Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has hit back at Roy Keane after the Manchester United legend compared striker Erling Haaland to a “League Two player”.
The Sky Sports pundit made the comparison in Manchester City’s 0-0 draw with Arsenal at the weekend, a match where Erling Braut Haaland touched the ball just 23 times.
Keane said: “In front of goal he’s the best in the world, but his general play for such a player – it is so poor. Not just today. He has to improve that.
“He’s almost like a League Two player – that’s the way I look at him. His general play has to improve. It will do over the next few years. [He’s a] brilliant striker but he has to improve his overall game.”
Manchester City boss Guardiola has now hit back at the comments made by Roy Keane.
“I do not agree with him, absolutely not. He’s a manager for the second or third league? I don’t think so,” said Guardiola.
“He’s the best striker in the world and he helped us win what we won last season. The reason why we didn’t create many chances [vs Arsenal] was not Erling, “He’s the best striker in the world and he helped us win what we won last season. The reason why we didn’t create many chances [vs Arsenal] was not Erling, it’s that we need more presence in the final third with more people.
“We played an exceptional game, I reviewed the game against Arsenal, but we missed more people in the final third maybe for the quality and skills that we have. Erling is exceptional.
“I’m surprised this came from a former player. From journalists, I can understand, never been on the pitch but former players is always a surprise. It’s like the referees when they retire they criticise the referees.
“How difficult is that business for the players? It always surprises me. Their memory disappears quickly. The problems the players have, they had. They missed a thousand, million times and they were hurt when they were criticised by the former players.
“But today is what it is. We have to accept it and move forward. I don’t know what’s going to happen in the future but I’m not going to criticise my colleagues when I retire. ‘Should be this, should be that, could do that’ – I could do it now and I don’t do it. But everyone has to live for something.
“Players have to accept it, it’s the job. If you don’t want to accept it you have to do another job. When you’re this public figure you have to accept it.”
