I really admire what Pep has achieved - but I hate the bullshit he speaks from time to time. Like now after this game "we are not in a position to think about winning the league". Like WTF? You are second, it's mid of season and you are -5/-8 points with a game with Arsenal in a few days. You are in the position to play for it if not then GTFO and just stay at home. And I don't agree it takes pressure from the player or anything else. Either you have the squad (not really so) and money (oh yes you do) and go all in or quit.
I think he is talking less about league position and more about performance. Saying if we keep playing like we are, we won't win shit. Which seems pretty fair if you've watched city play since the WC we've struggled to create chances consistently
All a question of expectations no? We were expected to win the title (especially with haaland and how promising the first half of the season looked like) and now our league run is looking dismal as hell. Knowing city, we'll almost certainly bottle the CL which will leave us completely trophyless. It's by all rights a complete failure. Idk if haaland will even stick around if we can't deliver trophies
No I'm not, I'm aware players can't force transfers as easily in football as it is in basketball, but there's no way Haaland will be here for an extended period regardless if we keep playing this way
Okay, listen, I'm going to explain a little about about the three tenets of being a football fan, Tradition, History , Passion and Loyalty.
My Father was a Manchester United fan all the way back in the 60's. He would follow them in the Premier League Home and Away. He still tells epic tales of the all those magical away days when he visited The Etihad, The Emirates, London Stadium, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, you wouldn't believe the stories!! But some of his best memories come from his favourite fixture back then, the mighty MK Dons.
As you can imagine this was all passed along to me and I have followed Manchester United since I was knee high to a Grasshopper. Through thick and thin. Even when Roman Abromovic and the irreplacable Jose Mourinho thundered into the league with nothing but the shirt on their backs and a powerful resolve to win, I still checked Uniteds results every week, and hoped they would do well. I was desperate for them to finish second.
So you see, its more than just a game for us here, its life.
Lmao okay idk what this is in relation to but okay, doesn't change the fact that Haaland isn't someone that's gonna stick around in a club that won't give him trophies. He's a competitive guy that wants to play in top flight and win lol, if the team can't do that he'll walk.
Edit: also seems you're not the brightest in counting considering you put 4 tenets up there and not 3 lol, go to school lad.
I see a lot of Chelsea fans, fans from other teams in general and even some Tottenham fans calling out their team for winning… because it’ll increase arsenal’s chances of winning the title??? Like??? 🙃🙃🙃 so they should PURPOSELY lose???
Some fans got the dumbest takes, it’s honestly mind blowing.
Man everyone talking about City, Pep, Haaland, Arsenal, but can we just admit spurs played a great game against city. I mean Harry Kane just broke the biggest milestone in his career so far for fuck sake.
I was shocked how easy that 2nd half was for spurs
Son wasted afew breaks, could have easilly been more. Som has to be a real worry right now? He just isn't as decisive now
For sure, we were a little wasteful here and there. I feel as if son had his shooting boots this season we would definitely have seen 2-0, but can’t fault him he was integral in his carrying and driving runs down the center of the field. We really are the perfect counter to city, I fucking love it.
He was incredible throughout the game. I think his ability to progress play from very tight positions consistently was the highlight of the game for me. Man's having the best season of his career but unfortunately being overshadowed by the beast. But there's no doubt he contributes way more than goals.
There is an argument for last season and 17/18 being his best seasons, but this season is certainly up there. He’s only getting better with age! Who thought he would be a star, he’s pure hard work and effort. It’s what makes him a hero to myself and many. Love to see it.
Spurs did well today with the press and deserved the win. Was organized and thoughtful, so much so it seemed like they flooded the midfield even tho they were 1 CM down in that position.
City just coulnd't play out from the back and out wide. I think everyone watching the game today would agree with that. There was no explosiveness on the wings, and that contributed to a very lethargic City. The idea of having Lewis as an inverted fullback requires a highly competent back 3 (which city ABSOLUTELY have) is great and welcomed since it gives stability + an extra man to the midfield. They just didn't exploit that today. I think silva played more centrally as he was the release valve to the further attackers. This was successful for a bit tho. U did see silva receive when a line breaking pass did get through, but the attackers were just poor/Spurs covered those spaces so well. Since the wingers were poor, maybe it would have been wise to tweak the system bring Rodri/Lewis more deep and use Walker as an overlap to support Mahrez? (IDK i don't even have 1/10th the foresight Pep has).
Also it will be said, but Halland was not City's main problem.(I don't watch enough City so if any fans have any idea plz say so but..) He did assist in some of the build up play today, and dropped in super deep at times. I think today they honestly needed to stretch out the pitch and play wide. Spurs were super condensed and blocked a lot of the half spaces. Easier said than done tho. City also just seem super lethargic as of late.
Lastly, thought Akanji was one of City's best players today, stopped a lot of potential counters where City should have been deservedly punished.
I think city selling both sterling and Jesus was a huge misfire, and I'm not saying that in regards to where they went. They are just a huge miss at the club.
The wingers they lined up with today are simply not good enough. Bernado needs to sit in the midfield. Grealish has shown flashes of improvement but today he was pocketed by Emerson Royal of all players and it simply wasn't good enough. Even mahrez, who is usually a steady hand, looked off of it lately.
There is a lack of drive and flair that both sterling and jesus brung. This is the kind of game they would win you, a tight affair where the opponent looks to choke your front 3 out of the match. Have no clue why pep isn't utilising Foden but it's becoming obvious there is a problem behind the scenes at city.
All they are seemingly able to do is pass around the ball like Spain did at the wc and create little with it. I think it was whoscored that identified perisic and emerson as the worst performing wingbacks against us this season, so I was shocked when they took the city wide players out of the game but I think that's a testament really to how much city miss jesus/sterling.
Good job today tho spuddys, back to hating each other from now on 🤝
A more tactical explanation would be Sterling and Jesus brought directness on the wings, same as Sane when he was here. Rn all City wingers are inside forwards, they play very similar to each other, there is no plan B when the opponents nullified them.
I guess pep isn't one of those who understand the game then because he okayed the transfer and was happy with it and has been playing haaland as much as possible lol
agree with you, I want to see a more from him if he is going to meet the hype people have for him and “break the premier league.” He is a quality striker and that has allowed him to score the MANY chances City create but it feels like another good striker could do the same
He is not. He is set to break Messi’s records, Ronaldo’s records and scores more than Mbappe too.
His role is very specific, it is not required for him to do other things.
Maybe he can’t but still he is expected according to the data, to score more than Messi, Ronaldo and Mbappe.
I’m sure all of them can dribble better, but Haaland will score more than them. That’s a fact according the statistics, unless he breaks both legs of course.
The thing is Haaland has been trained as a counter-attack striker, which arguably is not Pep's style. The doubt is definitely there, my guess is Pep will ship him after 2-3 years and find a replacement that is more like Kane.
Firstly I believe scoring 23 goals in a team on track for their lowest points tally in 5 years is waaay more impressive than scoring the same amount of goals in a well functioning team and it’s mainly showing how good he is as he’s the one saving Man City this year (since Aguero left there hasn’t been I player I think can do what Haaland has done in this situation)
Secondly, he has proved a lot of times in especially CL in worse teams that he absolutely is world class. He scored 10+1 in 8 CL games 2019/20 against, for example the reigning CL champions Liverpool and two goals against PSG. He scored 10+2 in 8 CL games the year after that as well with a goal against Man City, that years runners up and during his last year at Dortmund he scored 3 goals in 3 matches for Dortmund in CL
Thirdly, which loops back into what I previously says is that he’s always done this. It’s not a fluke, it’s not a form thing, he has ALWAYS scored these amounts of goals no matter the opponents. We have a lot of players performing against top teams, a lot of players performing against bottom placed team but this man does it all. City hasn’t been up to their standards this year but when they’re playing good, Haaland bags 2 goals and they win but if they don’t play good he doesn’t score because he hasn’t got the space to create things on their own because it interferes with Pep’s play style and he wants someone in the box who they can cross to, but if the players don’t whip in the crosses he can’t score
He currently does not posses the space to do it on his own. Look at his game against PSG for example. He is a superior counterattacking forward who can score however he wants, acrobatic kicks, powerful long shots, tap ins, by dribbling past players, but so far in City he only gets the ball on crosses and therefore that’s what he scores. If the team struggles to cross the ball to him, he doesn’t score and he’s isn’t able to use his pace and power to fly past his opponents as City already has so much possession that the opponents defense is in such a low block that here’s no space in behind
Most of those players were not close to him at his age though. Kane was hanging around in the championship until 2014/15 and Lewa wasn’t even at Dortmund yet
If scoring tap ins was that easy, every team would have a goal scorer in the 20’s. Yet, only Haaland is over 17. Get your head out of your ass and appreciate greatness
Not every team needs a striker to play one twos with the center back lad. You can ogle Harry kane all you want but all that versatility got him the audi cup and fuck all
You are absolutely correct. These people are showing extreme cognitive dissonance. They say Harry Kane isn’t great because his team hasn’t won anything, emphasizing that team results are the major contribution to how good a player is. but then say that haaland is doing great and to ignore that Man city are having their worst season in half a decade, because it is not relevant to how well haaland is playing.
Double think at its finest.
Haaland is a great goalscorer, but I think many would disagree he is going to be a goat. He reminds me of klose, will bang in goals in a team built around him, but has a lot of shortcomings that need to be accounted.
Haaland is better than Zlatan at goalscoring and positioning in the area, but Zlatan is (was) a more complete player with outstanding technical ability who can also play as a second striker.
It's not either A or B. Things are usually more complex than a simple dichotomy.
>Haaland is better than Zlatan at goalscoring and positioning in the area
extremely bold claim considering Haaland is much closer to the start than the end of his career
It's not bold, Haaland wouldn't have broken PL and CL records if he wasn't that good.
Ibrahimovic scored tonnes of goals, but he was never in his career that type of record-breaking player
Lol did you watch the game? Royal outplayed Grealish even with Grealish having a good game especially defensively. He seemed like the only player that cared to be there.
Yeah how many can he take out in a season. He should install at least 38 prior to season start. Thank you Spurs. Truly appreciate your services today. Arsenal thanks you from the bottom of their hearts.
Parlays payout higher than the combination of the bets though, because they’re all or nothing. You can’t split the pot like you could if you bet on them separately.
Arsenal is 8 points clear of the 3rd place with a game in hand. Much has to happen for this not to be a two-horse race.
City is only in catching distance because Arsenal ‘s team is too young and they’re still playing each other twice.
Aren’t arsenal only 5 points ahead with a game in hand? They have to play the game first for the 8 points, nothing is guaranteed. They just lost to relegation battling Everton so have served as a reminder.
Its better than it could have been thats for sure but if we win against Everton we're 8 points clear with a game in hand vs city which would have been huge. Would have pretty much solidified our title run.
It's unfortunate but you cant win them all. The title race is still very much up for grabs among the top 4.
Not saying they have a big chance. But they have a legit chances of say spots 2-4.
There's still 48 pts on the table for Tottenham, so it's still anyone's game.
Can Arsenal sustain for the 2nd half of season? I would be surprised if they do. But we'll just have to wait and see.
Crazier things have happened. We reeled that in on Arsenal last year too. It's all to play for, and especially with the WC, a lot of fresh players for the bottom half and with European competition returning, that's a lot of fixture congestion. Be prepared for a TON of shock results in the left two months.
we have two games in hand on Spurs and one on everyone bar Arsenal above us. Win our games in hand and we're 5th with 3 points sepearting us from 4th... so not as unlikely :)
Palace are second from bottom in this years form table, Fulham will be tricky, however our games in hand are Bournemouth away and Palace at home... These were the matches re-arranged around the queens funeral and train strikes.
so from palace and fulham, you got 1 point out of a possible 6.
so yeah i was right.
you still have 2 games in hand but we have seen that you are vulnerable.
per google you play CP this Sat and Fulham the following Sat.
perhaps that's not how you define "games in hand" but whatever. it will still give us more information as to your standing
Mctominay thrives in chaos. Unironically, I have always thought he would a great fit in gegenpressing Klopp side of 4-5 years ago, kinda like Henderson has been. In a team where you're asking him to do anything with the ball other than passing sideways, he'll disappoint massively.
We still have a game in hand on them, and City and Newcastle. And we have two on Spurs. Not resting easy yet, but there's no reason to start panicking right now.
yeah you still have 16 games left min, so a possible 48 points.
5 pts separate 1st from 2nd
3 pts separate 2nd from 3rd
2 pts separate 3rd from 4th
1 pt separates 4th from 5th
The final table will look much different than today's.
Is it me or does Haaland have almost zero buildup responsibilities. Like if he occasionally came deeper to receive the ball and link up with others, would he not bring a CB or someone extra with him to then allow space in behind the area he vacates?
I know it's not his strong suit, but it seems like the next progression of his game to make it part of their tactics. Otherwise, it looks like he's waiting all day sitting on the opponent's last line and against a team like Spurs, you could be waiting endlessly for nothing.
If not, there should be a petiton for Grealish to shorten the inseam of his shorts by at least 3 inches to give something worth watching to the fans.
City had most of the possession. Half the game was them passing around the box... They don't need Haaland to do more, they need to just put the ball into the box...
I mean he's been a force all season playing like that, the thing is that today he had no service cause City wasn't able to create shit. Spurs defended greatly and had a lot of luck too.
And Grealish's lower body is very distracting. As a skinny legged man I envy him so much.
He's at the line a lot of the time, but what he does do there is go for runs all the time. City just couldn't find him this game, but he was trying again and again to give them a good passing opportunity.
At every City loss it looks like they panic and never even look for him with crosses or through balls. I always see him doing more runs into space that reault to nothing because the wingers end up passing the ball between them. Even KDB towards the end kept throwing the ball at the far post, well over Haaland.
They need to start using his strengths more at times like this, because he and Foden are really the only ones pumping up their numbers this season.
Haaland also needs to improve his passing and control to help more at buildup. I mean, that's why he came to City and not some other club.
As a Norwegian, that is exactly why I was happy that he went to City, so that he could develop into a more complete player that can be the insanely lethal striker that he is, but also someone who can aid in buildup play.
An issue for City that Carragher pointed out is that they haven't scored more goals than last year at this point, the goals have just been focused more into one point. They have also let in more goals, so it is possible that they have become worse as a whole with Haaland.
I think they became worse overall and his insane efficiency is what's keeping them in 2 instead of 6-7 th place.
Their game plan is very predictable after this many years.
I saw him drop back a few times in the first half and said to my son, look he's actually dropping deeper. Then I don't think I saw him do it once the rest of the game. What an unusual player, capable of utter dominance or being completely invisible.
Why the fuck does it matter if a #9 is an "all around" player?
Haaland and Mbappé aren't even the same position. Why are you even comparing them?
Every midfielder is a better "all around" player than every striker ever. Yet both positions still exist.
The question is asked often who would you take in your team, H or M
In my comment I didn't bring up comparing them in their positions, someone answered and mentioned goals, I said H is a stronger goalscorer, M is better all round. Someone even brought Kane into the discussion, I agreed with them, H as a goalscorer, unmatched but others bring more in their game to the team, whether it's M or Kane
So that's why the positional comparison came into it
>The question is asked often who would you take in your team, H or M
If I needed a winger, Mbappé. If I needed a 9, Haaland.
It's simple. They're 2 different roles with 2 different expectations. There's 10 outfield roles. You want different player profiles in each position.
I’m very biased bc I’m a spurs fan, but it’s also why I think Harry Kane is better than Haaland. There were times City seemed unwilling to give Haaland the ball in the midfield, and most of our attacking play flows through Kane in the midfield. He’s more versatile. Not as impressive when he has a full head of steam, obviously, but more reliable in more situations.
Bro idk, neither do you. There’s plenty of players that were world beaters young and never got any better or regressed. To think just cos he’s insane now it means he’s gonna get even better just seems like you are new to sport.
I get it you're a salty Liverpool fan and hate that you have nobody that can bag goals. Can he flop ? Sure, but he's proven he can score in 4 different leagues and at an international level. He probably can't continue his goal per game average but he'll develop more as a player with age.
Bro I’m not salty, I’m just saying he isn’t bolted on confirmed to develop anymore, Rooney never got any better (stayed at a great level though) or even regress such as Owen.
I happen to really like Haaland player and personality, but you can’t predict how a player will develop.
He won't stop scoring goals cause he goes to Man Utd or Real Madrid.
Since the start of the 2019 season he has 145 goals in 139 games.. Thats not Messi/Ronaldo level but it's the tier just below.
I mean not many will equal Haaland's record as an out and out goalscorer
But you're right the way Kane can drop deep, ping a pass better than midfielders can, he is strong, can run with it, or just tap it in/finish chances
He does more/brings more to a team than Haaland does right now
He scored today, Haaland didn't
A strikers job isn't to be well rounded. There's a reason the cam position was eliminated and the best teams in Europe no longer use a false nine with the most prominent exemption being arsenal
>A strikers job isn't to be well rounded.
According to who? Possibly the most outdated view of football is thinking positions and roles are determined by rigid definitions. The modern striker is far, far more well rounded than players from even 10 years ago. What a clueless Brexitball take.
Fair enough, that's why I said as a goalscorer, Haaland is unlikely to be matched, so if you're defining a striker as someone with the ability to score goals, then yes it's a bad take
If you're defining a striker as a goalscorer, that can also drop deep and bring others into play, as well as score(at a lesser rate) than I don't think it's a bad take
But I see your point
I'm more mad at city to be honest.
man, cant believe City underperformed with this kind of resources lmaooo suffering from too much talents
I WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOME LONG BALLS
Best I can do is Ederson for some reason playing it to him on the halfway line.
HE HAVE HAALAND FFS
THAT'S WHY WE BOUGHT HIM
HE OFFERS SOMETHING WE LACK AND THAT'S DIRECTIVENESS
I really admire what Pep has achieved - but I hate the bullshit he speaks from time to time. Like now after this game "we are not in a position to think about winning the league". Like WTF? You are second, it's mid of season and you are -5/-8 points with a game with Arsenal in a few days. You are in the position to play for it if not then GTFO and just stay at home. And I don't agree it takes pressure from the player or anything else. Either you have the squad (not really so) and money (oh yes you do) and go all in or quit.
I think he is talking less about league position and more about performance. Saying if we keep playing like we are, we won't win shit. Which seems pretty fair if you've watched city play since the WC we've struggled to create chances consistently
Tbh after seeing today's news I think he might feat point deduction
Pain. Man we fucking suck this season, arsenal totally deserves to win considering how garbage we've bee.
If 5 points back from top after 21 games is “fucking sucking” then sign me the fuck up.
All a question of expectations no? We were expected to win the title (especially with haaland and how promising the first half of the season looked like) and now our league run is looking dismal as hell. Knowing city, we'll almost certainly bottle the CL which will leave us completely trophyless. It's by all rights a complete failure. Idk if haaland will even stick around if we can't deliver trophies
Are you American? You have just started watching football?
No I'm not, I'm aware players can't force transfers as easily in football as it is in basketball, but there's no way Haaland will be here for an extended period regardless if we keep playing this way
Okay, listen, I'm going to explain a little about about the three tenets of being a football fan, Tradition, History , Passion and Loyalty. My Father was a Manchester United fan all the way back in the 60's. He would follow them in the Premier League Home and Away. He still tells epic tales of the all those magical away days when he visited The Etihad, The Emirates, London Stadium, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, you wouldn't believe the stories!! But some of his best memories come from his favourite fixture back then, the mighty MK Dons. As you can imagine this was all passed along to me and I have followed Manchester United since I was knee high to a Grasshopper. Through thick and thin. Even when Roman Abromovic and the irreplacable Jose Mourinho thundered into the league with nothing but the shirt on their backs and a powerful resolve to win, I still checked Uniteds results every week, and hoped they would do well. I was desperate for them to finish second. So you see, its more than just a game for us here, its life.
Lmao okay idk what this is in relation to but okay, doesn't change the fact that Haaland isn't someone that's gonna stick around in a club that won't give him trophies. He's a competitive guy that wants to play in top flight and win lol, if the team can't do that he'll walk. Edit: also seems you're not the brightest in counting considering you put 4 tenets up there and not 3 lol, go to school lad.
Pretty sure it's a copypasta
An ardent city supporter after their 3rd title in 4 years I’m sure
I see a lot of Chelsea fans, fans from other teams in general and even some Tottenham fans calling out their team for winning… because it’ll increase arsenal’s chances of winning the title??? Like??? 🙃🙃🙃 so they should PURPOSELY lose??? Some fans got the dumbest takes, it’s honestly mind blowing.
Harry Kane is to be named Arsenal's Player of the Week.
Man everyone talking about City, Pep, Haaland, Arsenal, but can we just admit spurs played a great game against city. I mean Harry Kane just broke the biggest milestone in his career so far for fuck sake.
According to FotMob Spurs had the better xG (albeit only slightly), which is amazing against City
I was shocked how easy that 2nd half was for spurs Son wasted afew breaks, could have easilly been more. Som has to be a real worry right now? He just isn't as decisive now
He looked better this game tbf, more of a threat
You guys were great. Just completely cut right through them at times. Should've really had more than one. I was worried it was going to cost you.
For sure, we were a little wasteful here and there. I feel as if son had his shooting boots this season we would definitely have seen 2-0, but can’t fault him he was integral in his carrying and driving runs down the center of the field. We really are the perfect counter to city, I fucking love it.
He was incredible throughout the game. I think his ability to progress play from very tight positions consistently was the highlight of the game for me. Man's having the best season of his career but unfortunately being overshadowed by the beast. But there's no doubt he contributes way more than goals.
There is an argument for last season and 17/18 being his best seasons, but this season is certainly up there. He’s only getting better with age! Who thought he would be a star, he’s pure hard work and effort. It’s what makes him a hero to myself and many. Love to see it.
It was apparent imo by like 15/16 season he was a smart player with solid fundamentals who would age well.
Spurs did well today with the press and deserved the win. Was organized and thoughtful, so much so it seemed like they flooded the midfield even tho they were 1 CM down in that position. City just coulnd't play out from the back and out wide. I think everyone watching the game today would agree with that. There was no explosiveness on the wings, and that contributed to a very lethargic City. The idea of having Lewis as an inverted fullback requires a highly competent back 3 (which city ABSOLUTELY have) is great and welcomed since it gives stability + an extra man to the midfield. They just didn't exploit that today. I think silva played more centrally as he was the release valve to the further attackers. This was successful for a bit tho. U did see silva receive when a line breaking pass did get through, but the attackers were just poor/Spurs covered those spaces so well. Since the wingers were poor, maybe it would have been wise to tweak the system bring Rodri/Lewis more deep and use Walker as an overlap to support Mahrez? (IDK i don't even have 1/10th the foresight Pep has). Also it will be said, but Halland was not City's main problem.(I don't watch enough City so if any fans have any idea plz say so but..) He did assist in some of the build up play today, and dropped in super deep at times. I think today they honestly needed to stretch out the pitch and play wide. Spurs were super condensed and blocked a lot of the half spaces. Easier said than done tho. City also just seem super lethargic as of late. Lastly, thought Akanji was one of City's best players today, stopped a lot of potential counters where City should have been deservedly punished.
I think city selling both sterling and Jesus was a huge misfire, and I'm not saying that in regards to where they went. They are just a huge miss at the club. The wingers they lined up with today are simply not good enough. Bernado needs to sit in the midfield. Grealish has shown flashes of improvement but today he was pocketed by Emerson Royal of all players and it simply wasn't good enough. Even mahrez, who is usually a steady hand, looked off of it lately. There is a lack of drive and flair that both sterling and jesus brung. This is the kind of game they would win you, a tight affair where the opponent looks to choke your front 3 out of the match. Have no clue why pep isn't utilising Foden but it's becoming obvious there is a problem behind the scenes at city. All they are seemingly able to do is pass around the ball like Spain did at the wc and create little with it. I think it was whoscored that identified perisic and emerson as the worst performing wingbacks against us this season, so I was shocked when they took the city wide players out of the game but I think that's a testament really to how much city miss jesus/sterling. Good job today tho spuddys, back to hating each other from now on 🤝
Jesus was a huge miss this week as well
A more tactical explanation would be Sterling and Jesus brought directness on the wings, same as Sane when he was here. Rn all City wingers are inside forwards, they play very similar to each other, there is no plan B when the opponents nullified them.
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if i speak i’m in big trouble
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im not hating on you at all! just thought that mourinho quote worked for you
I’m not sure if you wanna do this when Liverpool has Nunez
This is why theres no actual discussion on this sub everyone upvoted comments a clapback
Can't have a differing opinion! Downvote
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Remind me again how many ucl goals he has in how many matches?
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Nah you’re just generational hater, maybe try to mind your own sinking club
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Well i do agree on we're sinking together. Redbird heritage, that fraud wont spend a single penny
If scoring tap-ins was so easy there'd be loads of players getting 20+ goals in the league. But guess what?
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I guess pep isn't one of those who understand the game then because he okayed the transfer and was happy with it and has been playing haaland as much as possible lol
inzaghi made a whole career of it lol
Isagi too
agree with you, I want to see a more from him if he is going to meet the hype people have for him and “break the premier league.” He is a quality striker and that has allowed him to score the MANY chances City create but it feels like another good striker could do the same
Statistically speaking, there is no other player scoring as much as him.
That's because all man city goals go through him
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He is not. He is set to break Messi’s records, Ronaldo’s records and scores more than Mbappe too. His role is very specific, it is not required for him to do other things.
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Maybe he can’t but still he is expected according to the data, to score more than Messi, Ronaldo and Mbappe. I’m sure all of them can dribble better, but Haaland will score more than them. That’s a fact according the statistics, unless he breaks both legs of course.
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The thing is Haaland has been trained as a counter-attack striker, which arguably is not Pep's style. The doubt is definitely there, my guess is Pep will ship him after 2-3 years and find a replacement that is more like Kane.
Lmaoo good luck finding someone like Kane. Kane is unreal tbh.
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Firstly I believe scoring 23 goals in a team on track for their lowest points tally in 5 years is waaay more impressive than scoring the same amount of goals in a well functioning team and it’s mainly showing how good he is as he’s the one saving Man City this year (since Aguero left there hasn’t been I player I think can do what Haaland has done in this situation) Secondly, he has proved a lot of times in especially CL in worse teams that he absolutely is world class. He scored 10+1 in 8 CL games 2019/20 against, for example the reigning CL champions Liverpool and two goals against PSG. He scored 10+2 in 8 CL games the year after that as well with a goal against Man City, that years runners up and during his last year at Dortmund he scored 3 goals in 3 matches for Dortmund in CL Thirdly, which loops back into what I previously says is that he’s always done this. It’s not a fluke, it’s not a form thing, he has ALWAYS scored these amounts of goals no matter the opponents. We have a lot of players performing against top teams, a lot of players performing against bottom placed team but this man does it all. City hasn’t been up to their standards this year but when they’re playing good, Haaland bags 2 goals and they win but if they don’t play good he doesn’t score because he hasn’t got the space to create things on their own because it interferes with Pep’s play style and he wants someone in the box who they can cross to, but if the players don’t whip in the crosses he can’t score
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He currently does not posses the space to do it on his own. Look at his game against PSG for example. He is a superior counterattacking forward who can score however he wants, acrobatic kicks, powerful long shots, tap ins, by dribbling past players, but so far in City he only gets the ball on crosses and therefore that’s what he scores. If the team struggles to cross the ball to him, he doesn’t score and he’s isn’t able to use his pace and power to fly past his opponents as City already has so much possession that the opponents defense is in such a low block that here’s no space in behind
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Most of those players were not close to him at his age though. Kane was hanging around in the championship until 2014/15 and Lewa wasn’t even at Dortmund yet
you wish you had a striker who could score half the amount of tap ins
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Y’all are 10th in the league. You can use a tap in merchant
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At least our striker can get a fucking shot on target
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If scoring tap ins was that easy, every team would have a goal scorer in the 20’s. Yet, only Haaland is over 17. Get your head out of your ass and appreciate greatness
liverpool’s strikers PL goals this season: Salah - 7 Firmino - 7 Darwin - 5 Diaz - 3 Carvalho - 2 Total - 24 ——- Erling Haaland - 25 😂
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Man City 2nd place, 53 goals scored Liverpool 10th place, 34 goals scored 🤣 🤡: “tap ins don’t count 😭” keep crying mate 🤪
This sub has the memory of a goldfish
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Not every team needs a striker to play one twos with the center back lad. You can ogle Harry kane all you want but all that versatility got him the audi cup and fuck all
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You are absolutely correct. These people are showing extreme cognitive dissonance. They say Harry Kane isn’t great because his team hasn’t won anything, emphasizing that team results are the major contribution to how good a player is. but then say that haaland is doing great and to ignore that Man city are having their worst season in half a decade, because it is not relevant to how well haaland is playing. Double think at its finest.
Second in the prem is at its worst. I think it's a bit harsh to say he's collapsing the team singlehandedly
Haaland is a great goalscorer, but I think many would disagree he is going to be a goat. He reminds me of klose, will bang in goals in a team built around him, but has a lot of shortcomings that need to be accounted.
Mates averaged almost a goal a game in every team he's played in. Are you saying all of them built around him?
He's an incredible goalscorer but a pretty average footballer. Very one dimensional.
"This striker is good at scoring goals and that's a problem". Mate not every striker has to ping long balls from the other side of the pitch
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Is that why the attacking midfielder position has been obsolete for 10 years.
If you’re going to one dimensional, it’s a good dimension to be in
City having the worst season in half a decade 🤡
You mean which affects the whole team
Never forget r/soccer claiming Haaland is better than Zlatan lmaooooo
Haaland is better than Zlatan at goalscoring and positioning in the area, but Zlatan is (was) a more complete player with outstanding technical ability who can also play as a second striker. It's not either A or B. Things are usually more complex than a simple dichotomy.
>Haaland is better than Zlatan at goalscoring and positioning in the area extremely bold claim considering Haaland is much closer to the start than the end of his career
It's not bold, Haaland wouldn't have broken PL and CL records if he wasn't that good. Ibrahimovic scored tonnes of goals, but he was never in his career that type of record-breaking player
Has Grealish emerged from Royal’s pocket yet? He was really down deep in there
Do you really believe that? Or do you just not like Grealish and want to hate on him? Because I think Emerson had problems handling him multiple times
bros hurt 💀
I like Grealish. Royal owned him today.
Did you really watch the game?
Lol did you watch the game? Royal outplayed Grealish even with Grealish having a good game especially defensively. He seemed like the only player that cared to be there.
Great performance. Maybe Conte should have his Gall Bladder taken out more often
How many big teams who give him space will he face
Yeah how many can he take out in a season. He should install at least 38 prior to season start. Thank you Spurs. Truly appreciate your services today. Arsenal thanks you from the bottom of their hearts.
I want to know what the Arsenal and City to lose parlay would have paid
Everton was +720 to win and Tottenham was +350 to win, so by my calculations a parlay should have paid out at around +3590 (36-1).
I recall odds for Arsenal to lose was like x7, City would probably be between 3 or 4 so combine that
Parlays payout higher than the combination of the bets though, because they’re all or nothing. You can’t split the pot like you could if you bet on them separately.
So what's that? $1 turns into $7 (at x7) which turns into $28 (at x4)? So a $1 bet turns into $28? I don't gamble so not sure how it works.
With Arsenal and City losing, now the title race is achievable by I would say the top 5 teams.
Arsenal is 8 points clear of the 3rd place with a game in hand. Much has to happen for this not to be a two-horse race. City is only in catching distance because Arsenal ‘s team is too young and they’re still playing each other twice.
Aren’t arsenal only 5 points ahead with a game in hand? They have to play the game first for the 8 points, nothing is guaranteed. They just lost to relegation battling Everton so have served as a reminder.
8 points ahead of Manchester United (3rd place). Not Manchester City (2nd place).
Ahh my fault
Let the narrative fester and spread. Takes the pressure off us. This weekend was blessed one in the end.
Its better than it could have been thats for sure but if we win against Everton we're 8 points clear with a game in hand vs city which would have been huge. Would have pretty much solidified our title run. It's unfortunate but you cant win them all. The title race is still very much up for grabs among the top 4.
All this makes our invincible season even more special. AW is a timeless visionary.
We wish. The entertainers did drop a 12 point lead in February, but we were managed by a hothead who couldn’t sort out a defence to save his life.
Yea not us mate
i didn't say it's likely :)
Pls give me some of that pot you've been smoking dude
you think you can keep pace the entire 2nd half of season? hmm
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You saw how fast Man U went from 10th to 3rd. anythings' possible
Not saying they have a big chance. But they have a legit chances of say spots 2-4. There's still 48 pts on the table for Tottenham, so it's still anyone's game. Can Arsenal sustain for the 2nd half of season? I would be surprised if they do. But we'll just have to wait and see.
Crazier things have happened. We reeled that in on Arsenal last year too. It's all to play for, and especially with the WC, a lot of fresh players for the bottom half and with European competition returning, that's a lot of fixture congestion. Be prepared for a TON of shock results in the left two months.
Top 6 teams
well 3rd to 5th places are separated by 3 pts. and 5th to 6th by 5 pts but mathematically yes you have a point, but unlikely
we have two games in hand on Spurs and one on everyone bar Arsenal above us. Win our games in hand and we're 5th with 3 points sepearting us from 4th... so not as unlikely :)
fair point. you have crystal palace and fulham next. no walk in the park but if you get the points then you deserve it.
Palace are second from bottom in this years form table, Fulham will be tricky, however our games in hand are Bournemouth away and Palace at home... These were the matches re-arranged around the queens funeral and train strikes.
so from palace and fulham, you got 1 point out of a possible 6. so yeah i was right. you still have 2 games in hand but we have seen that you are vulnerable.
remindme! in two weeks
we won't have played our games in hand in two weeks, they haven't been scheduled yet
per google you play CP this Sat and Fulham the following Sat. perhaps that's not how you define "games in hand" but whatever. it will still give us more information as to your standing
But if everyone else around us plays as well, then it won’t give you much insight. Just trying to help
Don't tell anyone but I'm a bit worried about Manyoo
With Mcfred as our midfield for the next few games? You'll be fine.
We've two games against Leeds and Mctominay always plays well vs Leeds for whatever reason.
I'd be shocked if we win the title. Even if Casemiro is out for 3 games, Eriksen is out for 3 months.
Mctominay thrives in chaos. Unironically, I have always thought he would a great fit in gegenpressing Klopp side of 4-5 years ago, kinda like Henderson has been. In a team where you're asking him to do anything with the ball other than passing sideways, he'll disappoint massively.
We still have a game in hand on them, and City and Newcastle. And we have two on Spurs. Not resting easy yet, but there's no reason to start panicking right now.
No, not at all
yeah you still have 16 games left min, so a possible 48 points. 5 pts separate 1st from 2nd 3 pts separate 2nd from 3rd 2 pts separate 3rd from 4th 1 pt separates 4th from 5th The final table will look much different than today's.
Is it me or does Haaland have almost zero buildup responsibilities. Like if he occasionally came deeper to receive the ball and link up with others, would he not bring a CB or someone extra with him to then allow space in behind the area he vacates? I know it's not his strong suit, but it seems like the next progression of his game to make it part of their tactics. Otherwise, it looks like he's waiting all day sitting on the opponent's last line and against a team like Spurs, you could be waiting endlessly for nothing. If not, there should be a petiton for Grealish to shorten the inseam of his shorts by at least 3 inches to give something worth watching to the fans.
City had most of the possession. Half the game was them passing around the box... They don't need Haaland to do more, they need to just put the ball into the box...
I mean he's been a force all season playing like that, the thing is that today he had no service cause City wasn't able to create shit. Spurs defended greatly and had a lot of luck too. And Grealish's lower body is very distracting. As a skinny legged man I envy him so much.
What luck? They had a few long shots and that Mahrez chance that hit the bar. We had way more chances, if anything we were unlucky.
He's at the line a lot of the time, but what he does do there is go for runs all the time. City just couldn't find him this game, but he was trying again and again to give them a good passing opportunity.
At every City loss it looks like they panic and never even look for him with crosses or through balls. I always see him doing more runs into space that reault to nothing because the wingers end up passing the ball between them. Even KDB towards the end kept throwing the ball at the far post, well over Haaland. They need to start using his strengths more at times like this, because he and Foden are really the only ones pumping up their numbers this season. Haaland also needs to improve his passing and control to help more at buildup. I mean, that's why he came to City and not some other club.
As a Norwegian, that is exactly why I was happy that he went to City, so that he could develop into a more complete player that can be the insanely lethal striker that he is, but also someone who can aid in buildup play. An issue for City that Carragher pointed out is that they haven't scored more goals than last year at this point, the goals have just been focused more into one point. They have also let in more goals, so it is possible that they have become worse as a whole with Haaland.
I think they became worse overall and his insane efficiency is what's keeping them in 2 instead of 6-7 th place. Their game plan is very predictable after this many years.
https://twitter.com/johnspacemuller/status/1622300305227407361?s=46&t=1mAFVf8ONcgx6trc9TC1gw He literally played in midfield for sixty minutes
I saw him drop back a few times in the first half and said to my son, look he's actually dropping deeper. Then I don't think I saw him do it once the rest of the game. What an unusual player, capable of utter dominance or being completely invisible.
Which is why Mbappe is better, all round game is superior
Mbappé has half the goals in a worse league...
That's why I said all round game, and not only goals I swear people don't read posts and just reply with what they think was written 🤷🏾♂️🤦🏾♂️
Why the fuck does it matter if a #9 is an "all around" player? Haaland and Mbappé aren't even the same position. Why are you even comparing them? Every midfielder is a better "all around" player than every striker ever. Yet both positions still exist.
The question is asked often who would you take in your team, H or M In my comment I didn't bring up comparing them in their positions, someone answered and mentioned goals, I said H is a stronger goalscorer, M is better all round. Someone even brought Kane into the discussion, I agreed with them, H as a goalscorer, unmatched but others bring more in their game to the team, whether it's M or Kane So that's why the positional comparison came into it
>The question is asked often who would you take in your team, H or M If I needed a winger, Mbappé. If I needed a 9, Haaland. It's simple. They're 2 different roles with 2 different expectations. There's 10 outfield roles. You want different player profiles in each position.
I’m very biased bc I’m a spurs fan, but it’s also why I think Harry Kane is better than Haaland. There were times City seemed unwilling to give Haaland the ball in the midfield, and most of our attacking play flows through Kane in the midfield. He’s more versatile. Not as impressive when he has a full head of steam, obviously, but more reliable in more situations.
English bias
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Bad take
Probably not leagues above but definitely better than Haaland.
Yeah, agreed
For now Kane is 100% the better footballler but Haaland is only 21 and it's his first season in the prem. This isn't his final form.
Or maybe it is, you never know
Sure he's breaking records in his first year in the prem but he'll slow down cause reasons.
Bro idk, neither do you. There’s plenty of players that were world beaters young and never got any better or regressed. To think just cos he’s insane now it means he’s gonna get even better just seems like you are new to sport.
I get it you're a salty Liverpool fan and hate that you have nobody that can bag goals. Can he flop ? Sure, but he's proven he can score in 4 different leagues and at an international level. He probably can't continue his goal per game average but he'll develop more as a player with age.
Bro I’m not salty, I’m just saying he isn’t bolted on confirmed to develop anymore, Rooney never got any better (stayed at a great level though) or even regress such as Owen. I happen to really like Haaland player and personality, but you can’t predict how a player will develop.
He's a counter-attack striker which is not Pep's style. So yeah I don't think he will play under Pep for very long, unless he can develop like Kane.
Tbf none of us can predict the future. If Pep can’t fit him in tactically, then they can easily move on from him.
He won't stop scoring goals cause he goes to Man Utd or Real Madrid. Since the start of the 2019 season he has 145 goals in 139 games.. Thats not Messi/Ronaldo level but it's the tier just below.
You don’t know that he’ll keep up the same consistency either.
You're right.. He might start bagging 1.5 goals a game instead of one.
Yeah totally. He’s gonna be scary good
I mean not many will equal Haaland's record as an out and out goalscorer But you're right the way Kane can drop deep, ping a pass better than midfielders can, he is strong, can run with it, or just tap it in/finish chances He does more/brings more to a team than Haaland does right now He scored today, Haaland didn't
Bad take
Didn't think so
What being terminally online does to a mf
What making a lazy, low effort comment does to a mf
A strikers job isn't to be well rounded. There's a reason the cam position was eliminated and the best teams in Europe no longer use a false nine with the most prominent exemption being arsenal
>A strikers job isn't to be well rounded. According to who? Possibly the most outdated view of football is thinking positions and roles are determined by rigid definitions. The modern striker is far, far more well rounded than players from even 10 years ago. What a clueless Brexitball take.
Fair enough, that's why I said as a goalscorer, Haaland is unlikely to be matched, so if you're defining a striker as someone with the ability to score goals, then yes it's a bad take If you're defining a striker as a goalscorer, that can also drop deep and bring others into play, as well as score(at a lesser rate) than I don't think it's a bad take But I see your point
Explain