Aleksandar Mitrović

[Stottie]

On a season level, he started quite brightly, had a couple of months where he lost his way and seemed more interested in pretending to be fouled than trying to score, and then picked it up again toward the end. He's missed the odd gilt-edged one, but not that many because we are not a gilt-edged chance creating team.

 

For a first season in the league and his age, maybe a C minus. The rest of the team gets a D minus. If anything, I think Perez deserves more flack than Mitro. He's been more disappointing this year.

[alpal78]

I don't get that this he doesn't get enough chance argument. It's an outright lie. Sure he doesn't get crosses raining in from all direction or through passes for that matter (which he wouldn't have been able to run to anyway). We're not a f***ing top 4 team or Barcelona that will create tons of chances for a strikes. Every game he's played, he's had at least 2-3 clear chances and a few more half chances and he usually fluffs them all. He gets chances fitting for a mid table team, he just can't finish them to save his life.

 

Besides as a striker, you don't just wait for chances to fall your way. You have to create your own space and shoot. How many times did we see him beat a defender and shoot? How many times did we see him sprint pass a defender? None, that tells it all about his bullshit potential.

 

Again, he has scored more than the top goalscorers of a few mid-table teams. In any other scenario this would've been a great first season for a 21 year old PL import.

 

You are judging his potential and skills based on the expectations you have of a 1st choice striker. Not of a 21 year old PL import. Which is wrong. This is the issue. He's not a 1st choice striker, and we f***ed up by making him ours due to neglecting to buy a proven PL striker. That does not equate to this season having not been on par with what would've been expected of him if we had done so, though.

 

A perfect example of this season being on par with the expectations we should have had is the poll in this thread, where the majority placed him in the 6-10 goal range - which is where he ended up.

 

In sorry, I'm not buying this he is a second striker line. That's just subjective. Using that logic, we can say that Wijnaldun, Perez, Cisse are not meant to be 1st choices for various reasons, so they are all blameless then.

 

I only judge Mitrovic on whether he can put away some of the chances that comes his way, whether he can outpace a defender and whether he can create his own shooting position, those are objective assessment criteria. And for all 3 criteria, the answers are the same, a big NO. His conversion rate of chances must be below 50% if not below 30%

[nufcjb]

Wished he would have just stayed on the bench seeing the stick he is getting now when Cisse gets off lightly or unnoticed with his pathetic two air shots he had.

[Guest]

He'll leave in the summer, become a top player elsewhere, and the people slagging him off will have their 'doesn't matter, he didn't do it here' argument even though he's a kid in a new league, poor team, seemingly being relied upon at the minute to win us the game when that useless prat Cisse does bugger all for an hour. No coincidence we seem to create more as soon as that change has been made during the game.

[LoveItIfWeBeatU]

I don't know how anyone can say Mitro can finish. I'd say finishing has been his worst attribute. He has wasted loads of chances. 3 alone yesterday and that's just one game. Cisse is absolutely terrible these days but this is the Mitro thread.

[Guest]

Wonder how Carroll would have fared 08/09 if he'd been relied upon as the main striker rather than stepping in as 3rd/4th choice every now and again.

[LoveItIfWeBeatU]

Mitro has been thrown in at the deep end. That's not his fault but he hasn't done well. Perez did a lot better in similar circumstances last season.

[Guest]

Perez came with no pressure and probably wasn't even expecting to play much. Mitrovic came in and was expected to be the saviour.

[Altamullan]

Funny (weird not ha,ha) but I felt really annoyed at Cisse yesterday, but disappointed for, more than in Mitro. Latter should have scored. But on reflection, it is probably because it seems to matter to Mitro. I can't cope with Cisse's grinning seeming disinterest. Easier to cope with effortful incompetence.

[Wallsendmag]

Wished he would have just stayed on the bench seeing the stick he is getting now when Cisse gets off lightly or unnoticed with his pathetic two air shots he had.

 

Have you actually taken the time to read the Papiss Cisse thread?

[Tsunami]

I have sympathy for Mitro in that we shouldn't have bought him in the first place. He hasn't got the mobility needed to be a decent striker in the PL. We'd have got rid of Cisse pre season if we could have, the fact that we knew this and that the need for a proven goal scorer was essential, buying Mitro was a truly terrible decision.

 

We had Cisse, Rivière, Perez and Gouffran (not even true strikers) to realistically choose from and despite clearly needing 2 new strikers, with 1 being a proven goal scorer (preferable both) we bought a young lad from a poor league and seemingly without knowing his fundamental weaknesses. We'd have to play dinosaur football to get the best out of him.

 

When, hopefully, they disect this season I hope they realise that these birds coming home to roost were foreseeable, avoidable and almost inevitable. Had they asked any sample of supporters they'd have received better recruitment advice.

 

Heads need to roll.

[Foluwashola]

He'll leave in the summer, become a top player elsewhere, and the people slagging him off will have their 'doesn't matter, he didn't do it here' argument even though he's a kid in a new league, poor team, seemingly being relied upon at the minute to win us the game when that useless prat Cisse does bugger all for an hour. No coincidence we seem to create more as soon as that change has been made during the game.

Bingo

 

I like him, but he's not becoming a 'top player' anywhere.

[Yorkie]

He'll leave in the summer, become a top player elsewhere, and the people slagging him off will have their 'doesn't matter, he didn't do it here' argument even though he's a kid in a new league, poor team, seemingly being relied upon at the minute to win us the game when that useless prat Cisse does bugger all for an hour. No coincidence we seem to create more as soon as that change has been made during the game.

Bingo

 

I like him, but he's not becoming a 'top player' anywhere.

 

Spot on. Was it Porto who we pipped to the post for his signing? Wouldn't be surprised to see him go there and do well in that sort of division. But I'd put a lot of money on him never having a memorable career in the top three/four leagues. He's got attributes and will improve, but he's got a fairly serious case of donkeyitis as well.

[Guest]

Roma too wasn't it? Is Dzeko only on loan there?

[mrmojorisin75]

He'll leave in the summer, become a top player elsewhere, and the people slagging him off will have their 'doesn't matter, he didn't do it here' argument even though he's a kid in a new league, poor team, seemingly being relied upon at the minute to win us the game when that useless prat Cisse does bugger all for an hour. No coincidence we seem to create more as soon as that change has been made during the game.

Bingo

 

I like him, but he's not becoming a 'top player' anywhere.

 

Spot on. Was it Porto who we pipped to the post for his signing? Wouldn't be surprised to see him go there and do well in that sort of division. But I'd put a lot of money on him never having a memorable career in the top three/four leagues. He's got attributes and will improve, but he's got a fairly serious case of donkeyitis as well.

 

He'll be one of these players who will have a a good career if things go for him in terms of having a decent manager and not playing in shite teams that don't in any way play to his attributes.  Some players can just play and make themselves look good regardless but he's not one of them (yet).

 

As much as I love the kid and would like to see him stay if Rafa is our manager then he's best moving on because I don't think Rafa will bring the best out in him at all.

[The College Dropout]

Don't have a Crystal ball.. no idea about his potential.

 

But obviously this season he hasn't been good enough. Not his fault.

[Bimpy474]

Still think there's a good player somewhere in there, he won't suit Rafa's tactics of a mobile lone striker though.

[Dinho lad]

Such a disappointing season.

 

Would love to see him in the Championship, though. ( And yes - he owes it to us to stay!)

[Jayson]

Thought it was nuts how little we put crosses in. The amount Sissoko, Perez etc were pissing about with it on the touchline.

 

The one time we got the ball in, he chested it down with ease & laid it off to wijnaldum for a chance. Another header he put barely wide. We had atleast 5+ more chances to cross it in that we didnt bother with. Sissoko trying to chip & hurdle a defender only to put it out for a goal kick was the most laughable. Ridiculous.

[Dokko]

He'll be decent in the championship, will do him good.

[Curtained Wasp]

shite, get rid.

[Altamullan]

I can see Mitro and Armstrong complementing each other; like a poor man's version of Shearer and Bellamy. Or should say a Championship version. If they can get used to each other, given their age and probability for improvement, we might just have a decent front two for 2018-19 Premiership season.

[TRon]

I can see Mitro and Armstrong complementing each other; like a poor man's version of Shearer and Bellamy. Or should say a Championship version. If they can get used to each other, given their age and probability for improvement, we might just have a decent front two for 2018-19 Premiership season.

 

 

Or they might just prove to be premier flops unable to perform against top level defences. We can speculate all we like that Mitro might go on to be a top player or that him and Armstrong might tear up the championship, but it's based on nothing but wishful thinking. I don't know what Mitro did for Anderlecht, but in the premier he has shown no ruthless touch in front of goal. Not a single one that he's scored has shown the opportunism of someone who can get one on one with the keeper and score more times than not.

[nufc4eva]

Not sure why he can't just jump and compete for the ball instead of always trying to out muscle opposition.

[Bimpy474]

He'll be decent in the championship, will do him good.

 

True but he's not Rafa's type of lone striker, well that's if Rafa stays of course. Rafa is rather rigid with his 4-2-3-1 with a mobile striker up top.