Pep Guardiola had something to say about the criticism Erling Haaland has been getting, especially from former players. The Spanish manager can’t wrap his head around why ex-players are so quick to judge. “I’m surprised when it comes from former players,” he said, pointing out that journalists doing it is one thing, but players should remember their own days on the field. Guardiola defended Haaland from criticism after a tough game against Arsenal, showing how much faith he has in his team and players, no matter what the critics say.
🚨✋🏻 Pep Guardiola on Roy Keane's 'League Two player' opinion about Haaland: "I'm not agreeing with him, absolutely not".
"He is the best striker in the world and helped us to win what we won last season. He's exceptional". pic.twitter.com/Do6wKhpKA2
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) April 3, 2024
Talking about Haaland, Guardiola was clear: “He is the best striker in the world and helped us to win what we won last season. He’s exceptional.” This was Guardiola’s way of shutting down any doubts about Haaland, especially after Roy Keane, a former player himself, didn’t have the best to say about Haaland’s performance, comparing him to a “League Two player.”
Guardiola also updated everyone on Kyle Walker’s condition, saying the doctors thought Walker wouldn’t be ready for the Real Madrid game. But he hinted that Walker might just surprise us all because of his impressive recovery abilities: “But, Kyle is Kyle”.
As City prepares to face Aston Villa, Guardiola also mentioned that Ederson, Walker, and Nathan Aké won’t play, but there is a chance John Stones might just make it back.