Erling Haaland labels season performance of Manchester City as “horrific” with no need for “excuses” | OneFootball

Manchester City striker Erling Haaland has labelled the performances of himself and his Etihad teammates as “horrific” across the course of the ongoing season.

The Premier League giants are coming towards the end of a hugely underwhelming campaign where the club have largely failed to compete for either the Premier League or UEFA Champions League for the majority of the season.

Much of that failure has been credited to widespread injury and fitness problems handed to key figures within the squad and at crucial points in the season, most notably Rodri’s serious knee issue and Oscar Bobb’s leg bone break sustained last August.

However, others have pointed towards a lack of legs within a team that is ageing after a decision was taken during the last summer transfer window – largely inspired by Pep Guardiola – to not rebuild and refresh key areas of the playing squad.

Speaking during a new interview with BBC Sport ahead of this weekend’s FA Cup Final, Manchester City striker Erling Haaland has offered a brutally honest verdict on the club’s performances across the course of a difficult season.

“This season has been tough. It is not nice to lose so many games, it is boring and not fun. That’s why we need to finish well and get a trophy,” Haaland admitted.

“It is a good habit to reach Wembley and always important to win trophies. We have the FA Cup final to play for and in a horrific season we still managed to do this, that says it all.”

Despite the acceptance in some quarters that a drop-off in the Premier League was inevitable after successive triumphs, Haaland has suggested that the standard for the club should be to win the English top-flight.

“When you have won four league titles in a row, if you don’t win five it’s not going to be a successful season. Those are the standards we have set. We haven’t done good enough in the league but still hoping for Champions League qualification,” he said.

“Crystal Palace are a really difficult club to play against,” Haaland continued looking ahead to the FA Cup Final. “At Selhurst Park we drew [2-2 in December] and they started really well at the Etihad [in City’s 5-2 comeback win]. They are an amazing team with quality players.”

The Norway international continued on the reasons behind a challenging campaign, “We haven’t been stable enough this season and we haven’t won enough games, it is as simple as that. We have to perform better in the big games. We haven’t won enough consecutive games.

“Of course, we have had injuries throughout the season. But we should not search for excuses. Every single one of us hasn’t been good enough and we haven’t been at our best, so when you are not at your best you aren’t going to win games in this country because it’s so hard.”

Manchester City officials are keen to avoid any repeat of the ongoing season or any continued downfall from Pep Guardiola’s playing squad as they plot another significant spend during the summer market.

That plan comes off the back of four new arrivals brought in during the January transfer window at a cost of around £175 million, with Abdukodir Khusanov and Vitor Reis bolstering defence, Nico Gonzalez coming into midfield, and Omar Marmoush strengthening attack.

Among the names being eyed for the next generation of Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City squad are Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz and AC Milan’s Tijjani Reijnders, while other investments could depend on outgoings such as Ederson or Stefan Ortega Moreno.