Andy Cole does not understand criticism of 27-goal Manchester City striker Erling Haaland as he prepares for his Premier League record to be broken.
Haaland needs just seven more goals to match the 34 netted by Cole for Newcastle United in 1993-94 and Alan Shearer for Blackburn Rovers in 1994-95.
The City superstar has played only 25 league games so far this season, averaging a goal every 75 minutes.
Cole averaged a goal every 106 minutes across 40 matches, while Shearer scored every 111 minutes over 42 games.
Barring injury, it appears inevitable Haaland will beat two of the Premier League's greatest goalscorers, yet Cole is not bitter.
"Records are there to be broken, it's that simple," he told Stats Perform. "When people have mentioned it to me, it's not as if I'm going home and crying and saying: 'Oh no!'
"I've said to people it doesn't bother me in the slightest, I don't care. If someone deserved to break that record, go ahead and do it.
"I'm not going to sit here rocking myself to sleep in the hallway hoping he doesn't do it; it doesn't bother me because I'm not so conceited. I'm really not.
"I don't care if he does it. I'll be the first one to congratulate him. Records are there to be broken."
Haaland has been "absolutely phenomenal" for City, according to Cole, although he "will want to improve in getting involved in the play a little bit more".
Cole does not doubt he will be able to do that, adding: "He's still a baby and is still learning the game."
But with City trailing Arsenal in the Premier League title race, it has been suggested they have suffered for having Haaland up front.
Cole said: "People say he shouldn't have signed for Man City because he doesn't fit in.
"But if I've got 27 goals by February, and everyone's telling me that I've made the wrong move... what's the right move, then?
"You've got 27 goals by the end of February, and you've got the chance to get to 40 goals. I'm not sure what everyone expects for him."
The former Newcastle, Manchester United and City striker added: "I don’t think there's anything to actually think about.
"Because when people say he's made the wrong move or he's gone to the wrong club, what is he supposed to do? He's gone to clubs, scored goals, is far beyond anyone else in the Premier League for scoring goals.
"He's made the wrong move? He doesn't fit? How does he not fit? If he's got 27 goals so far, by the end of February, but he doesn't fit and doesn't get involved in the play, we don't need to have that conversation.
"We don’t need to have that conversation and to talk about getting involved and doing other things. It's as simple as that. Now, it's a crazy [conversation]."
Gakpo feels 'more dangerous' for Liverpool under Slot
Cody Gakpo believes he has become a more "dangerous" player after returning to his preferred left-wing role under new Liverpool boss, Arne Slot.
Gakpo, who joined the Reds in January 2023, was often deployed in a central striker role under Jurgen Klopp during his first 18 months at Anfield.
Across his 53 appearances for Liverpool last season, 27 came as a centre forward, with the remaining 26 coming on either flank or in the attacking midfield position.
The Dutchman, however, has registered eight goal contributions (six goals, two assists) in 17 appearances in all competitions this season, all but one of which has come from the left wing.
Gakpo has found the net four times in his last four outings for the Reds, which included a brace against Brighton in the EFL Cup to propel them into the quarter-finals.
Speaking about the switch, he told Men in Blazers: “Before I came to Liverpool I also played as a left-winger. Then I came here, and I started to play more as a central striker.
“At the Euros, I played as a left-winger again. Then this season the new manager came in. I had a talk with him, and he said, ‘You have to focus on the left-winger position.
"This is your position when you come on or when you start.’ Because he said there’s a lot of competition here, so you just have to show yourself. But he said, ‘That is going to be your position.’
“It felt a little bit, for me, like the old me, like what I did at PSV [Eindhoven] as well. I feel really good in this position. I try to show my best to everybody, what I’m capable of.
“I think I come into more one-v-ones now with my face towards the opponent, where I can really go inside and give a cross, shoot or go outside and give a cross – which is more my game, I would say, and where I think I can be really dangerous and help the team the most.”
Liverpool have enjoyed a fine start to the season, sitting top of both the Premier League and Champions League tables heading into the November international break.
Slot has earned 28 points from his first 11 top-flight games in charge (W9 D1 L1), the joint-most by a manager after as many games in the competition along with Guus Hiddink at Chelsea.
The Reds also remain the only side with a 100% record in the Champions League and have edged closer to defending their EFL Cup crown this season.
And Gakpo, who played a part in the Reds' win over Chelsea in the final of that competition last year, is eager for that fighting spirit to help bring more success to the club.
“I see those [as] separate,” he said. “When I’m on the pitch, [I’m] really there to win the game, to show my quality," Gakpo said.
“I think one of my qualities is going inside and going for a goal or maybe going for an assist. As an attacking player, I think that’s also part of the job.
“Outside of the pitch, I tend to be a different guy – it’s more about life and development, mental growth, health growth with family, with friends.
"I just try to be myself and I’m very happy that people speak so nicely of me, so thank you everybody!
“Obviously when you come on the pitch, it’s game on. You have to think a little bit different – maybe not that nice in some ways because you have to win.
"But for me, it will never be personal. Out there, [I’m] just trying to do my best for the club and to win these games for the fans, for myself, for the team.
"When the referee blows the last whistle then the switch flips again and then I’m back to normal again.”
Odegaard given time to recover as Arsenal star pulls out of Norway squad
Martin Odegaard has pulled out of Norway's Nations League games against Slovenia and Kazakhstan.
Odegaard, who was injured while on international duty in September, only returned to action for Arsenal last week.
After coming on from the bench against Inter in the Champions League, the playmaker featured for the entire game as Arsenal drew 1-1 with Chelsea in the Premier League on Sunday, and teed up Gabriel Martinelli's opener at Stamford Bridge.
Yet Odegaard will not play for his country in their matches over this international break.
"This has been a complicated ankle injury. With very few training sessions with the team [Arsenal] over the past nine weeks, it's natural that the body is not 100% at this stage," Norway's national team doctor Ola Sand said in a statement on Tuesday.
"After thorough examinations and conversations, we have agreed that Martin will not be ready to play in the matches against Slovenia and Kazakhstan.
"In consultation with him, we've agreed that it's better for him to return to London to continue his rehabilitation there."
Norway are top of their Nations League group, though they are level on points with Slovenia and Austria.
'Please, doubt us' – Dias dares Man City's critics
Ruben Dias has dared Manchester City's critics to "doubt us" after the Premier League champions' four-game losing streak.
Pep Guardiola lost four straight matches in all competitions for the first time in his managerial career as City capitulated in a 2-1 loss to Brighton on Saturday.
That loss came on the back of a 4-1 defeat to Sporting CP – coached by new Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim – in the Champions League, as well as a reverse to Bournemouth in the Premier League and an EFL Cup exit at the hands of Tottenham.
City are five points behind league leaders Liverpool, but Dias shrugged off the doubters.
"I would say, please doubt us, doubt us, feel welcome to do so," the centre-back told reporters.
"When we did the treble, we even called it the dark January. We had a tough period. But it is what it is.
"What matters is how you bounce back from these moments. That's why our team has won so much because in moments of difficulty, the characters come up and we stay together.
"We don't find people to kill, we find people to bring into the cause and fight together.
"That's what we need to do once again. Until it's done, it's not done."
City's losing run combined with Liverpool's excellent form has seen a swing in the Opta supercomputer's predictions.
The model now has Liverpool as the favourites, with a 60.3% chance of winning the title.
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