SUMMARY
- Roy Keane criticized Erling Haaland in March for his playing style, comparing it to that of a League 2 player.
- This statement created controversy. Erling Haaland, is an excellent player who has shown his skills at RB Salzburg, Borussia Dortmund, and Manchester City.
It seems Roy Keane always finds a way to attract headlines with his punditry work. The Irishman has made some very outlandish remarks about soccer, which has forced the fans to scratch their heads in confusion.
One of his latest controversial statements came about Erling Haaland. Roy Keane said in late March that Erling Haaland doesn’t deserve to be in the Premier League and that he plays like a League 2 player.
This created a huge controversy not only in England but in the entire world. Erling Haaland has been one of the best players worldwide over the past few seasons. The Norwegian has scored tons of goals for RB Salzburg, Borussia Dortmund, and Manchester City alike.
Erling Haaland led Manchester City to a historic treble in his first season, by scoring over 50 goals. The 23-year-old almost won the Ballon d’Or in 2023, narrowly missing out on Lionel Messi for the coveted title.
This is exactly how famous American footballer JJ Watt felt when he spoke at the ‘Stick To Football’ podcast that featured Roy Keane, Ian Wright, Jill Scott, and Jamie Carragher as well. He said, “League Two striker? Were you smoking weed?”
🎙️ JJ Watt to Roy Keane: “League Two striker? Are you smoking weed at home?” 🤣
🎥 @WeAreTheOverlap pic.twitter.com/cJGsQdVKZI
— Football Tweet ⚽ (@Football__Tweet) April 11, 2024
The former Houston Texans player who also happens to be the co-owner of the Premier League team Burnley doesn’t believe Roy Keane was in the perfect frame of mind when he criticized Erling Haaland. However, even after JJ’s critical assessment, Roy Keane still refuses to take his words on Haaland back.
Roy Keane and Jamie Carragher still believe Erling Haaland is not a great player
The Irishman doubled down on his assessment of the Norwegian’s gameplay. The former Manchester United player is still not impressed by the Man City striker’s goalscoring abilities, since he still lacks link-up play in Keane’s eyes.
The 52-year-old said (via The Sun), “I don’t know what the big deal is, I give Erling Haaland praise every week, I give Manchester City praise, and I think he’s an amazing striker. But his general play is that of a League Two player.” However, the Irishman was pretty okay with JJ Watt’s disapproval of Roy Keane’s analysis of Erling Haaland.
Roy Keane believes that Erling Haaland is still quite young and has a world-class coach in the form of Pep Guardiola. Hence, the former Manchester United player thinks the Norweigian will work on his weaknesses.
Roy Keane didn’t hold back when speaking about Erling Haaland after Man City’s draw against Arsenal 😳 pic.twitter.com/ZVgiTfCkWv
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) March 31, 2024
Jamie Carragher too echoed Roy Keane’s words. He said (via manchestercity.news), “He is a great goalscorer, he’s not a great player. I think sometimes there is a difference”
The soccer pundits need to realize that every player is different and that Erling Haaland isn’t a perfect player after all. The Norwegian is still a young player and should be allowed to make mistakes and grow with them. After all, the quality of a great player is someone who can create a legacy even with his weaknesses.
Roy Keane compared Erling with a League 2 player
The comments that JJ Watt was referring to came after Manchester City’s 0-0 draw with Arsenal on March 31, 2024. The Norwegian looked pretty ineffective throughout the game as despite being the league’s top scorer, Erling Haaland failed to score the winner against ‘The Gunners.’
It was in the light of Erling’s poor performance when Roy Keane compared the 23-year-old to that of a League 2 player. He said, “In front of goal he’s the best in the world but his general play, for such a player, is so poor. And I don’t just mean today. He’s almost like a League Two player.”
🚨✋🏻 Pep Guardiola on Roy Keane’s ‘League Two player’ opinion about Haaland: “I’m not agreeing with him, absolutely not”.
“He is the best striker in the world and helped us to win what we won last season. He’s exceptional”. pic.twitter.com/Do6wKhpKA2
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) April 3, 2024
Even Pep Guardiola was disgusted by the Irishman’s comments. The Spaniard said (via Goal.com), “He’s the best striker in the world and he helped us to win what we won last season and the reason why we don’t create many chances [against Arsenal] is not from Erling. He is exceptional.”
The entire fiasco has gotten very ugly which has now invited comments from a Premier League owner, pundit, and a manager. We believe criticism should be constructive and should help a player grow. Making comparisons can really hurt a player’s feelings and hamper his performance.
