We're probably going to hear a lot from Erling Haaland this season, as the striker is set to be a man worth listening to as he shows the Premier League what he can do for the first time.
Presented as a talisman like Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Haaland doesn't want to entertain those comparisons, even if they appear valid from the outside. Instead, the Manchester City number nine spent his first TV interviews with broadcasters this week stressing the need for relaxation.
After a goalscoring debut amid the storms of Green Bay in pre-season, and an underwhelming introduction to English football in the Community Shield, Haaland's first two games at City have promised that his contributions will at least be eventful. In response, he might have just told the Blues the very best way to get the best out of him.
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"People can take time, people can come directly into it. We have to see, but I'm not concerned," he said. "You get judged every single week for what you do on the pitch and you have to deliver and do your best. For me as a striker, this is something I cannot stress about because if you think too much, you might end up doing things you don't want to do.
"It's all about trying to enjoy, live in the moment. People talk about what you did a year ago, but it's the next game that counts."
He shunned those comparisons with Ibrahimovic or Cristiano Ronaldo, insisting he doesn't seek the spotlight, and instead likes to relax — again hinting that a comfortable off-field life will produce his best football on the pitch. In his welcome press conference, and his subsequent chats to media since signing, Haaland has stressed that he's at his best when he's having fun.
So in a sense, taking the pressure off Haaland is in City's best interests, and he's made it clear when speaking to reporters and broadcasters that he knows that's key to getting the best out of him.
However, he's also alluded to the need to work hard on the training pitch. In his one-and-a-half games so far, there have been multiple examples of Haaland making a run into space beyond the last defender that hasn't been spotted, or of a provider looking to release him and the run hasn't been made. It's the type of work that will be perfected on the training ground, and Haaland accepts that it will take time.
"This [improving] is something I have to do," he says. "As a young player, playing for Pep Guardiola, playing for the best club in England, I have to keep developing and get better at a lot of things. That's what I like a lot about football, you can always develop, you can always get better at the game.
"The chemistry on the pitch with the other players is something that will come - I don't know if it will take weeks, months, but this is something we have to build on every single day in training. At this high level, you also understand the people around you — he is good at this, he is good at that, he loves to play the ball there."
City won't be worried about that, as Haaland is someone who is motivated, and has the talent to adapt to new surroundings and new teammates without too much concern. How quick he does that, though, will depend on how quickly he feels comfortable at his new club.
And his latest reminder of his desire for a pressure-free off-field existence will show City that maybe the key to getting Haaland firing quickly will have nothing to do with tactics or confidence. It might just be as simple as giving him what he needs away from the pitch to be at his best on it.
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