Haaland Is Earning The Right To Be Compared To Messi – Pep Guardiola

Manchester City manager, Pep Guardiola has come out to say that Erling Haaland is beginning to deserve comparisons with Lionel Messi. He recently had his say while speaking to the press, and fans have been reacting.

According to him, while Messi’s longevity at the top still sets him apart from the rest, he can understand the comparisons with Haaland because of his striker’s goals this season.

He added that Messi has done it every season in the last 10 or 15 seasons, so Haaland must now be consistent too.

His words, “No one can compare with Messi, it will not help Erling, but in terms of goals and mentality, yeah,”

“Messi has done it every season in the last 10 or 15 seasons, but Erling has got to the same level in terms of goals. It’s almost every game, he scores a goal.”

“One or two every game, he had the chances to do it but Messi is the most complete player I have seen in terms of vision, dribbles, passes, competitiveness, in many things that are difficult.”

“Hopefully Erling can be so close like [to] Leo, that will be great for us and him.”

“Always, I’ve said with Erling it will be tough when you look at what he has done and if he doesn’t score the goals like he’s scoring now people will say ‘Oh, he’s in a bad situation’ but his game can improve a lot,” added the City manager.”

“We have spoken about that. The movements, I wouldn’t say in the box but the game itself. I think he has that feeling ‘is that enough?’ I think he has the desire to get better as a player, as long as he has it he can do it. To go to work knowing you can do something better is the way.”

“I know him a bit and he is so competitive and positive in his mindset. He has this incredible self-positive confidence in himself. It’s not arrogance. It’s self-confidence to say I am going to score.”

“To arrive in his first season and score 50 already and he equalled the record for two legends in Andy Cole and Alan Shearer, so that’s big.”