Erling Haaland will be ‘VULNERABLE’ after cutting his hair – this is the reason ‘Viking warrior’ made drastic change

FLOWING blonde locks might be more readily associated with Disney princesses than centre-forwards. But there is nothing dainty about the Herculean striker who grew the most feared ponytail in the Premier League. Erling Haaland’s Viking-like image took the World Cup in North America by storm Credit: Getty Haaland debuted his new look against Bournemouth on Sunday Credit: EPA Since landing at Manchester City in 2022, the sight of Erling Haaland‘s tied-up trim streaking into the distance has been nightmare fuel for defenders. The fact he is quicker, stronger and taller than just about any opponent feeds perfectly into the Norwegian’s “Viking warrior” image. And the iconic hair-do draped over his 6ft 5in frame completed the look. That is, until he decided to lop it all off. Haaland, 26, debuted his brand new buzz cut in City’s 2-1 comeback win over Bournemouth on Sunday. Pals like Noel Gallagher and Pep Guardiola were among the first to see it when Haaland shocked them on a video call. They seemed to be having a good laugh about it over the phone, but – as barmy as it sounds – might Haaland’s fortunes be affected by his radical new look? Might opposition players be less intimidated by a fair buzz cut than a rugged head of Scandinavian hair? BEST ONLINE CASINOS – TOP SITES IN THE UK And might this new start hamper Haaland, who usually hits the ground running but has stumbled out of the blocks with two goalless appearances so far this season? Behavioural expert Darren Stanton reckons the towering striker has sent a clear message by going wild with the clippers. He told SunSport: “He’s got this sort of Viking warrior look, which made him quite intimidating. I think his hair, for him, was almost like body armour, it was his strength. “He’s either gone through some kind of epiphany in his own career, in his own mind, or he’s been given advice. “It’s a new season, a new manager, a new reinvention of himself. “Maybe he wants to kind of return to his roots and not rely so much on his reputation and his experience and just wants to kind of reconnect with the game. “He probably wants to step back from all the bling and PR buzz and just get back to the thick of it. “Internally, what he’s saying is, I’ve got a brand new image, there’s a brand new version of me that you’re all going to see.” There is no biological backing for the ‘Samson effect’ – a concept born out of a Bible story in which Samson loses his supernatural powers after his hair is shaved in his sleep. That is not to say Haaland’s extreme makeover won’t affect him in any way, shape or form. The ponytail was a key part of Haaland’s image Credit: Getty Haaland video-called pals to show off his new trim Credit: YouTube / Erling Haaland Stanton continued: “It’s part of your identity, it’s part of who you are. “It’s like when people are in a job for 30 years, and they retire, they lose a part of themselves. “So on some levels he’ll be feeling quite vulnerable because he, or maybe his image, has attributed his long hair to his success.” But the season is long. And with an average of over 40 goals a year in City blue, the chances are Haaland will find a way to return to his destructive best, even if his ‘Viking warrior’ feats are no longer matched by his haircut. Stanton said: “He is seeing it as a renewal. A statement that he’s getting rid of the old, and now he’s looking forward to reinventing himself and trying different things.” *Darren Stanton spoke to SunSport in association with OLBG