Nordic Ghost Yeti | Haaland at City

[Jippy]

Cristiano completed 487 dribbles between 2010-2014 in La Liga+Champions League, That's more than any other player playing in EPL/La Liga did in that same period other than peak Messi. Ronaldo was double guarded every single game, His success rate was higher than Kylian Mbappe in PSG career, Who completed 499 dribbles in his last 5 seasons in the 6th ranked league+CL for comparison. I would argue Cristiano Solo goals repertoire was also only second to Messi in Europe during that timeframe. To claim he was only "decent" dribble is a complete nonsense.

Do you not read that back and question the current direction of your life?

 

[Gehrman]

Do you not read that back and question the current direction of your life?

Completed dribbles does not not take into account the take on succes rate where he is much lower than the other guys. Not saying that Cristiano at his best at dribbling wasnt great but he wasnt 2nd only to Messi. Iniesta has the highest take on succes rate since Opta started measuring this with Messi 2nd.

 

[giorno]

Number of dribbles per 90 doesn't say anything about your abilities as a dribbler. It only gives you an indication of how often you dribble. Lets compare Haaland an Mbappe this season for instance as an example:

Mbappe in Ligue 1 this season:
2,44 successful dribbles per 90

Haaland in the PL this season:
0,37 successful dribbles per 90

See how much better Mbappe is at dribbling many will say looking at this.

Context:

Mbappe's number of dribbling attempts in Ligue 1 this season:
6,68 dribbling attempts per 90.
Dispossessed while dribbling 4,24 times per 90
Successrate: 36,5%

Haaland's number of dribbling attempts in Ligue 1 this season:
1,01 dribbling attempts per 90.
Dispossessed while dribbling 0,64 times per 90
Successrate: 36,7%

Kane is on 38%, Benzema on 42%, Lewa on 51% and Messi on 55%

As you can see it is more about playingstyle rather than actual ability. Both Haaland and Mbappe has a lower successrate than "usual" this season (Both was on 54% last season).
Haaland only attempts dribbles when he must, while Mbappe dribbles at every opportunity, that's more down to their playing style than their ability. Haaland releases the ball on his 1st or 2nd touch most of the time, plays very direct/vertical and doesn't drop deep as often as many others, but that says more about his playingstyle than his abilities or skills as a footballer.

Dribble attempts are a better evaluation of dribbling skill than success rate. Players that attempt a lot of dribbles are confident in their skill and are generally the best dribblers. Dribbling is the most valuable on ball skill an attacking player can have, hence why great dribblers rely on it a lot

A player that barely attempt to dribble is not a good dribbler, no matter his success rate, otherwise he'd rely on it a lot more

 

[Libero_of_Yore]

That’s not entirely correct. In terms of playing style, it’s true his Man Utd version (03-08) is more like Neymar, while his early Madrid version (09-13) is more like Mbappe, whereas his late Madrid version (14-18) is more like Haaland.

Neymar is an elite playmaker, even as a 10.
Peak Cristiano could never.

 

[mshnsh]

Cristiano completed 487 dribbles between 2010-2014 in La Liga+Champions League, That's more than any other player playing in EPL/La Liga did in that same period other than peak Messi. Ronaldo was double guarded every single game, His success rate was higher than Kylian Mbappe in PSG career, Who completed 499 dribbles in his last 5 seasons in the 6th ranked league+CL for comparison. I would argue Cristiano Solo goals repertoire was also only second to Messi in Europe during that timeframe. To claim he was only "decent" dribble is a complete nonsense.

No it isn't complete nonsense. His dribbles completed per game was not high enough to say he was a great dribbler. On top of the fact that most of his dribbles were about running into acres of space on the counter or a step over to create space for a shot on goal.
https://www.messivsronaldo.app/detailed-stats/successful-dribbles/

As for his solo goals, most came in his first season which was also the season in which he completed the most dribbles per game throughout his time at Madrid.

 

[RC89]

How many amazing goals does Haaland score? This guy will never light up the highlights reel. He cant dribble, he doesn't have a long shot, he is simply a penalty box merchant, albeit a very good one.

You could make a highlights package of Henry or Ronaldo dribbling past multiple defenders or scoring long range shots. But with Haaland, you just get headed shots form inside the 6 yard box or tap ins form cutbacks.

Will never win the Ballon Dor, because he has no style or grace.

Big claim.

 

[mshnsh]

Number of dribbles per 90 doesn't say anything about your abilities as a dribbler. It only gives you an indication of how often you dribble. Lets compare Haaland an Mbappe this season for instance as an example:

Mbappe in Ligue 1 this season:
2,44 successful dribbles per 90

Haaland in the PL this season:
0,37 successful dribbles per 90

See how much better Mbappe is at dribbling many will say looking at this.

Context:

Mbappe's number of dribbling attempts in Ligue 1 this season:
6,68 dribbling attempts per 90.
Dispossessed while dribbling 4,24 times per 90
Successrate: 36,5%

Haaland's number of dribbling attempts in Ligue 1 this season:
1,01 dribbling attempts per 90.
Dispossessed while dribbling 0,64 times per 90
Successrate: 36,7%

Kane is on 38%, Benzema on 42%, Lewa on 51% and Messi on 55%

As you can see it is more about playingstyle rather than actual ability. Both Haaland and Mbappe has a lower successrate than "usual" this season (Both was on 54% last season).
Haaland only attempts dribbles when he must, while Mbappe dribbles at every opportunity, that's more down to their playing style than their ability. Haaland releases the ball on his 1st or 2nd touch most of the time, plays very direct/vertical and doesn't drop deep as often as many others, but that says more about his playingstyle than his abilities or skills as a footballer.

Let's just agree that Haaland isn't a good dribbler and he knows it so doesn't attempt alot. And even when he does so, his success rate is quite poor (36.7%) which proves my prior point (that he knows his limits). No idea why anyone needs to big him up in that area. As a goalscorer....

 

[Libero_of_Yore]

Big claim.

He's not very stylistic or graceful, and often looks cumbersome. But scoring at an insane rate, winning trophies galore, and with no other player playing at a top team at a top level (Kyllian I'm looking at you), it is very conceivable that he wins a Balon Dor. I mean, Owen won a Balon Dor, why not Erling Braut?

 

[mshnsh]

Because he doesn’t have close ball control or silky skills to pass their eye test. Some people just doesn’t like these types of footballers, regardless of how unstoppable he was on the pitch.

How many matches have you watched where Haaland has been city's best player on the pitch? He is more a Muller than a Ronaldo (Brazilian).

This is not to say he doesn't deserve plaudits but some of the praise goes overboard as do some of the excuses regarding his general play I.e that he is a good dribbler but doesn't choose to dribble for whatever reason, that he has a great shot but isn't attempting for whatever reason. Total nonsense. He is a great goalscorer, is fast and strong. He knows his strengths and weaknesses which is why he plays the way he does.

 

[Libero_of_Yore]

How many matches have you watched where Haaland has been city's best player on the pitch? He is more a Muller than a Ronaldo (Brazilian).

This is not to say he doesn't deserve plaudits but some of the praise goes overboard as do some of the excuses regarding his general play I.e that he is a good dribbler but doesn't choose to dribble for whatever reason, that he has a great shot but isn't attempting for whatever reason. Total nonsense. He is a great goalscorer, is fast and strong. He knows his strengths and weaknesses which is why he plays the way he does.

Indeed, we just saw the Everton City game, Haaland scores, but was he better than Gundo? How does the best player have 1 to 3 touches of a football in the first 30 minutes of a football match?

 

[RedRonaldo]

How many matches have you watched where Haaland has been city's best player on the pitch? He is more a Muller than a Ronaldo (Brazilian).

This is not to say he doesn't deserve plaudits but some of the praise goes overboard as do some of the excuses regarding his general play I.e that he is a good dribbler but doesn't choose to dribble for whatever reason, that he has a great shot but isn't attempting for whatever reason. Total nonsense. He is a great goalscorer, is fast and strong. He knows his strengths and weaknesses which is why he plays the way he does.

Even so, Muller doesn’t necessarily ranked lower than L.Ronaldo in GOAT ranking though, for different reasons of course.

 

[CrockedRain]

No it isn't complete nonsense. His dribbles completed per game was not high enough to say he was a great dribbler. On top of the fact that most of his dribbles were about running into acres of space on the counter or a step over to create space for a shot on goal.
https://www.messivsronaldo.app/detailed-stats/successful-dribbles/

As for his solo goals, most came in his first season which was also the season in which he completed the most dribbles per game throughout his time at Madrid.

I'm not sure what are your standards for "great dribbler" are because 2.5 dribbles completed across 5 seasons is literally elite, Only against Peak Messi/Neymar output this look rather low (But tbf, They attempted almost twice as much dribbles per game than Madrid Cristiano, Who proved in his United days he could match their legendary output if he just attempt enough dribbles). Vinicius JR completed 3 dribbles per game in the last 5 seasons playing less games than Cristiano (Naturally it's harder to maintain high average the more you play, In basically every kind of statistics) and he's considered the best dribbler in the world for quite some time now, And for comparison, Cristiano success rate was 50% while Vinicius rate is standing at 44%.

Another factor many don't take into account when talking about great dribblers is the amount of fouls won, There's a very strong correlation between being a great dribbler and getting your legs kicked (Neymar for example is the most fouled player since recorded statistics). Between 2009-2014 Cristiano won more fouls than Messi, Robben and Ribery, Players who managed 3-5 dribbles per game in the early 10s. Now, This could be explained by Cristiano obsession with Freekicks around that time, He used to fall in every slight touch in the final 1/3 instead of keeping on the slalom like he did in his United days pre 2008, But nonetheless it meant defenders had to foul him very often because of his elite dribbling threat.

Regardless of all the statistics, I don't understand how you could watch early 2010s Cristiano and don't see how scary 1 versus 1 player was, Practically impossible to defend because of his physical frame, athleticism and technical ability combination, That's why the right back always needed a backup. I could pull you many statistics that show Mbappe this season isn't top 10 dribblers in the world but no sane coach will treat him as nothing short of insane dribbling threat when facing him, I can almost guarantee you that 96-98 R9 didn't match Saha dribbling output in the prem but you would be mental not to recognize him as generational dribbler because of his capacity to dribble. That was the case with Cristiano back then (Who again, Literally had the statistics to back himself up but you weirdly insist he didn't).

 

[RedRonaldo]

I'm not sure what are your standards for "great dribbler" are because 2.5 dribbles completed across 5 seasons is literally elite, Only against Peak Messi/Neymar output this look rather low (But tbf, They attempted almost twice as much dribbles per game than Madrid Cristiano, Who proved in his United days he could match their legendary output if he just attempt enough dribbles). Vinicius JR completed 3 dribbles per game in the last 5 seasons playing less games than Cristiano (Naturally it's harder to maintain high average the more you play, In basically every kind of statistics) and he's considered the best dribbler in the world for quite some time now, And for comparison, Cristiano success rate was 50% while Vinicius rate is standing at 44%.

Another factor many don't take into account when talking about great dribblers is the amount of fouls won, There's a very strong correlation between being a great dribbler and getting your legs kicked (Neymar for example is the most fouled player since recorded statistics). Between 2009-2014 Cristiano won more fouls than Messi, Robben and Ribery, Players who managed 3-5 dribbles per game in the early 10s. Now, This could be explained by Cristiano obsession with Freekicks around that time, He used to fall in every slight touch in the final 1/3 instead of keeping on the slalom like he did in his United days pre 2008, But nonetheless it meant defenders had to foul him very often because of his elite dribbling threat.

Regardless of all the statistics, I don't understand how you could watch early 2010s Cristiano and don't see how scary 1 versus 1 player was, Practically impossible to defend because of his physical frame, athleticism and technical ability combination, That's why the right back always needed a backup. I could pull you many statistics that show Mbappe this season isn't top 10 dribblers in the world but no sane coach will treat him as nothing short of insane dribbling threat when facing him, I can almost guarantee you that 96-98 R9 didn't match Saha dribbling output in the prem but you would be mental not to recognize him as generational dribbler because of his capacity to dribble. That was the case with Cristiano back then (Who again, Literally had the statistics to back himself up but you weirdly insist he didn't).

That’s a very post.

For some reason It always gets to @mshnsh nerves whenever people describe Ronaldo’s as “elite” dribbler back in those days, which I think I could never understand his thinking. Perhaps he sets the standard as in Messi’s level of elite, which to be fair Ronaldo wasn’t quite at that level at any point in his career.

But It’s quite obvious to everyone back in those days that Ronaldo was among elite dribbler, and like you’ve said, he used to attract most fouls in the game too, and that’s usually a sign/correlation of being a good dribbler (ie Neymar).

 

[11101]

He's not very stylistic or graceful, and often looks cumbersome. But scoring at an insane rate, winning trophies galore, and with no other player playing at a top team at a top level (Kyllian I'm looking at you), it is very conceivable that he wins a Balon Dor. I mean, Owen won a Balon Dor, why not Erling Braut?

He'll win one but he's at the wrong club and wrong league to be a multiple winner. Players and managers are still human and emotional, and journos definitely are, so they vote for the players and clubs that capture their imagination. Haaland doesn't look or play that way and nobody loves City. It's part why players from English clubs and upstart clubs have always struggled to win it. Even when Liverpool were winning everything in the 80s they finished in the top 3 only once, and never won it. Since then we have had Owen, randomly, and a Cristiano Ronaldo who was impossibly good that season. You need to be in Spain or Italy to be a serial winner.

 

[mshnsh]

I'm not sure what are your standards for "great dribbler" are because 2.5 dribbles completed across 5 seasons is literally elite, Only against Peak Messi/Neymar output this look rather low (But tbf, They attempted almost twice as much dribbles per game than Madrid Cristiano, Who proved in his United days he could match their legendary output if he just attempt enough dribbles). Vinicius JR completed 3 dribbles per game in the last 5 seasons playing less games than Cristiano (Naturally it's harder to maintain high average the more you play, In basically every kind of statistics) and he's considered the best dribbler in the world for quite some time now, And for comparison, Cristiano success rate was 50% while Vinicius rate is standing at 44%.

Another factor many don't take into account when talking about great dribblers is the amount of fouls won, There's a very strong correlation between being a great dribbler and getting your legs kicked (Neymar for example is the most fouled player since recorded statistics). Between 2009-2014 Cristiano won more fouls than Messi, Robben and Ribery, Players who managed 3-5 dribbles per game in the early 10s. Now, This could be explained by Cristiano obsession with Freekicks around that time, He used to fall in every slight touch in the final 1/3 instead of keeping on the slalom like he did in his United days pre 2008, But nonetheless it meant defenders had to foul him very often because of his elite dribbling threat.

Regardless of all the statistics, I don't understand how you could watch early 2010s Cristiano and don't see how scary 1 versus 1 player was, Practically impossible to defend because of his physical frame, athleticism and technical ability combination, That's why the right back always needed a backup. I could pull you many statistics that show Mbappe this season isn't top 10 dribblers in the world but no sane coach will treat him as nothing short of insane dribbling threat when facing him, I can almost guarantee you that 96-98 R9 didn't match Saha dribbling output in the prem but you would be mental not to recognize him as generational dribbler because of his capacity to dribble. That was the case with Cristiano back then (Who again, Literally had the statistics to back himself up but you weirdly insist he didn't).

His success rate (percentage of completed dribbles vs attempted ) was lower than Messi, Neymar, Iniesta, Hazard etc. Iniesta is the only player who anyone can claim that he picked his moments to dribble quite simply because he had a high percentage.

You are totally exaggerating regarding Ronaldo's dribbling abilities. His close control was not great hence he relied mostly on outpacing opponents into space. I remember the champions league semi vs Arsenal back in 2009 in which Ronaldo started on the wing vs Gibbs and really struggled to get past him all game. He had to move to the middle to have any joy. It was a common theme back then that Ronaldo could not beat quick fullbacks so if he was played as a classic winger it was difficult for him to influence the game. He therefore started on the left wing and then drifted into the centre like an inside forward.

That’s a very post.

For some reason It always gets to @mshnsh nerves whenever people describe Ronaldo’s as “elite” dribbler back in those days, which I think I could never understand his thinking. Perhaps he sets the standard as in Messi’s level of elite, which to be fair Ronaldo wasn’t quite at that level at any point in his career.

But It’s quite obvious to everyone back in those days that Ronaldo was among elite dribbler, and like you’ve said, he used to attract most fouls in the game too, and that’s usually a sign/correlation of being a good dribbler (ie Neymar).

I'd like to see the foul stats. In anycase, "foul attraction" isn't necessarily the barometer of a great dribbler. Both Neymar and Cristiano are known to go down easily.

https://www.messivsronaldo.app/detailed-stats/successful-dribbles/

I'm not comparing him to Messi interms of dribbling, nor am I saying he was bad at it. I'm saying he was decent/good at it for most of his 20's (2006-2015) and elite at it in only a couple of seasons. But I wouldn't classify him overall as a great/elite dribbler.

Without considering his early years where it was brainless dribbling, 06/07 was actually an elite level as was 09/10. But his other season's weren't. I base this both on my eyes and on the stats above which are mostly congruent.

 

[Righteous Steps]

I'm not sure what are your standards for "great dribbler" are because 2.5 dribbles completed across 5 seasons is literally elite, Only against Peak Messi/Neymar output this look rather low (But tbf, They attempted almost twice as much dribbles per game than Madrid Cristiano, Who proved in his United days he could match their legendary output if he just attempt enough dribbles). Vinicius JR completed 3 dribbles per game in the last 5 seasons playing less games than Cristiano (Naturally it's harder to maintain high average the more you play, In basically every kind of statistics) and he's considered the best dribbler in the world for quite some time now, And for comparison, Cristiano success rate was 50% while Vinicius rate is standing at 44%.

Another factor many don't take into account when talking about great dribblers is the amount of fouls won, There's a very strong correlation between being a great dribbler and getting your legs kicked (Neymar for example is the most fouled player since recorded statistics). Between 2009-2014 Cristiano won more fouls than Messi, Robben and Ribery, Players who managed 3-5 dribbles per game in the early 10s. Now, This could be explained by Cristiano obsession with Freekicks around that time, He used to fall in every slight touch in the final 1/3 instead of keeping on the slalom like he did in his United days pre 2008, But nonetheless it meant defenders had to foul him very often because of his elite dribbling threat.

Regardless of all the statistics, I don't understand how you could watch early 2010s Cristiano and don't see how scary 1 versus 1 player was, Practically impossible to defend because of his physical frame, athleticism and technical ability combination, That's why the right back always needed a backup. I could pull you many statistics that show Mbappe this season isn't top 10 dribblers in the world but no sane coach will treat him as nothing short of insane dribbling threat when facing him, I can almost guarantee you that 96-98 R9 didn't match Saha dribbling output in the prem but you would be mental not to recognize him as generational dribbler because of his capacity to dribble. That was the case with Cristiano back then (Who again, Literally had the statistics to back himself up but you weirdly insist he didn't).

Nope its not only Neymar and Messi, but Traore and Hazard also.

 

[Chief123]

That’s the closest hat trick I’ve seen which involves not scoring a single goal!

 

[NewUser777]

Fecking hell, we need a striker like this! If he is not top scorer in the premiership or the champions league, he creates unbalance and space like no one else..

 

[Telsim]

Didn't score over the two legs.

Sell Pep.
Sack Haaland.

 

[Siorac]

At least his performance was funny. He was touted as the player taking them to the next level but was pretty much a non-entity in the semi-final - in fact, he could have cost City with his misses tonight.

Scant consolation when he scores 50+ a season but that's all we get.

 

[FrankFoot]

At least his performance was funny. He was touted as the player taking them to the next level but was pretty much a non-entity in the semi-final - in fact, he could have cost City with his misses tonight.

Scant consolation when he scores 50+ a season but that's all we get.

It doesn't matter, he won't play against Madrid ever year.

In most of his other games he will score a lot, probably in the final too.

Well, at least his haters have the consolation prize that he will probably never play a WC cause Norway national team is shit.

 

[NewUser777]

At least his performance was funny. He was touted as the player taking them to the next level but was pretty much a non-entity in the semi-final - in fact, he could have cost City with his misses tonight.

Scant consolation when he scores 50+ a season but that's all we get.

Imagine posting this with A straight face, and beleiring in it.

 

[Gehrman]

Despite him being poor in the semi finals, he'll will almost without doubt clinch the Balon d'or now. City will almost certainly win and he's broken so many scoring records in his first year here.

 

[KeanoMagicHat]

Two of Courtois’s saves were unbelievable. I thought he was quite good overall and always a threat.

 

[Siorac]

Imagine posting this with A straight face, and beleiring in it.

?

He was poor in both games, and his misses tonight could have been costly if his teammates hadn't picked up the slack. Like I said, it's not much of a consolation but at least it's somewhat funny. In the end, it's not the shiny new toy that led City past Real Madrid but the 'old guard'.

 

[Oly Francis]

Despite him being poor in the semi finals, he'll will almost without doubt clinch the Balon d'or now. City will almost certainly win and he's broken so many scoring records in his first year here.

Unless he performs very well in the final, I still think Messi is ahead (and it's a shame).

 

[NewUser777]

?

He was poor in both games, and his misses tonight could have been costly if his teammates hadn't picked up the slack. Like I said, it's not much of a consolation but at least it's somewhat funny. In the end, it's not the shiny new toy that led City past Real Madrid but the 'old guard'.

You will grow watching this game A couple of times more..

 

[wangyu]

Good first half, seemed a bit tired in the 2nd half until he found a second breath the last 10 min before he got subbed. He could have done better with his first header but his other 2 chances were top saves by Courtois.

As for the ballon d'or, Messi will win it with a landslide with Mbappe second.

 

[Gumshoe]

At least his performance was funny. He was touted as the player taking them to the next level but was pretty much a non-entity in the semi-final - in fact, he could have cost City with his misses tonight.

Scant consolation when he scores 50+ a season but that's all we get.

Surely your ability to observe a game of football isn’t so low resolution that if a striker doesn’t score it means he played poorly? Haaland did not have a bad game tonight by anybody’s measure

 

[Righteous Steps]

I still ain't see an great memorable performance from him against a top team, but he definitely deserves the Ballon d'or

 

[mshnsh]

That’s not entirely correct. In terms of playing style, it’s true his Man Utd version (03-08) is more like Neymar, while his early Madrid version (09-13) is more like Mbappe, whereas his late Madrid version (14-18) is more like Haaland.

Ronaldo 03 to 06 was similar to Neymar only interms of trying ball skills (obviously not as good) but he was not a playmaker.

Ronaldo 06 to 09 wasn't similar at all to Neymar. Neymar is more of a number 10 with excellent dribbling ability.

He was similar to Mbappe interms of style 06-14 (vertical, running into space, getting at the end of chances). He was much better at heading and freekicks, Mbappe is more explosive and has better close control. Mbappe plays for a circus team though. If he wants to become successful, he needs to leave.

 

[MayosNoun]

The reason they are more ruthless is because Haaland has signed. If Haaland isn’t scoring, he is two defenders marking him leaving a lot of room for other players to move into.

Last year, Man City didn’t have anyone around the penalty spot waiting. It meant centre backs could leave their position and help out the full backs. They cannot do that now or he moved into space therefore players like Grealish and Silva are left one v one against full backs and dominating them.

It’s no coincidence this will be their first UCL and first treble, the first year of Haaland’s Man City career.

 

[NewUser777]

Good first half, seemed a bit tired in the 2nd half until he found a second breath the last 10 min before he got subbed. He could have done better with his first header but his other 2 chances were top saves by Courtois.

As for the ballon d'or, Messi will win it with a landslide with Mbappe second.

Agree! Winning premiership, FA Cup ( god forbid) Campions league. Top goal scorer in both premiership and CL, doesn’t come close to what Messi and Mbappe has done this year.. I’m not being enthusiastic, but this thread is taking a turn for embarrassment. The kid worked like a horse today, and created tons of unbalance and space.

 

[Siorac]

The reason they are more ruthless is because Haaland has signed. If Haaland isn’t scoring, he is two defenders marking him leaving a lot of room for other players to move into.

Last year, Man City didn’t have anyone around the penalty spot waiting. It meant centre backs could leave their position and help out the full backs. They cannot do that now or he moved into space therefore players like Grealish and Silva are left one v one against full backs and dominating them.

It’s no coincidence this will be their first UCL and first treble, the first year of Haaland’s Man City career.

I'm not convinced. To point out the most obvious thing: City scored five goals in two games against Real Madrid in the semi-finals last season - exactly the same as this season. They scored 99 league goals; this year they're at 92 with three games to go so it's going to be a similar total. Scoring goals wasn't really the problem.

Honestly, the biggest difference is that Real Madrid are quite a bit worse than a year ago - and even then they only scraped through by the skin of their teeth against a City side that outplayed them for most of the tie.

 

[wangyu]

Agree! Winning premiership, FA Cup ( god forbid) Campions league. Top goal scorer in both premiership and CL, doesn’t come close to what Messi and Mbappe has done this year.. I’m not being enthusiastic, but this thread is taking a turn for embarrassment. The kid worked like a horse today, and created tons of unbalance and space.

Yep, Mbappe scoring a hattrick in the WC final was epic, the entire final was epic. Mbappe top goal scorer as well. Messi absolutely dominated the WC with the entire world watching. It doesn't get any better than that for any player.
When was the last time highly regarded world class players actually performed well in a World Cup/European Cup? I was delighted as a football fan to see 2 of the biggest stars finally showing the world the hype surrounding them was justified on the highest stage.
There often is debate for a ballon d'or but not for me this year.

 

[Righteous Steps]

I'm not convinced. To point out the most obvious thing: City scored five goals in two games against Real Madrid in the semi-finals last season - exactly the same as this season. They scored 99 league goals; this year they're at 92 with three games to go so it's going to be a similar total. Scoring goals wasn't really the problem.

Honestly, the biggest difference is that Real Madrid are quite a bit worse than a year ago - and even then they only scraped through by the skin of their teeth against a City side that outplayed them for most of the tie.

This.

 

[Chief123]

At least his performance was funny. He was touted as the player taking them to the next level but was pretty much a non-entity in the semi-final - in fact, he could have cost City with his misses tonight.

Scant consolation when he scores 50+ a season but that's all we get.

Bizarre take dude. You can’t just ignore the goals he’s scored to get them there. Anyway, he was far from a non-entity. Courtois having a worldie stopped him from getting a hat trick, never mind just one goal. It’s also ignoring the fact City’s goals have come from players who are free in space as defenders are occupied with Haaland.

 

[Morty_]

Did not do much of note against us these games, but UCL-final will strengthen his Ballon Dor chance regardless, strange how things can be.

 

[Righteous Steps]

Bizarre take dude. You can’t just ignore the goals he’s scored to get them there. Anyway, he was far from a non-entity. Courtois having a worldie stopped him from getting a hat trick, never mind just one goal. It’s also ignoring the fact City’s goals have come from players who are free in space as defenders are occupied with Haaland.

The last point applies for any top player.

 

[Siorac]

Bizarre take dude. You can’t just ignore the goals he’s scored to get them there. Anyway, he was far from a non-entity. Courtois having a worldie stopped him from getting a hat trick, never mind just one goal. It’s also ignoring the fact City’s goals have come from players who are free in space as defenders are occupied with Haaland.

Why is everyone drooling over Haaland so much on a Manchester United forum? It's getting weird. Even when he misses a host of chances you lot somehow make him out to be the best player of the game. That's what's bizarre. I'm not even criticising him really, I'm just saying that he didn't take them to the next level.

Every player has weaker games. Haaland was handled very well at the Bernabeu and spurned his chances tonight. City would have won this game with Alvarez, too, because they were absolutely dominant and didn't let Madrid lay a glove on them.