In his exclusive column for CaughtOffside, former Aston Villa and Liverpool attacker Stan Collymore discusses some of football’s biggest talking points, including Erling Haaland’s recent criticism, Bukayo Saka’s questionable on-field decision-making and which six Premier League could be on the move soon, plus much more.
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After L’Equipe, the voice of football in Europe gave Haaland a 3/10 for his performance against Real Madrid on Tuesday, along with Roy Keane’s League Two jibe, maybe it is time a fellow striker told it as it is to both and stated a couple of obvious things rather than jump on popular bandwagons.
Firstly, the kid has scored goals in every team he’s played at. Lots of them too. Secondly, and perhaps most importantly, he’s done it in three very different environments. England, Germany, and the Champions League, all while being a relative rookie. Finally, and for me the point Keane and L’equipe are desperately missing, is the type of goals he scores.
He’s an over-the-top guy by trade, look at his Dortmund goals and you’ll see pace, running in behind and a stellar finisher. I wondered whether City would suit him, especially as most teams who face them sit back denying anyone space except for a fox in the box. City bought him anyway, he toggled a switch in his mind and hey presto, broke all records by being a fox in the box. Is he a great “player” beyond his goalscoring? No, not yet, but his ability to learn, grow, and be unfazed by criticism will undoubtedly get him there.
Leave the kid alone, neither Keane nor anyone at L’Equipe could lace his boots at the same age!
When Bukayo Saka missed his Euro penalty at Wembley in the
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