Aleksandar Mitrović

[KaKa]

Mitro is doing really well and good for him, but he let himself down to often under Rafa, unfortunately.

 

We've had a tough start of games, and so Mitro's success has been even more glaring. We've got our tough games out of the way now though, and Rondon is set to really do his thing.

 

Loving the team today, which is our best 11, and I think we're really going to start looking good, and Rondon in particular will improve us no end.

[TRon]

Nah Mitro's hold up play is much better, that was evident today. Pressing is the issue

 

It was the biggest issue, Rafa seems really big on it, and Mitro has come out and said publicly he didn't want to do it because it wasn't his game and it tired him out. Rafa would basically have to change his whole philosophy to accomodate Mitro, and that was never going to happen.

[PartizanFC]

http://zurnal.rs/public/uploads/article/aleksandar-mitrovic(14).jpg

[Optimistic Nut]

nah he can't but there is an argument to be made that given the paucity of our resources we could adapt the system to play around him.

Definitely an argument, but not a very strong one considering Rafa's decision being vindicated with a league win and 10th place finish with a defending from the front style. It would be a lot easier to whip out the old posts if it was backed up with his success here, or our failures without him, but neither happened. Gayle was undroppable and Mitrovic didn't follow Rafa's instructions by both of their own admissions.

 

One thing I will say though, the amount that we got for him in this day and age was utterly pathetic and it does seem like he's growing up a bit and not doing the whole play-acting/violence thing now.

 

 

Horses for courses. Last season we had to play a certain way to stay out of trouble and he was able to sign Slimani who he’d wanted for a while. He didn’t work out but could see why Mitrovic wasn’t needed.

 

This season though, I don’t buy for one second that Mitrovic wouldn’t be head and shoulders above all of our strikers over the course of a season.

 

As for the last point, I got shouted down on here whenever I suggested he’d mature in time in a similar way that Gerrard did and the likes of Rooney who were petulant in their early 20s. They still had their flash points later on and I’ve no doubt this will happen with Mitrovic too, but not to the level a young man who’s still maturing would.He’s 24 now and has another 5-6 years where a striker of his style is likely to keep on improving. I wouldn’t say Rafa is a liar, but I do think he’s wrong in this instance.

[Guest firetotheworks]

nah he can't but there is an argument to be made that given the paucity of our resources we could adapt the system to play around him.

Definitely an argument, but not a very strong one considering Rafa's decision being vindicated with a league win and 10th place finish with a defending from the front style. It would be a lot easier to whip out the old posts if it was backed up with his success here, or our failures without him, but neither happened. Gayle was undroppable and Mitrovic didn't follow Rafa's instructions by both of their own admissions.

 

One thing I will say though, the amount that we got for him in this day and age was utterly pathetic and it does seem like he's growing up a bit and not doing the whole play-acting/violence thing now.

 

 

Horses for courses. Last season we had to play a certain way to stay out of trouble and he was able to sign Slimani who he’d wanted for a while. He didn’t work out but could see why Mitrovic wasn’t needed.

 

This season though, I don’t buy for one second that Mitrovic wouldn’t be head and shoulders above all of our strikers over the course of a season.

 

As for the last point, I got shouted down on here whenever I suggested he’d mature in time in a similar way that Gerrard did and the likes of Rooney who were petulant in their early 20s. They still had their flash points later on and I’ve no doubt this will happen with Mitrovic too, but not to the level a young man who’s still maturing would.He’s 24 now and has another 5-6 years where a striker of his style is likely to keep on improving. I wouldn’t say Rafa is a liar, but I do think he’s wrong in this instance.

 

Fair enough. Mitrovic's wrong as well then in that case.

 

Personally I don't see any difference between Mitrovic being unsuitable last season and this season. Our style of play hasn't changed and our team hasn't really improved either, we're still very much the same horses for courses team.

 

[Optimistic Nut]

I don’t think it would take too much of an adjustment in style of play to accommodate him. It’d be like having 2004 Alan Shearer and not playing him because he couldn’t run around as much.

[Greg]

I don’t think it would take too much of an adjustment in style of play to accommodate him. It’d be like having 2004 Alan Shearer and not playing him because he couldn’t run around as much.

 

It would take a pretty much fundamental change in set up and approach from Rafa. And we just don't have the players for it.

[tinoasprilla]

I'd rather my centre forward scored goals than ran round like a moron chasing shadows whilst the rest of the team defend 50 yards back.  The football we play is horrible and it was pretty bad in the championship

[Guest reefatoon]

Personally, think it would be hard for any striker to shine in the way we play. We are not built or set up to help out the striker, we play majority of the time with one up top who just has to chase things down 95% of the game. Nobody can shine like that. So I haven’t got a clue who would be better as I am sure like Gayle and Mitro are showing now, playing in a team that supports and assists strikers then they will score. Maybe Joselu, Muto and Rondón would do the same if they had that kind of support/assists/tactics Behind them.

[Optimistic Nut]

Personally, think it would be hard for any striker to shine in the way we play. We are not built or set up to help out the striker, we play majority of the time with one up top who just has to chase things down 95% of the game. Nobody can shine like that. So I haven’t got a clue who would be better as I am sure like Gayle and Mitro are showing now, playing in a team that supports and assists strikers then they will score. Maybe Joselu, Muto and Rondón would do the same if they had that kind of support/assists/tactics Behind them.

 

From about February we created quite a number of clear cut chances. I remember Gayle missing good scoring opportunities and he should have scored 11-12 league goals really.

[Guest firetotheworks]

 

 

I'd rather my centre forward scored goals than ran round like a moron chasing shadows whilst the rest of the team defend 50 yards back.  The football we play is horrible and it was pretty bad in the championship

 

Would you rather we lost more matches at the same time? Because that's what Rafa's argument is.

[Bimpy474]

While i certainly think Rafa can overdo the defensive side of things you have to see the team as a whole. My point being, our striker will not look that good when we have such a poor number 10, a left back who cant attack leaves you again less attacking options. And while Diame played well last season, he's not good enough apart from breaking play up. Give Rafa better players and we'll look better, pretty simple.

 

In my opinion out lack of a creative decent number 10 really hurts us more than anything else, i think it's a crucial position in Rafa's system and time and time again the club has just refused to back Rafa and get that key player.

 

Past players of Rafa's have commented on him being overly defensive at times when they felt there was no need for it, that's something we have to accept. Rafa is doing what he can with a very poor overall squad, there's no better manager for us in this situation. And if a miracle happens and we get sold, there's no better manager to takes us forward.

 

Defensive at times, aye but a winner of multiple trophies in different countries, well I'll take that. Of course we want to see great football, who doesn't ? But if i see us win a trophy playing good football, with a few defensive performances chucked in now and again, I'd be a pig in chardonnay.

[HaydnNUFC]

Personally, think it would be hard for any striker to shine in the way we play. We are not built or set up to help out the striker, we play majority of the time with one up top who just has to chase things down 95% of the game. Nobody can shine like that. So I haven’t got a clue who would be better as I am sure like Gayle and Mitro are showing now, playing in a team that supports and assists strikers then they will score. Maybe Joselu, Muto and Rondón would do the same if they had that kind of support/assists/tactics Behind them.

 

From about February we created quite a number of clear cut chances. I remember Gayle missing good scoring opportunities and he should have scored 11-12 league goals really.

Was all season tbh.

[tinoasprilla]

It's not now and again. There are probably three types of managers.  Those that are pragmatists like Benitez, Conte and Allardyce.  They have a set system and players must conform to it or their out.  Managers like Robson, Keegan. Wenger and Sarri that give players a platform to perform and adapt their style around the players.  Then managers like Carved, Pardew and Kinnear who are just total clueless plums.

 

In the pragmatist camp a number 10 Will struggle to flourish as the team don't attack.  Not many options, runners around them so creativity is stifled get caught on the ball etc. 

 

Whilst Benitez is without doubt the best we have had for a long time.  Gets the city and fans I personally don't like his approach.  It's still preferable to the inevitable yes man dimwit that Ashley would replace him with

[Infinitely Content]

 

 

I'd rather my centre forward scored goals than ran round like a moron chasing shadows whilst the rest of the team defend 50 yards back.  The football we play is horrible and it was pretty bad in the championship

 

Would you rather we lost more matches at the same time? Because that's what Rafa's argument is.

 

[TRon]

I'd rather my centre forward scored goals than ran round like a moron chasing shadows whilst the rest of the team defend 50 yards back.  The football we play is horrible and it was pretty bad in the championship

 

The football is pretty bad at the moment, but it was just as bad when Mitrovic played for us. We don't have good players, what we have is a manager who has had a lot of success with his methods and is not going to change them. I honestly thought Ashley wouldn't sanction the sale of Mitrovic because Rafa is unlikely to be here next season. We are stuck in no man's land at the moment.

[sh74]

I'd rather my centre forward scored goals than ran round like a moron chasing shadows whilst the rest of the team defend 50 yards back.  The football we play is horrible and it was pretty bad in the championship

 

The football is pretty bad at the moment, but it was just as bad when Mitrovic played for us. We don't have good players, what we have is a manager who has had a lot of success with his methods and is not going to change them. I honestly thought Ashley wouldn't sanction the sale of Mitrovic because Rafa is unlikely to be here next season. We are stuck in no man's land at the moment.

Fatman loves a profit.

[Zero]

he sanctioned the deal because he needs to maximize Newcastle's profit asap.

[TRon]

I'd rather my centre forward scored goals than ran round like a moron chasing shadows whilst the rest of the team defend 50 yards back.  The football we play is horrible and it was pretty bad in the championship

 

The football is pretty bad at the moment, but it was just as bad when Mitrovic played for us. We don't have good players, what we have is a manager who has had a lot of success with his methods and is not going to change them. I honestly thought Ashley wouldn't sanction the sale of Mitrovic because Rafa is unlikely to be here next season. We are stuck in no man's land at the moment.

Fatman loves a profit.

 

He was supposedly furious that we undersold Cabaye, although I never really believed that. Of course, £27m might still turn out to be a decent fee for Mitrovic, but if not he'll be pissed. Cabaye was 28, Mitro is only 23. Considering Ashley's stance on buying players who will only appreciate in value, I thought he would have held on to Mitro until a new manager was in place.

[sugoinufc]

My former favorite is much more mobile than both Joselu and Rondon.

 

Still believe this is Rafas biggest mistake here...not giving Mitro a proper chance. Especially when he isn´t replaced with quality.

 

Hopefully our little japanese will come good and offer what the rondon and Joselu doesn´t have.

 

1st and 2nd choice: Rondon and Josselu 

[ToonArmy1892]

He wasn't allowed to replace with quality though, that's the thing.

[BlueStar]

Didn't realise he's scored more than our entire squad.

[samptime29]

Didn't realise he's scored more than our entire squad.

 

[LoveItIfWeBeatU]

He's doing very well but Fulham have played a lot easier fixtures than NUFC so far.

[Sho Time]

Didn't realise he's scored more than our entire squad.

 

Not surprised, and tbh I expected that to be the case when we sold him.