As we can see in the "Thursday Fulham Stuff" thread, there is a sudden outpour of Newcastle fans and journos trying to rationalize why Mitrovic wouldn't be any good in the prem in the face of anger from the fanbase at him not getting a chance.
https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/aleksandar-mitrovic-scoring-championship-its-14378468
http://www.nufcblog.co.uk/2018/03/07/supporter-hits-the-nail-on-the-head-when-addressing-aleksandar-mitrovics-rise-to-form-at-fulham/
https://www.themag.co.uk/2018/03/everybody-needs-calm-aleksandar-mitrovic-newcastle-united/
Mind, these are the same people that said last season proved he wasn't good enough for the championship. I don't think we should take their word too seriously based on that we've seen with our own eyes how well he defends from the front, something they argue he is unable to do.
Given the attitude of the Newcastle aligned press, I'm much more optimistic about our chances of signing him at least.
To be fair Rafa said he doesn't play him because he's not suited to low possession defensive counter attacking teams. I tend to agree. He's too good for that.
Quote from: Stefan The Viking (The Moose) on March 08, 2018, 11:12:40 AM
To be fair Rafa said he doesn't play him because he's not suited to low possession defensive counter attacking teams. I tend to agree. He's too good for that.
Nice pithy summary.
Although according to something I read he scored 9 goals in 31 appearances in the prem when he was first there. As that was the season they were relegated, I can't imagine they were a high possession team then.
I think it is also down to that Slav seems to be the kind of manager that is good at working with egos and giving players the freedom to do what they want and make mistakes (many players have remarked upon this in interviews), whereas Rafa is notorious for being detail oriented and wants every player to follow his plan exactly.
Mitrovic is a big character, if nothing else, so him being on the wrong side of Rafa ins't incredibly surprising.
Quote from: Tabby on March 08, 2018, 10:39:16 AM
As we can see in the "Thursday Fulham Stuff" thread, there is a sudden outpour of Newcastle fans and journos trying to rationalize why Mitrovic wouldn't be any good in the prem in the face of anger from the fanbase at him not getting a chance.
https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/aleksandar-mitrovic-scoring-championship-its-14378468
http://www.nufcblog.co.uk/2018/03/07/supporter-hits-the-nail-on-the-head-when-addressing-aleksandar-mitrovics-rise-to-form-at-fulham/
https://www.themag.co.uk/2018/03/everybody-needs-calm-aleksandar-mitrovic-newcastle-united/
Mind, these are the same people that said last season proved he wasn't good enough for the championship. I don't think we should take their word too seriously based on that we've seen with our own eyes how well he defends from the front, something they argue he is unable to do.
Given the attitude of the Newcastle aligned press, I'm much more optimistic about our chances of signing him at least.
There is a real love in with Rafa up here .I find it quite cringeworthy .
He can do no wrong .Its all Ashleys fault .They never blame Rafas tactics etc.
They have hounded out a few managers up here with better records than Benitez.
One of my toon mates up here said Rafa should have saved them from relegation
2 years ago.Has constantntly not picked Shelvey either, so has a problem with the more lively
characters .Dont think Mitrovic was handled well by Rafa ,and i forget he is only 23.
Quote from: Tabby on March 08, 2018, 03:15:24 PM
I think it is also down to that Slav seems to be the kind of manager that is good at working with egos and giving players the freedom to do what they want and make mistakes (many players have remarked upon this in interviews)
The Serbian connection must have played a role in him coming down here.
One of my toon mates up here said Rafa should have saved them from relegation
2 years ago.
[/quote]
That's a bit rough I think. They took 12 points from the last 6 games. Problem was all the teams around them kept taking points also.
But definitely agree Rafa has managed the public well and has used Ashley as the villain to subtle, but good effect.
Hope it continues to work out for Fulham and Mitro, to Newcastle's detriment.
For a striker that has expressed how he likes to have defenders on his back, I can't see how Rafa would think a counterattack offense would benefit Mitro. I have to give Slav credit here as he does a very good job of adapting the system to the players he has. Early on it was looking like he was going to continue to square up those round holes, but now he's seeing the full benefits of bending the play style to adhere to his players. Rafa may need to consider the same.
Newcastle's inability is our ability. The way to keep any striker happy is to ensure the system gives them a fair few chances in every game and, as Jokanovic has said from earliest times, if you have the ball then the opposition cannot score but you can. What Mitrovic brings to the table is that unmissable quality of the killer instinct that comes with a player who knows his trade. His second goal on Tuesday night was all about stylish simplicity - deft pass and deft finish. I'd find it hard to believe any side would play to a style that denies a striker those kinds of chances at least once or twice a game. To survive in football you have to score goals and any player increasing your chances of doing that is worth their weight in gold.
Rafa let him go because he couldn't trust him I think,so he shipped him out.
