Fulham midfielder Tom Cairney has said that playing against one specific Manchester City player is very scary.
The Citizens only have eight games left to play in the Premier League this season as they aim to make history and become the first side to win a fourth title in a row.
After failing to beat fellow title-chasers Arsenal last weekend, one current top-flight player has shared some details on what it’s like to play against one particular City figure, who ended up being criticised after the Arsenal game.
Cairney says one Man City player is a nightmare to play against
Speaking in a recent episode of The Footballer’s Football Podcast, Cairney had this to say about what it’s like to play against Erling Haaland, in addition to sharing his thoughts on Roy Keane recently likening the City striker to a League Two player after their 0-0 draw against Arsenal.
He said: “What did I make of it? Well, I think calling him a League Two player is extremely harsh.
“Is his football brain his best asset? No, but you don’t buy Erling Haaland for that. Do you want him to come down in the 10 turn and switch a 30, 40-yard pass like Harry Kane? No, he’s a straight killer. I think just let him do what he does. He’s got nearly 250 goals, he’s 23 years old. He does the hardest thing in the world and sticks the ball in the back of the net.
“He was nullified at the weekend by probably a great tactical performance from Arsenal, and he probably didn’t get great service because of that. He doesn’t touch the ball enough in a game to have people be like, ‘Oh wow, what a footballer,’ but he does the hardest thing, as Michail [Antonio] will tell you.
“And when you play against him, you’re constantly thinking of him or scared of him, he’s just a machine, but calling his general play in League Two I think is a little bit harsh.”
The 33-year-old has faced off against the Norwegian on three occasions. Out of those three games, Haaland has scored five goals.
This makes it easy to see why Cairney has not relished coming up against the 23-year-old.
Now that someone who has experience of playing against the striker has highlighted how impressive he is at what he does, this, in our view, somewhat diminishes Keane’s over-the-top comments about Haaland’s ability.