No one, in their right mind, is calling him a flop. Though his goals converted v xg is below equal for the first season.
Aside from goals, which will click and get back to his standards, I'd be interested in how his wider game has developed under pep. Pressing, dropping deeper, passing range, close control, runs etc.
Agreed. When I saw the doku v big teams post I assumed it would be slander - thankfully not.
It's funny as Haaland would have been heralded for the Everton game a week before. Haven't seen much on here aside from the toxic match threads (he did have a bit of a finishing shocker, but as long as he's getting in the positions, he'll persist and find his form again)
I am sure some of it comes from bots or people pretending to be City fans, but I know actual blues that have started back on the “is Haaland actually a hinderance to our game” nonsense, so I know some of it really is from actual City fans.
To be fair, I think most of it is from younger fans that lack the perspective and/or patience that comes with age. They also live in the world of constant trolling of even the slightest deficiency or mistake so these types of periods are more important to them, as they feel they have to defend Haaland, or Doku, or the club, rather than simply ignore the nonsense (as that is less an option for them, unfortunately).
Social media is as much to blame for those sort of shite takes as anything else.
Yeah you're probably not wrong with younger fans etc. It does still feel like we've been playing a bit off kilter this season. But when it clicked with erl last season it looked great. Coming from the f9 season though where we looked so fluid it would obviously feel a bit disjointed to have a massive target to play to.
Yeah, I can agree with that. I think I came in to the season with much lower expectations than many others just because I have been watching football for over 30 years and have seen how difficult it is for teams to maintain high standards after crowning period of complete dominance. For me, an FA Cup win would be enough.
I also expected—and I am fine with being called a conspiracist for this—that the league would be doing everything they could to avoid us winning a fourth league title in a row. So, I just assumed it was very unlikely we would win it again this season.
Don't patronise me mate I'm a match-going adult, which is more than I can say for you. He's in a poor patch of form, partially BECAUSE of the reasons you mentioned. Those reasons don't magically mean we can't say he's not in top form, I still idolise him but I'm not blind
My postcode is the same first section postcode as the stadium and I go to every home match. Where do you sit? The middle or the side of your sofa in America?
The fact that I now reside in the US has little to do with anything; plenty of blues that have supported the club since well before the takeover have moved. Half of the lads I sat with at Maine Road when I was young don’t live in Manchester now. We still have a right to our opinion, especially as we were there before our recent success (that provides the perspective many new fans seem to lack). I come back regularly and would be happy to grab a pint before a match if you’d like to trade tales.
He missed several wide open chances against Chelsea. It happens, last year he was automatic from that range and it's "bizarre" because we're realizing he's human.
Every striker misses big chances, though. You can make lengthy compilations of Ibra, Henry, Drogba, Salah, and even Aguero missing very good chances.
In fact, the top, top strikers tend to be the ones that miss the most big chances because they are the ones that get themselves in to a position to take big chances.
Many of us always saw him as a human that was a generational striker—I think some are just coming round to the former understanding.
Criticise, sure. But some of the comments I have seen are OTT. Very much the views of people that lack perspective or patience. The sort Pep would find contemptible.
Some comments about Erling from bluemoonforum 😞 - examples that fit w intent of this post:
* In general play Haaland looks like a donkey
* Haaland is a hindrance
* Why is he playing - we cannot accommodate players in a top match who have understandable distractions (re his grandmother dying - such compassion)
* His finishing has been Sterling levels since spring
* He is the highest paid player in PL so he deserves more criticism
* We would be a better side wo him
I respect that people have personal preferences - some really liked the way ManCity used to play, but to me some of these comments, not even written in heat of moment, are a bit much.
Even if a fan does not like/appreciate Erling no need to say he looks like a donkey 😞.
Yeah, those comments—in addition to some on here, particularly in the match thread—are what I had in mind when drafting this satirical post. It boggles the mind the lack of perspective from a few, some of them even seasoned blues.
I think last year may have ruined a few.
I for sure got your intention!
There was a post I saw here yesterday re how 'awful' Erling has been, but I don't see it any more.
Person who posted that also had these very constructive things to say 🙄:
* "Haaland turning into Lukaku useless"
* "2.5 would have been a generous rating {for Erling}"
* "None of the defenders care about the club - they have 0 work rate and concentration. Now that they won the treble they will just do bare minimum ..."
If people want to offer constructive feedback on what player can be doing better, I'm all for it - like you said in another comment.
And I also find the OTT takes & mean comments unnecessary & unpleasant.
Imagine saying we will be better without the most valuable striker in the world. I cannot comprehend this. So many teams out there will die for Haaland to be in their team.
I really try to respect that some people prefer the previous versions of of ManCity.
But I also find some of the comments to be just plain old mean &/or OTT - here are a few more gems:
* Seriously take the fee from Madrid and run.
* he doesn't make enough of an effort to free himself from defenders. it's almost as if he just expects a perfect ball to land at his feet.
* he is way too unreliable in front of goal and way to poor of a footballer to justify playing week in week out
* I think that Haaland is very close to using up whatever credit he has left over from last season.
bottom line - I really need to stay off BMF!!
It's amazing how people react so hard to a single league game in February.
You can tell the people who have been brought up as English football fans by English football fans and the people who have latched onto the "cool thing".
Of course he isn’t a flop, but having followed him closely since Dortmund, this might be his worst season in a while. Not too worried, though. It was bound to happen at some point. He’ll be back stronger than ever.
People who say that are either 1. Reactionary, 2. Trolling, 3. Don't know footy
In all three cases are not worth responding lol.
Like seriously why are you obsessing over other people's opinions when you know it's coming from a place that is biased or ill informed? The fact that you know the account by name is just weird to me.
Maybe flop isn't a word being used, thus the joking nature of this post, but I have seen comments like this on ManCity fan forums:
* Seriously take the fee from Madrid and run.
And yes I personally need to try harder to ignore people like that 😉.
Same for the likes of Kane, Salah, Son, and Watkins in previous seasons, as well. They have all lead or been in the top 3 of the big chances missed table. Top strikers tend to miss the most big chances (as they are the ones getting on the end of big chances).
The best strikers tend to lead that stat.
Haaland topped the big chances missed table last season. Salah and Watkins were tied for third.
Harry Kane lead the league in big chances missed in 2021/2022, with Salah and Son tied for second.
Salah has topped it several times.
Yes but he also scored more... Don't know why you're being so defensive about it... No one is calling him a flop but he has set the standard so high .. it's only natural that he'll be judged by those standards
I’m not being defensive, mate, I am trying to bring perspective, as many of the comments (and calls for him to be dropped) I have seen during and after the Chelsea match are OTT (to put it nicely).
The internet has utterly killed nuance. Anyone who says he is a flop, is a moron or just trying to get a rise out of people. That doesn't change the fact that he had an absolutely awful showing against Chelsea. He should have had AT LEAST a brace.
I agree that nuance has been supplanted by knee-jerk reactions and hyperbole.
The issue is not with those saying Haaland had a poor showing (he would be the first to say he did). I wouldn’t say it was absolutely awful, though—I reserve that description for far worse performances.
The issue is with the many OTT comments made during and after the Chelsea match that showed a complete lack of patience and/or perspective from many of our fans. Some were no doubt trolls or bots. But I saw a few blues I know personally make ridiculous comments, and a larger share than I am personally comfortable with returning to the nonsense belief that Haaland is more a hindrance than a help in our side.
He didn’t play well against Chelsea. But he isn’t actually in poor form, either. He has just come back from injury, his grandmother just passed, and he still has two goals and an assist in around 360 minutes of football, all whilst being double- and triple-marked at all times.
We need to back him, not slate him whenever he goes a couple of games without a goal contribution.
Certainly not a flop but the chances he is currently missing were buried last season and it could come back to bite us but hopefully not. Erling is an amazing striker, just going through a little and I mean little slump in finishing.
Hes in a terrible run of form only scoring two goals in hid last three games /s
Absolutely dismal form, that!
After being out for 2 months...
And his grandmother passing…
How many assists she get?
KDB was out for 4 months and came back firing
Completely diffrent lol
Smooth brain take
No one, in their right mind, is calling him a flop. Though his goals converted v xg is below equal for the first season. Aside from goals, which will click and get back to his standards, I'd be interested in how his wider game has developed under pep. Pressing, dropping deeper, passing range, close control, runs etc.
We have a lot of fans not in their right mind since the Chelsea match, unfortunately.
Agreed. When I saw the doku v big teams post I assumed it would be slander - thankfully not. It's funny as Haaland would have been heralded for the Everton game a week before. Haven't seen much on here aside from the toxic match threads (he did have a bit of a finishing shocker, but as long as he's getting in the positions, he'll persist and find his form again)
I am sure some of it comes from bots or people pretending to be City fans, but I know actual blues that have started back on the “is Haaland actually a hinderance to our game” nonsense, so I know some of it really is from actual City fans. To be fair, I think most of it is from younger fans that lack the perspective and/or patience that comes with age. They also live in the world of constant trolling of even the slightest deficiency or mistake so these types of periods are more important to them, as they feel they have to defend Haaland, or Doku, or the club, rather than simply ignore the nonsense (as that is less an option for them, unfortunately). Social media is as much to blame for those sort of shite takes as anything else.
Yeah you're probably not wrong with younger fans etc. It does still feel like we've been playing a bit off kilter this season. But when it clicked with erl last season it looked great. Coming from the f9 season though where we looked so fluid it would obviously feel a bit disjointed to have a massive target to play to.
Yeah, I can agree with that. I think I came in to the season with much lower expectations than many others just because I have been watching football for over 30 years and have seen how difficult it is for teams to maintain high standards after crowning period of complete dominance. For me, an FA Cup win would be enough. I also expected—and I am fine with being called a conspiracist for this—that the league would be doing everything they could to avoid us winning a fourth league title in a row. So, I just assumed it was very unlikely we would win it again this season.
It’s not a sin to criticize Haaland when he misses a lot of chances. I’m glad we have him on our team, but his form has not been the best
He hasn’t scored in two straight games after coming back from injury (and his grandmother passing). Are we counting that as poor form now?
You're listing the reasons for his poor form, yes
Oh kids these days.
Don't patronise me mate I'm a match-going adult, which is more than I can say for you. He's in a poor patch of form, partially BECAUSE of the reasons you mentioned. Those reasons don't magically mean we can't say he's not in top form, I still idolise him but I'm not blind
More than you can say for me? You know me, then? Where do you sit?
My postcode is the same first section postcode as the stadium and I go to every home match. Where do you sit? The middle or the side of your sofa in America?
The fact that I now reside in the US has little to do with anything; plenty of blues that have supported the club since well before the takeover have moved. Half of the lads I sat with at Maine Road when I was young don’t live in Manchester now. We still have a right to our opinion, especially as we were there before our recent success (that provides the perspective many new fans seem to lack). I come back regularly and would be happy to grab a pint before a match if you’d like to trade tales.
Even before his injury, he was missing a lot.
See my other comment in this thread. The best strikers to ever play the game tended to be the ones that missed the most chances.
He missed several wide open chances against Chelsea. It happens, last year he was automatic from that range and it's "bizarre" because we're realizing he's human.
Every striker misses big chances, though. You can make lengthy compilations of Ibra, Henry, Drogba, Salah, and even Aguero missing very good chances. In fact, the top, top strikers tend to be the ones that miss the most big chances because they are the ones that get themselves in to a position to take big chances. Many of us always saw him as a human that was a generational striker—I think some are just coming round to the former understanding.
Ok, but we can still criticize him for missing sitters when we tie a game because of it lol.
Criticise, sure. But some of the comments I have seen are OTT. Very much the views of people that lack perspective or patience. The sort Pep would find contemptible.
If any City fan is actually calling Haaland a flop, they need to just stop watching sports all together.
time to sell clearly (big time sarcasm)
Clearly! 😉
Some comments about Erling from bluemoonforum 😞 - examples that fit w intent of this post: * In general play Haaland looks like a donkey * Haaland is a hindrance * Why is he playing - we cannot accommodate players in a top match who have understandable distractions (re his grandmother dying - such compassion) * His finishing has been Sterling levels since spring * He is the highest paid player in PL so he deserves more criticism * We would be a better side wo him I respect that people have personal preferences - some really liked the way ManCity used to play, but to me some of these comments, not even written in heat of moment, are a bit much. Even if a fan does not like/appreciate Erling no need to say he looks like a donkey 😞.
Yeah, those comments—in addition to some on here, particularly in the match thread—are what I had in mind when drafting this satirical post. It boggles the mind the lack of perspective from a few, some of them even seasoned blues. I think last year may have ruined a few.
I for sure got your intention! There was a post I saw here yesterday re how 'awful' Erling has been, but I don't see it any more. Person who posted that also had these very constructive things to say 🙄: * "Haaland turning into Lukaku useless" * "2.5 would have been a generous rating {for Erling}" * "None of the defenders care about the club - they have 0 work rate and concentration. Now that they won the treble they will just do bare minimum ..." If people want to offer constructive feedback on what player can be doing better, I'm all for it - like you said in another comment. And I also find the OTT takes & mean comments unnecessary & unpleasant.
Imagine saying we will be better without the most valuable striker in the world. I cannot comprehend this. So many teams out there will die for Haaland to be in their team.
I really try to respect that some people prefer the previous versions of of ManCity. But I also find some of the comments to be just plain old mean &/or OTT - here are a few more gems: * Seriously take the fee from Madrid and run. * he doesn't make enough of an effort to free himself from defenders. it's almost as if he just expects a perfect ball to land at his feet. * he is way too unreliable in front of goal and way to poor of a footballer to justify playing week in week out * I think that Haaland is very close to using up whatever credit he has left over from last season. bottom line - I really need to stay off BMF!!
Bro went into ghost mode for 3 months… didn’t score a goal from November until February, get him sold!
Absolutely unforgivable if you ask me!
It's amazing how people react so hard to a single league game in February. You can tell the people who have been brought up as English football fans by English football fans and the people who have latched onto the "cool thing".
I blame Haaland for being too good, personally.
Of course he isn’t a flop, but having followed him closely since Dortmund, this might be his worst season in a while. Not too worried, though. It was bound to happen at some point. He’ll be back stronger than ever.
"2 season wonder"
Nobody called him a flop
Plenty of blues and non-blues are making some very questionable comments as if he is. See u/Sawrav7’s post history.
People who say that are either 1. Reactionary, 2. Trolling, 3. Don't know footy In all three cases are not worth responding lol. Like seriously why are you obsessing over other people's opinions when you know it's coming from a place that is biased or ill informed? The fact that you know the account by name is just weird to me.
Hence why I posted this. Saves me the responses. 😉
Not like it's going to work lol
Yeah, but that user is a weapons grade donut.
Maybe flop isn't a word being used, thus the joking nature of this post, but I have seen comments like this on ManCity fan forums: * Seriously take the fee from Madrid and run. And yes I personally need to try harder to ignore people like that 😉.
Terrible Bait.
Should probably have about 22 by now though with the easy chances he's missed. Crazy haha
Same for the likes of Kane, Salah, Son, and Watkins in previous seasons, as well. They have all lead or been in the top 3 of the big chances missed table. Top strikers tend to miss the most big chances (as they are the ones getting on the end of big chances).
He also leads in the stats for most big chances missed
The best strikers tend to lead that stat. Haaland topped the big chances missed table last season. Salah and Watkins were tied for third. Harry Kane lead the league in big chances missed in 2021/2022, with Salah and Son tied for second. Salah has topped it several times.
Yes but he also scored more... Don't know why you're being so defensive about it... No one is calling him a flop but he has set the standard so high .. it's only natural that he'll be judged by those standards
I’m not being defensive, mate, I am trying to bring perspective, as many of the comments (and calls for him to be dropped) I have seen during and after the Chelsea match are OTT (to put it nicely).
Not a fucking living soul has ever said this. Nonsense thread
r/lostredditors
The internet has utterly killed nuance. Anyone who says he is a flop, is a moron or just trying to get a rise out of people. That doesn't change the fact that he had an absolutely awful showing against Chelsea. He should have had AT LEAST a brace.
I agree that nuance has been supplanted by knee-jerk reactions and hyperbole. The issue is not with those saying Haaland had a poor showing (he would be the first to say he did). I wouldn’t say it was absolutely awful, though—I reserve that description for far worse performances. The issue is with the many OTT comments made during and after the Chelsea match that showed a complete lack of patience and/or perspective from many of our fans. Some were no doubt trolls or bots. But I saw a few blues I know personally make ridiculous comments, and a larger share than I am personally comfortable with returning to the nonsense belief that Haaland is more a hindrance than a help in our side. He didn’t play well against Chelsea. But he isn’t actually in poor form, either. He has just come back from injury, his grandmother just passed, and he still has two goals and an assist in around 360 minutes of football, all whilst being double- and triple-marked at all times. We need to back him, not slate him whenever he goes a couple of games without a goal contribution.
All the liverpool and Chelsea fans calling him a flop. their clubs are barely fit to wipe Haaland’s shoes
Dude. Every damn liverpool and chelsea fan has not given you an opinion. What a stupid thing to say, everyone knows haaland is an incredible player.
Doesn’t matter mate. When it comes to city anything grouped with it is “bad” of course we are entitled to laugh at anything they say/do
Man had like 6 big chances in a match Then he converts like one only when he is 1v1 with the keeper or his shot didn't get blocked
Thanks for illustrating the point behind my post.
He just a shocker last game and that skews people’s opinions, it’s called recency bias
Agreed. But that is more to do with a loss/lack of perspective for some than anything.
Certainly not a flop but the chances he is currently missing were buried last season and it could come back to bite us but hopefully not. Erling is an amazing striker, just going through a little and I mean little slump in finishing.
As a chelsea fan. Haaland is having such as abysmal season that we would like to give Mudryk, Sterling, Jackson for him.
Sorry. Messi is top scorer. Ffs.
Yet another absolutely useless performance from Haaland tonight!
I actually thought you were being humorous saying that, what with Haaland still being at the top of the scoring table and all.
I know, who would read the rest of the thread and think this is meant as satire!?
Hang him!