Sky Sports spoke to Man City striker Erling Haaland ahead of Saturday Night Football's clash with Tottenham to discuss the Premier League champions' four-lose run, how he has changed since joining the club two years ago and what Pep Guardiola is the best manager in the world.
How desperate are you to get back out there and win again?
Yes, we lost four in a row. That is not normal at a club like this. It hurts, that's for sure. And the motivation is greater than ever to go on Saturday and win the game and get back on the run.
How are you off the field when you have such a difficult run? Are you taking that home with you?
No, I think it's important to just let it go. It's the hardest thing, even in life, to let go of things and be sad and all that. But focus on the next thing, because look how many games there are.
When I start thinking about the last four games, that's not a good thing. And that's exactly what I didn't do. I went to the national team and we won two games.
So it's about restarting, it's about looking to the future, it's about staying in the present moment and looking at what lies ahead.
Sometimes players and managers talk about how when you've lost a few games, you just want to get to the next game straight away. But in this case, do you think you needed the international break?
Yes, I think it was good. I think it was good for everyone to maybe go to their countries and national teams and restart a little bit. We lost four times in a row, but how bad is that? It's not that bad. It's not like we're relegated. We are still in second place, we still have plenty of games to go.
You sound very calm. Do you think winning a lot helps you deal with these moments?
Yes, I think in the end it's about experience. If you win, you get more experience. But I think in the end you also have to stay calm, focus on what you can do something with. Should we talk about the games we lost? No, it's not. It's about trying to help the team win the next game. That's my main focus.
Does it feel like previous seasons – a great start, a bit of a dip October/November and then into the new year, just an incredible, unstoppable run – or something completely new?
If you look at the treble season I think we looked worse then [what we achieved]. So in the end, you shouldn't think about it too much.
So if things were worse during the treble season, what changed from not looking perfect to being perfect? What was the change in that season?
I think it's small details. It's in everything, because ultimately football is about the small details. I remember that game [Tottenham at home] also really good.
It was a difficult match, 2-0 at half time. And I remember the halftime speech. Pep talked about how many times we have turned these results around, especially at home.
So why not do it now? And we went out and attacked the game with full force. And in the end we won 4-2. And I think that's a bit of Man City when we first start.
It's hard to stop us, you know. It's basically just the whole club, just focused on one goal and all that. And that's what we've been doing lately. Since I came here, even before I came here, the club has done exactly that.
That's why they've won six Premier Leagues in the last seven years with Pep and the entire staff, with the entire club aiming for one goal and just pushing towards it.
What was the manager like during this run?
He has been calm. We just have to keep going. We just have to do our best, because in the end you can only do your best. So he demands a lot. He demands that we be at our best in every training and every match.
And that is what we must do. It's not good enough to lose four games now, but let's try to win the next one. Let's focus on today's training, tomorrow's training and then on the match.
Do you feel like Pep is in charge, like he'll find a way to get us playing again during the triple season?
When you look at what he has done for the club. He's not bad, right? So he has my complete trust. And if he tells me something, I better do it, because at the end of the day he knows best. Everyone knows that. So I am sure that he will now also find solutions. I'm sure of that.
How different are you as a player, as you were here now, to the one who came in August 2022?
Of course we develop, we change as footballers and everything is a different system. But I think I'm still kind of the same. Only the opponents are different. They play differently. They know me better.
As for putting the ball in the back of the net, does Pep let you do that?
Yes, he gives me freedom there. But then again, there are a lot of things he wants me to do. And ultimately it is a team sport. So I just want to do what's best for the team and make sure the team wins. Because at the end of the day, nothing matters if we don't win games.
How good is Pep Guardiola: is he what you expected when you signed for the club?
From everything I heard, yes. Exactly what I expected. He is the best manager in the world. And I think we all know that. And he's probably the best to ever walk the planet.
I expected a lot from him and he delivers every second. I'm super happy and you can see that when I play.
What makes it the best and what makes it different?
I think it's the little details. He always wants to bring perfection to it. Of course perfection does not exist. But I also think about the hunger – how much he wants to develop players and how much he wants to develop me, and of course how much he wants to win football games.
At the end of the day it's about winning trophies and that's the most important thing.
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