Aleksandar Mitrović

[afar]

People keep citing Kane, and yet most coverage I saw of it was about him being lucky for not getting sent off. You need to get over yourselves with this conspiracy against Mitrovic, like.

 

Really, I thought I heard even Shearer, who really should be a little biased in our favour, since every other pundit in the world seems to be for their former clubs, said it was not a red card offence and brushed it off ?

[Twinport53]

The height is absolutely a factor imo, I honestly think you see that sort of thing time and again in football, yellow would have sufficed. It wasn't given at the time, which is what he's saying so he was presumably pretty confused when he got done for it.

 

So why did he admit the charge then?

 

Because he can't win either way Nessy, howay ffs If he denies it they will ban him longer, and say there was intent. It's a win win for RETROSPECTIVE action, despite it having no consistency.

[Kanj]

more like lanzini to elbow imo

[duo]

There won't be another retrospective ban like that this season. Idk how many people have played competitive football but that sort of thing happens literally all the time. Momentum/size diff:

 

 

This is as it's happening, look at lanzini's height compared and how low he is:

 

I've said all along I didn't think he meant it.  Was a shoulder to shoulder but due to the height difference made it look worse. 

[Guest firetotheworks]

People keep citing Kane, and yet most coverage I saw of it was about him being lucky for not getting sent off. You need to get over yourselves with this conspiracy against Mitrovic, like.

 

Really, I thought I heard even Shearer, who really should be a little biased in our favour, since every other pundit in the world seems to be for their former clubs, said it was not a red card offence and brushed it off ?

 

Nah he didn't. He said at match speed he thought it was a yellow, but having seen it in slow motion he said he was lucky not to get a red because he was off the ground with two feet, that he gets the ball but he also takes the man and that it was dangerous.

[Hanshithispantz]

The height is absolutely a factor imo, I honestly think you see that sort of thing time and again in football, yellow would have sufficed. It wasn't given at the time, which is what he's saying so he was presumably pretty confused when he got done for it.

 

So why did he admit the charge then?

 

Because he can't win either way Nessy, howay ffs If he denies it they will ban him longer, and say there was intent. It's a win win for RETROSPECTIVE action, despite it having no consistency.

Aye. He's accepted the charge but also said he didn't even think it was a foul. Hardly him being like "aye I Ben Thatcher'd the little cunt".

 

I still don't know like, I think it looks fairly innocuous but the fact he is quite obviously a bit of a mentalist does make it harder for me to think anywhere close to 100% that he never meant it. I like Mitrovic and want him to have his chance in time given our lack of striking options but he has brought this all on himself - just a shame that, even if he does change, the reputation will never go away.

[xLiaaamx]

That picture clearly shows he didnt throw his elbow out at all. He's late to the challenge but its not violent or dangerous.

[Guest firetotheworks]

Okay...now look at where the ball is and look at where Mitrovic is looking. Let's say he doesn't mean to elbow him (I'm not convinced either btw)...at the very least he's going for the man when we're 2-0 up with 10 minutes to go.

 

He's a fucking idiot either way like. I'm not convinced he meant anything in this instance, but it doesn't help his case that he has done before and he probably will again.

[triggs]

He lifts his elbow up to make contact with Lanzini's head like. Its not just an intended shoulder barge on a smaller guy gone wrong

[Guest neesy111]

That picture doesn't prove his innocence at all, nor how he's guilty.  Always find snapshots of video to be inconclusive for many incidents as you can make case for both arguments.

[Twinport53]

Innocent until proven guilty etc etc.

[duo]

Well Mitro said he didn't mean it and I believe him.   Who knows we're all just guessing.

[Hanshithispantz]

Innocent until proven guilty etc etc.

It's never been that in football tbf. Any potentially dubious action tends to be assumed guilty.

 

It's not just us either, it's the FA's approach to all teams excluding whichever top 6 side they currently have a hard-on over. I was massively surprised when Shelvey's red was reversed last year, it didn't make any sense given their track record.

[Twinport53]

Innocent until proven guilty etc etc.

It's never been that in football tbf. Any potentially dubious action tends to be assumed guilty.

 

It's not just us either, it's the FA's approach to all teams excluding whichever top 6 side they currently have a hard-on over. I was massively surprised when Shelvey's red was reversed last year, it didn't make any sense given their track record.

 

 

There is absolutely no way the FA etc can say with 100% conviction that Mitro done that with intent. But alas, "look at his track record" that has been fabricated from a couple of incidents, into a guilty precedent for his future actions.

[Ikon]

"Aleksandar Mitrovic may have accepted a charge for violent conduct and a three-game ban for his elbow on West Ham’s Manuel Lanzini last month, but the 22-year old has surprisingly defended himself, insisting he did ‘nothing wrong’ and does not understand why he has been punished, claiming it was not even a foul"

[Twinport53]

"Aleksandar Mitrovic may have accepted a charge for violent conduct and a three-game ban for his elbow on West Ham’s Manuel Lanzini last month, but the 22-year old has surprisingly defended himself, insisting he did ‘nothing wrong’ and does not understand why he has been punished, claiming it was not even a foul"

 

Was a foul given in the match?

[Segun Oluwaniyi]

Football's disciplinary system is completely useless and illogical. Mitrovic commits an unnecessary foul late after the ball has left. This is indisputable, but he hasn't attempted to injure Lanzini, used excessive force, or performed an action unrelated to football (the criteria I consider for red cards). Still, the foul needs to be punished. Why are the only options for this a yellow card during the match, no punishment at all, or a full three match ban after the fact? There is so little room for discretion and common sense. Why are a post match yellow card added to his tally or a lesser suspension not options available as punishment. Why are players absolved from any guilt if the referee "sees the incident"? They should be punished more if the referee is daft enough to miss blatant fouls a metre from the ball?

[afar]

Football's disciplinary system is completely useless and illogical. Mitrovic commits an unnecessary foul late after the ball has left. This is indisputable, but he hasn't attempted to injure Lanzini, used excessive force, or performed an action unrelated to football (the criteria I consider for red cards). Still, the foul needs to be punished. Why are the only options for this a yellow card during the match, no punishment at all, or a full three match ban after the fact? There is so little room for discretion and common sense. Why are a post match yellow card added to his tally or a lesser suspension not options available as punishment. Why are players absolved from any guilt if the referee "sees the incident"? They should be punished more if the referee is daft enough to miss blatant fouls a metre from the ball?

 

Totally agree Baba, zero consistency, common sense or logic applied.

[Away Day Gadgie]

Football's disciplinary system is completely useless and illogical. Mitrovic commits an unnecessary foul late after the ball has left. This is indisputable, but he hasn't attempted to injure Lanzini, used excessive force, or performed an action unrelated to football (the criteria I consider for red cards). Still, the foul needs to be punished. Why are the only options for this a yellow card during the match, no punishment at all, or a full three match ban after the fact? There is so little room for discretion and common sense. Why are a post match yellow card added to his tally or a lesser suspension not options available as punishment. Why are players absolved from any guilt if the referee "sees the incident"? They should be punished more if the referee is daft enough to miss blatant fouls a metre from the ball?

 

That's actually a really good point and not one i've ever heard before ?

[Pata]

Football's disciplinary system is completely useless and illogical. Mitrovic commits an unnecessary foul late after the ball has left. This is indisputable, but he hasn't attempted to injure Lanzini, used excessive force, or performed an action unrelated to football (the criteria I consider for red cards). Still, the foul needs to be punished. Why are the only options for this a yellow card during the match, no punishment at all, or a full three match ban after the fact? There is so little room for discretion and common sense. Why are a post match yellow card added to his tally or a lesser suspension not options available as punishment. Why are players absolved from any guilt if the referee "sees the incident"? They should be punished more if the referee is daft enough to miss blatant fouls a metre from the ball?

 

Great post. Football is so stuck in the past.

[DJ_NUFC]

An anecdote, or... an evening spent unexpectedly with Partizan Belgrade fans in Brampton, Ontario.

 

Gorgeous weather has befallen us Canadians (well, Ontarians) this week, so I took up the opportunity to meet a friend for drinks on a patio yesterday evening. As soon as we arrived at the bar, my friend ran into a group of his high school mates, so naturally it led to joining their group to enjoy the evening air with some boozy refreshments.

 

The table was filled with 4 dudes with light Serbo-Canadian accents, and my friend and I. As talk turned to TFC and football, they began discussing going over to Belgrade for a Partizan game. I smiled a little (images of the 0-0 and Aaron Hughes' penalty miss were already flooding mind), so I smiled and offered up, "I'm a Newcastle fan."

 

Immediately I'd realized I'd made a huge mistake.

 

One of them raised his beer-spilling mug, "WE BEAT YOU ON PK'S BUDDY! HAHA!"

 

Well, so much for me hoping they don't bring that up. I mean, it WAS almost a fucking decade ago. But here we were.

 

Then it descended into what I can only imagine what a Trump rally would sound like.

 

"Alan Shearer was crying! Hahaha. And your keeper, what's his name, SHAY GIVEN! HAHAHA." Apparently remembering Shay Given brought them all to hysterics. It was like hearing someone relive a World Cup glory they themselves had participated in.

 

This being football chatter where time and space are forever in flux, with events that occurred decades ago still being spoken about as if they're unfolding before our eyes, I raised my mug in return, hoping to come in peace, "your boys played well, deserved to go through."

 

So then I hoped to move the conversation away from this mocking, by bringing up Mitrovic. "What're your thoughts on him? Would love to know."

 

This brought about a barrage of bile with statements such as: "You guys don't give him enough minutes," "you wouldn't have been relegated if you'd started him every game, he was your best player!" And "he was your best player last year, he was responsible for bringing you back up, and you don't even start him," and "he needs to leave for a big club."

 

Then, of course, things turned full retard, with nonsensical attacks on Rafa. "Who the fuck is Rafa Benitez anyway? Every club he's touched since Liverpool has turned to shit. Haha. It shows he's clueless, it's why he's managing a club that was not even in the Premiership!"

 

It took Gandhian levels of sighing, patience and internal calmness to not lose my shit at these guys. I explained to them the need for Rafa to be closer to his family, what kind of man he is, how he's taken to the city and fans, etc.

 

I mean, after the initial bit of retardation, the rest of the evening went pretty amicable. Typical chapter in the life of an outnumbered, forrin Newcastle fan.

 

Thought I'd share

 

Edit: It'd be remiss of me to not say that at least one of the 4 PB fans agreed with my rebuttals of Mitro lacking pace and finishing instincts for the PL. So it wasn't all bad.

[Guest]

[gazza ladra]

I was just telling my son about the Partizan game last night.  That was the year he was born.

 

We were watching the CL game between Spurs and Dortmund and I described the whole train wreck to him. Partizan, Souness, Dyer v. Bowyer, everything right down to the present day. 

 

(Anyway, I've noticed that when he talks about NUFC he says "we".)

[DJ_NUFC]

I was just telling my son about the Partizan game last night.  That was the year he was born.

 

We were watching the CL game between Spurs and Dortmund and I described the whole train wreck to him. Partizan, Souness, Dyer v. Bowyer, everything right down to the present day. 

 

(Anyway, I've noticed that when talks about NUFC he says "we".)

 

Awww. It's heartbreaking telling younger fans who didn't see all these highs and lows about what transpired, both because you wish for them to have experienced it, and mainly because you realize how quickly time has passed and how much older we've become since.

[Guest]

Maybe worth nudging before Partizan is only signing Lee Bowyer to add to the squad that just finished 3rd, while Chelsea were out getting Veron, Joe Cole, Duff, Bridge, Mutu, Makelele, etc. with their new billions.