Guardiola reveals Haaland’s special demands: – “Don’t force him.”

MANCHESTER (VG) Pep Guardiola (52) undercut Erling Braut Haaland’s expectations (23). This is why the Manchester City manager has given the star a clear message about what he wants to see from him in training and in matches at the start of the season.

Because ahead of Friday’s league opener against newly promoted Burnley, Guardiola was asked if he was looking for improvements in Haaland other than scoring plenty of goals this season.

The point has been made that many players often take a year to become comfortable under Guardiola’s way of playing football, but that has not yet applied to Haaland, who this spring became Europe’s top scorer in his first season with City.

It doesn’t need a second season. He only needed one important match to understand it, no more than that, says Guardiola, smiling slightly and meeting chuckles among reporters in the city’s media center a stone’s throw from the Etihad Stadium.

Guardiola sent journalists back in time by a year. When Haaland didn’t get it during the Community Shield match against Liverpool in his first meaningful match for the Blues.

But the 23-year-old responded by scoring his first goal for City in the league the following week. But the tone is different this year.

I advise him not to put too much pressure on scoring goals. “Come back on your best foot,” I told Erling. Because, after all, he’s 1.90m or something. “Try your best, both physically and mentally. If you score, that’s okay. If you don’t score, that’s okay,” Guardiola says.

continued:

– “Try to improve the details, the quality, the skills you have to have in some areas (on the field) so you can become a better player. The team helps you, you get chances to score. That’s what you have to do.”

However, Haaland wasn’t on the best charge in the League One match against Burnley at Turf Moor on Friday night.

He was almost invisible in the hour or so he faced Martin Odegaard’s Arsenal in the Community Shield clash at Wembley last weekend.

But no one on Ball Island seemed to be worried ahead of the meeting with newly promoted Burnley, as Sander Berge, who is managed by former City legend Vincent Kompany, could be in the starting line-up.

Haaland’s goalscoring records last season, 36 goals in the Premier League and a total of 52 in all competitions, have left their mark.

Neither his teammates nor the journalists suspect him. Nor Guardiola.

Then the director said something startling:

– I don’t want Erling to score 50 or 60. But be happy as you were last season, take it easy, get back to your best, after the holidays, after Asia (where City were in pre-season). He says and continues:

– Train a little better every day, play every game and ask yourself to make an effort, and then the goals will come naturally. Don’t force it. But you have to do something, him and everyone else, for something to happen. Guardiola says: You have to do something to get chances, defend yourself, score and don’t let in.

So the Burnley match will be a reunion with Vincent Kompany. Someone who, according to many media outlets and Guardiola himself, has turned the club into something completely different from what it was.

Football should be attractive, they want long attacks and control of the opponent with the ball in the team.

The first match is difficult. Especially against newly promoted teams. They have nothing to lose, energy and dreams to have a good season. Vini does an incredible job. He completely changed them. He “ruined” the Championship (the second tier from which Burnley rose). Guardiola says I’m sure he will do well.

Note: The match between Burnley and Manchester City takes place on Friday at 21:00 and can be watched on V Sport PL or Viaplay.