Off Topic mitrovic

Hence why I've said I'd like to see us try and accommodate him next season, but not at the expense of others. If we are going to keep Mitro in place of Slimani and not change much else up front then it's far too big a risk.

I'm not guna sit here and have a multiple scorgasm over multiple goals scored against crap opposition like. Grabban's never had a full crack at this league either. Irrelevant of age, does him a anyone consider him a PL striker? Being a good striker in the Champ is little slight, there's not many good goal-scoring ones about these days.

I'll defend Rafa's right to loan him aswell though as, funnily enough, it hasn't gone badly for either party. The teams who rely on their strikers in the way he requires would be Manure with Lukaku and spurs with Kane. Not quite sure who else. Even Arsenal rely on a combination of Aubameyang/Lacazette. Oh and Welbeck on the Euro nights.

 

Grabban is a poor comparison for me. One is a journeyman striker who’s had a couple of good seasons in the championship. He is 30yr old and that age is relevant for me.

The other is a young international striker at 23. He has scored goals everywhere he has been. Indeed we are an anomaly but then we haven’t really played him. When we have, he has scored goals. He came with excellent pedigree having coming out of a highly respected youth system and then did well in the top league of a secondary European nation. This included 25 European appearances in both CL and Europa (albeit a lot of sub appearances with limited success). He has scored goals for his country.

Basically we have a hot property on our hands, it’s just one our manager can’t really use. Perhaps others are right and he doesn’t know how to use him or get the best from him. However I think it’s more a case Rafa just flat doesn’t see him adapting and has no interest in altering his tactics. Regardless of tactics/system I think we can all accept he would do a better job than Joselu. But he ain’t Spanish and he wasn’t a Rafa purchase.

He was right to force his way out in January and he has done wonders for his career in doing so. I admire his desperation to play games and get time in just legs to be ready for his country. Rafa was fair to him and accepted his decision to leave. I don’t think he will stand in his way if he wants out in the summer as expected. We should get excellent money for him so we should be grateful to Mitro for doing what he has in demanding a loan. He was respectful to the club while here too. I couldn’t say anything bad about him really bar he is a bit of a hot head.

 

Bottom line is that Mitrovic has the potential to be a top striker. That won't be with us unfortunately. If Fulham come up then expect him to sign for them, hit the ground running in the PL and end up at a top club.

 

Whether you like him or not, no one can deny he's done well at Fulham.
Now that he's had a scent of playing regularly and being the main man up front, I can't see him accepting a role as a back-up striker again under Rafa. Nor should he.
Best thing he can do is put Newcastle behind him, move on and more than likely have a half decent career.

 

I thought he was crap since I watched that first friendly against Belgian or a Dutch opposition, where he missed two blatant sitters. He had a poor start in goal scoring, but the kick-the-walls style play endears him to fans, and the atmosphere changed when he came on in games.

Fair enough, he's not good enough, so Rafa doesn't play him in the championship or premier league... but he is still young, and given his record at Fulham, maybe he's developing into the player people thought we had signed.

It's the same championship in which Gayle was effective, so maybe he's still crap at premier league level, but I'm more convinced to give him a go now than before the loan spell.

 

What the **** have you done with the real JPF??

 

Nothing, I just have to have the opposite opinion to Pouchy at all costs, it's a rule we established way back

Scratch that, he's called Mitrovic hot property above...

**** him, he's ****. Sell sell sell...

 

It was more for the point of saying look at other high scores in the league. Vydra is the top scorer and has banded around the championship for years. McCormack is another in recent memory. Waghorn's killing it, sorry who's he? How's Abraham done in the prem after slaughtering the champ in a **** team?

Sessegnon's scored 14 in that team, it stands to reason a striker would fare well.

Just presenting a few Mitro facts to keep your feet on the ground like. Good player, not amazing.


And yes Pouch, I'm so grateful to Mitro I've stuck him next to the Wijnaldum pic hanging on my wall.

 

Still. On. He gets sent off in the play offs.

 

An inspired move to move him on.

Bend.

That.

Knee.

For.

Rafa.

 

Well I hope that people aren't looking at Mitrovic and what he is doing now and saying, you see he's a world beater. He certainly is not. Can he do it at PL level? I think the simple and most honest answer is, none of us know. He would have to playing week in week out in a style of play suited to him for anyone to know that. Clearly you think its unlikely along with a number of others. Personally I think he will be able to step up given the opportunity. A number of others do too. Just opinions and I think its folly to think Mitrovic will score in the PL just because he has proven capable of scoring in the Championship. The very same people who don't think he will score in the PL, didn't think he was capable in the Championship either. They were wrong about that, they could be wrong about the PL too. It is all about opportunity to prove it.

It is pretty simple to me. Rafa doesn't rate him as of being much use to him. Whether that is tactical, ability, temperament or something else, we don't know. It doesn't really matter. The best bet is for Mitrovic to get himself to a club where he is wanted and where they will play to his strengths. We bank the sizeable fee which comes our way and put it with the rest of the money to help us to improve.

I appreciate his efforts while here, I admire his desire to not see his career damaged. I think the manager deserves credit for realising that keeping a player he doesn't want is not good for either party. I thank Mitrovic for not sulking, getting himself a move and playing so well his value has gone through the roof.

It may be unlikely with the interest in Kenedy now. However I'm sure every Newcastle United fan would think if the money from Mitrovic went towards a successful purchase of Kenedy in the summer, it would be money well spent.

In terms of the players you mentioned. McCormack, Waghorn, Vydra are all journeymen with patchy Chamionship records - none really comparable to Mitrovic in terms of ability I'd have to say too. Could they do a job in the PL? I don't think any of them could do but I can't hand on heart say they couldn't have at their pea as they never played in the PL to answer that question.

Jamie Vardy is proof opportunity and suitable playing style can result in being very effective. As for Abraham, I'm sure he will turn out to be a good PL striker. Like Mitrovic he will need opportunity and suitable playing style. This year he has found himself at a struggling Swansea side not playing to his strengths, and most of his appearances have been from the bench. What has he got, about 5 in 15 PL starts? I wouldn't worry about him too much at 20 yr old. I bet Rafa would buy him straight away given the chance.

 

In two cameo appearances Slimani has looked like a professional top flight striker. Nobody else we have on the books ever has.

Benitez is talking about finishing above Arsenal even challenging for 6th. Mitrovic isn’t the one making that difference.

 

But I don't think he was the one stopping it From happening either. Have no idea if he would be any good as he hasn't played either in premier league or championship. Having said that, I will trust that Rafa knows more than I do

 

This makes no sense. Are you saying Mitrovic was preventing it from happening? Or are you saying Benitez is the more important out of the two? If its the latter then I think everyone has pretty much said that. Benitez was the reason we weren't doing well before Xmas. Just as he is the reason we are doing so well now.