Aleksandar Mitrović

[Hanshithispantz]

He's still young and only been here 6 month, but we've seen Demba Ba and Loic Remy score hat fulls on service as bad as this.

 

I like him, but we need someone else in January, we cannot rely on him coming good in a relegation scrap.

[Sima]

While we shouldn't be relying on him this much, he isn't good enough to be leading the line. He misses far too many glaring opportunities, even Cisse would blush at some of them.

 

So typical of this club that we let the likes of Ba and Remy slip through our fingers due to frugality/lack of ambition.  Those two masked how awful we really were.

 

 

[Taylor Swift]

Not worried about him. Strikers miss chances all the time. The shit ones don't even get themselves into a position to score. This guy gets in to the position often so the goals will come. A bit like Suarez's first year with Liverpool where he missed chances galore.

[mrmojorisin75]

He's still young and only been here 6 month, but we've seen Demba Ba and Loic Remy score hat fulls on service as bad as this.

 

I like him, but we need someone else in January, we cannot rely on him coming good in a relegation scrap.

I don't think Ba and Remy are fair examples tbh, both in their mid 20's when we signed them and both relied on either pace or power to get in behind defences while the rest of the team stood about and watched. Granted they both finished better than he is atm but they were much more experienced.

 

We are not playing remotely to his strengths at all, not even close.

[ExiledGeordie]

 

The failure to bring in an established scorer is coming home to roost.

[Ronaldo]

The criticism's mostly aimed at the club, not him. He's out of his depth and that's not his fault.

 

If we're talking about his abilities though I must say his complete lack of pace worries me. To overcome that you've got to have it between your ears and he just seems like someone that'd take a long time to acquire that.

 

Honestly, though. Signing solely him for so much money when you've got ready made PL strikers available for less is looking ludicrous. It typifies our brainless recruitment policy. We deserve relegation on the back of such decisions.

[ExiledGeordie]

The criticism's mostly aimed at the club, not him. He's out of his depth and that's not his fault.

 

If we're talking about his abilities though I must say his complete lack of pace worries me. To overcome that you've got to have it between your ears and he just seems like someone that'd take a long time to acquire that.

 

Honestly, though. Signing solely him for so much money when you've got ready made PL strikers available for less is looking ludicrous. It typifies our brainless recruitment policy. We deserve relegation on the back of such decisions.

 

Spot on, some of the decisions made by the "board" are ludicrous

[Crumpy Gunt]

Starting to look a pudding. That chance yesterday was an abysmal effort.

[Cronky]

Starting to look a pudding. That chance yesterday was an abysmal effort.

 

He didn't look too bothered yesterday, like his mind was elsewhere.

 

Ayoze was the same, although maybe for different reasons. He only seemed to click into gear when he was about to be subbed.

[Wallsendmag]

The more I see of him the more I really don't rate the lad. Aye he's decent at holding the ball up, as someone his size should be, but he's poor almost everywhere else and he looks so so slow and cumbersome.

 

And to think we could have had Austin for an extra couple of million. He could have turned out the difference between staying up and going down. Could turn out to be a massive own goal from the club that.

[Big Geordie]

As with most youngsters, he's lacking confidence in what is a struggling side and he's not helped by the awful lack of service that he gets, due to our lack of creativity and width. I like the kid and he will get better. He needs wingers though!

[Dr Venkman]

Not concerned about a few missed chances, strikers go on these runs and turn it round. The old cliche about worrying when he stops getting into positions is appropriate here.

[ToonTastic]

Lukaku was given the expertise of Big Dun as a coach to learn his game from. Taught how to hold the ball up, fight correctly in the league and score. This guy has obviously been told to fight for the ball and take a tumble to try and get freekicks and thats it. Needs real guidance and he will make it as a great player in the league. At the minute though we're ruining him.

Hes still young as well and needs a few chances to get a goal but because we are so crap at using the whole pitch and getting good crosses in we're left to focus on the misses.

 

[sh74]

Get Shearer in a couple of days a week coaching the forwards.

[Big Geordie]

Get Shearer in a couple of days a week coaching the forwards.

 

Great idea, but Ashley would never allow it. Shearer is too much of a personality.

[Guest neesy111]

Some of the excuses being made for him are pathetic.  He's a striker, he's expected to put away the chances he had last night if he can't then we've been sold a dud. 

[Parky]

Those two Watford lads are a good package if you consider the demands of the PL. Pace, power and determination. Proper scary. You either have to be an instinctive finisher or have pace and power. The strikers who are have neither have to be in a dominating side who play high up and keep the ball. He's on a hiding to nothing.

[Tooj]

Wasn't impressed with his desire yesterday, seemed to accept from the off that it wasn't going to be a good day so didn't bother putting in more than the bare minimum. Same with Perez.

[Yorkie]

Wasn't impressed with his desire yesterday, seemed to accept from the off that it wasn't going to be a good day so didn't bother putting in more than the bare minimum. Same with Perez.

 

Agreed. Recent weeks - yesterday included - have shown a significant increase in desire than the appalling defeats against the likes of Sheff Wed and Watford, but there are definitely still problems with the mentality of the squad.

 

Points-wise, the victories against Liverpool and Spurs have essentially been erased by the past two garbage results, and we're back to square one. McClaren is back to having to gee them up.

 

We're going to be down here all season.

[Skeletor]

I think the impact Mitrovic and Perez had against Spurs, only then to be on the bench for players who have contributed nothing recently has had an effect. That after they were the only ones dropped when the whole team was playing poorly before the Liverpool game. Hopefully it will pick up, but I worry that McClaren hasn't managed that situation in the best way. They seem demotivated now.

[triggs]

I think the impact Mitrovic and Perez had against Spurs, only then to be on the bench for players who have contributed nothing recently has had an effect. That after they were the only ones dropped when the whole team was playing poorly before the Liverpool game. Hopefully it will pick up, but I worry that McClaren hasn't managed that situation in the best way. They seem demotivated now.

They were dropped when the whole team were playing poorly because we had two decent replacements at the time and we don't in any other position. You can't have any complaints when you're dropped for playing poorly

[Andymc1]

Too early to judge. There's a lot of potential in there in my opinion but he needs some decent coaching to progress. Certainly not writing him off just yet.

[Skeletor]

I think the impact Mitrovic and Perez had against Spurs, only then to be on the bench for players who have contributed nothing recently has had an effect. That after they were the only ones dropped when the whole team was playing poorly before the Liverpool game. Hopefully it will pick up, but I worry that McClaren hasn't managed that situation in the best way. They seem demotivated now.

They were dropped when the whole team were playing poorly because we had two decent replacements at the time and we don't in any other position. You can't have any complaints when you're dropped for playing poorly

 

That is part of the problem though as I see it. When the replacements don't contribute anything and Perez and Mitrovic come on and turn games and still don't get back in the team it will cause motivation issues. All speculation obviously but you can see a decline in their motivation and the fact that Perez looks pissed off lately (don't ever remember him being that way before, even under Crystal Palace manager when he was here). I'd say Mitrovic looks pissed off too, but I'm sure that is his default state anyway.

[Dokko]

Unfortunately in times like these his weaknesses are coming through while his talent becomes hidden. It's up to him to influence the game more and make sure he's doing his best.

 

His questionable temperament plus his lack of natural fitness and pace is why he's here and not at a proper club.

 

 

[The College Dropout]

The criticism's mostly aimed at the club, not him. He's out of his depth and that's not his fault.

 

If we're talking about his abilities though I must say his complete lack of pace worries me. To overcome that you've got to have it between your ears and he just seems like someone that'd take a long time to acquire that.

 

Honestly, though. Signing solely him for so much money when you've got ready made PL strikers available for less is looking ludicrous. It typifies our brainless recruitment policy. We deserve relegation on the back of such decisions.

 

I genuinely think everyone at the club thought the playing staff were better than they actually are. We recruited like a midtable team looking to break into the top 8 in the mid 00's. Sign young lads with potential from abroad if it works we'll get into top 8 if it doesn't we'll be midtable at worst. But in reality we have a relegation level squad which needed experienced players to steady the ship. Just a couple transfer windows where we get players 25-32, pref with good PL experience. Just to refresh that Colo-Tiote-Anita-Cisse spine. Then the next summer go out and get these players with potential. Rarely does a team go from  17th to 8th.