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Guardiola defends Man Metropolis’s Haaland after Keane criticism

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Pep Guardiola hit again at Roy Keane over his criticism of Erling Haaland and referred to as the Norwegian “the perfect striker on the earth.”

Keane stated Haaland’s “normal play” was “virtually like a League Two participant” after the Manchester Metropolis ahead had simply 23 touches in Sunday’s 0-0 draw with Arsenal.

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The Man Metropolis coach fired again on the former Manchester United midfielder, saying Keane had bought it fallacious and that Haaland wasn’t responsible for his lack of purpose scoring probabilities in opposition to Arsenal.

“I don’t agree with him, completely not,” Guardiola advised a information convention on Tuesday. “It is like [if] I stated he is a supervisor for the second or third league. I do not suppose so.

“He is the perfect striker on the earth and he helped us to win what we received final season and the rationale why we do not create many probabilities [against Arsenal] will not be from Erling.

“We want extra presence within the closing third with extra individuals and we performed an distinctive sport in opposition to Arsenal. I reviewed it.”

Haaland scored 52 objectives in 53 video games as Metropolis received a Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup treble final season and has adopted it up with 29 objectives in 35 video games thus far this time period.

Guardiola admitted he was “stunned” to listen to criticism of the 23-year-old come from Keane and prompt that former gamers ought to know higher.

“From journalism I can perceive as a result of they’ve by no means been on the pitch, however the former gamers all the time I’m stunned,” stated Guardiola. “It is just like the referees after they retire they all the time criticise the referees. How tough is that enterprise for the gamers. That all the time surprises me. The reminiscence disappears shortly.

“The issues that the gamers have [now], they [the pundits] had. The shortage of mis-actions, they missed it a thousand, million occasions and so they had been harm after they had been criticised by the previous gamers.

“I’m not a man who’s going to criticise my colleagues after I retire.”

Sunday’s consequence left Man Metropolis third within the Premier League on 64 factors, three behind leaders Liverpool and one behind second-placed Arsenal with 9 video games left within the season.