The Importance of Getting Erling: The Serious Pursuit of Player and Coach Perfection

Erling Haaland is now a Manchester City boy. After years of 'almost there' on the European stage, the club needed a decisive force, and they seem to have found it in a 21-year-old Norwegian striker with golden hair and brute force.

Life is a series of decisions, and more often than not, these choices are very difficult to make. Which university can I apply for a master's degree in, which country is best for my future and which job prospects do I have at one company versus another?Even something as simple as choosing between pizza and pasta for dinner can be time consuming!

Some decisions, however, seem right. We may still be taking our time deciding those calls, but there's a sense of satisfaction that comes with, say, finally having the courage to ask someone out or deciding to use the same brand of headphones you've been using for years. These calls are driven by strong emotions or they make too much sense on paper for us to think about too much.

Manchester City decide to sign Erling Haaland falls into the latter category.

A team that has steadily improved over the past decade, led by arguably the best manager of the 21st century who lost yet another Champions League season despite netting 31 shots in the two legs of the semi-final. They have just beaten one of the best Liverpool sides of all time to the post for another Premier League title and have wanted to go all the way in Europe for some time. A team that hasn't signed a true 'go-get-me-a-goal' player since Gabriel Jesus in January 2017. A team looking to replace the void left by Sergio Aguero, arguably their greatest player of all the temperature. A team that is complete in almost every way imaginable has now added the most talented number 9 of our generation.

Haaland to City, on the face of it, makes as much sense as any football transfer.

Unfortunately for Man City, football is not so black and white.

"Being Manchester City's centre-forward should be the easiest role in football. They are the Premier League team with the most possession, the most touches in the box and the most goals this season. Stand up front and put the ball in the net. And yet, it's not that simple."

Haaland is such a big name that City's Champions League...