Haaland Admits FA Cup Glory Won’t Erase Man City’s “Not Good Enough” Season
Haaland says lifting the FA Cup would “help” after a tough season, but insists Manchester City’s standards are much higher and the current campaign has fallen short.
Erling Haaland has delivered a brutally honest verdict on Manchester City’s season, insisting that even lifting the FA Cup this weekend won’t be enough to save what he calls a disappointing campaign.
Pep Guardiola’s team will take on Crystal Palace in the FA Cup final at Wembley on Saturday, with the chance to secure a trophy. But for Haaland, that alone won’t change how the season will be remembered — especially by the club’s long-serving stars who have gotten used to winning the biggest trophies.
“For me, it would help,” Haaland admitted. “It’s important to win trophies — that’s why I’m here. So yes, winning the FA Cup would help. But again, the standards these guys have been putting up… maybe for them, it doesn’t mean anything, because they’ve set the bar so high.”
By Manchester City’s own lofty standards, this season has fallen short. They failed to seriously challenge for the Premier League title and were knocked out of the Champions League in the Round of 16. For a team that has dominated both competitions in recent years, Haaland is clear — this just isn’t good enough.
“We haven’t been there fighting in the Premier League or the Champions League, and that’s not good enough for a club like City,” he said. “You should compete, and we haven’t done that.”
The Norwegian striker, who has scored 30 goals this season despite missing seven games through injury, says it’s time for the team to take responsibility.
“Sometimes you just need to run more. We haven’t run enough this season,” he said. “You can find excuses — injuries at bad times — but in the end, we haven’t performed well enough. Next season we have to find something inside ourselves to go again.”
While City are favourites for the FA Cup final, Haaland is not taking Crystal Palace lightly. The two sides have already clashed twice in the Premier League this season, and Palace caused City plenty of trouble in both.
In December, the teams drew 2-2 at Selhurst Park. Then in April, Palace went 2-0 up at the Etihad before City fought back to win 5-2. Haaland knows they’re not to be underestimated.
“Palace are a really difficult club to play against,” he said. “They started really well against us in both games. They’ve got quality players and can cause problems.”
The final takes place on May 17th — a significant date in Haaland’s home country of Norway. Known as Constitution Day, it’s a major national celebration, and Haaland hopes to mark the occasion in style.
“It would mean a lot to me on a big day in Norway,” he said. “I’ll do everything I can to help the team win this trophy.”
Even if a victory won’t erase the pain of a below-standard season, Haaland insists that finishing strong matters. For him, it’s about pride — and setting the tone for next season.
