Pep Guardiola has admitted that he disagrees with Roy Keane over the criticism of one of his players.
Like any top manager, Guardiola is unafraid to come out and back his players when their names have been dragged in the mud.
One would claim that it is every manager’s job to do so like the Manchester City boss has done to make sure they are on the player’s side.
Pep Guardiola responds to Roy Keane comparing Erling Haaland to a “League Two player”
With the Premier League being the most watched division in the world, it is natural that even comments from some of their biggest pundits becoming a trending topic in the world of sports.
Especially when the remarks that have been made are headline-worthy.
When a player from a club of City’s stature has been named, it is bound to create conversation amongst fans and pundits alike.
As a result, as Roy Keane likening Erling Haaland to a “League Two player” has generated discourse since Manchester City’s 0-0 draw against Arsenal, Pep Guardiola responded to his claim.
“I’m not agreeing with him. Absolutely not. It’s like saying he’s a manager of the second or the third league. I don’t think so. He’s the best striker in the world and he helped us to win what we won last season and the reason why we don’t create much chances is not because of Erling [Haaland]”, he said [via HaytersTV].
The £378,846-a-week man referenced Haaland’s lack of involvement against Arsenal, saying, “We need more presence in the final third with more people and we played an exceptional game, I reviewed the game against Arsenal but just, we missed more people in the final third. Maybe for the quality, different skillset we have but Erling is exceptional.”
Pep Guardiola would never have even started the Manchester City striker if that was the case
If Roy Keane was correct about Erling Haaland having the all-round game of a League Two player, Pep Guardiola would have barely used him during his spell at Manchester City, in our view.
While the £51 million’s primary job, like most strikers, is to score goals, that does not mean that he is not tasked to drop deep and get involved in the game, as he has on plenty of occasions.
With the likes of Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva and Phil Foden being the experts in terms of sustaining pressure and keeping possession, often, the former Borussia Dortmund’s presence is not necessarily required by City in deeper zones.
Instead, his presence in the box is.
However, Pep Guardiola is not hesitant to use Erling Haaland in deeper zones, as seen against Arsenal in Manchester City’s 4-1 win last season; a game in which the star striker was unplayable and it seems like Roy Keane has let that performance escape his memory.
If Haaland was unable to follow a myriad of tactical instructions due to having a game akin to a League Two player, a manager like Guardiola would perhaps hesitate to use him as he tends to make tweaks to his setup at all times.
