Erling Haaland: ‘Still early days’ as Man City striker continues evolution – Rio Ferdinand and Shaun Wright-Phillips

It’s “still early days” for Erling Haaland in his adjustment to life at Manchester City, says the club’s ex-winger Shaun Wright-Phillips.

BT Sport’s pundits concurred with that theory, with Wright-Phillips – alongside Rio Ferdinand – revealing how he managed to settle in at Chelsea after his own big move from City.

Haaland joined City last summer after two-and-a-half years with Borussia Dortmund.

Former Manchester United defender Ferdinand said: “I think it’s conversations. You [Wright-Phillips] would’ve had that in the changing room [at Chelsea].

“When you’re on the ball Frank [Lampard], I’m going to run, please just pass it, don’t even think about it, I’ll be there’.”

Wright-Phillips replied: “That’s a relationship when I played there that we built up.

“I knew that if Frank gets on the ball, go straight away. I knew as soon as I take a first touch, [Didier] Drogba’s going to run across the front post, so put the ball in early.

“These are relationships you build up over a period of time, which I think – in respect of Haaland – it’s still early days.

“They’re still trying to build that cohesion, and I think at times we see it at its best, and then at other times we see it – you could possibly say – at its worst.”

One player for whom it didn’t work out in England was Timo Werner, whose time at Chelsea came to an end after two seasons, moving back last summer to City’s Champions League opponents Leipzig – where he spent four successful years between 2016 and 2020.

Werner has re-discovered his scoring touch since moving back to his native Germany, scoring 11 times in 23 appearances in all competitions this term.

The BT panel suggested that off-field comfort has played a key role in his rejuvenation.

“I think that’s the key to a lot of great players in football in general,” Wright-Phillips began. “If you’re always happy off the pitch it normally carries over, especially if you’re enjoying the football.

“It becomes easier for you to be able to express yourself, be that person that you want to be, whether it’s dribbling, or creating those nice passes, or breaking lines.

“I think it just comes more naturally, personally.”

Former Manchester United midfielder Owen Hargreaves added: “I think a lot of players are situation-dependent.

“You think of Fernando Torres at Liverpool to Fernando Torres at Chelsea. There’s a big difference.

“I think Werner’s back in a place where he feels comfortable. He did a job but he was never going to be the star No. 9 for Chelsea [with] the missed chances, but I think he’s back in a place where he’s performing well.”