Guardiola never wants to be in the opposite dugout of such a terrifying forward again.
Pep Guardiola has only once had to draw up a plan to stop Erling Haaland — and he hopes he never has to do it again. But if he ever found himself managing against the unstoppable Norwegian striker, he revealed the only way he could imagine stopping him: “You’d need four central defenders.”
Whether for club or country, Haaland has been tormenting defenders game after game this season. He has already scored 21 goals in 12 appearances for both Manchester City and Norway — including five against Moldova and a hat-trick versus Israel, bringing his country close to World Cup qualification.
For City, he has 12 goals in 9 matches, scoring in every game except the defeat to Tottenham Hotspur.
As the international break ends, Haaland returns to club action on Saturday against Everton. Speaking at his pre-match press conference, Guardiola admitted what a relief it is to have a player like Haaland on his side.
“When he was at Dortmund, I had the experience of facing him once. I hope that’s the last time in my life I ever have to face him. If I were the opposing manager now, I’d use four central defenders to stop him.”
Guardiola went on to praise Haaland’s extraordinary influence in world football.
“He’s a top-class footballer. Maybe there are four, five, six, or ten players in the world who can single-handedly change a game — and he’s one of them. I hope he stays with us for many years because we’re truly happy to have him.”
Haaland has been in strong form over the past two seasons, but Guardiola believes this is the best version of him yet. He also made it clear that even when Haaland’s form dips, the club will stand firmly behind him.
“Yes, of course, I’m seeing the best of him right now. He’s feeling great, and his performances — not just in terms of goals, but in many other aspects — have been outstanding.”
“I’m sure this level will drop at some point because no one can maintain such incredible form forever. But even then, I’ll stand by him. We all will. During tough times, we must support each other. Right now, he doesn’t need excessive praise or special compliments.”
