Erling Haaland’s lone blunder yesterday was painting the airwaves blue, but his manager, Pep Guardiola, claimed he enjoyed hearing Manchester City’s new No. 9 curse his luck during a live television interview.
‘I should have been there so a bit s*** but that’s how it is,’ Haaland said of an Ilkay Gundogan cross he could have met for a Premier League debut hat-trick. When told to keep his language consistent, the 22-year-old reacted, ‘Oh, sorry, s***, oh sorry!’
Guardiola then compared it to Lionel Messi, adding that a goalkeeper is never content if he might have scored more for his club.
‘I like it,’ remarked Guardiola. ‘As a manager, I was privileged to work with Messi, and if he scored two goals, he wanted three.’ If he got three points, he wanted four.’ He wanted five if he got four. Strikers, who score the most goals, are never happy. They are always hungry.’
Guardiola then mocked people who criticized Haaland following his Community Shield performance against Liverpool last week.
‘He wouldn’t adjust to the Premier League a week ago, but today he’s the best – alongside Thierry Henry, Alan Shearer, and Cristiano Ronaldo,’ he claimed.
‘He is a goal scorer with amazing talent.’ No. 9 is all about numbers, but we’d like to improve his game by adding something more to it. ‘He’s not only a goal scorer.’
Meanwhile, West Ham manager David Moyes lamented his team’s lack of defensive alternatives, saying, ‘We found it very difficult.’ They were far superior tactically.’