Nordic Ghost Yeti | Haaland at City

[Vidyoyo]

The goal masked a very poor performance overall. Similar to Liverpool with Salah, it's a shame that City have so many players capable of picking up the slack when he isn't scoring.

 

[FeedTheGoat]

Had a very poor season so far, despite his decent numbers. Hopefully just second season syndrome, easy to forget that he probably isn't the finished article yet

 

[TempusFugit]

Plays as shit as he wants yet still manages to score against us.

 

[wr8_utd]

They'd probably be better off without him being a spectator next week at Anfield.

 

[Murder on Zidane's Floor]

He's, erm, not actually that good a player. Was pretty anonymous and Varane had pocketed him tbh. Missed a howler then was gifted a chance I'd back all the strikers in the league to score tbh.

 

[chomsky89]

Had a very poor season so far, despite his decent numbers. Hopefully just second season syndrome, easy to forget that he probably isn't the finished article yet

Some sick standards when a goal/assist every 71. minutes are not only poor but very poor.

 

[devaneios]

The likelihood of someone from the other 9 outfield players scoring the next city goal is always a lot higher than Haaland scoring, but he has also been the one often, Brentford and Everton in 2024 just at the top of my head, and he started 2024 injured.

You could affirm that if all the players had the same number(or at least a close one) of chances and the same kind of chances, which is not the case. Haaland's task is basically roaming around the box waiting for a pass or crossing that lead to shot and is the central point of the attack. I won't be surprise if his xG was higher than the sum of the rest.

 

[chomsky89]

if all the players had the same number(or at least a close one) of chances and the same kind of chances, which is not the case.

Of course not, but it's 9 vs 1, there is a reason why no players in the prem have scored close to 50% or more of a team's goals over any meaningful sample size.

 

[heraklion]

Some sick standards when a goal/assist every 71. minutes are not only poor but very poor.

He's pretty useless with the lowest ratings when he doesn't score.

But also manages to become the worst player on the pitch even when he scores after bailed out by his teammates as usual like today, scoring the nth tap-in doesn't make you the best player at City.

 

[chomsky89]

scoring the nth tap-in doesn't make you the best player at City.

That alone doesn't, but why does he get so many tap-ins everywhere he plays, while Gabriel Jesus could go 10 games more than once without getting any? It is almost like there is a big difference in positioning and movement among strikers and because of this being at the correct place to make the tap-in is something everyone is not equally good at. Does anyone REALLY believe that the tap-in itself is the only action the striker has to make when he scores a tap-in? Would you not want a 50-tap-in-a-season player?

 

[devaneios]

That alone doesn't, but why does he get so many tap-ins everywhere he plays, while Gabriel Jesus could go 10 games more than once without getting any? It is almost like there is a big difference in positioning and movement among strikers and because of this being at the correct place to make the tap-in is something everyone is not equally good at. Does anyone REALLY believe that the tap-in itself is the only action the striker has to make when he scores a tap-in? Would you not want a 50-tap-in-a-season player?

He's probably the best I've ever seen at putting himself in good goalscoring situations, but he's also probably the worst player technically I've ever seen at a big club in an attack position. In the end, him or Jesus or whoever AM in the squad they put over there doesn't change how much they score. Having Haaland, at least so far, basically makes them have less time pressing the other team with chance creation and pass exchanges in the edge of the box.

 

[heraklion]

That alone doesn't, but why does he get so many tap-ins everywhere he plays,

He has great positioning and ability to convert tap-ins playing for the most dominant PL side ever. That's where it ends for him, doesn't make him the greatest striker or the best player.

while Gabriel Jesus could go 10 games more than once without getting any?

Gabriel Jesus or Firmino type player offers different things as attackers from Haaland. City has no problem scoring goals with or without Haaland.

Would you not want a 50-tap-in-a-season player?

That's a 50 tap-in-a season player at City not United.
Another player can contribute more by scoring less for City, City has numerous scoring threats. They have been dominating PL with a injury-prone Aguero and lack of proper strikers for years.

Even when Haaland shit the bed last year as a 50-tap-in striker in every semis & finals, they won the treble. One day Bernardo Silva shows up scoring what City needs, another day KDB, another day Gundogan, another day Rodri, another day Foden etc. and these guys are not even strikers.

 

[Ole'sgunnarwin]

I get people being bitter about what's happening. But Haaland is bloody brilliant. He scored a hat trick against us last season. He's got 6 in his last 2 matches.

City are obviously a better team with him in it, they won the treble last year. Sure, he goes quiet in many games but it doesn't really matter when you produce as much as he does.

 

[Fts 74]

I think him scoring after doing absolutely nothing all game except miss from 2 yards annoyed me the most.Feckin Arambat.

 

[chomsky89]

That's a 50 tap-in-a season player at City not United.

You were the person who brought up haalands many tap-ins as If you thought one of two things: A. Everyone would get the same or close to the same number of tap-ins at City. B: tap-in goals have a lower value than 1,0 goals. I will take 50 tap-ins 10 assists and 0 worldies over 10 worldies 15 assists, and 20 tap-ins every season for a striker at my club. The overall number has to be much closer for Ball control etc to be decisive.

The thing is of course that we don't notice the lack of tap-in opportunities that come with certain players' movement, as we notice the lack of difficult goals from players that otherwise maximize their tap-in opportunities. What have you heard more: 1. Striker X scores a lot of beauties but also fails to maximize his tap-in opportunities with that movement. 2. Haaland mainly scores goals that anyone could have scored. I'm pretty sure it's number 2.

 

[NewGlory]

feck Haaland and feck Amrabat for letting this loser pretend that he did something today

 

[Tyrion]

I get people being bitter about what's happening. But Haaland is bloody brilliant. He scored a hat trick against us last season. He's got 6 in his last 2 matches.

City are obviously a better team with him in it, they won the treble last year. Sure, he goes quiet in many games but it doesn't really matter when you produce as much as he does.

Scoring isn't the same as producing. He can score and still play poorly. City scored loads of goals without him.

 

[heraklion]

You were the person who brought up haalands many tap-ins as If you thought one of two things: A.

Because he doesn't offer anything else. No one denies his positioning & tap-in finishing skills, he is world class in these areas (though still ghosted in the previous year's semis & finals just like today and bailed out by his teammates just like by Foden today)

I will take 50 tap-ins 10 assists and 0 worldies over 10 worldies 15 assists, and 20 tap-ins every season for a striker at my club. The overall number has to be much closer for Ball control etc to be decisive.

Obviously, you can choose whichever player you want, the most important thing in football is the overall team output and performance. Many people would take Benzema, Suarez, Lewa, Kane, Mbappe over him from the 2010s generation not to mention R9, Van Basten type of players. These players elevate team performance in multiple areas regardless of whether they score 30 or 40 or 50. They can still be MOTM without scoring a single goal. Most people as you can see in this thread consider him as an overrated player as they know the measure of a striker's value goes way beyond the number of tap-ins he scores.

The thing is of course that we don't notice the lack of tap-in opportunities that come with certain players' movement, as we notice the lack of difficult goals from players that otherwise maximize their tap-in opportunities. What have you heard more: 1. Striker X scores a lot of beauties but also fails to maximize his tap-in opportunities with that movement. 2. Haaland mainly scores goals that anyone could have scored. I'm pretty sure it's number 2.

Again, nobody said anything negative about his positioning or finishing skills. Beyond that, he is one of the worst or maybe the worst high profile striker ever. There's a reason why his ratings are around 6 when he doesn't score, basically a burden on his team, even on some days like today when he scores.

The guy is an anomaly with such numbers and such significant flaws, that's why there's so much controversy on his value as a player as you can see in this thread. In any online forum, you'll see exactly the same type of conversation that you see here about him..

 

[JogaBonitoRooney]

He's what Ronaldo became in his later seasons at Madrid and that's not a bad thing. Any team would be happy to have him.

 

[Gar&Nachos]

Guardiola changed world football to wide inverted forwards with a False 9 more than a decade ago;

Then whilst everyone was slowly starting to getting used to it, he turned back to playing a deadly target man revolving around a full possession holding team.

Fantastic job & won everything.

Strikers like Haaland & Hojlund are worth more than inverted forwards in modern day football IMO.

I can see striker partnerships & wide creative wingers returning to football soon.

 

[chomsky89]

feck Amrabat for letting this loser pretend that he did something today

Very bad game, but at least he had the most successful dribbles in that match(5) and did very well in that situation when he got away from 3 United players and forced Varane to drop him at 19 meters after that body feint at full speed. Pretty sure it ends up in a 1 v 1 if Varane does not drop him, but he was not the last man so probably correct with a yellow.

 

[heraklion]

Guardiola changed world football to wide inverted forwards with a False 9 more than a decade ago;

Then whilst everyone was slowly starting to getting used to it, he turned back to playing a deadly target man revolving around a full possession holding team.

Fantastic job & won everything.

Strikers like Haaland & Hojlund are worth more than inverted forwards in modern day football IMO.

I can see striker partnerships & wide creative wingers returning to football soon.

It's because they couldn't get Kane, Guardiola's first choice.. no need to rewrite history to create a new myth about Pep.

"Pep Guardiola reveals Tottenham rejected FOUR bids for Harry Kane last summer"

www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-10528881/Harry-Kane-Pep-Guardiola-says-Man-City-four-bids-rejected-Tottenham-striker-summer.html

 

[giorno]

It's because they couldn't get Kane, Guardiola's first choice.. no need to rewrite history to create a new myth about Pep.

"Pep Guardiola reveals Tottenham rejected FOUR bids for Harry Kane last summer"

www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-10528881/Harry-Kane-Pep-Guardiola-says-Man-City-four-bids-rejected-Tottenham-striker-summer.html

Yeah, in 2021, when Kane appeared to be available and Haaland wasn't. City wanted a goalscorer. They went for the best available at the time.

Their alternative to Kane was Cristiano Ronaldo

 

[Ole'sgunnarwin]

Scoring isn't the same as producing. He can score and still play poorly. City scored loads of goals without him.

Eh scoring is literally producing. And City score more goals with him in it. Are you telling me City are better without Haaland!

 

[adexkola]

Someone ask the bot if this counts as a big game

 

[Lexicon Red Devil]

Guardiola changed world football to wide inverted forwards with a False 9 more than a decade ago;

Some of you act as if the guy invented football. Did you know that Ferguson was playing Ronaldo as an inverted wide forward the season before Guardiola was even managing Barca, or that Spaletti was using Totti as a false 9 even earlier.

Having Messi, Xavi, Iniesta, Henry, Eto'o, Dani Alves, Busquets, Yaya and Puyol in the same team will make any manager look like a genius. Despite the quality of their players, they still only scraped past Chelsea in the CL semi final thanks to perhaps the worst refereeing performance ever.

He's only spent over £1b at City to win one CL and failed to do so at a Bayern team that managed it before and after he left, what an absolute genius the man is.

Changed world football. Deary me.

 

[Lexicon Red Devil]

Someone ask the bot if this counts as a big game

It's a big game in name only, he was up against a side missing 6 defenders through injury by the time he got his goal and who had already lost 11 league games this season.

He fluffed his lines when the game was in the balance and a goal would have actually meant something, but got his goal when the game was effectively over and the pressure was off. The best example of stat padding you'll ever see.

You're more likely to see Rodri come up with a goal in a big moment than you are Haaland.

 

[SilentWitness]

People keep misunderstand what Haaland is and does. He's never and will never be the forward who is in the game for 90 minutes, he's the type of forward that you require to be alert for the full 90 because at some stage he'll get one or two chances because he's switched on to be in the right place at the right time and more often than not he scores at least one of them.

 

[adexkola]

It's a big game in name only, he was up against a side missing 6 defenders through injury by the time he got his goal and who had already lost 11 league games this season.

He fluffed his lines when the game was in the balance and a goal would have actually meant something, but got his goal when the game was effectively over and the pressure was off. The best example of stat padding you'll ever see.

You're more likely to see Rodri come up with a goal in a big moment than you are Haaland.

So the answer is no, it's not a big game, and he's a stat padder? So we cut to the chase.

 

[troylocker]

It's a big game in name only, he was up against a side missing 6 defenders through injury by the time he got his goal and who had already lost 11 league games this season.

He fluffed his lines when the game was in the balance and a goal would have actually meant something, but got his goal when the game was effectively over and the pressure was off. The best example of stat padding you'll ever see.

You're more likely to see Rodri come up with a goal in a big moment than you are Haaland.

Do you usually think games are over at 2-1 with 5-10 minutes to go? To me a goal then is very important if anything. It's the goal that kills the game.

That said, he had a really bad game. The big miss and a lot of bad touches.

This was probably the most one sided derby we've ever seen in the end and not the big game we want it to be.

 

[giorno]

People keep misunderstand what Haaland is and does. He's never and will never be the forward who is in the game for 90 minutes, he's the type of forward that you require to be alert for the full 90 because at some stage he'll get one or two chances because he's switched on to be in the right place at the right time and more often than not he scores at least one of them.

More than anything it's how much he simplifies city's attack. City get to play 4 actual CBs in big games which has had a dramatic effect on improving their defence and counterpress, because they have him. They don't need as many great attacking players combining to break defenses open anymore. And if they're pushed back, all they need to do once they get it back is PUNT IT UP. Haaland will turn that into a chance with enough regularity it's now their go-to method of attack in transition

Just ask Luton

 

[Tom Cato]

He has great positioning and ability to convert tap-ins playing for the most dominant PL side ever. That's where it ends for him, doesn't make him the greatest striker or the best player.


Gabriel Jesus or Firmino type player offers different things as attackers from Haaland. City has no problem scoring goals with or without Haaland.



That's a 50 tap-in-a season player at City not United.
Another player can contribute more by scoring less for City, City has numerous scoring threats. They have been dominating PL with a injury-prone Aguero and lack of proper strikers for years.

Even when Haaland shit the bed last year as a 50-tap-in striker in every semis & finals, they won the treble. One day Bernardo Silva shows up scoring what City needs, another day KDB, another day Gundogan, another day Rodri, another day Foden etc. and these guys are not even strikers.

What better strikers are there in the Premier League?

 

[stefan92]

More than anything it's how much he simplifies city's attack. City get to play 4 actual CBs in big games which has had a dramatic effect on improving their defence and counterpress, because they have him. They don't need as many great attacking players combining to break defenses open anymore. And if they're pushed back, all they need to do once they get it back is PUNT IT UP. Haaland will turn that into a chance with enough regularity it's now their go-to method of attack in transition

Just ask Luton

I wouldn't really say he simplifies things, but more that he diversifies their options. They now can have aerial superiority which they didn't have that much up front before him, and if someone focuses on stopping Haaland he will have to leave spaces open for other players to combine in. Previously it was "enough" to shut cover all spaces to stop City - still hard, but doable. Now if you do that you will leave Haaland alone or in a 1v1 situation, which physically quite often makes no difference.

 

[giorno]

I wouldn't really say he simplifies things, but more that he diversifies their options. They now can have aerial superiority which they didn't have that much up front before him, and if someone focuses on stopping Haaland he will have to leave spaces open for other players to combine in. Previously it was "enough" to shut cover all spaces to stop City - still hard, but doable. Now if you do that you will leave Haaland alone or in a 1v1 situation, which physically quite often makes no difference.

No, he simplifies it. Again, their go-to counter attack went from multiple players breaking at pace, with either a couple interchanges or a guy carrying the ball forward, to lump it up behind the defence and let the big guy take care of the rest. He doesn't need any help either so the rest can stay back in defensive positions and not waste energy either

Even against positional defence, they don't even need to get in behind anymore, just put it in the box enough times and he'll sort it out.

 

[Lexicon Red Devil]

Do you usually think games are over at 2-1 with 5-10 minutes to go? To me a goal then is very important if anything. It's the goal that kills the game.

That said, he had a really bad game. The big miss and a lot of bad touches.

This was probably the most one sided derby we've ever seen in the end and not the big game we want it to be.

Not usually, no. When it's a team missing 6 defenders and with Antony and Forson as the main attacking threats then it was pretty obvious the game was over at that point.

 

[Tyrion]

Eh scoring is literally producing. And City score more goals with him in it. Are you telling me City are better without Haaland!

It's producing goals but that's not the only way to help your team.

When he plays poorly, yes.

 

[Oranges038]

More than anything it's how much he simplifies city's attack. City get to play 4 actual CBs in big games which has had a dramatic effect on improving their defence and counterpress, because they have him. They don't need as many great attacking players combining to break defenses open anymore. And if they're pushed back, all they need to do once they get it back is PUNT IT UP. Haaland will turn that into a chance with enough regularity it's now their go-to method of attack in transition

Just ask Luton

I think the game that made Pep change to have this type of striker was the CL final with Chelsea.

Chelsea nullified them to the point that they resorted to humping high balls into the box and long throws on top of Gabriel Jesus.

 

[justsomebloke]

Had a very poor season so far, despite his decent numbers. Hopefully just second season syndrome, easy to forget that he probably isn't the finished article yet

"a very poor season, decent numbers"? He's the top scorer in the PL despite missing significant time with injuries, for christ's sake.

 

[adexkola]

"a very poor season, decent numbers"? He's the top scorer in the PL despite missing significant time with injuries, for christ's sake.

If only he had a couple more rabonas in his game...

 

[giorno]

If only he had a couple more rabonas in his game...

People go on about "goals aren't everything" and "he offers nothing outside of goals" and then he's having a poor season in which he has 28 goals in 31 games.

This is all Messi and Cristiano's fault. Normalizing the absurd to the point we took it for normal....