There was similar for Joao Felix too.
Erling Haaland / signs for Dortmund
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People thinking that we should buy him in January and that he would improve our attack should reevaluate their understanding of football. Playing as a poacher in a team unable to create chances or control the ball around the oppositions 18-yard box will not make for a good solution.
Well - if anyone has seen him, it's OGS. So this isn't a gamble - he knows if Haaland is good enough or not.
Definitely seems the type of player we should be after. Guess the Saudis will sign this off.
I've seen him in training uno dos tres cuatro times, but no. I've not seen him play.
While I do agree that buying him in January simply to improve our attack short term is a big risk due to his price, you have to really ignore context if that is your perception of the prospect of signing him. Even if you are correct and he is unable to replicate the stats due to lack of chances created and considering he would have to adjust to the league too it would be expected, so what? He'll have half a season under his belt while being integrated with the squad, and a full-preseason leading up to the next. If we can get it done in January, why not?
To add another layer of context or 'understanding of football'. We sold our only striker, which means we had no striker but for our alternatives. Rashford who it has become evident is not a striker, and Martial who (lets be honest) still has it all to prove in that position. Both have been criticised for their movement in our build up play. For good or worse, we have had nobody to compare them to but Lukaku there. From just watching United, it will be hard to know what a striker with a different set of skills can bring to our setup.
Have you seen Haalands movement and involvement in attacks? He is not similar to Martial and Rashford, or even Greenwood. A specialised striker should have a big understanding of where to run to create space as this leads to chances. Haaland isn't a Lukaku type poacher, his movement around the box in the build up is more similar to Aguero, only different from Martial and especially Rashford he knows where to be in the box. Our problem in scoring goals can be just as much about not having a striker like that, as it is us playing with Lingard and Mata.
I have seen a few good crosses from the right this season from James and Bissaka, nobody in the box. I'd also argue that we could play Martial in Lingards place if he had a partner up top that complimented him. Even Gomes would have it easier next to a big guy like that. Mainly my point is, the more dangerous individuals you have the more space is going to open up, and chances will be converted to goals. Teams can't double mark Martial or Rashford knowing full well James can decide to just run from everyone and there'll be a young boy in the box waiting every time.
As for Greenwood, I have no doubts he'll eventually make his way into the team somehow, and he'll still score shitload of goals no matter if it is as a striker, second striker, right winger or whatever.
If he adds "van" to his name, everybody wants some and would jump on him.
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How many people have actually seen him play 90 mins week in week out?
I know but there’s similar for EVERY youngster who bangs in a few goals on this forum, and even a stopped clock is right twice a day!
That is a good point, but more importantly considering recent transfer successes, has Goggs seen him play?
How is his first touch?
Especially when he could of been had for 5m back in January!
It's not going to be like that forever. So, we don't try and buy the best young talent available because currently our team isn't as good as it could be? right...
He was sold for 5M August 2018, when he was just turned 18. Pretty sure Red Bull wouldnt have sold him for the same in January.
Reminds me of Dzeko
Hwang his strike partner is good too
Hwang his strike partner is good too
With Ole's recent comments about Martial I'd say he has put his trust in Martial to be our main striker. So i don't think we would go after a young striker (when we have Greenwood Martial and Rashford) in January or someone who would want the starting starting spot. I think we would try and get an experiences striker to serve as back up
Hopefully it's not Mandzukic. Ben Yedder would have been perfect but that ship has sailed. Who else fits this category? Cavani maybe
Hopefully it's not Mandzukic. Ben Yedder would have been perfect but that ship has sailed. Who else fits this category? Cavani maybe
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If we wait until he was proven in top league, chance is we won't be able to afford him, or he will choose other top european clubs instead.
Him being left footed is a huge plus, our attack is in need for some balance
Not seen a great deal of him playing, but have watched out for him the Europe this season.
I think he looks like he will be a top top striker, and would be a great buy for Utd. Interesting to see it being reported in Austrian press that the deal is done, time will tell. But that would be impressive business if it's true, so credit will be due if it is.
I think he looks like he will be a top top striker, and would be a great buy for Utd. Interesting to see it being reported in Austrian press that the deal is done, time will tell. But that would be impressive business if it's true, so credit will be due if it is.
‘If’ we sign him, why would fans opinions matter? Ole knows him far far better than any random from the Caf. I’ve seen him play twice, he looks a prospect and offers something different to any of our current strikers. It’s very debatable if he’s in the form of his life and it’s a flash in the pan, or if he’s going to continue improving?
Buying him based on the idea that he will be extremely good in the future, is something I can agree with. But, people on here seem to think that he will improve our attack if we bought him this January or even in the summer, which is highly debatable. His movement in the box is great, but one has to take into consideration that he plays in a highly functioning team with 2 extremely hardworking players around him. His involvements in the buildup are questionable, his touch on the ball is not that good or consistent, his passing is not good when not given time.
If he played in a less functional team, like Manchester United, his lackings as a player would be easier to spot. And I think that his performances for the Norwegian national team make for a better understanding of his abilities as a player in isolation, rather than his performances for Salzburg.
His positioning and movement in the box are really good.
If it is our lack of a poacher or our inability to create chances that is the reason as for why we are struggling to score would be like the chicken and the egg paradox, but we are struggling to get the ball into the final third unless we are counter-attacking so difficult to create chances consistently without controlling the ball in the final third. Haaland is no Firminho that would help us with this, and if we were able to break down teams like City or Liverpool does, then having a player like Haaland would be useful, but in our current state and the way we "play" he will be of little us.
I'm not saying that he should not be a potential target, but buying him based on the idea that he will improve our team short term is not something I agree with. He still got many areas for improvement (non-poacher related). This might be influenced by my opinion that poachers are a dying breed not only in general but in football as well, and the tendencies are there that hypothesising that we will see a similar development as in the NBA where players abilities and size converge towards a perceived optimum is not farfetched. I.e less specialized players, and more players that contribute in most situations on the pitch.
He was out for a period, with illness I think. He came back in and picked up where he left off. Isn’t that a sign? He was on fire before the summer brake as well? How long does the form of his life last?
Also, how weird it is to experience the caf as a mirror of reality, we have guys blitzing every Ole threads, unsubtly calling everyone who doesn’t agree with them stupid, without sense or blind, and in this mega long thread lots of posters coming in and asking the same questions and making the same wrong conclusions based on nothing. How about reading a little bit? Aimed at you who keep asking who’s watched him, and why Ole didn’t but him for 5m to United, while being employed as the manager of Molde...
It’s teeming with Norwegians on here, most would have seen him plenty. They’ve (Norwegian media) gone out of their way to make RBS games available to the public here.
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There's easily enough room in the starting eleven for both Haaland and Martial, along with Rashford:
Rashford - Martial - HAALAND
MCGINN - PHILLIPS - McTerminator
Williams - Maguire - Tuanzebe - Awb
Ddg
Rotation: James, Greenwood, Fred, Garner, Dalot, Shaw, Lindelöf, CB, Romero
James and Greenwood would get plenty of minutes as part of a five-man strike force competing for three places with games coming thick and fast. However I think Greenwood could benefit from a loan move in which case I would bring in WERNER as well, along with the other signings in capital letters above.
Rashford - Martial - HAALAND
MCGINN - PHILLIPS - McTerminator
Williams - Maguire - Tuanzebe - Awb
Ddg
Rotation: James, Greenwood, Fred, Garner, Dalot, Shaw, Lindelöf, CB, Romero
James and Greenwood would get plenty of minutes as part of a five-man strike force competing for three places with games coming thick and fast. However I think Greenwood could benefit from a loan move in which case I would bring in WERNER as well, along with the other signings in capital letters above.
Our weakest links are Periera and Fred, and if we buy Håland then it will be for the future to compete with Martial. I would like to try Pogba in the Pereira role and bring in a new midfielder in January, rather than buy Håland. But Håland would be a great Lukaku replacement and make us less reliable on an injury prone Martial.
He's left-footed from what I gather. So he could start off as a right forward (which is not the same as a right winger) and cut in. Lukaku played this role a few games last season. It's not necessarily the same as a left winger, especially not if the front three is fluid and interchanging positions.
He's a goal poaching striker. Not a right winger
That could be a way to accommodate both him, Martial and Rashford in the starting eleven. Then he could slowly but surely start to play more central. Another option would of course be to just move Martial back to the left:
Martial - Haaland - Rashford
My point is that signing Haaland wouldn't necessarily spell the end for Martial in the starting eleven.
This would be silly
According to xG this season we've been on top for chances created but we haven't been able to put them away (only beaten on xG by Arsenal and Liverpool).
https://understat.com/league/EPL
Shows us behind Liverpool, City and Chelsea. However from open play then it gets lower
I meant in the games we played.
Given we have the best xG against in the league, it doesn't really indicate we create well, it just shows we defend well. If we give up less than 1xG a game then its not hard to outperform our opponents in a game we just have to beat 1xG
Anyway the eye test alone shows that we don't create a lot, don't really need stats to see that
Would prefer that money going towards a right winger who has a good goal scoring record and a top class midfielder before even considering buying haaland for 60 million.
You’re right, I missed his Molde goals.
Well, I’ve been thinking for a while that United should try and get the unearthed gems like you seem to have done with James, so perhaps you’re right. 60m is just an incredible amount of money for a guy with one good season in Norway and four brilliant months in Austria.
Probably not
As above, you could be right, but 60m is a big chunk of your transfer kit on what is a bit of a wild card.
We’ll see, I guess. I know I wouldn’t want Liverpool to spend 60m on a guy who’s got couple of good seasons in Norway and Austria.
DJ is looking pretty good at rw imo. Agree that desperately need to strenghten our options in midfield but Haaland might be too good to pass on. Our options upfront are really poor as well.
Don’t remind me
The way posters are posting, i just wondered what they knew that I didn’t. Other then he’s scored goals this season.
From what I've seen of him, he is far more than a goal poaching striker. Yes, he's got that side of the game in his locker, but he does contribute much more and does some good stuff from the right moving inside. As part of this "fluid" front 3 that Ole seems to want I reckon he could do that, also be the "target man" if the game calls for that. Lad seems versatile enough to play a few different roles up top. Although if I'm honest I've not seen loads of him. If Ole wants him he will be sure of his capabilities and mentality considering he's had him before.
He's a goal poaching striker. Not a right winger
He actually reminds me of one of those FIFA players you create and max out his height, weight, speed, and stamina, then use your joystick skills to get the job done.
Reminds me of Dzeko. I'd want him in the box which is where he scores his goals and where he could use his physical sizeFrom what I've seen of him, he is far more than a goal poaching striker. Yes, he's got that side of the game in his locker, but he does contribute much more and does some good stuff from the right moving inside. As part of this "fluid" front 3 that Ole seems to want I reckon he could do that, also be the "target man" if the game calls for that. Lad seems versatile enough to play a few different roles up top. Although if I'm honest I've not seen loads of him. If Ole wants him he will be sure of his capabilities and mentality considering he's had him before.
He actually reminds me of one of those FIFA players you create and max out his height, weight, speed, and stamina, then use your joystick skills to get the job done.
Would be great to get him but I still feel our midfield needs improvement as well. If we don't have a midfield that can build up an attack or play a final pass we could have Kane and still would look shite in attack.
At the minute the only one who can ragularly cause some sort of thread from midfield is the lad who last season still played in the Championship, which is a fecking damning statement about the rest of our midfield. Pereira, Lingard, Fred and Matic are all complete trash and need to be replaced asap.
At the minute the only one who can ragularly cause some sort of thread from midfield is the lad who last season still played in the Championship, which is a fecking damning statement about the rest of our midfield. Pereira, Lingard, Fred and Matic are all complete trash and need to be replaced asap.
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