Archive May 15, 2025

Striker Erling Haaland has described Manchester City’s season as “horrific” and “boring” but hopes it can end with another trophy.

For many clubs, reaching the FA Cup final and being on the brink of Champions League qualification would be a successful campaign. Not for Manchester City.

Haaland, 24, had been in a race to be fit for Saturday’s final against Crystal Palace at Wembley on Saturday – after missing seven games with an ankle injury – but started City’s goalless draw with Southampton.

“This season has been tough,” he told BBC Sport. “It is not nice to lose so many games. It is boring and not fun. That’s why we need to finish well and get a trophy.

Pep Guardiola’s side, who are 18 points behind Premier League champions Liverpool, had been English champions in each of the past four seasons and conquered Europe in 2023.

They are fourth in the Premier League, their Champions League hopes were ended by Real Madrid in the knockout play-offs and they lost to Tottenham in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup.

“When you have won four league titles in a row, if you don’t win five it’s not going to be a successful season,” said Haaland.

“Those are the standards we have set. We haven’t done good enough in the league but still hoping for Champions League qualification.

“Crystal Palace are a really difficult club to play against. At Selhurst Park we drew (2-2 in December) and they started really well at the Etihad (in City’s 5-2 win last month).

“They are an amazing team with quality players.”

Haaland joined City in a £51.2m deal from Borussia Dortmund in June 2022, with his goals helping Guardiola’s side to win two Premier Leagues, the Champions League, an FA Cup and a Uefa Super Cup.

On a personal level, he has won the Golden Boot for being the top scorer in the Premier League in both 2022-23 and 2023-24, when he scored 36 and 27 league goals respectively.

Haaland started the season in similar fashion with 10 goals in his first five Premier League matches, but scored 11 in his next 23.

“We haven’t been stable enough this season and we haven’t won enough games, it is as simple as that,” he added.

“We have to perform better in the big games. We haven’t won enough consecutive games.

“Of course, we have had injuries throughout the season. But we should not search for excuses.

Haaland has been one of those players to have suffered with injury.

An ankle problem sustained in the 2-1 FA Cup quarter-final win over Bournemouth at the end of March kept him out of action for more than a month, before he returned in City’s 0-0 draw at bottom-placed Southampton on Saturday.

“It has been horrible to get injured,” he said.

“It is not nice to see the team play but you have to make the best out of it and try to come back as quick as possible.

The cup final against Palace will be one last Wembley appearance with City for midfielder Kevin de Bruyne, with the 33-year-old Belgium international leaving on a free transfer in the summer when his contract expires.

De Bruyne has won six Premier League titles, the Champions League, two FA Cups and the League Cup on five occasions while at City.

He is second in the list of most assists in the Premier League era, with 119 assists, behind only former Manchester United winger Ryan Giggs on 162.

“We would love for Kevin to finish with a trophy,” said Haaland.

“He has had an incredible time at Manchester City. It is ridiculous how many trophies he has won. Hopefully he will get one more trophy.

“He ranks right up there for me. To get the balls from him is a dream. It has been really special playing with him. Such a joy, and I am going to do everything I can to have this joy in the last few games.

“The future will be different with different players. When Kevin leaves we will need someone to replace him, although Kevin is irreplaceable in so many ways.”

Haaland helped City win the 2023 FA Cup final and the Community Shield in August, although they were not his first trips to Wembley.

Back in 2014, when he was only 13, he visited the national stadium to watch City beat Sunderland 3-1 in the League Cup final, with his father Alf Inge, a former City midfielder, sitting next to him.

Striker Erling Haaland has described Manchester City’s season as “horrific” and “boring” but hopes it can end with another trophy.

For many clubs, reaching the FA Cup final and being on the brink of Champions League qualification would be a successful campaign. Not for Manchester City.

Haaland, 24, had been in a race to be fit for Saturday’s final against Crystal Palace at Wembley on Saturday – after missing seven games with an ankle injury – but started City’s goalless draw with Southampton.

“This season has been tough,” he told BBC Sport. “It is not nice to lose so many games. It is boring and not fun. That’s why we need to finish well and get a trophy.

Pep Guardiola’s side, who are 18 points behind Premier League champions Liverpool, had been English champions in each of the past four seasons and conquered Europe in 2023.

They are fourth in the Premier League, their Champions League hopes were ended by Real Madrid in the knockout play-offs and they lost to Tottenham in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup.

“When you have won four league titles in a row, if you don’t win five it’s not going to be a successful season,” said Haaland.

“Those are the standards we have set. We haven’t done good enough in the league but still hoping for Champions League qualification.

“Crystal Palace are a really difficult club to play against. At Selhurst Park we drew (2-2 in December) and they started really well at the Etihad (in City’s 5-2 win last month).

“They are an amazing team with quality players.”

Haaland joined City in a £51.2m deal from Borussia Dortmund in June 2022, with his goals helping Guardiola’s side to win two Premier Leagues, the Champions League, an FA Cup and a Uefa Super Cup.

On a personal level, he has won the Golden Boot for being the top scorer in the Premier League in both 2022-23 and 2023-24, when he scored 36 and 27 league goals respectively.

Haaland started the season in similar fashion with 10 goals in his first five Premier League matches, but scored 11 in his next 23.

“We haven’t been stable enough this season and we haven’t won enough games, it is as simple as that,” he added.

“We have to perform better in the big games. We haven’t won enough consecutive games.

“Of course, we have had injuries throughout the season. But we should not search for excuses.

Haaland has been one of those players to have suffered with injury.

An ankle problem sustained in the 2-1 FA Cup quarter-final win over Bournemouth at the end of March kept him out of action for more than a month, before he returned in City’s 0-0 draw at bottom-placed Southampton on Saturday.

“It has been horrible to get injured,” he said.

“It is not nice to see the team play but you have to make the best out of it and try to come back as quick as possible.

The cup final against Palace will be one last Wembley appearance with City for midfielder Kevin de Bruyne, with the 33-year-old Belgium international leaving on a free transfer in the summer when his contract expires.

De Bruyne has won six Premier League titles, the Champions League, two FA Cups and the League Cup on five occasions while at City.

He is second in the list of most assists in the Premier League era, with 119 assists, behind only former Manchester United winger Ryan Giggs on 162.

“We would love for Kevin to finish with a trophy,” said Haaland.

“He has had an incredible time at Manchester City. It is ridiculous how many trophies he has won. Hopefully he will get one more trophy.

“He ranks right up there for me. To get the balls from him is a dream. It has been really special playing with him. Such a joy, and I am going to do everything I can to have this joy in the last few games.

“The future will be different with different players. When Kevin leaves we will need someone to replace him, although Kevin is irreplaceable in so many ways.”

Haaland helped City win the 2023 FA Cup final and the Community Shield in August, although they were not his first trips to Wembley.

Back in 2014, when he was only 13, he visited the national stadium to watch City beat Sunderland 3-1 in the League Cup final, with his father Alf Inge, a former City midfielder, sitting next to him.

It is not a situation many – if any – football managers will have ever been in.

On Sunday, Derek McInnes will manage Kilmarnock for, seemingly, the final time before his protracted move to Heart of Midlothian.

The team he will be managing against? Hearts.

His current employers against his future ones.

The 53-year-old is negotiating personal terms with the Tynecastle club and, all going smoothly, will take over once the season finishes.

Although McInnes met the media before Wednesday’s 3-0 loss to Motherwell, it was assistant manager Paul Sheerin who faced the music post-match.

“The manager made his point in the press in the lead up, so we know his stance on the situation,” Sheerin said. “That’s the only reason I’m stood here.

“There’s walks of life where you work your notice and nothing is really said about it. It’s part and parcel of people’s contracts.

“I understand their frustrations and there is an awkwardness about it. We can’t get away from that, but I’m sure the manager will do his best for the club.”

It was a united front from the Kilmarnock coaching staff – and, given Sheerin could be in line to join McInnes in Gorgie, that is perhaps as expected – but it did not impress everyone.

“That’s feeble,” BBC Scotland chief sports writer Tom English said on Sportsound. “Front up. He’s excusing himself of his managerial duties, of which post-match media is one.

“His team were poor tonight. Derek McInnes is the manager of Kilmarnock until the end of the season and he’s put Paul Sheerin in that position to explain that.

“He was happy to talk pre-match and eulogise his team’s recent record, a lot of wins. Now he’s had a sore defeat and he’s nowhere to be found.

The most obvious answer is McInnes might not have decided what he wants to do on Sunday.

Sit in the dugout or in the stand? Or nowhere at all? Damned if he does, damned if he doesn’t. It’s an unenviable position.

“You’ve got to come out and do the interview after the game, especially after a disappointing performance,” former Kilmarnock goalkeeper Cammy Bell agreed.

“He needs to come out and have that conversation. I’d be very surprised to see him in the dugout on Sunday. I think he’ll be in the stand.”

Supporters are equally unimpressed. When canvassed for their opinion pre-match, plenty of credit was given to the work McInnes has done at Rugby Park, but concerns about Sunday’s game were mentioned.

“I’m quite disappointed with the way it’s been handled,” said one disgruntled fan. “He has taken Killie to Europe and we’ve stayed safe this year. I just wish both clubs had waited until Monday and shown the fans more respect.

“Some said Chris Burke, the under-18 manager, should take charge for the next games, or have someone sitting there until we have a new manager in place.”

Former Kilmarnock assistant Gerry McCabe disagreed. “Derek has done very well at Kilmarnock, he can leave with his head held high,” he said.

“He’s still Kilmarnock manager. Football will throw up things like that and people might say the timing is wrong, but Derek says he’s focused on getting Killie safe and that’s what he’s done.

Now the dust has settled post Motherwell match, what do you think Kilmarnock fans?

Is there an option other than dugout or stand? Is it possible for McInnes to do a professional job in this position?