Dwight Yorke believes Roy Keane was wrong to say that Haaland plays like a League Two player.
Keane's comments followed the Arsenal-Manchester City match, which ended in a 0-0 draw. Speaking on Sky Sports, the former United captain criticised Haaland's performance, sparking responses from former players and managers who defended the young talent.
The Cork native argued that Haaland's performance lacked spark when he wasn't scoring goals consistently, likening him to a League Two player in those instances. Keane acknowledged Haaland's striking prowess but emphasised the need for improvement in his overall game.
"He's almost like a League Two player—that's the way I look at him. His general play has to improve. It will do so over the next few years. [He's a brilliant striker, but he has to improve his overall game," Keane said after the Arsenal game.
In the same week, City manager Guardiola addressed Keane's remarks before his team's match against Aston Villa, expressing strong disagreement with the assessment.
Dwight Yorke (Photo by Mark Nolan/Getty Images)He said, "I do not agree with him, absolutely not. He's a manager for the second or third league? I don't think so.
"He's the best striker in the world, and he helped us win what we won last season. The reason we didn't create many chances [vs. Arsenal] was not Erling; it's that we need more presence in the final third with more people.
Yorke has offered his two cents on the comments and disagrees with his former captain.
"Roy Keane always says what he thinks; sometimes people can take it to a whole new level. Even the best pundits can get it wrong, and I think Keane is wrong that he thinks Erling Haaland has the all-round game of a League Two player," said Yorke, speaking to TVSportGuide.
“That comment can be degrading to someone like Haaland, especially when you think about what the kid has done in a short space of time. 'League Two player' is a bit of a slap in the face; if someone said that about Keano, I don't think he'd be too pleased.
Yorke also believes that Haaland can only get better, and it wasn't fair to judge Haaland so early in his career.
"I don't think Haaland, especially his dad, Alfie, would have been too pleased either. Haaland is far better than what the comment suggests, but I do think he can do more sometimes. Some people forget he's only 23 years old and he's still learning; he just needs to tidy up the simple things, but that doesn't mean he's a League Two player."
