ERLING HAALAND says not even lifting the FA Cup can save Manchester City’s “catastrophic” season.
Pep Guardiola’s side are still batting for a Champions League place and will finish trophyless if they lose to Crystal Palace at Wembley tomorrow.
And striker Haaland said: “We have the Cup final to play for and in a horrific season we still managed to do this.
“It is not nice to lose so many games. It is boring and not fun.
“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.
“You cannot win every year. The club has set the bar so high that this is a catastrophic season — that says it all.”
Haaland added: “Next time, we have to find something inside our stomach again to attack the season.”
City have fallen way short of their high standards this term and will finish miles behind champions Liverpool.
They failed to make the Champions League last-16 after getting knocked out by Real Madrid in the play-off round.
Haaland is just back from a six-week injury lay-off, while several team-mates also had long spells on the sidelines.
But the Norwegian ace also feels City have lacked hunger after winning four Prem titles in a row.
Despite hitting the 30-goal mark for a third straight season, Haaland admits he has not done enough.
The 24-year-old hotshot added: “You can find excuses. Injuries, many injuries at bad times, but we haven’t been performing well enough.
“We haven’t fully had the hunger inside of us. I haven’t been good enough or helped the team enough.
“We haven’t been there fighting in either the Premier League or the Champions League — and that’s not good enough for a club like City.
“You should be there and you should compete.
“We haven’t done that so now if we can finish strong in the Premier League and win the FA Cup that would be a really good thing. I’ll do everything I can to make it happen.”
Haaland says they must do everything they can to help outgoing club legend Kevin De Bruyne make sure he finishes on a high.
The Belgian has been told there will be no new contract this summer — meaning his glittering ten-year spell at the Etihad is coming to an end.
De Bruyne has won six Prem titles, the Champions League, two FA Cups and five League Cups with the club.
And Haaland said: “We would love for Kevin to finish with one more trophy.
“He has had an incredible time at Manchester City. It is ridiculous how many trophies he has won.
“To get passes from him has been a dream. It’s been special playing with him.”
Read the full article here