mpabbe , endrick >> Haaland

Even if you don't rate his overall play he's world class just from his ability to score goals, so yes of course he is. Silly question.

Look how many times people lay the not turning up in big games opinion at Kane, but we still rate him as world class, even though he too didn't have his best game yesterday.

He's obviously a top player in his own way. The thing he's good at, he's the best in the world at.

It's just about whether the benefit to the team outweighs the drawbacks with him. Last season it undoubtedly did. This season, especially the last couple of months - not so much.

I think his problem is the things he's good at, besides scoring goals, don't work all that great in a side like Man City.

At Dortmund he's feast on through balls or balls over the top where he could use his pace and strength. Man City hardly ever get that kind of space.

Always goes missing in big games and unless he gets a pen, usually fails to score in them. Last night against Arsenal was a prime example.

Anyway, back to Haaland. His goals won City the treble last season.

He's scored loads of goals but the Pep stlye of play does not suit him. It's slow transition which has bought City multiple success but him as a player he suits a team like us where there is more chaos and the ball gets pumped to the forward line quickly as possible. That's how Dortmund used to play.

It's quite simple really.

He's a footballing monster.

Those that are threatened by a 'monster' need to control it. Those that want to utilise a 'monster' need to feed it.

Stop the monster being fed and the monster issues can temporarily go away.

United had the same issue with Lukaku.

He was surrounded by idiots like Rashford, Lingard, Herrera etc. The kind of idiots that lacked the team intelligence (indeed footballing intelligence) to maximise his assets. So what did the club do, sacked the good 'un and kept the bad 'uns. Although, to be fair, they did eventually get rid of two of the idiots, just way too late.

Seems the way at the moment. Needs to stop, and stop soon.

He’s brilliant, just not as good as all the hype would suggest.

I'll wait to see a few more seasons before making any big judgements on him being world class or anything like that... He's only 23.

He's already won the lot and is actually having another good season, numbers wise... Last season's feats just makes it seem like a he's having a poor season.

First and foremost, a CF is in the team to score goals, and Naaland scores more than most.

For all of his ‘faults’ he would make any top team.

“offers next to nothing in terms of build up play”

Don’t agree with that at all, that’s the main thing he has been better at this year. Don’t think the balance between the two has been right though.

comment by Ji Sung Park's Cousin (U2958)
posted 13 minutes ago
I'll wait to see a few more seasons before making any big judgements on him being world class or anything like that... He's only 23.

He's already won the lot and is actually having another good season, numbers wise... Last season's feats just makes it seem like a he's having a poor season.
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How many more seasons do you need to judge him?

He's scored over 20 league goals in his past 5 seasons and has 27 goals in 31 for his country, all still at an age most would consider wouldn't yet be at a player's peak. How can he not be world class already at this point?

comment by Spurtle (U1608)
posted 12 minutes ago
comment by Ji Sung Park's Cousin (U2958)
posted 13 minutes ago
I'll wait to see a few more seasons before making any big judgements on him being world class or anything like that... He's only 23.

He's already won the lot and is actually having another good season, numbers wise... Last season's feats just makes it seem like a he's having a poor season.
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How many more seasons do you need to judge him?

He's scored over 20 league goals in his past 5 seasons and has 27 goals in 31 for his country, all still at an age most would consider wouldn't yet be at a player's peak. How can he not be world class already at this point?
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I don't sit and watch the Bundesliga and don't really consider scoring 20+ goals there as an indicator of being world class. Sancho was hitting big numbers there.

I've watched him a fair bit for two years, he's clearly a great goal scorer, but if the next few seasons are similar to this one, I am not sure i'd class him as world class. If, in the next couple of years, he gets somewhere close to last season again... Then he is clearly world class.

Is that now easier for you to understand?

Halaand and Kane are similar in that they rely more on the team to deliver for them. They rarely do something from nothing, although Kane does have the better all round game so does contribute more widely.

I always felt Halaand would score plenty for City because he is a great finisher and they create so much but always that it was an odd choice because of the way they play. It must be so frustrating for Halaand because they havent really changed their game to accommodate him, they play with so much patience and rarely get the ball to him quickly or early.

He'd do very well in a Dyche team

He’s brilliant at what he does and with the attacking threat City have he doesn’t really need to be a more rounded player because if teams try and mark him out the game it simply gives others room to attack. He worked perfectly for them last season but last night I thought the team as a whole were a bit lacking and one dimensional as well as Real defending very well.

I wonder if he’ll go to Real at some point as has been suggested often. With Mbappe they still don’t really have a top quality central striker but maybe Endrick will become that?

Haaland - is he even that good?

He's in fact one of the best.

His strengths are his movement in and around the box and anticipation. A natural poacher with world class finishing ability...which is all he needs to perform at City which is probably the best side to play for with that skillset. Any other side and he'll be asked to do more which will most likely expose other areas of his game where he's not so world class.

To suggest Haaland, with his ridiculous scoring record is not world class is pretty ludicrous. City has a lot of technically outstanding players who build up in a way that doesn't always suit Haaland's qualities (meaning he plays with his back to goal more than he'd like), but he's till been an undisputed success.

Robb you little WUM you

Top player and feel that most of the "big" clubs would have him in their team in a minute?

I've been impressed with Haaland's touches and intelligent decision making in build-up play. While playing for such a dominant and prolific chance creating team as City is obviously good for his goal-scoring stats, it seems to me that the role he plays at City means we see less of his potential for all-round contributions.

People saying you need to get the ball to him quickly in transition

https://youtu.be/IHXXU4L6el8?si=hPeDoGZg_4GSOtqQ

His stats are still strong this season, and he's missed a couple of months with injury.

He thrives on crosses, runs in behind and chaos in the box. City don't provide any of that, and he's still scoring goals.

comment by Ji Sung Park's Cousin (U2958)
posted 57 minutes ago
comment by Spurtle (U1608)
posted 12 minutes ago
comment by Ji Sung Park's Cousin (U2958)
posted 13 minutes ago
I'll wait to see a few more seasons before making any big judgements on him being world class or anything like that... He's only 23.

He's already won the lot and is actually having another good season, numbers wise... Last season's feats just makes it seem like a he's having a poor season.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
How many more seasons do you need to judge him?

He's scored over 20 league goals in his past 5 seasons and has 27 goals in 31 for his country, all still at an age most would consider wouldn't yet be at a player's peak. How can he not be world class already at this point?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I don't sit and watch the Bundesliga and don't really consider scoring 20+ goals there as an indicator of being world class. Sancho was hitting big numbers there.

I've watched him a fair bit for two years, he's clearly a great goal scorer, but if the next few seasons are similar to this one, I am not sure i'd class him as world class. If, in the next couple of years, he gets somewhere close to last season again... Then he is clearly world class.

Is that now easier for you to understand?
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But he's now got 20 or more goals in the 2 seasons he's been in the PL, he even broke the record in his first season. Also all the goals he's scored in the CL and for his country. So yeah, pointless talking about Bundesliga not being a strong enough league as part of your argument.

If you don't consider him world class yet you must have a ridiculous standard with which to reach world class levels. I mean what other striker is or has done what he's been doing at this young age?

Similar comments were made about Ian Rush remembering the infamous one made by a commentator that he done absolutely nothing all day but score a hattrick.

comment by Spurtle (U1608)
posted 9 minutes ago
comment by Ji Sung Park's Cousin (U2958)
posted 57 minutes ago
comment by Spurtle (U1608)
posted 12 minutes ago
comment by Ji Sung Park's Cousin (U2958)
posted 13 minutes ago
I'll wait to see a few more seasons before making any big judgements on him being world class or anything like that... He's only 23.

He's already won the lot and is actually having another good season, numbers wise... Last season's feats just makes it seem like a he's having a poor season.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
How many more seasons do you need to judge him?

He's scored over 20 league goals in his past 5 seasons and has 27 goals in 31 for his country, all still at an age most would consider wouldn't yet be at a player's peak. How can he not be world class already at this point?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I don't sit and watch the Bundesliga and don't really consider scoring 20+ goals there as an indicator of being world class. Sancho was hitting big numbers there.

I've watched him a fair bit for two years, he's clearly a great goal scorer, but if the next few seasons are similar to this one, I am not sure i'd class him as world class. If, in the next couple of years, he gets somewhere close to last season again... Then he is clearly world class.

Is that now easier for you to understand?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
But he's now got 20 or more goals in the 2 seasons he's been in the PL, he even broke the record in his first season. Also all the goals he's scored in the CL and for his country. So yeah, pointless talking about Bundesliga not being a strong enough league as part of your argument.

If you don't consider him world class yet you must have a ridiculous standard with which to reach world class levels. I mean what other striker is or has done what he's been doing at this young age?
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Not sure why you are get so twisted up about this

I don't really get the rush to say someone is world class, tbh. If this last season turns out to be the anomaly and the rest of his career is more like his Dortmund seasons and this year... I'm not sure where the outrage is if you wouldn't consider him world class if there are more rounded strikers also getting those numbers.

Chill out fella, Robb asked for an opinion and mine happened to be slightly different to yours (in your rush to post a reply, maybe you didn't notice that I think he's a great striker?).