I want more from Erling Haaland - Pep Guardiola calls for ‘scary’ Manchester City star to make changes
The Manchester City manager also warned that his striker has begun the new season looking his freshest yet.
Pep Guardiola has said he wants to see more from Erling Haaland despite his scoring exploits in the early weeks of the new season.
The Manchester City star has netted four in the opening two games, including a hat-trick against Ipswich Town on Saturday. That was his sixth Premier League treble, the same number as Wayne Rooney, who played in the top flight for 16 years. Haaland, meanwhile, has reached that tally in a little over two seasons.
His latest hat-trick moves him up to 94 goals in 101 appearances for City, and after a summer off and full pre-season, the Norwegian said last week that he has ‘never felt better’. Guardiola compared his no.9 to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo after the Ipswich game but said Haaland could improve his work out of possession.
“I like when he runs a lot,” Guardiola explained. “I like when he presses like an animal. It helps to score a goal. When you are connected defensively, you are connected offensively.
“When you are disconnected defensively and you run and the ball surprises you, you are not precise. This mix to know exactly what to do and help us. His body language - imagine a central defender has the ball and he makes a sprint with this body and legs moving. It's scary.
“And helps us for the people in the middle and back to support him. And we are more effective in our high pressing. We need him. This is not negotiable. If you don't score a goal, it's fine. But you need to do it.”
Asked if he wants Haaland to get more involved in the build-up play, Guardiola replied: “Yeah, especially when we link up with him he has to control better the ball. But we are working with him on it. Hopefully he can do it.”
This is not the first time that Haaland’s non-scoring attributes have been questioned, and Roy Keane infamously compared the City star’s general play to that of a League Two player. Jamie Carragher also referred to Haaland as the ‘ultimate luxury footballer’ in April.
But what can’t be questioned is his efficiency in front of goal, and Guardiola delivered a scary assessment of Haaland’s enhanced physical condition at the start of the season.
“He feels good, last season always he had problems in the hips, in the ankles, in the knee. This season, of course he takes care of himself with the physios really well but I had the feeling that he is sharper,” opined the City boss.
“After training sessions stays longer to practise the crosses and controls. Last season it never happened because he was not perfect. With his body he has to be perfect to perform at that level.”
Haaland will look to continue his impressive start to the new season when City travel to West Ham United on Saturday, at a ground where Haaland has netted three times in his previous two visits.