‘Annoys me’… Micah Richards left baffled by what he’s heard about 23-year-old Man City star recently 

Redaction Simon Brett with James Thompson
Published on 2024-03-01 17:30:00

Micah Richards has stepped up to defend Manchester City striker Erling Haaland following recent criticism of the player.

Despite failing to score in City’s draw against Chelsea, Haaland redeemed himself with a winning goal against Brentford, leading Pep Guardiola to express confidence in his abilities to silence his critics.

In a remarkable performance, the 23-year-old scored five goals in City’s 6-2 victory over Luton Town in the FA Cup. This standout performance prompted Richards, a former City player and current pundit, to come to Haaland’s defense.

Speaking on “The Rest Is Football” podcast with Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer, Richards expressed his annoyance at the criticism Haaland had been facing.

He said: “The only thing that annoys me so much about it is, regardless of if he’s playing at his top level or not, he’s going to score 20-25 goals a season anyway just from his movement because City create so many chances.

“Al, you actually said that, when City won the league without a number nine, you said once they get a number nine, he’s going to score 30, 40 goals just because he’ll be in the right positions.

“Yes, some of his link-up play isn’t as elegant as Harry Kane, but he’s in a team that are always creating chances so it’s irrelevant on that side when you’ve got [Phil] Foden and [Kevin] De Bruyne behind you, he’s always going to score goals.”

Haaland’s previous season saw him score an impressive 52 goals in 53 appearances across all competitions. While he has had some games this season without scoring, his overall goal-scoring record remains impressive.

Richards pointed out that the expectations for Haaland are exceptionally high due to his past performances. Any slight dip in form leads to increased scrutiny, unlike other strikers who may not face the same level of criticism.

Overall, Richards defended Haaland’s credentials as a top goal scorer and expressed confidence in his continued success with City.

Read Original article on Manchester City News