City striker aiming to get EVEN better

AT the moment, it feels like a procession to the Golden Boot for Erling Haaland — but the Manchester City striker is insistent that there is still considerable scope for improvement, especially with his right foot. Only Bournemouth have stopped him scoring in the Premier League so far and Manchester United are the next side tasked with devising plans to halt his progress in the derby on Sunday. Haaland made it clear at his unveiling in July that he had adjustments to make in his game, which felt quite a statement from someone who arrived having scored the little matter of 86 goals in 89 games for Borussia Dortmund. But what he meant was his weaker foot. Only 19 of his 135 professional club goals had come from that side (it is now 21 out of 149), Haaland preferring to rely on the crackerjack left instead. The 22-year-old is paying particular attention to that and perfecting ways to use the weaker foot more, to become even more complete. Not news many of his markers will enjoy hearing. Over the last year at Dortmund, Haaland spent plenty of time with coach and former Bayern Munich striker Alexander Zickler in attempting to become less reliant on his stronger side. He told people Zickler was the perfect mentor, given the former Germany international had won the Champions League during his career — something

Haaland is yet to achieve. Slowly, Zickler developed the Norwegian’s right peg during training sessions. Haaland knows his body and is not a player who will demand extra sessions but the pair did drills to harness extra balance and trust in the other leg. Haaland netted four with his right foot last year, having bought into Zickler’s methods, and has two already this season, including from outside the area at Wolves a fortnight ago. Haaland continues to use Zickler’s approach at City, making sure that he is not taking the easy option by plundering with his left purely for confidence purposes during finishing exercises. He is training his brain to instinctively think as a two-footed striker.