Yeh he needs to be in the box, but irrelevant if the system requires a striker who will track back. You could be telling me we've got Benzema on the bench. I'll keep telling you if he doesn't track back he doesn't fit the system. I never said the system is the greatest and most amazing to watch, but its got us to 9th so I don't care Those crosses were aimed at Atsu basically trying to replicate the similar goal he scored off Ritchie, all the crosses seemed angled for it. This was a tactic and less due to him taking longer to get in the box, they would have just waited longer. Remember everything's planned over and over in training.
When Mitro has been anonymous in matches its been down to a lack of mobility as opposed to too much of it. The fella has trouble getting in box when he links it up on the edge of it, never mind doing a whole defensive job.
To me that proves the point mate. What was the last NUFC defence to achieve that? Also, can you name me a free-scoring but high-conceding relegation candidate that successfully stayed in the prem? I'm not saying I love some of the football, but I expected newt less this season. Putting Mitro instead of Josse wouldn't have meant we'd be sitting now on even top 10 for goals scored, however I'm pretty certain we wouldn't be top 4 for least goals conceded. As said before, putting Mitro in doesnt make up for that deficit in defence.
I think you have to look at it differently. The home form is excellent. Away from home we are struggling. Just try something different. You can always revert to type. I don't think Mitro will have any negative effect on our defensive work. The worry is the discipline. However if he keeps his head he might score more than Joselu who is undoubtedly hurting us.
Agreed that we don't seem to be able to come back from conceding a goal away from home but I see it as a progression - before we used to go on and concede another two - now at least we hang on in there. Think that Mitro should be given a few more chances at home to see whether he can build some confidence. Maybe wait until we have a few more points though. I have this nagging feeling that it could all go pear-shaped if we suffer a home defeat against a team we would hope to beat (e.g. Bournemouth).
You can't be picking a striker on the basis of him being the best defender. I know what you're saying with Joselu doing good defensive work but there has to be some sort of boldness with the game plan in order to try and score goals. I fully expect Rafa to keep pretty much the same team, though, maybe with Hayden coming back in.
Jakarta hits the nail on the head for me, I think I'm still remembering the defensive capitulation of pretty much every team we've had since Robson (even then but more successful) I think Mitro's worth a punt at home, yes, but also so is Gayle then. Mitro was one of the guys we were all berating in the relegation season for missing a host of chances. Whilst I get he's been more profligate than Josse, he's not even as lethal up front as the likes of Chris Wood. I don't think playing Mitro will mean we'll score two, I do think we could let in more than two and end with a red card though once heads drop and frustration sets in. To be fair if Mitro hadn't got himself that retrospective ban literally the very game he'd started to win back trust, then we might not be having this conversation now and the system might be different. I just think Rafa deserves credit, as said by jonjomert, our attack is all-round gash. One daren't run, one's a tackle away from a red card, one's ****ing Ayoze and the other is just as unreliable in attack but IS useful on helping the team keep shape and offering the ball out to the wings. Whilst, no, It's not what you expect in a striker, I've got respect for him grinding results out with a team that realistically should be rivalling Sunderland's relegation year. Christ, even they had Defoe! Perhaps we should be more bold, but I will stick to the opinion adding Mitro doesn't make us THAT much bolder, which means we continue to have a crap attack but then also a less effective defence.
I will admit josse is on the end of literally nothing these days, maybe it is worth a go. I just think with the speed in which we attack, but spend most of the game without the ball, wouldn't mean Mitro would make this system that much better. Mate I'm happy to eat me words, hopefully he gets some game time today so we can start putting this to bed.
http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/150-drunk-newcastle-fans-trashed-13861156 I immediately thought if Chip Shop on an '18 canner' when I read this. Should be ashamed of themselves yourself.
It’s the kids. There is an underbelly of little Scroates aged 18-25 who get rat arsed on 4 cans of Stella and make a tot of themselves. Professional drinkers such as I nail 16 cans (you were close) on the Lancashire trips and nothing more than piss in several random bushes.
The thing that is forgotten when assessing Joselu's inability to put away chances, is the pressure that eventually puts on your defence. You can get away with it for a while but once teams know you have this weakness, they just start looking to nick a goal and then hold it. Rafa has done really well in terms of keeping us in the game most of the games. A chance taken here or there and we are 4-6 points better off. However conversely a chance taken for the oppo here or there and we are right in the mire. We have to find a way to be the side taking those chances with a certain degree of regularity. Joselu isn't it and I'm not picking my strikers based on defensive work unless I have goals galore in midfield. We don't. I just think your defence starts to creak under duress if we continue down the current path. We've missed Merino massively, more than I would have expected. Don't get me wrong I rate him highly but some got carried away. However he has been a huge miss just on mobility. Jonjo and Hayden just sit there. So when you have this lack of mobility, lack of goals in midfield, the minimum you need is a predatory striker or an alternative way of battering open the defences. I think Gayle or Mitro is due a run now.
Howabout the simple fact that Gayle, Mitrovic and Joselu are just not good enough at this level, we pay peanuts in reality when strikers are going for £25 million plus, paying between £5 and £15 million is just not enough at this level, Mitrovic is a product of our flawed transfer policy of buy young and cheap and hope to build value to flog him for a profit, he wasn't bought as a finished product capable of scoring 15 to 20 goals in top flight football and lacks many of the requirements to achieve this let alone his lack of discipline. Either the club spends or continues as is to struggle make steps forwards, comes down to Ashley as ever.
No doubt there is an element of that. I do think Mitrovic if under control (big if) could be useful to us as an option - but he certainly divides the fan base in terms of how he is rated so there is little point going through that debate again. However we need to find the best solution for the time that remains between now and January (potentially beyond if once again the sale talk turns out to be as cheap as our strikers). I think Joselu has had a good crack at it now and has shown himself to be below the quality of Mitro and Gayle IMO. It makes sense to give the other two a go (either separately or in tandem) and see if our luck/quality changes. Personally I don't think we have a striker who is good enough to be your main striker in the PL. So for me its just about making the best of what you have until you hopefully buy one. The problem for Newcastle is unless we unearth another Demba Ba, or the takeover happens, we will never be able to afford a decent striker. Realistically Iheanacho went for 20m-25m. We couldn't afford that and even he is not a guaranteed source of goals. Chris Wood likewise and he cost 15m. The only ones I've seen move for reasonable figures who I think would have got goals were Hernandez was 12m and Gabbiadini was 15m. They at least look natural finishers when presented with chances. Both not setting the world alight at present however. Look at the top scorers so far this season and it tells its own story. http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/top-scorers Strikers with 6 or more all play for the big 6 bar Vardy. The rest aren't even offering 1 in 2. Our most likely source of a goal is Lascelles
