Garth Crooks has torn into Pep Guardiola for berating Erling Haaland at half-time during Manchester City’s 3-0 win against Burnley on Friday.
In his column for BBC Sport, the outspoken pundit also made the claim that such heated arguments could push the Norwegian to eye an exit in favour of a move to Real Madrid.
Now, Garth Crooks has especially blasted Pep Guardiola for how he publicly told Erling Haaland off at Turf Moor.
Garth Crooks blasts Pep Guardiola after Erling Haaland argument
The initial argument was between the 23-year-old and Bernardo Silva, as the former was furious at him for not playing him in.
As a result, after the game, Guardiola revealed (via Manchester Evening News) that he was explaining to Haaland that the Portuguese midfielder was right not to do so in the fear of conceding a dangerous transition before half-time.
However, Garth Crooks believes Erling Haaland was harshly treated by Pep Guardiola.
“Guardiola’s public admonishment of his striker at half-time was not just badly timed and unnecessary but an appalling display of arrogance. If Guardiola wants to rant and rave with his players as he leaves the pitch, then we are entitled to see it. If he thinks that is unacceptable, then take his discussions into the dressing room where he is entitled to his privacy.”
Garth Crooks continues to pile on Pep Guardiola for the way he behaved and his scolding of Erling Haaland, saying, “What takes place on the pitch must be accessible to the viewing public, and television in particular is entitled to see it. Goodness knows television companies and fans have paid a king’s ransom for that privilege.”
“Well, we all saw it. Guardiola playing the overbearing boss by insisting his every instruction [to] be obeyed to the letter. To have admonished Haaland so publicly at half-time against – wait for it – Burnley, would have been greeted with a very different reaction from certain players in my day, but these are different times.”
Garth Crooks could not fathom why Pep Guardiola was as livid as he was at Erling Haaland, saying, “It wasn’t as if Haaland was having a bad day or City were struggling, in fact they were 2-0 up at the time and coasting. It is not unusual to see great managers exhibit enormous egos during matches, but what was so important that it could not have waited until the player and manager entered the dressing room?”
“What was worse is that the Manchester City manager did not only want to conduct his spat with his most valuable player in public, he thought that the incident had nothing to do with the rest of us and proceeded to push away the cameraman filming the incident.”
Garth Crooks elaborated on why he believes Pep Guardiola was wrong to push the camera away as he was being filmed having a go at Erling Haaland.
“How dare he? If Guardiola wants to rant and rave with his players as he leaves the pitch, then we are entitled to see it. If he thinks that is unacceptable, then [he should] take his discussions into the dressing room where he is entitled to his privacy. What takes place on the pitch must be accessible to the viewing public, and television in particular is entitled to see it. Goodness knows television companies and fans have paid a king’s ransom for that privilege.”
Ultimately, Crooks has well and truly misjudged the entire situation and his analysis of it has been quite unnecessarily hyperbolic to say the least.
