a better team than last season ? No, do I think Haaland will win them the UCL ? Hell No.
It will be interesting to see how dependent on him City allow themselves to become, and whether teams in the PL are able to nullify him.
 

Zehner

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He has done well, and will continue to do well, but this City-side doesnt look any better this season than last.
That's exactly what happened at Dortmund. He scored goals like fun but it didn't seem as if he elevated Dortmund to new heights. Still early days though.
 

justsomebloke

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Might be control & creativity, hard to tell yet. The problem with the "sheer amount of goals" approach is that, on a bad night or against defenders that will silence your star striker, you're left with far less options. Control & creativity is far more consistant, at least in the PL.
Or maybe that's not a very good question. Because it's not like this is a choice between "control & creativity" and "goals", as if you could only have one or the other. Or as if bringing in a great goalscorer automatically means accepting a great reduction in the amount of "control & creativity" you have. It's just a stupid juxtaposition, at least in the way it's made here.
 

calodo2003

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Why is he not attending their warm weather training over the break? His call or the club's call?
 

Oly Francis

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Or maybe that's not a very good question. Because it's not like this is a choice between "control & creativity" and "goals", as if you could only have one or the other. Or as if bringing in a great goalscorer automatically means accepting a great reduction in the amount of "control & creativity" you have. It's just a stupid juxtaposition, at least in the way it's made here.
There's nothing "stupid" with this juxtaposition. When you replace Foden or De Bruyne as a false 9 with Haaland, you obviously trade a bit of control on and off the ball with potential goals. And that's exactly what happened to City this season.
 

Anderson_7_

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BlueMoonOutcast

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I’m glad that some people are finally starting to see through the hype/marketing. The addition of Haaland has made City worse, that should be obvious to everyone by now! Kane was always a much better choice for them. Some of us knew this right from the beginning!

Bald head will start benching him for Alvarez, just as I predicted back in May.
This is our best start to a season for five years. Your statement just doesn't hold water.
 

FeedTheGoat

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I’m glad that some people are finally starting to see through the hype/marketing. The addition of Haaland has made City worse, that should be obvious to everyone by now! Kane was always a much better choice for them. Some of us knew this right from the beginning!

Bald head will start benching him for Alvarez, just as I predicted back in May.
I thought you were trolling but I am genuinly starting to believe that you have a huge chip on your shoulder regarding Haaland with a solid dose of extreme stupidity mixed in
 

justsomebloke

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There's nothing "stupid" with this juxtaposition. When you replace Foden or De Bruyne as a false 9 with Haaland, you obviously trade a bit of control on and off the ball with potential goals. And that's exactly what happened to City this season.
When it is made so simplistically and with such exaggeration, I would say it is. Far too much is taken for granted.
 

justsomebloke

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What exaggeration? Do you not believe that some players contribute more to control and creativity than others?
What I don't believe is that Haaland automatically causes City to have less control and creativity. Or that having him in the team means City has to play in a fundamentally different, and detrimental, way.