Aleksandar Mitrović

[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.

[sugoinufc]

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

 

but he wasn´t forced to sell either...

[Guest firetotheworks]

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

 

but he wasn´t forced to sell either...

 

What do you mean? Rafa doesn't control who we buy and sell. He tells Lee Charnley who he wants to buy and sell and naturally, as they've been doing for the last decade, they sell but don't do the buying bit.

[sugoinufc]

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

 

but he wasn´t forced to sell either...

 

What do you mean? Rafa doesn't control who we buy and sell. He tells Lee Charnley who he wants to buy and sell and naturally, as they've been doing for the last decade, they sell but don't do the buying bit.

 

Im not convinced this is true...in this case. If Rafa wanted to keep Mitro, he would have stayed.

 

If Rafa had plans for Mitro here, then he wouldn´t have been sold. Almost 100% sure of that.

 

[TRon]

Rafa clearly didn't want to keep Mitro, he wanted a different type of target man. You could argue that he wasn't given his first choice replacement, but it has also been suggested that Rondon was very high up on the wanted list if not top of it given our budget.

[mighty__mag]

 

 

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.

 

Its basically very similar to Jose Mourinho but with much shitter players.

 

I'm sure there are plenty of Man Utd fans also still fighting for Jose, and others who find their football piss poor at times.

 

The thing is Man Utd can attract a manager with a good CV and fund him.

 

We won't do either with this regime. I can judge Rafa on not being daring enough and wanting to send a side out and have a go, but I can't judge him until he's been properly backed with players he wants so whatever his desired system is we could actually see it in effect, but it's likely it will never happen now.

[Guest firetotheworks]

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

 

but he wasn´t forced to sell either...

 

What do you mean? Rafa doesn't control who we buy and sell. He tells Lee Charnley who he wants to buy and sell and naturally, as they've been doing for the last decade, they sell but don't do the buying bit.

 

Im not convinced this is true...in this case. If Rafa wanted to keep Mitro, he would have stayed.

 

If Rafa had plans for Mitro here, then he wouldn´t have been sold. Almost 100% sure of that.

 

 

I'm not saying Rafa wanted to keep Mitrovic though? I'm just saying that he doesn't control who we buy and sell, he requests players. Rafa was put in a position where in order to get players we had to sell first, so they sold Mitrovic and didn't buy the player that Rafa wanted.

[TRon]

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

 

but he wasn´t forced to sell either...

 

What do you mean? Rafa doesn't control who we buy and sell. He tells Lee Charnley who he wants to buy and sell and naturally, as they've been doing for the last decade, they sell but don't do the buying bit.

 

Im not convinced this is true...in this case. If Rafa wanted to keep Mitro, he would have stayed.

 

If Rafa had plans for Mitro here, then he wouldn´t have been sold. Almost 100% sure of that.

 

 

I'm not saying Rafa wanted to keep Mitrovic though? I'm just saying that he doesn't control who we buy and sell, he requests players. Rafa was put in a position where in order to get players we had to sell first, so they sold Mitrovic and didn't buy the player that Rafa wanted.

 

I thought Rondon was one of his major targets this summer? The only other name seriously mentioned was Plea and his own chairman said he preferred to go to Borussia Mönchengladbach.

[Guest Howaythetoon]

I watched him the other week or weekend and he doesn’t play any different in terms of his game. It’s just that Fulham get in far more crosses, he plays higher up and very centrally and they support him in numbers around him and in the box. I still look at him and see nothing but an average player and a slow huff and puff one at that though. But he’s banging them in for them and good luck to him. A fairly organised defence and an equally strong CB paired against him would deal with him easy enough though IMO. In short he doesn’t have much in his locker and if he’s not scoring, he’s not much of a threat or brings a great deal else to the table. He’s obviously better than anyone else we have mind so...

[KaKa]

I wasn't going to say anything becasue I just couldn't be bothered to get into the back and forth, but I watched a couple of their games now too, and felt very similarly.

 

The key thing with him really is getting crosses in the box regularly.

[Guest Howaythetoon]

I wasn't going to say anything becasue I just couldn't be bothered to get into the back and forth, but I watched a couple of their games now too, and felt very similarly.

 

The key thing with him really is getting crosses in the box regularly.

 

He’s a bit of a throw back as a CF, slow, awkward and very rough, but he’s strong, good in the air, can make the ball his own in terms of shielding and can finish. He’s not clinical, but he knows the way to goal. Given Fulham are what I’d call a football team, far more than we are anyway, you’d think he would be an odd fit, where as Gayle who they were after would seem a good fit. But it works and again good luck to him. Again though, I think he wouldn’t be too hard to nullify for any physically strong savvy CB or organised back four.

 

I think he’s very limited and can’t see him anywhere near a top club other than their bench. For us, I think we could play to his strengths and have enough players to do so, but it’s a case of how much more we would benefit as opposed to how much more we would suffer.

 

In all honesty, I don’t think Mitrovic in our side and us playing to his strengths would make any real difference over what we do now without him. We might end up with a striker getting into double figures, but unless we are talking 20 + league goals is it worth it?

 

Mind, when the alternative seems to be Joselu...

[Zero]

He isn't rough. His ball control is more than decent. If you really pay attention to his ball control and build up plays you should notice he actually contributes a lot to the team even outside the penalty area.

 

He is getting the basics right, for a target man.

[Stottie]

He's doing really well. I'm sure Mike Ashley is enjoying the money we got for him too.

 

It's true that Mitro has scored his five? goals so far from a combined distance of about 20 yards, from chances we are not able to create, but he can knock em in from the edge of the box too. Just give it time.