DWIGHT YORKE reckons Roy Keane was “wrong” to call Erling Haaland a “League Two player.”
The striker put in a tepid performance as Man City drew 0-0 with title rivals Arsenal last month.
Haaland, 23, has failed to hit the same heights as last season’s 36 league goals, instead netting only 20 times this term.
And after completing just seven passes against Arsenal, while also failing to register a single shot on target, the Norway star was savaged by Man United legend Keane post-match.
The Irishman barked: “The levels of his general play is so poor and not just today.
“I think laying stuff off, headers, whatever it might be. In terms of in front of goal, he’s the best in the world.
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“But his general play for such a player is so poor. Not just today, he has to improve.
“He’s almost like a League Two player, that’s how I look at him. His general play, it has to improve and it will do over the next few years.”
Keane’s comments sparked immediate criticism from Man City boss Pep Guardiola, who said: “I am not going to criticise my colleagues when I retire.”
Haaland’s dad Alfie, who clashed with Keane in their playing days, also hit back at the “agenda” against his son.
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And now, Keane’s former United teammate Yorke has come to Haaland’s defence.
The Treble-winning striker, who netted 65 times for the Red Devils and was also managed by Keane at Sunderland, reckons his old pal was “degrading” towards Haaland.
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Jamie Carragher – Sacked
“I don’t see how Erik ten Hag stays. It’s just performance after performance.”
Gary Neville – Stay if he wins the FA Cup
“To sack a manager who’s won two trophies in his first two seasons at the club I think would be extreme.”
Louis Saha – On the fence
“I don’t see it as clearly but they need changes from the players but they need changes from him as well.”
Alan Shearer – Sacked
“I believe the future of the Man Utd manager is already determined. Even if they win the FA Cup I think he’s gone.”
And calling the hitman a lower-level player was a “slap in the face.”
Yorke, now managing for the first time in Australia for Macarthur FC told TVSportGuide: “Roy Keane always says what he thinks, sometimes people can take it to a whole new level.
“Even the best pundits can get it wrong, and I think Keane is wrong that he thinks Erling Haaland has the all-round game of a League Two player.
“That comment can be degrading to someone like Haaland, especially when you think about what the kid has done in a short space of time.
“’League Two player’ is a bit of a slap in the face, if someone said that about Keano, I don’t think he’d be too pleased. I don’t think Haaland, especially his dad Alfie, would have been too pleased either.
“Haaland is far better than what the comment suggests, but I do think he can do more sometimes. Some people forget he’s only 23 years old and he’s still learning, he just needs to tidy up the simple things, but that doesn’t mean he’s a League Two player.”
Dwight Yorke’s career stats
Those numbers in full:
- Aston Villa, 1990-1998: 287 games, 98 goals
- Man Utd, 1998-2002: 152 games, 65 goals
- Blackburn Rovers, 2002-2004: 74 games, 19 goals
- Birmingham, 2004-2005: 16 games, 2 goals
- Sydney FC, 2005-2006: 24 games, 8 goals
- Sunderland, 2006-2009: 62 games, 6 goals
- Trinidad and Tobago, 1989-2009: 72 games, 19 goals
- Trophies: Carabao Cup (Aston Villa); Premier League x3, FA Cup, Champions League, Intercontinental Cup (Man Utd); A-League (Sydney FC); Championship (Sunderland); Caribbean Cup (Trinidad and Tobago)
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
