Weeks before Manchester City sealed their fourth Premier League title in five years, they announced the signing of Erling Haaland from Borussia Dortmund. The 21-year-old Norwegian has been one of the top scorers in the German Bundesliga in the last three seasons, and was linked to a host of top European clubs before City activated his £51.2 million buy-out clause.
Pep Guardiola has often favoured playing without a striker in recent years, but now he can call upon one of the best No.9s in the world. Here, we will consider what Haaland will bring to Guardiola’s system.
CLINICAL COUNTER-ATTACKING
The most striking aspect of Haaland’s game is his physical profile. At 6ft 4in he is tall and strong, but also explosively quick. Few, if any, strikers of his size possess the burst he has, nor the top speed. When he gets going, it’s like watching a runaway train – defenders struggle to get near him. The sequence below shows Haaland pouncing on an error and eating up the yards to beat his opponent to the ball.
This is crucial, because Manchester City’s success in recent seasons has a lot to do with how dangerous they are on the counter. When they win the ball with space ahead of them, they move it quickly with one- and two-touch passing, utilising their pace up front to attack gaps in a disorganised defence and create chances.
Guardiola may have built his reputation on effective possession, but his teams are also traditionally intense pressing sides with lightning-quick counter-attacking capability. They can’t make do with a sluggish No.9. Haaland might look like an old-school striker, but he has the mobility necessary to fit into City’s attacking transitions.
CHANGE IN APPROACH
Over the last two seasons, Guardiola has built his attack on dynamism, often fielding an attacking midfielder up top in his preferred 4-3-3. This player naturally tends to roam more than a classic No.9, pulling wide or withdrawing into midfield, asking questions of the centre-backs, and creating space for runners like Kevin De Bruyne and Ilkay Gundogan to exploit. Goals come from anyone in the front five (three forwards, two attacking mids), rather than one focal point finisher.
Below we see an example from the 6-3 win over Leicester last term. Silva withdraws and receives the ball into feet, the centre-back leaves his position to try and stay close, and De Bruyne runs in behind to score. On the other side, you can also see Gundogan ready to make that run behind.
These are typical attacking movements of a Guardiola side, but Haaland is not a perfect fit to play the role of Silva here. He is not at his best back to goal, and he doesn’t have the seamless first touch or close control of his new teammate. He thrives playing off the shoulder of the last defender, ready to run behind and score, like in the example below.
Haaland and City may not be a perfect, instant fit. He won’t involve himself in build-up in the way Guardiola usually likes his strikers to do, and that may cause a problem. Guardiola might even have to re-work the way his team’s approach play, with more playmaking and less forward running from his midfielders, to supply his new No.9 more directly in and around the penalty area.
It’s also possible that opponents will adjust to the frightening pace of Haaland by sitting deep and reducing the space he has to work in. If City are cross into the box, he will be an obvious focal point to mark. It’s absolutely plausible that Haaland struggles to find space, and goals, as easily as he did in the Bundesliga.
EASY GOALS
While Guardiola may need to adjust tactically, and Haaland may need to adapt his game slightly, the striker should still get goals. Manchester City dominate possession, often have a lot of the ball around the opponent’s box, and Haaland doesn’t need many chances to score. He strikes accurately and powerfully with his left foot, and gets shots away quickly.
His movement in the area is good, too, often following the basic idea of – one run for the defender, and another for himself, to shake off markers and get on the end of cut-backs and low crosses. Below he starts off running towards the back post, then changes direction to hit the front post, getting across the defender and ensuring he is in prime position to get first contact on the cut-back.
This movement, combined with his speed, makes Haaland effective in the box. He should get plenty of first-time finishes playing for Guardiola. Of course, scoring goals is not a problem for Manchester City: they have been the Premier League’s top scorers in each of the last five seasons. The big questions for Haaland will relate to his contribution in other areas, specifically in build-up play.
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