Soccer, Erling Braut Haaland | The Arsenal legend after seeing Haaland: – I had been embarrassed
COPENHAGEN (Nettavisen): Jærbuen has enchanted football fans all over the world this season and is expected to start the Champions League match in the Park against FC Copenhagen on Tuesday.
The 22-year-old scored a goal in the first match, and marked himself again on the scoring list in the league match against Southampton on Saturday.
– For me, he is the best striker in the world and it will be difficult, but we must do everything to stop him, says FC Copenhagen centre-back Davit Khocholava to Nettavisen in the Parken sunshine on Monday.
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– I had been embarrassed
He was both unlucky and incompetent when he scored an own goal in the first match, and just joins the number of centre-backs this season who have had to see Haaland celebrate scoring for Manchester City.
The discussions around how to actually stop Norway’s number have grown in step with the scoring.
However, former Arsenal centre-back Martin Keown was in no doubt as to what kind of tactics he would have put in place if he had met the blizzard.
– I was a contact-seeking defender. You also played stops, but I was always on top of my opponent. I had been in his ear and told him how bad he is. I had sneaked up on him and made him run around or through me, because he shouldn’t have reached that ball. It has been too simple for ham, said the veteran when he visited BBC in connection with City’s match against Southampton.
The 56-year-old made 428 appearances and won three Premier League titles with “The Gunners”, and was known as an uncompromising centre-back. He has no doubts about how he would have felt if he had been stopped by Haaland.
– He is so relentless and clinical, intelligent and determined. Can you stop ham? I would have been embarrassed if I was a center back now. I heard Nesta and Rio Ferdinand say the same; “Why doesn’t anyone disturb him?”, he says, and adds.
– It is very good for him out there now. I would host the player who will be his worst nightmare. You have to bump into him, whisper things in his ear. But he has everything, and is almost a complete player despite his age.
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I don’t think Haaland is extraordinary
On Tuesday, it is Khocholava who again gets the thankless task of trying to stop the player who is perhaps the world’s best at the moment.
The FCK star partially agrees with Keown that you have to work both physically and mentally to stop the Norwegian.
– Is it a mental game when you meet face to face? Are you trying to get into his head by talking to him, or how is the dialogue on the field?
– Sometimes it becomes mental, but when you play the Champions League you have to work very, very hard to get into the players’ minds. It’s the same for me, if someone tries to get into my head it’s difficult, he says, and continues.
– The mental game can work sometimes, but usually the player knows his own qualities, says the 29-year-old at Monday’s press conference, where a dozen Danish journalists had turned up in addition to Nettavisen and rights holder TV 2.
The Georgian, who by the way will also have to face Haaland in the European Championship qualifiers next year, says he is not surprised by Haaland at the Etihad, and believes the youngster does not have any distinct spectacular qualities.
– I don’t think he makes absolutely extraordinary movements without the ball, for example. He just does everything perfectly and on time. His delivery from the midfielders is perfect and his finishing is world class. I don’t think he does anything extraordinary like Neymar with his dribbling skills, but he just does everything perfectly and knows his strengths, says the centre-back.
Haaland and the rest of the teammates missed the last training session before the CL match on Monday!