Even with three Golden Boot awards, Haaland faced criticism from some quarters

Shri0001

Joining the team and helping them secure a treble, with personal awards like the Golden Boot in three major tournaments, Haaland's first season at Manchester City could be described as nearly perfect. However, even with such a flawless performance, there were still numerous critics. After understanding the reasons behind it, I find it quite absurd. What level does a player need to reach to avoid criticism?

Winning championships is a cause for celebration, especially with Haaland consistently winning the Golden Boot in the Premier League, FA Cup, and the Champions League – a testament to his remarkable goal-scoring ability. Manchester City's treble this season was largely thanks to his prolific goal-scoring. However, behind the glittering awards, there is a somewhat disappointing statistic associated with Haaland, though it's not necessarily fatal. It's his performance in crucial matches. Despite Manchester City winning, Haaland's goal drought in key games has sparked controversy, with some even labeling him as a flop in finals.

In the Champions League final against Inter Milan, Haaland had a quiet game and only touched the ball 18 times, drawing criticism from some quarters. Similarly, in the FA Cup final, Haaland also failed to score, and if it weren't for Ilkay Gündogan's outstanding performance with two goals, Manchester City might not have defeated Manchester United. Furthermore, in the previous Champions League semi-final against Real Madrid, despite the team scoring five goals, not a single one was attributed to Haaland. His performance of zero goals and zero assists in the four crucial matches indeed left room for awkwardness.

Haaland's early-season form dazzled the world, to the extent that it briefly threatened Lionel Messi's chances of winning the Ballon d'Or. However, his form dipped in the second half of the season, ending any possibility of him competing with Messi for the award. Especially considering this poor run in the four key matches, it extinguished all possibilities.

But in my opinion, the criticism of Haaland is overly harsh and doesn't reflect the reality. It's important to remember that Haaland is a significant threat on the field, and as long as opponents don't focus their defensive resources solely on him, he's likely to score. It's precisely because the opposition concentrates on Haaland that other Manchester City players get goal-scoring opportunities. Therefore, Manchester City's treble is a team achievement, and criticizing Haaland seems unjustifiably biased.

Yamini003

Ignoring them is the way to go!

Shri

You can critique Haaland's appearance, but you should never question his football skills.

Iravan774

Haaland is a significant threat no matter where he stands on the field. No team dares to ignore him, and when he attracts defensive players, it creates opportunities for his teammates to strike. His positioning and movement are world-class, constantly disrupting the opponent's defensive lines. Once a gap appears, it's hard for the opposing team to avoid consequences.