Prem striker has ‘more to his game than Haaland’ as pundit laments level of forwards

Rio Ferdinand has declared that Newcastle striker Alexander Isak has “more to his game” than Erling Haaland, but he feels there has been a slump in striker quality in the current era.

Isak has put up good numbers since joining the Magpies for £63million last summer. Had he not missed a good chunk of last season through injury, he’d have surely scored a fair few more than the 10 Premier League goals he got.

He’s started this season in great form, bagging six goals already – second only to Haaland – and having scored four of those goals in his last three games.

Following the last game, in which Isak scored a brace in a 2-2 draw with West Ham, former Premier League defender Ferdinand made a huge call on whether he’s one of the best in the league.

“He’s doing well. Potentially, yeah, he could be. He’s got more to his game than Haaland,” he said on Rio Ferdinand Presents FIVE.

That’s a big statement, given Haaland smashed the Premier League goals record by netting 36 times last season, and has already notched eight goals in the league this term despite some suggesting he’s not fully on his game.

Ferdinand caveated his statement by suggesting Haaland is a much more deadly forward.

“I’m not saying he’s anywhere near…he’s a different player. Haaland is a finisher, brutal, the best finisher,” he said.

He also added that the strikers in the current Premier League era are not on the level that they once were, suggesting players he defended against and some slightly before that were comparatively better players.

“No disrespect but that bar below Haaland, they are good players, don’t get me wrong, but if you went after [Alan] Shearer in them times, you’ve got Ian Wright, Les Ferdinand, [Teddy] Sheringham, [Robbie] Fowler, Dion Dublin, Chris Sutton, Michael Owen,” Ferdinand added.

Indeed, when Haaland bagged 36 goals in the league last season, he was one of only three players to pass the 20-goal mark. In contrast, when Shearer scored 34 goals in the 1994/95 season, five other players joined him in notching more than 20 times.

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