Haaland says his relationship with Pep is sometimes ‘brutal’

When you score two goals by halftime, and your team leads because of it, you should be happy, as well as your coach and your teammates, not to mention the fans. But if your coach is Pep Guardiola, then there is a strong possibility that you will bet the subject of criticism. And that’s exactly what happened on the opening day of the Premier League, when Manchester City, the newly promoted Champions League winner, took the 2-0 lead at halftime in Burnley. The Spanish tactician was seen vividly talking to Haaland, and it certainly didn’t look like he was giving him any compliments. But at the start of his second year with Guardiola, the Norwegian already knew what to expect.

Many players are full of praise for the former Barcelona coach, but his genius comes with a price, as he is always talking, criticizing, giving instructions to the players, and it sometimes can be too much, like the time when Kevin De Bruyne told him during the game to ‘shut up’. But at the end of the day, everybody likes an honest coach, and Haaland is no different. Talking about his relationship with Guardiola, the Norwegian striker talked mainly about the Spaniard’s openness with players, which can sometimes be ‘brutal’.

"That's his way of managing. In any case, to develop and progress, it is better to have the whole truth in a very direct way. We can say it, sometimes it's brutal. But I like that. It shows that he is totally involved and passionate. On the first day at Burnley, he could be seen. But I appreciate it because he shows that he is totally committed and passionate. It's not always pleasant but, at the same time, it brings you face to face with the truth and I know his purpose is to make you a better player. We have a very good relationship. Of course, he is very demanding in his work, he is very direct and honest in what he says, but that is the way he manages. Pep demands a lot from you. You can't get sloppy with a coach this demandings" admitted Halaand to L'Equipe.

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The former Dortmund striker scored 56 goals in all competitions with City last season, and broke Mohamed Salah’s record of 32 goals in a season.

“Given the quality of the team, near the midway point of the season, I understood that it was possible. I can only thank my teammates for putting me in such good conditions“ said Haaland.