Erling Braut Haaland, Manchester City

“It looks like he’s never played football before,” said Gary Neville.

– He is like a player in League Two (fourth level in England) in the field game, Roy Keane followed up.

The Sky Sports pundits were not kind to Erling Braut Haaland after Manchester City and Arsenal drew 0-0 at the weekend.

Keane’s comment causes Viaplay commentator Eivind Bisgaard Sundet to be stumped. He speculates that there may be something more behind the criticism from the Irishman, than just the football aspect. As you know, Keane and Haaland’s father, Alfie, has a somewhat checkered history.

It was during a match between Manchester United and Manchester City in 2001 that Keane tackled Alfie Haaland at knee height and caused him a career-threatening injury. The Irishman later admitted that it was an act of revenge against dad Haaland.

Reacts: – It’s nonsense

In a podcast, Sundet says that he “thinks it’s probably personal” behind Keane’s statements. In front of Nettavisen, he elaborates.

– I don’t know for sure, but it would be frivolous to call him that. It says something when he refers to what is perhaps the world’s best striker as a fourth division player. It’s just bullshit. Haaland is quite complete, so he has seen too little of him, says Sundet to Nettavisen.

– Do you interpret that as Keane having something personal against Haaland?

– I don’t pay much attention to everything he has said before, but in that situation, he is a United man and has had a feud with Alfie, so it is easy to think that. Most of all, I think the statement itself is nonsense, says the commentator.

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The Viaplay profile is resoundingly clear that the statement of the former Manchester United hero is complete nonsense.

– At least it’s not about football. In terms of technique, speed, physics and understanding of the game, Haaland is among the best in the world. What Keane claims, it is impossible to say. One might wonder why someone who gets paid to talk on TV, and with such a CV, says something so stupid.

– It makes me think that there is something more behind it, says Sundet.

Haaland boom: – Strange

The star striker struggled to get the big chances in the match against Arsenal, but in the 84th minute the ball fell to the Norwegian at the back post. An optimal chance to decide the game, but the star striker missed it in the closing moments.

Nick Miller of The Athletic has studied the pictures of the situation closely and can hardly believe what he sees.

– He almost completely missed the ball. And what’s really strange, if you study the pictures carefully, it looks like he tried to put it across to Ruben Dias, a centre-back, rather than knocking it into the box himself, Miller writes in a column.

– The relentless goal machine, got a chance from three metres, and then he tries to cross to a centre-back…

Viaplay commentator Sundet also noticed the aforementioned situation.

– I thought it was most uncharacteristic that he missed. He usually hits on them. He is not so egotistical that he does not play to people who are better placed and it would have been a hundred percent chance if he had got it in place for Dias, he says.

– I have seen it in replays a few times and it seems that he changes his mind along the way.

– Something is wrong with Haaland

Nick Miller in The Athletic wonders if Haaland’s form could simply cost Manchester City the league gold this season?

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– Something has been wrong with Haaland after he returned from a foot injury at the end of January. I’m not saying he’s bad. He is clearly one of the world’s best strikers, but right now, he is not himself. And it happens at the worst possible time for City, writes Miller.

Sundet, for his part, believes that there are more than Haaland who, as of now, are not delivering at the absolute best level in the City team.

– The whole City seems a bit “dead”. They have never quite recovered to the level they were at this time last season. They are a notch away from that level. But I haven’t noticed anything special about Haaland, but it’s clear, he plays a lot of games.

– He has little ball, but he is the type who can suddenly appear and score three goals anyway. The fact that he is not much involved in the matches is probably mostly connected to the fact that things are not quite flowing for Manchester City during the day, the Viaplay commentator believes.

– Still the best in the world

He believes both Liverpool and Arsenal are closer to City than last season in what appears to be an intense league race.

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– Self-confidence and the belief in winning is the most important thing and the City team has already shown that they have that. But the interaction was better last season. Everything is better if people are fit and things flow. Of course it is not an advantage that things do not flow and they do not win important games.

He will still in no way write off Josep Guardiola’s men in the title race, despite some debris in the machinery.

– City were far ahead of Liverpool and Arsenal last season and, in my opinion, are still the best team in the world, he says.