Jamie Carragher has issued a firm defence of Erling Haaland following a miss against Liverpool in the Community Shield.
With the Reds leading 3-1 at the King Power, the Norwegian somehow fired over from just yards out. The chance came after Phil Foden's low shot was blocked into his path.
The forward scored 86 goals in 89 matches for Borussia Dortmund and was linked with a host of clubs from around Europe, including Liverpool. But after bagging his first City goal in a friendly win over Bayern Munich recently, he couldn’t get on the scoresheet at the King Power.
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But speaking in the immediate aftermath of Liverpool’s win, Carragher took aim at the 'clowns' who will now be slagging Haaland off following the miss. The former Reds defender even touched on the criticism that Darwin Nunez received for a similar miss against Manchester United in a recent friendly match.
“The Haaland banter compilations will be everywhere this week after that miss, just like Nunez last week. From who have never kicked a ball in their life,” he wrote on Twitter.
While writing in his Telegraph column on Friday, Carragher admitted he is intrigued by the effect Nunez and Haaland will have on their respective sides this season.
"It’s not that I believe any side other than City or Liverpool will be champions at the end of the season. But there is cause to expect the gap to the chasing-pack to close because of the improvements made by Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal and Manchester United and the inevitable need for the top two to tweak tactics and style following their high-profile purchases.
"There is an assumption City and Liverpool will be stronger because they have signed two of the most sought after strikers in the world. Personnel-wise, that is a valid conclusion.
"What intrigues me ahead of their first meeting of the season in Saturday’s Community Shield is the impact Haaland and Nunez will have on the dynamic of the rest of their team. This will be the major focus of tactical analysis in the opening weeks of the season."
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