Pep Guardiola
Erling Haaland has 20 goals in just 13 Manchester City appearances, and Pep Guardiola says he always expected his new striker to score goals. What he didn’t expect was Haaland’s mentality within games when the action was away from the opposition box, with Guardiola calling Haaland’s small movements in the area as his biggest skill. Haaland is available for City vs Liverpool in the Premier League on Sunday after sitting out the Champions League draw at Copenhagen for fitness reasons. After a midweek rest, Guardiola feels Haaland is ready to continue his fine run of form at Anfield.
Pep Guardiola said: “The biggest challenge is to adapt quickly as possible, know his mates, the way they play. Adapt the lifestyle in England. This is the most important thing. You have to perform every single game the best possible as yourself. Opponents always play and we see. We have to try to do a performance, we are not top of the league, Arsenal is running incredibly strong. We have to try and be closer to them. When a player arrives always I expect the best. I speak with Erling, he was expecting goals he’s scoring. So far the numbers are unbelievable. He’s playing, regularly. What happened last season unfortunately for Borussia Dortmund, he came for many years, and has just arrived two or three months. He can improve, bad moments are coming. In that moment, go for the next one.”
Guardiola then went into further detail regarding Haaland’s attitude within games, with the striker quickly disproving the idea that his minimal touches in matches is a negative trait. In fact, the manager said that Haaland’s ability to create opportunities from so few touches, as well as always remaining dangerous, is a more impressive trait than his finishing or scoring record. Admitting he wasn’t expecting that focus from Haaland when the striker arrived,
Pep Guardiola said: “I am surprised at his mentality, we know his skills but how he behaves in bad moments. If he’s not involved for 20 minutes, he’s never out of the game. How difficult when you don’t touch the ball to always be focussed. The feelings, always that belief you are involved in the process, touch the ball, when you do it goes in the net. The belief you will always do it. That happens, always is there, how we arrive, how he always scores a goal. He’s never disconnected. Not being involved all the time, now he is involved more than beginning. Not much involved in the process, he’s never disconnected. The most important thing. That’s the biggest skill he has. Sometimes it’s difficult he has three or four players surrounding him in the box. And he has the quality we need him there. He can drop but we need him there. His pace in behind this movement.”
