'I'd have said two words to him and one of them would have been off!' Alan Shearer wades into Guardiola-Haaland public spat

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FOOTBALL 'I'd have said two words to him and one of them would have been off!' Alan Shearer wades into Guardiola-Haaland public spat

Mark Kinyanjui 14:25 - 13.08.2023

Shearer, who is the Premier League's all-time leading goalscorer, insists he would have talked back to Guardiola had he been the one that was on the receiving of an earful.

Alan Shearer has slammed Pep Guardiola’s decision to berate Erling Haaland in public at half time during their 3-0 win over Burnley at the Turf Moor Stadium on Friday.

Haaland had scored a brace in the first half, but that did not stop Guardiola from humiliating him in front of the watching world by hurling shouts at him following his reaction to Bernardo Silva failing to pass the ball to him.

Shearer loves the City manager's attention to detail but admitted he would not have appreciated the public exchange. He feels Guardiola should have kept his emotions in check until they got to the dressing room.

"I'm old school, I do love how he is so driven and wants perfection," Shearer told Match of The Day. "If he doesn't want the cameras to see him then wait until you're in the dressing room.

"I wouldn't have liked that. I'd have said two words to him and one of them would have been off. Say what you want to me in the dressing room and give me the biggest telling off but not in front of the crowd like that. No."

On the incident, Guardiola said: “There’s no problem at all. It was about a connection with the players. He wanted the ball in behind him and that ball hasn't to be in behind. Sometimes you have to be patient to find the right moment.

"He was not frustrated, I am not frustrated. In football, it happens. Don't be dramatic. He scored two goals and he’s happy. He was tremendous in the second half. We know how good he is in front of goal.”