What Do We Do With A Problem Like Mitro

[FFC In Oz]

I think the penalty miss for us then followed up by the Serbia penalty miss against Scotland has wrecked his head. Even thinking back to QPR when he made a run but the ball went to Kebano and he scored, Mitro's response of putting his hands on his head and I have watched that back he continues to do so even after turning around and seeing Kebano and others celebrating (Watch the highlights back if you like). This I think was because he is so desperate to score. I however don't see the rest of his game that we are used to seeing, like the 30 yards thumps, the dropping deep and linking play. Also he is so static in the box when balls do come in, which makes defending him so much simpler for the opposition defenders.
He to me seems to be sitting on the last defender shoulder hoping for an easy goal to get him back on form rather than trying to have an impact on other areas of the game.  I would love to see him banging them in again, but it won't happen unless he plays himself out of this rut.

I have posted this video of the highlights from the 2018 season where he seems to have it all.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZZhFIquAJo&ab_channel=ScoutingFootball
This was only 2 and a bit years ago, there is no physical reason unless there is a long term injury we are not aware of so it must be in his head.
I also know Parker plays us different to how Slav did, but he is still part of a front 3 in Parkers system and I feel like he can do more to get involved in play and I don't think this is all down to a lack of service as the video proves he has the ability he just doesn't seem as hungry as he once was. I mean the guys 26 years old, hes hardly slowing down as he is reaching the end of his career.
This is of course all my opinion, but this is what I am seeing.

Nice post.

I think as you rightly point out, he is trying to get a cheap goal to restore his confidence and form.

He definitely needs to try and get involved in some link up play, and make sure he's pressing the opposition defenders, hitting the targets with his passes.  You do the basics right, and the goals will come.

[toshes mate]

Even in 18/19[/url] he "only" scored 11 goals in the EPL.   I think he played 37 games...  and he was completely healthy for most of that season (unless I'm not remembering it correctly).

He had a good start...then he would go a long run of games without scoring a goal.

By comparison, Bamford has scored 10 goals this season. 

Worth noting Bamford's team are on course to get twice as many points and twice as many goals this season as we did in 18/19

11 goals for a crap team is respectable, make no mistake about that.

People expecting someone to get 20 goals for us are dreaming. 20 goals a season players in the PL are worth £40m. Any player that scores 20 goals for us in a PL season will be leaving at the end of that season, guaranteed. 

For a bit of perspective, McBride's best was 10 and Zamora's was 8. Even Saha and Berbatov, 13 and 15 respectively.

I think that's my point.   Why I said relieving pressure by having someone else as a goal scoring threat as well.   

I think you make a hugely important point which hinges upon moving or multiple threats that occur from regularly switching the point where the threat is coming from.  When Jokanovic modelled his teams around possession the games where it worked as intended demonstrated how quickly a team could move the point of threat around and he did this long before Mitrovic arrived.  Parker, in his own way has, in the minus Mitrovic period, attempted to emulate this but the -alt. regular goal scorers simply haven't materialised.  That is why I have stuck fully behind Parker during his attempts to play the way he has.  What I don't understand is why he cannot also play that way with Mitrovic by adjusting and /or setting the team up to be more mobile in possession and use player quality to keep possession rather than counter all the time.  We have some terrific passers in the team but often our downfall is poor decision making by individuals.

You certainly need more than one regular goal scorer but I don't see any likely looking regular clinical finishers in the side.  It all reminds me of Knockaert and Cavaleiro from last season.

[MJG]

Even in 18/19[/url] he "only" scored 11 goals in the EPL.   I think he played 37 games...  and he was completely healthy for most of that season (unless I'm not remembering it correctly).

He had a good start...then he would go a long run of games without scoring a goal.

By comparison, Bamford has scored 10 goals this season. 

Worth noting Bamford's team are on course to get twice as many points and twice as many goals this season as we did in 18/19

11 goals for a crap team is respectable, make no mistake about that.

People expecting someone to get 20 goals for us are dreaming. 20 goals a season players in the PL are worth £40m. Any player that scores 20 goals for us in a PL season will be leaving at the end of that season, guaranteed. 

For a bit of perspective, McBride's best was 10 and Zamora's was 8. Even Saha and Berbatov, 13 and 15 respectively.

This is why I don't understand the clammer by some to move him on. Christ, he has 52 goals in 118 apparencies in all completions. He's been on the pitch for 92% of all those games he has actually played in.
He's 27 this year and still has loads to offer.

[Woolly Mammoth]

We have to keep Mitro for more than one reason, I hope he plays tonight as we need him to batter down Brighton's door, and then West Brom and so on, as who else is there we can look to in the squad for goals.
Also Brighton's defenders will have their hands full if Mitro has the flavour. They will not look forward to marking him.

[St Eve]

We have to keep Mitro for more than one reason, I hope he plays tonight as we need him to batter down Brighton's door, and then West Brom and so on, as who else is there we can look to in the squad for goals.
Also Brighton's defenders will have their hands full if Mitro has the flavour. They will not look forward to marking him.

Spot on

[70sPimlico]

Really peed off tonight.

Not with Mitro, not with the players, not with our DOF but with Parker.

Mitro has certain attributes. We all know what they are. If it isn't working, changing the players around never makes a difference.
Parker has shown time and again that he doesn't have the answer when Mitro isn't being effective by keeping him on the pitch. Thats fine. I can live with that. Not sure what that answer is, maybe go long ball and feed off him, maybe.

But, then change it.

I don't believe there is a manager in the top 2 divisions that wouldn't have taken him off today. That team that beat Leicester a few weeks ago pressed them all over the park, especially up front, won the ball back and broke fast and looked dangerous.

How can you play the same tactics with Mitro? I felt sorry for the attacking players around him tonight. He is the slowest player in the premiership.

I never come on here and scream player out or all the other stuff and I'm not doing that now but I just pray that we are not going back to those tactics again.

Don't go down with a slow predictable whimper