Haaland's struggle:3-game goal drought, performance bottleneck in tough matches

Yamini003

Who was the hottest striker last year? That would undoubtedly be Erling Haaland, who led Manchester City to an unprecedented treble after joining the team. Haaland was riding high on success, receiving heaps of praise. However, media can easily build up and tear down heroes. In the new season, after just four goalless matches, some media started to question Haaland.

The truth is, Haaland has been going through a tough period lately. In his last four matches, he's been in a goal drought. Although he didn't score in the first match, Manchester City still won, making it difficult for the media to blame him. However, after Manchester City's midfielder Rodri got injured, the team suffered three consecutive losses, during which Haaland not only failed to score but also went invisible in some matches, with zero shots in some games. This provided some media with ammunition to criticize him.

Some media took the opportunity to mock Haaland, saying he's a forward who needs a strong midfield to supply him with opportunities. If the midfield is lacking, like when Manchester City lost their midfield maestro Kevin De Bruyne this season, Haaland's goal count will further decline. Thus, some media began to claim that Haaland is merely a 'flat-track bully,' incapable of influencing matches like Kylian Mbappé, being dependent on the team's performance.

In yesterday's do-or-die match against Spain, which would decide if Norway could qualify for the European Championship, Haaland remained invisible, with just one shot in the entire game. As a result, Norway lost to Spain and missed out on next year's Euro. The criticism of Haaland reached new heights. However, it's essential to remember that football is a team sport, and besides Haaland and Ødegaard, the rest of Norway's players are not as strong. Furthermore, Spain is a traditional football powerhouse. Losing to them is not unusual.

The criticism of Haaland stems from high expectations and standards. If Haaland can respond to this criticism, it will signify a significant breakthrough in his football career. So, Haaland should not be discouraged; instead, he should use this criticism as motivation for improvement. When he reaches the day of transformation, his professional career will shine even brighter. What are your thoughts on Haaland's performance? Feel free to share your opinions!

Ritu13

Maybe Haaland has recently hit a slump; hope he keeps pushing forward.

977Iti

Erling Haaland is indeed a peculiar football player. At times, he's in an exceptional form, scoring three or four goals in a single game. However, at other times, his performance can be really poor, and it's like he's nowhere to be seen throughout the entire match. It feels as though he's being controlled by the betting companies. It's quite frightening.

Kahn332

This is just one possibility; the world of football can be shady, and there may be other reasons that we might only come to know in the future.

Kapil334

Erling Haaland is a giant center forward, which means his technical skills aren't as refined, and his ball-handling isn't as quick. Bulking up could potentially turn him into a target man, but it would come at the cost of mobility and could impact his overall career. His biggest strengths lie in his height and weight, as well as his speed and strong physical presence. From his early days at Borussia Dortmund to his current spell at Manchester City, his performance has consistently been impressive. Any goal droughts at the club level are likely just temporary setbacks. However, when it comes to the national team, it's a different story. The Norwegian national team lacks sufficient strengths, and he tends to get marked out more easily in that context.

Kahn332

Not everyone has it all smooth, right? Occasionally feeling a bit overwhelmed is understandable. After all, Haaland has been pushing himself so hard, he might be tired.