Roy Keane has re-addressed his Erling Haaland comments after he branded the forward a ‘League Two player’.
Keane made headlines last month for his scathing criticism of the forward, who he slammed for his general play in a period when he was struggling for form in his bid to help Manchester City‘s Treble push.
That push is now over due to the club’s Champions League exit to Real Madrid, a game in which Haaland picked up an injury that saw him miss his side’s FA Cup semi-final win and 4-0 victory against Brighton.
He however returned to action as a substitute against Nottingham Forest on Sunday, coming off the bench to score City’s second goal of their 2-0 win and ensure they kept control of the title race.
Former Manchester United man Keane spoke on Haaland again after the game on Sky Sports, and had a little more praise for the forward than he did a few weeks ago.
Roy Keane has revisited his comments that saw him brand Erling Haaland (left) a ‘League Two player’
Haaland marked his return from injury with a goal as Manchester City beat Nottingham Forest
Keane jokingly gave Haaland an upgrade, insisting that he is now a ‘Championship player’
‘He was very much like a Championship player, he has improved a lot,’ Keane said. ‘In terms of a goal scorer he is absolutely amazing, there’s no doubting his quality in terms of his finishing.
‘When he’s coming on he will want to have an impact on the game and when it’s stretched like that he’s got people like [Kevin] De Bruyne, he’s going to find you and then it’s just that bit of sharpness which he has shown.’
Despite failing to reach the heights of the 52-goal season he logged last campaign, Haaland has still had a successful year, netting 32 goals in 40 games in all competitions.
He faces competition for the Golden Boot this time around, having netted 21 times in the league, one more than Chelsea’ Cole Palmer and two more than Alexander Isak and Ollie Watkins.
The 23-year-old, however, is ready to propel his side to their fourth league title in a row – a Premier League record – and may have hit form again following his injury lay-off.
Haaland has been in a difficult run of form and had missed two games prior to his return
He is now, however, fit again and looking to win the Golden Boot and help City lift the Premier League
Prior to his absence, Keane had slammed Haaland’s all-round play, insisting that there should be more to his game than goal scoring and that he had a number of improvements to make.
‘The levels of his general play is so poor, and not just today, I think his general laying stuff off, headers, or whatever it might be in terms of front of goal is best in the world, but for his general play for such a player, it is so poor,’ Keane said of Haaland after City’s 0-0 draw with Arsenal. ‘Not just today, I think he has to improve that he’s almost like a League Two player.
‘That’s the way I look at him his general play has to improve and it will do over the next few years. There’s been this brilliant strikers fantastic. But he has to improve his all-round game.’
