Erling Haaland | Dortmund player

Bubz27

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Wouldn't be surprised if there's opposition to Raoila 'clients' in some areas of the board. It can't be because of him as a player.
 

Sayros

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Your last sentence is correct, yet in the bolded part you draw a conclusion from one game? A game where none of the Dortmund players really impressed, I might add.
Well, I didn't make any definitive conclusions, just that he seemed to not be able to handle physicality very well. Keep in mind, I've watched most of his games since he's been at the Bundesliga, and it was the first time I've seen a defender get that physical with him and it worked pretty damn well. So, as I said, you can't make any definitive statement, but you best believe others teams have seen how PSG defended him and will look to test this potential chink in his armor.
 

Handré1990

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Well, I didn't make any definitive conclusions, just that he seemed to not be able to handle physicality very well. Keep in mind, I've watched most of his games since he's been at the Bundesliga, and it was the first time I've seen a defender get that physical with him and it worked pretty damn well. So, as I said, you can't make any definitive statement, but you best believe others teams have seen how PSG defended him and will look to test this potential chink in his armor.
Yeah, fair enough. Good point actually, usually defenders struggle to pick him up like that because of his speed and the fact that he’s always moving, so that game did stand out. My money is on him dealing with it fine, he’s still a teenager so will take a few years to really enjoy those physical battles, imo.
 

Sayros

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Yeah, fair enough. Good point actually, usually defenders struggle to pick him up like that because of his speed and the fact that he’s always moving, so that game did stand out. My money is on him dealing with it fine, he’s still a teenager so will take a few years to really enjoy those physical battles, imo.
Agreed, he's definitely got the frame to be a player most defenders won't be able to get physical with and in time, he should be able to deal with those growing pains fine. He might come out of this quarantine looking like Drago.
 

Handré1990

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Agreed, he's definitely got the frame to be a player most defenders won't be able to get physical with and in time, he should be able to deal with those growing pains fine. He might come out of this quarantine looking like Drago.
Haah! I must break you :lol:
 

Zehner

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Nah, I think they were reading the Caf and seeing people didn't want him because it would hamper Martial's development.

I think he would have been fine if Bruno came along and would complement with Martial nicely. Either way, he's made a good choice for his career. He is having a monster season, but I think he has to prove himself over the next couple of season. Right now, he is still some distance away from Mbappe in my eyes when it comes to the player that's going to take over the mantle from CR7/Messi, because every defenders know Mbappe now and he's still producing at a higher level each and every season. The way Kimpembe handled Haaland in the CL showed that the big Norwegian doesn't seem to handle physical pressure very well despite his frame, he will have some growing pains. He might very well end up being the best player in the world if he adjusts and keeps developing, or a solid striker for years to come, or he could also be a flash in the pan and is having one of the best season of his career, it's just too early to make any definitive statements, no matter how eye-popping his numbers in the league and CL are right now.
Is there any example of a player producing these kind of numbers who didn't become world class? The only ones I can recall from the top of my mind are R9, Owen, Rooney and Mbappe and all of them became at least one of the very best in the world.

Thing is, talents usually have the ability but lack the composure and decision making that is required for end product. Similarly to Mbappe, Haaland has both things at a very young age so I think his further development will rather be gradual than in huge laps. There's certainly potential for improvement but he already has everything a world class striker needs.
 

Sayros

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Is there any example of a player producing these kind of numbers who didn't become world class? The only ones I can recall from the top of my mind are R9, Owen, Rooney and Mbappe and all of them became at least one of the very best in the world.

Thing is, talents usually have the ability but lack the composure and decision making that is required for end product. Similarly to Mbappe, Haaland has both things at a very young age so I think his further development will rather be gradual than in huge laps. There's certainly potential for improvement but he already has everything a world class striker needs.
I can't really think of specific examples, but I have to imagine there's been players who have come out of the gates with great output and then got figured out by defenders and were never able to compensate and offer different challenges, maybe not to the extent of Haaland, but here's the thing about Haaland's output, it is simply unsustainable, and is largely helped by the fact that defenders in the Budesliga are pretty poor and reckless and that there hasn't been a lot of sample size of dealing with Haaland.

It wouldn't be the strangest thing in the world if Haaland doesn't dominate football as defenders figure out the best ways to limit him. Personally, I think he has enough about his game right now to adjust to what defenders will throw at him so he can remain a lethal striker, and whatever he's missing (consistent first touch and heading abilities come to mind) he will develop over time.

PSG are the first team that put forth a blueprint on how to possibly rattle him. Could be something, could be nothing and simply a poor game from him. The point is, let's see how he deals with defenders adjusting to his game as more and more potential questions can be raised about his game and how to stop him. I'm looking forward to seeing how he handles the pressure of his hot start, and keeps adding strings to his already impressive bow.
 

red woppit

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He will go through different stages in his career, as defenders get the hang of coping with him. He will have to learn how to cope with more and tougher physicality, and tighter, more organised defences. I think he would like to prove himself in the EPL sometime, and perhaps in two or three years time he will fancy his chances in another league, whether it is the EPL, or another I wouldn't really know. Whether he would come to United I'm not sure, if Leeds were playing in the EPL, then he may fancy his chances there.
 

gajender

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He will go through different stages in his career, as defenders get the hang of coping with him. He will have to learn how to cope with more and tougher physicality, and tighter, more organised defences. I think he would like to prove himself in the EPL sometime, and perhaps in two or three years time he will fancy his chances in another league, whether it is the EPL, or another I wouldn't really know. Whether he would come to United I'm not sure, if Leeds were playing in the EPL, then he may fancy his chances there.
Unless he flops big time at Dortmund there is absolutely no chance he would go to Leeds .
 

Sayros

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I just can't see him flopping at Dortmund, the team is solid with talent, although let's see what happens with Sancho, but it's a league that's really interesting for forwards like him who can beat the line for through balls. They press ridiculously high up and the quality of the defenses is just atrocious in the games I've seen him play. He's going to keep feasting. His next transition to a different league might be far more challenging. Just look a Jovic.
 

#07

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He will go through different stages in his career, as defenders get the hang of coping with him. He will have to learn how to cope with more and tougher physicality, and tighter, more organised defences. I think he would like to prove himself in the EPL sometime, and perhaps in two or three years time he will fancy his chances in another league, whether it is the EPL, or another I wouldn't really know. Whether he would come to United I'm not sure, if Leeds were playing in the EPL, then he may fancy his chances there.
I am really not sure about that. Defenders never learned how to cope with Arjen Robben cutting in onto his left foot etc.

The whole line about 'people know what they're going to do' is a trueism that just doesn't count for the best players. They're the best precisely because people know what they're going to do and nobody can stop them.

With Haaland the only thing that will affect his career is the quality of playmakers around him. His movement in the box and the quality of his finishing reminds me of Ruud Van Nistlerooy's. Feed him and he will eat.
 

Samid

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Genuinely think the only reason he didn't come was the uncertainty around Ole's future at the time. Would have been a completely different story if he still was at RBS and the window opened tomorrow.
 

Brightonian

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I never credit this sort of stuff too much. That said, it's interesting that we wheeled out Fergie for young Jude Bellingham and made a special point of giving him an all-access tour of the facilities a few months later. A lesson learned, maybe?
 

tenpoless

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Isn't that how it works? Manager uses scouts to approach a player because He is interested and got the permission from the club to do so, which means the club is also interested and ready to allocate resources to help with the transfer? :confused:

Maybe what his father wanted was Roy Keane's approval as well.
 

TheReligion

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Considering people here seemed to think he didn't fancy United the constant talk from him and his people now is about United. Lots of truth in what was said about United not wanting to pander to the release cause and over the top agent fees as muted it seems.
 

Dve

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Genuinely think the only reason he didn't come was the uncertainty around Ole's future at the time. Would have been a completely different story if he still was at RBS and the window opened tomorrow.
I agree with that, and if it was not the only reason, according to his father, an important reason. There were rumours Haaland wanted some sort of insurance that Ole would stay in his job. Not so strange when you think of what happened to Ole´s Norwegian signings at Cardiff after he left.
 
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He really does remind me of Lukaku sometimes with some of his touches. That one in the buildup to the third goal was very Lukaku like but he managed to make up for it and poke it away. Great pass for that third goal, and his finish for the first was nice. He undoubtedly has some flaws but he's rapidly improving, taken to the Bundesliga so easily
 

Zoo

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He really does remind me of Lukaku sometimes with some of his touches. That one in the buildup to the third goal was very Lukaku like but he managed to make up for it and poke it away. Great pass for that third goal, and his finish for the first was nice. He undoubtedly has some flaws but he's rapidly improving, taken to the Bundesliga so easily
Exactly what I thought. Lukaku would tear it up in the Bundesliga I reckon.
 
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To be fair we trashes on of the top teams in Haalands previous league
Haaland has almost the same goal ratio in CL/Germany, as in Austria. 21 goals in 1200 min in CL (10)/BL(10)/German cup(1). 57 min per goal.
20 goals in 1090 min in Austrian league (16)/Cup(4). 54 min per goal.

(Man Utd has scored a goal every 59 minutes i PL this season. Haaland has scored a goal every 56 minutes this season. That pretty impressive, I would say.)
 
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AaronRedDevil

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Is there really a snowballs chance in hell United could even get this guy. Not this summer maybe next one.
 

do.ob

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Haaland has almost the same goal ratio in CL/Germany, as in Austria. 21 goals in 1200 min in CL (10)/BL(10)/German cup(1). 57 min per goal.
20 goals in 1090 min in Austrian league (16)/Cup(4). 54 min per goal.

(Man Utd has scored a goal every 59 minutes i PL this season. Haaland has scored a goal every 56 minutes this season. That pretty impressive, I would say.)
Haaland is obviously a gifted striker, but these comparisons are kind of pointless. In Austria he was playing for a team on CL (groupstage) level against vastly inferior opponents, in Germany he's at a club that sets up their striker like few others. For example yesterday he scored his tenth goal after 541 minutes, which is a pretty insane ratio, but the next sentence of these info tweets tells you that Alcacer did it in 281 minutes. Before him it was Batshuayi who looked two classes above his level and before the Batsman it was Aubameyang who scored around 30 goals a season.
 

RedRonaldo

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Genuinely think the only reason he didn't come was the uncertainty around Ole's future at the time. Would have been a completely different story if he still was at RBS and the window opened tomorrow.
Or you can put this in another way, the only reason he might consider coming, is Ole's long term future at the club.
 

NYAS

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Haaland is obviously a gifted striker, but these comparisons are kind of pointless. In Austria he was playing for a team on CL (groupstage) level against vastly inferior opponents, in Germany he's at a club that sets up their striker like few others. For example yesterday he scored his tenth goal after 541 minutes, which is a pretty insane ratio, but the next sentence of these info tweets tells you that Alcacer did it in 281 minutes. Before him it was Batshuayi who looked two classes above his level and before the Batsman it was Aubameyang who scored around 30 goals a season.
Stats alone are always pretty much useless without context. The context here is that Haaland is miles above those strikers you mentioned when they were his age.
 

do.ob

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Stats alone are always pretty much useless without context. The context here is that Haaland is miles above those strikers you mentioned when they were his age.
I wasn't making the point that Haaland is nothing special, I was responding to someone who said: "look: Haaland scored more goals than the entire United team".