“How cringe is this guy” – Fans label Pep Guardiola as ‘diva’ after he fumes at Erling Haaland despite 2 goals against Burnley
Manchester City head coach Pep Guardiola locked horns with his own superstar striker Erling Haaland, despite the forward's two impressive goals against Burnley. The Spanish tactician's fury was unleashed at half-time at Turf Moor, a moment captured by the relentless eye of the TV camera, causing fans to react on Twitter.
Guardiola's vehemence seemed to be regarding the perceived lack of movement from Haaland in the final stretch of the first half. The forward seemed to get upset and reacted inappropriately when he did not receive a pass from Bernardo Silva.
This saw Guardiola lash out at him as they walked towards the tunnels, and it reached a zenith when he shoved away the camera.
The incident has become a major conversation on Twitter, with some fans shocked at the manager's action. Some were also quick to point out the irony of Guardiola's ire despite Haaland's impressive 30-minute brace. Here is a selection of their tweets:
Pep Guardiola reveals his expectations from Erling Haaland are beyond goals
With a striking 52 goals in his debut season for Manchester City, Erling Haaland proved himself a phenomenon. But, as the Premier League title defence kicks off against newly promoted Burnley at Turf Moor, Guardiola has shared some counsel for the towering forward.
His expectations of the forward are not confined to a tally of goals, but stretch into the quality of play, skills, and other details (via ManchesterEveningNews):
"I will advise him: don't put too much pressure on the goals and so on. What I say to Erling is come back at your best because he's 190cm and try your best physio and mentally. If you score fine, if you don't score fine. Try to improve your details, quality and the skills in spaces like you can be a better player."
The tactician continued:
"I don't want Erling to score 50 or 60, try to be as happy as you was last season, relax and get to your best after holidays, after Asia. Training better, every game you play demanding yourself to make the effort, then the goals, as he knows, will come along naturally. Don't force it."
The forward has already started the season in blistering form, scoring two goals in just one Premier League game. However, he will have to deal with concerns from his manager, who was clearly displeased with him at half-time.