Scholes says Haaland would struggle to score in League Two as Man City await punishment verdict

Paul Scholes believes Erling Haaland would find scoring in League Two “very difficult”, a hypothetical scenario that has gained traction following Manchester City’s guilty verdict on 114 breaches of Premier League financial rules, delivered by an independent panel on Friday.

The charges relate to alleged infractions across a nine-year period between 2009 and 2018. In the days since the verdict, players, pundits, managers and fans have debated what punishment City should face — with options ranging from fines and transfer embargoes to points deductions, title strippings, and even relegation from the top flight.

Scholes addressed the most extreme outcome during a discussion alongside Paddy McGuinness, Nicky Butt and Mark Ogden. When McGuinness posed the question of how many goals Haaland would score if City were demoted all the way to League Two, Scholes was willing to engage. “In all honesty, we’ll never know. But it’d be very difficult, it’s a different game,” he said.

Scholes went further, suggesting the Norwegian would struggle particularly during the winter months. “He’d be alright up until the pitches are good in October, and then he’ll be fine again from March to May. It’s just that little November to February time it might be a bit difficult,” he added. On away grounds specifically, Scholes was sceptical: “At the away grounds I don’t think it’d be easy. He probably wouldn’t play a lot of games. He’d probably be injured for quite a few, I would have thought.”

Nicky Butt took a more pragmatic view, suggesting Haaland simply would not be at the club in such a scenario: “None, cause he won’t be there.”

Any punishment is unlikely to arrive quickly. City are widely expected to appeal the verdict, having maintained their innocence since the charges were formally brought in 2023. Club chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak published an open letter to supporters on Saturday, thanking them for their loyalty and confirming the club intends to continue contesting the case. CEO Ferran Soriano also attended a meeting in Copenhagen with Premier League officials earlier in the week.