For Erling Haaland or anyone associated with Borussia Dortmund, Thursday night proved a very tough watch indeed.
Losing 4-2 to Rangers in a UEFA competition. It’s not 1993, lads. What are you doing?
At least Haaland was spared the indignity of being involved on account of the ongoing muscular injury that also looks set to rule him out of this weekend’s encounter with Borussia Monchengladbach.
But that’s something that’s becoming a problem in itself.
"One thing is clear, you are a world-class player if you always play. That's where he [Haaland] has to improve,” former Dortmund, Arsenal and Germany goalkeeper Jens Lehmann told Bild this week.
“The likes of [Lionel] Messi, [Philipp] Lahm, Cristiano [Ronaldo], Lewy [Robert Lewandowski] have played every game for over 10 years. If I was a young player today, I'd have them as my role models."
This is Haaland’s third lay-off of the season and he has missed eight of 22 Bundesliga games, starting 13.
The fact he has scored a ludicrous 16 goals in those outings will continue to fuel speculation ahead of a potential blockbuster summer move.
Manchester City and Real Madrid are widely reported to be the frontrunners for his signature, with each club having enjoyed time in the gossip column ascendency. Expect that to and fro to continue until June and beyond.
Giddy speculation about the biggest transfer story in town means Haaland’s injury record has generally been relegated to a footnote, but it is worthy of consideration.
And, like so many of the elements to his next move, it is one that suggests City are the best option for his career.
If Haaland joins Madrid, it will mark the start of a new Galacticos era. He will be the face of one of the biggest sports teams on the planet, plastered all over billboards in Madrid and beyond.
His every move, from driving into training to wherever he gets a bite to eat of an evening will be splashed across the pages of AS and Marca. Once he gets home from the restaurant in question, he’ll be able to tune in to some nightly absurdity or another about himself on El Chiringuito.
Not to speak ill of everyone’s favourite lunatic Spanish football show, but can you imagine the carry on if Haaland’s hip flexor plays up in Clasico week?
It’s been irritating to say the least over recent weeks, shovelling down lukewarm takes about how Pep Guardiola’s freewheeling, free-scoring City side are boring. But in the case of Haaland or other potential star signings, off the field City are boring and it’s a big part of the appeal.
Sergio Aguero and David Silva were allowed to spend untroubled and richly successful decades in Manchester bothered by incessant drizzle and little else.
Should Haaland join City and things don’t work out straight away, the team will probably be fine overall. Plenty of pundits have fallen over themselves to bemoan Jack Grealish's apparently underwhelming start to life at Eastlands, but the league table still looks in pretty good order. Were he to stutter at Madrid as Barcelona open up a lead in LaLiga, all hell would break loose.
If injury strikes and Erling has to spend some time on the sidelines, City could just go back to using a false nine, given that ploy has seen off all-comers over the best part of two years. Alternatively, Julian Alvarez will be in town soon enough and Liam Delap will be 20 next season, and probably a foot taller and wider.
If Haaland pulled his hamstring in Madrid, it would cause pandemonium. If he did it at City, Guardiola would call it “some niggles” in a press conference, everyone would chuckle and then the security guard at the CFG might tousle young Erling’s hair and remind him of when his dad was City captain and we got relegated.
To make the loudest statements possible on the pitch, Haaland would be advised to join City and Guardiola. For an enjoyably quiet life away from it, he should do the same.
Do you want City to go "all in" for Erling Haaland this summer? Follow City Is Ours editor Dom Farrell on Twitter to get involved in the discussion and give us your thoughts in the comments section below.
