Keane is right about 'League Two' Haaland's all-round game

The Irishman is famous for his provocative remarks, and it's evident that the Norwegian striker is far from being considered complete.

Roy Keane has always been synonymous with controversy, spanning over three decades. Throughout his playing career, marked by confrontations and red cards, he adamantly claimed he wouldn't transition into punditry. However, given his bold and outspoken nature, it was inevitable.

Keane speaks his mind without reservation, embodying the values of the old school. He shows little interest in discussing the intricacies of modern football; for him, it still boils down to the fundamentals. Concepts like double-pivots and counter-pressing take a backseat to the importance of pride and passion at the highest level.

Keane excels in portraying the 'grumpy old man' persona. With wry smiles and sharp remarks, he has become a staple of television. His reactions to subpar performances, especially those of Manchester United, often go viral, sparking discussions and generating memes across the football community.

During the Sky Sports broadcast of the highly anticipated Premier League match between Manchester City and Arsenal, Keane transitioned from disdainfully commenting on a mid-programme advertisement for the upcoming series House of the Dragon to sharply criticizing Erling Haaland for his poor performance, particularly highlighting his horrendous miss during the lackluster 0-0 draw.

"The overall quality of his game is severely lacking," remarked Keane. "And it's not just today; it's been evident consistently. While he excels in front of goal, his performance in other aspects of play, such as passing and heading, leaves much to be desired. For a player of his caliber, it's disappointing. He needs to work on that aspect of his game. It's almost as if he's performing at a much lower level than expected."

Keane, like his colleague Gary Neville who famously labeled Chelsea as "billion-pound bottle-jobs" during Sky's coverage of the Carabao Cup final, understood the impact of his words. Both pundits recognize that their role extends beyond mere analysis; they aim to engage and provoke discussion among viewers. Keane certainly succeeded in generating conversation with his critique of Haaland.

His whole game is finishing

Chris Sutton criticized the comparison to League Two as "ridiculous" in his BBC Sport column, while Rio Ferdinand labeled it "a bit far-fetched" on FIVE's official YouTube channel. However, neither Sutton nor Ferdinand staunchly defended Haaland's all-around game.

Sutton acknowledged that Haaland's "link-up play could be cleaner," but his main argument was that at City, Haaland's primary responsibility is scoring goals, with any additional contribution seen as a bonus rather than a requirement.

Ferdinand noted that Haaland's lack of involvement beyond goal-scoring has been consistent throughout his career. He stated, "His all-round game has never been something anyone’s marveled at," emphasizing Haaland's proficiency in the penalty box but noting that other aspects of his game, such as hold-up play, have needed improvement.

Indeed, Haaland's minimal involvement in matches has been evident since his early days at the Etihad, as Ferdinand highlighted.

Fewer goals, greater scrutiny

During the 4-0 victory over Bournemouth on August 13, 2022, Haaland's involvement was minimal, touching the ball only eight times, matching the previous Premier League low set by Romelu Lukaku while playing for Chelsea the previous year.

In the broader context, however, this statistic was inconsequential. City had finally found the prolific goalscorer they needed to complement their exceptional build-up play, as evidenced by Haaland's impressive tally of 52 goals during their treble-winning campaign. As a result, questions regarding his overall contribution became irrelevant.

Yet, this season, Haaland hasn't maintained the same level of prolificacy. Despite still boasting 29 goals in all competitions, his shot conversion rate has dropped to 20 percent, and he's missed more 'big chances' than any other player across Europe's 'Big Five leagues'.
Consequently, the decline in goals has led to increased scrutiny of Haaland's game. Without his remarkable scoring record that he's maintained since his teenage years, there are fewer standout qualities to his play.

Not making the most of his physical advantages

Haaland's pace is impressive, but he lacks agility with the ball, evident from his mere 13 completed dribbles in all competitions this season, just one more than the aging Ciro Immobile.

Despite his physical prowess, Haaland falls short as a target man, a point highlighted by former City defender Micah Richards and echoed by Keane on Sky Sports. Ivan Toney, who returned from suspension in January, has won more headers this season than Haaland, who has managed only six flick-ons compared to Olivier Giroud's 70.

Keane's observation about Haaland's struggles in holding up the ball is accurate, with just 22 successful lay-offs in all competitions. Romelu Lukaku, often criticized for his first touch, has significantly more with 66.

Moreover, Haaland lacks modern No. 9 qualities, offering little defensively with only two tackles won all season and 44 recoveries, compared to Joshua Zirkzee's 88 for Bologna.
Most striking is Haaland's limited involvement in matches, with as many touches this season (777) as Manchester United's Wout Weghorst, now with Hoffenheim.

While Sutton argues that Haaland's primary duty is scoring goals, these aspects prompt scrutiny.

Can Pep improve Haaland?

Initially, has Haaland shown improvement since joining Manchester City? Has his playing style developed? While Pep Guardiola is renowned for enhancing players' abilities, he has acknowledged that Haaland's goal-scoring prowess needs no refinement. However, if Haaland's primary duty is scoring goals at City, will he progress in other aspects of his game?
Ally McCoist, a former Scotland striker, doubts this. He dismissed claims that Haaland is Guardiola's best-coached player since Messi, arguing that technically, Haaland doesn't match up to players like David Silva, Ilkay Gundogan, or Kevin De Bruyne.

Even Haaland's teammate Stefan Ortega has acknowledged that Haaland isn't the most technically gifted player in the team. Haaland doesn't possess the diverse skill set of players like Julian Alvarez, who not only scores but also creates chances with his passing and pressing.

However, this doesn't diminish Haaland's importance to City. His role may be specific but crucial. Goals are paramount in football, making Haaland indispensable.
Moreover, Haaland's presence on the field keeps defenders occupied, and his exceptional movement in and around the box stems from his intelligent game reading and quick reflexes.

Haaland's deficiencies cannot be overlooked, especially as they lead to exaggerated comparisons with legendary No.9s like Van Basten, Ronaldo, Benzema, Batistuta, and Shearer. These greats were more than mere goal-scorers, unlike Haaland, who is still evolving at 23 and primarily excels as a goal-scorer. However, he lacks the ability to single-handedly dismantle defenses, as noted by Guardiola.

Despite his incredible goal-scoring record, Haaland relies heavily on his teammates, unlike players like Messi who can change games alone. While Haaland may never possess such exceptional individual talent, it would be a shame if he remained solely a goal-scorer given his natural abilities. There's a question of whether he's content with his limited role at City.

He has the potential to emulate his idol Ibrahimovic and become a prolific striker, but he's far from being a complete No.9 like Ibrahimovic. While comparing Haaland to a League Two player might be unfair, it's true that his overall game isn't yet at a world-class level, as Keane rightly pointed out.