Nordic Ghost Yeti (Scandi Carroll) | Haaland at City

Red the Bear

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I think having a S tier striker in your squad is a bonus no matter what.
Definitely but it would be hard to call him a nailed on success if he fails to bring them the cl.

Harsh to look at it that way but it's just the way things are.
 

Gehrman

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Definitely but it would be hard to call him a nailed on success if he fails to bring them the cl.

Harsh to look at it that way but it's just the way things are.

In his first season? Or does he get several chances?
 

cyberman

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Pep has fecked it by playing everything to his strengths. The variety is gone
 

Jim Beam

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Haaland is great and everything but I wonder do City have less control now, which in turn exposes some of their defenders and their overrated keeper? Injuries in defence haven’t helped obviously but feels while their attack is more potent, you can get at them more this season so far.
It certainly forces them to be a bit more direct at times. Do feel it is still more to do with other players form/injures than Haaland.
 

Amar__

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He seemed really riled up today by Everton defenders after ten minutes of football, you would think he was playing game of his life watching his behaviour after the first goal. Very unlikeable bloke.

I mean, that kind of determination probably makes him excellent player, but it's not really nice for the kids to watch human acting like a fecking robot.
 

NewUser777

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He seemed really riled up today by Everton defenders after ten minutes of football, you would think he was playing game of his life watching his behaviour after the first goal. Very unlikeable bloke.

I mean, that kind of determination probably makes him excellent player, but it's not really nice for the kids to watch human acting like a fecking robot.
You’re right. He should run around moaning and complaining being kicked and held back. That’s the way to do it.
 

PoTMS

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I said it in the other thread. Haaland is Ruud, Alvarez is Saha. Haaland is a great goalscorer but you can't help but feel City would be playing much better football with the latter up front.
 

Ludens the Red

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Strange, for all the pundits wanking themselves silly over incoming records and all the commentators screeching with excitement anytime the ball goes near him you’d be surprised to see this is a team 2nd in the league and have been basically all season, with several other attackers massively underperforming and underscoring.
The Leeds game the other night was quite funny, there were several moments a city player could either shoot or pass the ball to someone in a better position than Haaland but everytime they would choose to go to Haaland. You wonder if they’ve fallen into the obsession with him and forget they’ve actually got a job to win football matches.
 

Sviken

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For as good as he is, I don't think he is really that striker Pep needs and prefers. He's a pure poacher, there's nothing to his game other than scoring goals. He needs someone like Messi. Hell, even Ronaldo in his glory days had way more in his foot locker than just goals, especially in his first stint at United.
 

SCP

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Not popular to say this but as a great goalscorer he is City didn't improved their overall play, of course it's not only his fault, other players dropped their levels, but remembers a bit the post Real Madrid CR7 who scored a lot of goals but his teams didn't looked better at all.
 

NicolaSacco

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Not popular to say this but as a great goalscorer he is City didn't improved their overall play, of course it's not only his fault, other players dropped their levels, but remembers a bit the post Real Madrid CR7 who scored a lot of goals but his teams didn't looked better at all.
In fairness I don’t think he was signed to ‘improve their overall play’. He was signed to score chances which he’s done very well at.

I think we’ll see during the CL knockout phases whether Pep has made the right choice.
 

amolbhatia50k

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He's an elite poacher but how are City actually better with him? To be so far behind the league leaders is a rare occurrence with them
 

lsd

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Shades of us buying Ruud suddenly. Everything City do send to be getting the ball to Haaland so he can score.

Other than scoring which he is amazing at he offers very little and the result is City do not look as good a football team with him as they did without him.

It's a weird situation for Pep and I wonder what he will do about it
 

Pintu

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The Caf last season: the lack of a striker is holding City back
The Caf this season: having an elite striker is holding City back
Holding them back from what exactly? It looked obvious since day 1 that they'd win their 4th in 5...
 

adexkola

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Not sure many said point one?
What???

This is a refrain that's been said many times prior to this season about City: they generate many chances and lack a cutting edge up front (which allegedly has cost them in the CL)

:lol: You do enjoy crafting these made up Caf consensus posts!
I'm trying to be better, promise :lol:
 

cyberman

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What???

This is a refrain that's been said many times prior to this season about City: they generate many chances and lack a cutting edge up front (which allegedly has cost them in the CL)



I'm trying to be better, promise :lol:
Really? I always thought the false 9 type systems suited pep and almost made City impossible to play against. I’m on record here hoping City signed Kane / Haaland to break that up and give the league a chance.
 

Amar__

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You’re right. He should run around moaning and complaining being kicked and held back. That’s the way to do it.
Well, he did that too today many times so I am not sure what's your point.
 

PepG

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At the beginning of the season i said that Haaland needs to adapt to the way City play. So far he didnt and that is with Guardiolas allowance because of his goals. But i think that will change. Aguero had a very difficult first year with Pep and after that he adapted and became the forward Guardiola wants. I think Haaland will adapt also eventually.
 

KeanoMagicHat

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At the beginning of the season i said that Haaland needs to adapt to the way City play. So far he didnt and that is with Guardiolas allowance because of his goals. But i think that will change. Aguero had a very difficult first year with Pep and after that he adapted and became the forward Guardiola wants. I think Haaland will adapt also eventually.
He shouldn’t adapt his game like that too much and become another overcoached City robot forward. Part of the reason he’s doing so well is that he is offering something different in the team. I think it’s a mutual thing, the team needs to adapt to him as much as the other way around. You don’t buy a top 2-3 player of his generation heading into his peak and then tell him to play completely differently.
 

bond19821982

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At the beginning of the season i said that Haaland needs to adapt to the way City play. So far he didnt and that is with Guardiolas allowance because of his goals. But i think that will change. Aguero had a very difficult first year with Pep and after that he adapted and became the forward Guardiola wants. I think Haaland will adapt also eventually.
Infact I said City will struggle with Haaland and they will have to change how they play. So far I have been proved wrong but then Haaland is just a major mismatch in that line up. He isn't getting involved in any kind of build up and that would hurt them in the long run. Alvarez is a far better fit with that players .
 

Cloud7

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He shouldn’t adapt his game like that too much and become another overcoached City robot forward. Part of the reason he’s doing so well is that he is offering something different in the team. I think it’s a mutual thing, the team needs to adapt to him as much as the other way around. You don’t buy a top 2-3 player of his generation heading into his peak and then tell him to play completely differently.
Barcelona under Pep did exactly that with near peak Zlatan
 

11 forwards

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Infact I said City will struggle with Haaland and they will have to change how they play. So far I have been proved wrong but then Haaland is just a major mismatch in that line up. He isn't getting involved in any kind of build up and that would hurt them in the long run. Alvarez is a far better fit with that players .
So much doom and gloom. You'd think Citeh doesn't score at all. While they hit the target on a higher rate than any other team in the league. Best goal differential too. Implementing new players and a more diversified offense takes some time. Obviously. That it hasn't clicked perfectly yet isn't a huge surprise. Also considering the halfway break.
 
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Righteous Steps

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Really? I always thought the false 9 type systems suited pep and almost made City impossible to play against. I’m on record here hoping City signed Kane / Haaland to break that up and give the league a chance.
Kane is pretty close to what a False 9 is he would have been perfect for them.
 

Righteous Steps

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At the beginning of the season i said that Haaland needs to adapt to the way City play. So far he didnt and that is with Guardiolas allowance because of his goals. But i think that will change. Aguero had a very difficult first year with Pep and after that he adapted and became the forward Guardiola wants. I think Haaland will adapt also eventually.
There’s nothing to adapt to, he is what he is an elite poacher, out of all the great goalscorers of recent times he undoubtedly has the weakest overall game, you couldn’t even begin to compare his overall game to the likes of Aguero, Suarez Benzema, Kane, Lewandowski, Salah, Mbappe, Neymar etc despite him being a better goalscorer.
 

KeanoMagicHat

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There’s nothing to adapt to, he is what he is an elite poacher, out of all the great goalscorers of recent times he undoubtedly has the weakest overall game, you couldn’t even begin to compare his overall game to the likes of Aguero, Suarez Benzema, Kane, Lewandowski, Salah, Mbappe, Neymar etc despite him being a better goalscorer.
He’s another level to Aguero, and Haaland has plenty more than poaching - he’s far stronger and quicker than the average poacher. He can destroy teams with that power. A poacher suggests he is relying on loose balls in the box. Haaland makes chances with his runs like hardly anyone I’ve seen. A defence is shitting themselves against Haaland, a poacher suggests that the defence has him under wraps and he sneaks a goal under their noses. That’s not what happens.
 

Zen86

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He’s another level to Aguero, and Haaland has plenty more than poaching - he’s far stronger and quicker than the average poacher. He can destroy teams with that power. A poacher suggests he is relying on loose balls in the box. Haaland makes chances with his runs like hardly anyone I’ve seen. A defence is shitting themselves against Haaland, a poacher suggests that the defence has him under wraps and he sneaks a goal under their noses. That’s not what happens.
Is that what the definition of a poacher is? It’s not a derogatory term. A poacher is basically a pure goal scorer whose main purpose is getting on the end of the final ball, or being in the box at the right time and putting it in the back of the net. That’s pretty much what Haaland is. He’s obviously very good at it, as have many players before him.
 

EliotTheRed

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I think he’ll end up with 38. I don’t think he’ll survive the season completely injury free and some teams will focus their defensive tactic on keeping him out - it won’t stop the others chipping in mind. But on the other hand he could score a super high percentage of all City’s goals and end up with 50. It’s bonkers.