Erling Haaland admits frustration while watching Man City last year because ‘no one was there’ to score goals… as Norwegian reveals he was ‘imagining’ a prolific season up-front for Pep Guardiola’s side
Erling Haaland admits he was frustrated watching Man City‘s games last year as ‘no one was there’ to score their chances.
The Norwegian striker was nothing short of a revelation in the Premier League in 2022-23, after breaking the division’s single-season scoring record in his debut campaign.
His goals ranged from acrobatic volleys to close-range tap-ins and all culminated in an impressive 36-goal return from his top-flight appearances.
Some fans gave the 22-year-old criticism for his role within Man City’s team, typically playing on the shoulder of the final defender and pouncing on chances created by team-mates.
However, Haaland – in conversation with Rio Ferdinand – claimed that he was proud of his ability to score from close-range and discussed how he viewed his ‘role’ in City’s attack.
Erling Haaland has revealed he was frustrated watching Man City’s games last season
The Norwegian admitted he was ‘good’ at tap-ins, when reflecting on his debut year for City
Speaking on Ferdinand’s Between The Lines, Haaland said: ‘It’s a good thing to be good at tapping balls in.
‘Last season, I watched so many times when crosses would go through the whole box and no-one was there. I was imagining myself being there and thinking I’d slide that in.
‘I was thinking of that when I came here. I’m not the one that’s going to create chances but I have my role in the team. And that’s this (tap-ins). My job is to help the team put the ball in the back of the net.’
The 22-year-old certainly proved that was the case after notching an incredible 52 goals in 52 games for Pep Guardiola’s side.
It saw him take the Premier League’s goalscoring charts by storm, as he quickly surpassed the likes of Harry Kane and Mohamed Salah.
In February this year, City boss Guardiola revealed that Haaland had been studying tapes of Tottenham’s Kane – but the Norwegian set the record straight on that case.
‘I don’t watch my games back at all, actually,’ Haaland claimed. ‘I try to think of the next game, not too much about how I did and what I did wrong.
‘I try to attack the next game. I did that a bit when I was younger but I was overthinking a lot so I stopped. I don’t watch anyone else’s (game tapes) as well.’
The Norwegian admitted his ‘role’ in the City team was to ‘put the ball in the back of the net’
Haaland was quick to deny suggestions that he watches tapes of other players, despite claims that he had watched clips of Tottenham striker Harry Kane (right)
City will look to complete the Treble when they face Italian giants Inter Milan in the Champions League final on Saturday and could claim a big reward with a win.
Pep Guardiola’s side defeated rivals Manchester United 2-1 in the FA Cup final last weekend.
They also picked up their third Premier League title in a row after finishing five points ahead of Arsenal.
The English outfit booked their place in Istanbul after defeating Real Madrid 5-1 on aggregate in the semi-finals following a sensational performance in the second leg. As for Inter, the Italian side knocked out rivals AC Milan in the other semi-final.
