Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has defended the club’s much-criticized striker Elling Holland, who was recently embroiled in the ‘four-booger’ controversy.
Without him, there would have been no treble last season, and more importantly, he’s focused on the team rather than the individual.
The Mirror, a British publication, published an interview with Guardiola on Wednesday (July 13). “His goal is not to win the Ballon d’Or, his goal is to win the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, and English FA Cup trophies,” Guardiola said. “Without him, last season’s treble would not have been possible and he has contributed immensely to the team since the first day he arrived at City.”
Recently, criticism of Holland has been mounting. Several legends have come out to criticize him. Manchester United legend Roy Keane claimed he was a poor English League Two (fourth tier) player and said he was terrible. Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher said he is not a world-class player and will never win the Ballon d’Or.
There’s a reason why Holland has been criticized. His performance has decreased from last season.
Holland moved to Man City last season. He made the Premier League his own in his first season, scoring 36 goals in 35 league games, the most in a single season in the Premier League since its inception in 1992. He led City to their first ever treble, scoring 52 goals in 53 games in his first season, including all competitions.
As Guardiola says, the first treble would not have been possible without him. Before his arrival, City had a thirst for a frontline striker, even though they were perfect in other positions. Gabriel Jesus, who came before him, was lacking in decisiveness, and Julian Alvarez, who came before Holland, was not a traditional frontline striker.
Holland’s arrival at City completed the puzzle. Under Guardiola’s tutelage, he worked perfectly with the rest of the squad to win the club’s first UEFA Champions League title, a treble, and helped City win five trophies in 2023 alone, including the UEFA Super 메이저사이트 Cup and FIFA Club World Cup.
This season, however, Holland has been a bit of a disappointment. While he’s still the league’s top scorer and tied for second in the Champions League, he’s been less influential and less prolific than last season. He’s scored just one goal in his last five starts.
Nineteen goals in 25 league games is world-class, but it’s not enough for a player of Holland’s stature. Holland is considered the next Ballon d’Or winner alongside PSG’s Kylian Mbappe and Real Madrid’s Judd Bellingham, but many outlets ranked the three players last in their Ballon d’Or rankings this season.
In response to Holland’s criticism, Guardiola has remained confident.
“He is a young player and it is the most difficult position on the pitch, he has things to improve, but this is the same with any player and every player can get better before they retire,” said Guardiola, “He was very happy. “He was very happy, he valued the team more than the individual.
City has a big run of fixtures ahead. They are third in the league, one point behind first-place Arsenal and second-place Liverpool, and face Chelsea in the FA Cup quarterfinals. After drawing away to Real Madrid in the first leg of the Champions League, City will host the second leg at home on April 18th.
A treble is still possible this season. If they do, they will become the first team in soccer history to win the treble in two consecutive seasons. Holland’s performance in the remaining games will be crucial for City’s chances of a treble this season.