Erling Haaland was ‘anxious’ after signing for Manchester City according to teammate Rodri.
Rodri and Erling Haaland in conversation (Image: Visionhaus/Getty Images)
Erling Haaland was anxious about Manchester City’s style of play when he joined the club in 2022, aware that he didn’t have the capabilities to join the build-up as other forwards could under Pep Guardiola.
Haaland joined City after they had spent two seasons playing without a recognised striker, instead using a false nine and controlling the midfield before sparking an attack when the space opened up. As a more direct, traditional striker, Haaland’s arrival prompted City to change their style to accommodate the new signing, resulting in a record-breaking 18 months, five trophies, and a second-place finish in the Ballon d’Or.
However, Rodri has revealed how the Norwegian took his time to adapt to the approach of his new side, and has worked hard behind the scenes to improve his own involvement in City’s build-up.
Speaking to AS, Rodri said: “His sense of smell and his voracity have not changed, but those who know him from before and see him now will know that he is different in occupying spaces and knowing what to do. At first I noticed he was very anxious.
“He understood that we were a different team, with a lot of maturation of the ball, he knew that he was not going to participate as much, that he must wait for the moment to finish. These are things that one must adapt and learn. Now I see him much more positive.
“He catches me and he tells me: ‘Rodri, match control, match control. Forget about me.’ That’s understanding the team. Besides, he has grown a lot in coming to receive, in letting off steam, in going to space.”
Haaland finished second in the Ballon d’Or standings behind World Cup-winner Lionel Messi, who did not have as good a season as Haaland at club level. Rodri accepted that Messi deserved to win for earning the 2022 World Cup with Argentina, but still heaped praise on his teammate and compared his standards to Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
“Let’s not forget that he is a 22 or 23-year-old boy with the concerns typical of his age,” Rodri explained. “He is like all of us when we started: he spends the day laughing, joking, but not at all with that sour character that he seems. He is very kind, very friendly, he talks about everything, I think he is a sensational guy.
“And above all he has a hunger and a voracity to cultivate his body, to improve, to always be well. He reminds me of Cristiano and Messi in that.”
Rodri, who finished fifth in the standings behind Messi, Haaland, Kylian Mbappe and Kevin De Bruyne, said he was proud to finish ‘first among mortals’, praising the high levels of the four world-class talents ahead of him.
He said: “I was the first of mortals, as they say. The current football level is very high. We came from a World Cup that Argentina won and that’s why Messi deserved it. But we are talking about people like Mbappé or Haaland, who score 40 or 50 goals.
“It was a pride. Individual prizes are not up to you. It’s up to you what you can achieve on the pitch as a team. Being among the five best and surrounded by those I was with… is already worthy of praise. What filled me most with pride was representing my country among the 30 finalists. Hopefully there will be more of us in the future, that will mean that we are doing well.”