16 Dec 2019 05:02:32
Lot of rumours about Haaland and probably what we need at the moment to give the squad a boost in January.

He's just 19 and coming from a lower league, so it might be a risk but he could end up being a very good signing for us at the moment. He looks physically strong, mobile and very clinical in his finishing. He is high on confidence, hungry for goals and looking to prove himself and probably the right time for him and United to come together.

He reminds me a bit of Van Persie (not talking about the first touch) - the way he tries to get away from players and his finishing with his left foot is sort of similar. Also, it is incredible how calm and composed he is in front of goal at such a young age.

Sign him and another creative midfielder in January and that can really help us for the rest of the season in a big way.


1.) 16 Dec 2019
16 Dec 2019 07:33:37
LPU.
I like 3 main characteristics in him.
First he is a "Natural" striker
Secondly, he is "hungry" for goals.
Thirs, he looks so powerful and therefore will improve our general hold up play.


2.) 16 Dec 2019
16 Dec 2019 09:07:30
He would be a good signing but only if we sign a very good no 10 or pogba suddenly decides to show up and doesn't get injured after jan.

Unless the people behind them shape up, the forwards are going to come up empty more often than not.


3.) 16 Dec 2019
16 Dec 2019 08:58:47
'Another creature midfielder'. A creative midfielder, you mean.


4.) 16 Dec 2019
16 Dec 2019 09:02:46
Haaland is similar to Lukaku, looks strong, but his hold up play isn't great. Both live for goals, both are better at running the channels than being the target man, and both probably work better with a player near them rather than as the lone striker.

He looks a real talent, but I wouldn't say he will be a better player than Greenwood. For that reason I would look for someone who is closer to or in fact is the finished article. Someone who can play in a different way to Martial/ Greenwood/ Rashford who all look to run in behind or move into the inside channels and cut back in. We need a striker who'll play with his back to goal and then lay the ball off to runners either from midfield or from wider areas. We need a target man, or at least someone who can play like that.

Cavani or Mandzukic would be good short term options, if we wanted someone more long term I would look to someone like Maxi Gomez or Victor Osimhen although Osimhen is still very young himself.


5.) 16 Dec 2019
16 Dec 2019 09:09:34
And he will put his head to the numerous crosses that our wingers play.


6.) 16 Dec 2019
16 Dec 2019 10:08:22
I m sure that Fergie would have liked someone like Haaland - for his determination and focus.
While he s still far from being the finished article, he has the will to improve.


7.) 16 Dec 2019
16 Dec 2019 12:00:00
Shappy, I don't think we need a target man. At the moment whenever we break on the counter we seem to be doing pretty well most of the time, although in the final third we seem to mess with our final pass or take hasty shots. With the inconsistencies in our forward line and the lack of clinical finishing when it matters most, we should be looking for someone like Haaland. Also, he's just 19 and has time to improve on his other areas as well.

I do however agree that someone like Cavani could really boost the team's performances and help some of the youngsters to settle down without too much pressure on their shoulders. But, we should be mindful of our recent history with signing big name players and how it worked out.

It is difficult to compare Haaland with Greenwood as each have their own strengths and weakness, but Haaland already looks physically ready and tailor-made for the premier league and would offer us a presence in the opposition box and against teams who defend in numbers and are physically dominating he could be a real asset from corners, set pieces and crosses. Greenwood looks a fantastic talent and is more of a skillful, technical player with a great left foot. If he keeps improving and playing the way he has, he should soon replace the likes of Lingard/ Perreira in the first team.

Shan, there is really no point in our wingers putting crosses into the box, if neither Rashford/ Martial are willing to make those clever runs and nor are they aerially dominant to put any pressure on the opposition defense either.


8.) 16 Dec 2019
16 Dec 2019 12:45:07
LetsPlayUnited, Haaland is deceptive in that he doesn't get stuck in physically as much as you would expect for a lad of his size. In the UCL this season he has won 3 aerial challenges in 6 games.

He might well develop that part of his game and he does have the physical attributes to do so. But as of now he isn't that sort of player.

When I say target man I don't mean a goal hanger waiting for the ball to be pumped up to him. We don't need a target man to play on the counter, we have players who can run the channels and use their pace to win those balls in behind.

We need a target man who'll play with their back to goal, back into a centre back, hold him off when the ball gets played into them then lay it off to an on rushing attacker to create 1v1's when teams sit deep and apply the low block.

Currently that isn't Haaland's game. He wants to run the channels rather than have a dust up with a centre back.

Haaland will struggle to score against sides that play in a low block and defend in numbers as he won't have the space to play in and we lack the imaginative passer who can find a round the corner pass, or thread the eye of a needle kind of ball through a packed back four.

He isn't the kind of striker who'll offer us anything more than we already have bar being slightly more clinical than our current options. He would add a 4th and 5th goal against teams we are beating 3-0, but he won't be the guy to make the difference when we are struggling 1-1 against a side who are defending deep and in numbers.

He's a taller one footed Greenwood, who's a year further along in his development. If we didn't have Greenwood then Haaland would be a sensible signing. But why bring in a player who plays the same way, but is more limited when we have potentially a better player who just needs game time to develop.


9.) 16 Dec 2019
16 Dec 2019 12:51:54
Right LPU, and that is the reason that we may look to someone who can do that. What a Zlatan or a Lukaku used to do. All our forward options right now are what the Barcelona team call the false no. 9. We do not have an out and out striker in our team right now. At this point, a Fellaini is what the team is crying out for, something different to all the "running in behind" that our sprinters do for 90 min.


10.) 16 Dec 2019
16 Dec 2019 12:57:03
I think we need a creative midfielder, a clever number 10 before signing anyone else.


11.) 16 Dec 2019
16 Dec 2019 13:27:44
Shan you clearly haven't seen him then, he looks big but he is as useless as lukaku in the air.


12.) 16 Dec 2019
16 Dec 2019 13:36:21
Shan, the issue is running in behind is how Haaland gets 90% of his goals.

He doesn't add anything from that perspective. He might be a more clinical but that is hard to judge as he plays in a weaker league for a side that plays offensive football. he averages 4-5 chances a game while our forwards average 1-2 chances per game.

Although I'm not a fan of doing it as each player is their own player and with their own individual talents. But if we are to liken Haaland to another player it would be Lukaku, while Greenwood could be likened to RvP.

While both were consistent goalscorers, RvP was the far more rounded player. However, at 18/ 19 years old Lukaku due to being more physically advanced was making a bigger impact at the professional level. Yet by the time they were both 22/ 23 RvP was a far more talented player.

Haaland is big and strong, but he dozen't play to his size, like Lukaku he runs channels and is clinical so scores most of his chances. Whereas, RvP was two footed, used clever movement as well as running the channels and was capable of regularly scoring the world class goals Lukaku rarely managed.

In Greenwood we have a player who if he fulfils his potential will be a far better more rounded player than Haaland in 2-3 years time. He just needs game time to develop. So signing another similar player who will take that game time away from him doesn't make sense.

If we are to sign another striker (and we do need to in my opinion) then it should be a player who can play with their back to goal and offer us something completely different to what we have. A player who offers a tactically different option to players like Martial and Greenwood, not someone very similar who'll just take minutes away from them and offer nothing different tactically.


13.) 16 Dec 2019
16 Dec 2019 15:18:37
Haaland actually scored 6 goals running in behind this season which is less that 25% not 90%😂.


14.) 16 Dec 2019
16 Dec 2019 16:06:36
Shappy from what little I have seen of Haaland, he uses his huge frame very well to ride off challenges and take the ball forward and I see no similarity with Greenwood as I have never seen Greenwood do that - not in the first team atleast.

I understand your concern about Greenwood's development, but they both are different type of players - Greenwood being more skillful, technical and clinical while Haaland being more physical, can take on players and is clinical. You would also need to see the situation with Martial who has been far too inconsistent and recently getting injured every now and then and if he doesn't justify his talents with more consistent performances this season and the next, his future could be up in the air. Rashford also remains inconsistent so we do need options upfront. Anyway having the four of Rashford, Martial, Greenwood and Haaland along with James would give us lot more options upfront.

I believe that Haaland could offer a lot more than what people think he is capable of. One thing I really like about him is his instincts in the box, always on the move and finds himself in the right positions inside the D. I guess Ole is the only person who knows him better than all of us so let's see where this goes.


15.) 16 Dec 2019
16 Dec 2019 16:04:56
All this debating over how he is like or how he will play looks like it is going to go to waste, salzburg paper's reporting he is likely to end up at leipzig or dortmund.


16.) 16 Dec 2019
16 Dec 2019 17:06:14
common_sense moyes, except for the Ed's insights everything else we debate means nothing to be honest. We have no control over anything else and debating is the least we can do to express our opinions.

All in all everyone on here does add value to this site one way or the other.


17.) 16 Dec 2019
16 Dec 2019 19:19:17
Have people really seen that much of him.


18.) 16 Dec 2019
16 Dec 2019 21:02:57
Watched every UCL game. He isn't a bully boy target man.

He might one day, but then the same was thought of Lukaku. Or that Pogba might use his physicality in his game. Not all big strong players rough and tumble their way through a match.

Personally I would be surprised if he came to United. My monies on Dortmund.


19.) 16 Dec 2019
16 Dec 2019 21:43:36
So 6 games then?


20.) 16 Dec 2019
16 Dec 2019 22:33:05
Yep, 6 games in which he won 3 headers. Real aerial threat is Haaland. 😂.