Amid reports that Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid are plotting audacious bids for Haaland, the 22-year-old’s ecstatic reaction to his winner against Crystal Palace was a welcome sight for Guardiola.
As Erling Haaland was flocked by his Manchester City platoon- mates, the Norway star’s broad grin gave Pep Guardiola renewed belief that his coveted striker is still happy at the club ahead of Tuesday’s decisive titleholders League clash with RB Leipzig.
When Haaland scored a late penalty to decide City’s 1- 0 palm against Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Saturday, he responded with a joyful slide across the rain- soaked Selhurst Park pitch.
Amid reports that Paris Saint- Germain and Real Madrid are conniving audacious flings for Haaland in the close season, the 22- time-old’s rapturous response to his winner was a welcome sight for Guardiola.
Haaland has scored 28 times in the Premier League and netted 34 pretensions in all competitions since arriving from Borussia Dortmund in May.
He remains on course to break the Premier League thing record for a single crusade, concertedly held by Alan Shearer and Andy Cole, who netted 34 for Blackburn and Newcastle independently.
Yet, although the raw figures suggest each is well with the amazingly fat striker and his platoon, the eye- test has occasionally painted a different picture.
There have been refocused questions raised about Guardiola’s capability to get City to acclimatize to Haaland’s unique bents, and the striker’s own issues with coming to terms with the titleholders ’ style of play.
At times, Haaland has ploughed a lone crinkle in City’s attack, left insulated and girdled by protectors during his platoon’s long spells of possession.
As a result, City has sometimes sounded more toothless than Haaland’s phenomenal record would suggest, with his misses microscopically analysed for substantiation he’s a square cut in a round hole.
Haaland did miss a babysitter before scoring at Palace, while his immorality in a 1- 1 draw at Nottingham Forest in February saw City surrender first place in the Premier League.
With City running Arsenal by five points in the title race, the titleholders League may offer its stylish chance of a memorable end to the season.
It has no way won Europe’s nobility club competition and must see off Leipzig, who earned a 1- 1 draw in the last 16 first leg in Germany, to advance to the quarter- tests.
Guardiola will need Haaland at his raptorial stylish and he claimed there’s no reason to misdoubt the striker’s commitment to the City cause.
“The way he celebrates his pretensions and his mates ’ pretensions shows how happy he’s then and how we’re with him and his personality, ” Guardiola said.
“This joe doesn’t score one or two pretensions and the people go, oh he’s not the same! He’s always there so the figures speak for itself.
“One of the biggest attributes I ’ve discovered knowing him and working together is the fact that he can miss one chance, second, he’s not getting depressed, he’s not sad.
“He’s thinking positive, he knows he’ll have the chance, he knows he’ll be there. And this is an inconceivable trait as a football player. ”
Still, Guardiola was willing to admit the growing pains endured since Haaland’s transfer, adding “ What I would like when I finish our period together is the fact that he could ameliorate the game, with the association with the platoon.
“Realising how he can be involved in our game, not just putting the ball in the net. Because the net will be all the time in his life. ”
Haaland is well apprehensive of the pressure to live up to the hype that saw him rated as the stylish finisher in Europe following his appearance in Manchester.
Showing no signs of wanting to flee to Paris or Madrid, for now at least, Haaland said “ Of course I don’t like to miss chances.
“I just do as I do every game, concentrate on my game. It’s not that bad, we’ve to keep going. As I said it’s not easy, I ’m really proud. ” Know More Latest Football News….
