Murphy should be coming on to close off games! + Buy a target man next season Rafa!

I've just seen a stat, Mitrovic scored more goals in his first season in the PL at 21 years of age than Patrick Kluivert did for us, I think Patrick had a much better team around him too

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To be fair souness was picking shola ahead of kluivert

 

Shola was a talented player, the things he could do with a bike and an apple

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I think Mitro is getting a raw deal off some fans personally. However I don't think he has much of a future under Rafa. You'd like to think Rafa will be here long term (it will mean we are doing well and he has improved). I don't think the two mix though as Rafa has never been a big fan of target men in the way he plays. He likes to have one in his squad but uses them sparingly.

 

Likewise Haidara

 

Hmm, not sure we are going to agree on this one...

I have noted the swell in acknowledgement of his terrible footballing ability. I did warn them you'd hunt them down and even considered changing my stance so you had some support. Then I remember he is utter **** and I'd be looking like a chump.

I'm afraid this is just like masturbation...

On your own
On your own
On your own

(unless you're Obi and Nev then one has to hold the mirror while they locate their cocks)

 

Mitro will go on to another club and be a massive player. Another player that our deluded fan base label as useless a la Jon Dahl Tomasson.
You have to play to Mitro's strengths otherwise he is ineffective. Playing through balls on the ground to him won't work. Playing him as a lone striker won't work. Playing him as part of a duo with contrasting styles [i.e., big target man next to small, pacey goalscorer] will work and his track record with both Anderlecht and Serbia proves that. Cross the ball into the box and aim for his head will work. Playing low crosses across the box won't. The Mitro of Anderlecht and Serbia was/ is potentially lethal because they used/ know how to bring out his abilities and strengths. The Mitro of Newcastle United is a shadow of that player because the management stubbornly refuse to play to his strengths for the benefit of him and the team as a whole. Make no mistake about it - Mitrovic and Gayle as a partnership would have destroyed the Championship this season.

Last season, McClaren made the comical mistake of relying on Mitrovic alone to score 30 goals. Never going to happen. This season he has been frozen out due to the form of Gayle and the single reliance on one lone striker. Funny that when he came in earlier in the season he was on form, scoring goals because we played to his strengths. His reward? Dropped once Gayle returned from fitness. I feel sorry for the guy. He looks at times like a useless lump because he hasn't scored 15-20 goals. But we aren't even seeing half the player that he is. He's not pacey, he's not agile and never will be. What he is though is young, raw, with bags of potential. Team him up with the right partner in the right team with the right formation and tactics he will be lethal. It's a no brainer.

 

Agreed, I do think he hasn't been done any favours by Rafa. That Oxford game was stupid, he was clearly not fit, just returned from injury and he isn't the fittest anyway and Rafa gung him out to dry for 90 mins.

Gayle needs to play on the last man, push the defence back, give them something to worry about whilst mitro comes a bit deeper, collects the ball in the gaps and introduces other players into attacking phases of play. Also people neglect the defensive set piece work a target man offers, Mitro wins plenty of headers defending set pieces and never gives away fouls, something that goes un-noticed.

Whether he flourishes here or goes elsewhere, I will always keep a keen eye on his development because I think he has the ability to become a 20 goal a season striker, but he needs to work hard

 

Agreed - I'd play him in the No10 slot - he did fairly well linking play and bringing people into the game on Sat .

you then have the option of switching it around and playing him as an out and out target man with Gayle feeding off knock downs

 

I actually think Gayle would score more goals with Mitro alongside him. I think he would have a similar effect to Carroll in that he ends up drawing players to him. They end up doubling up to combat the threat and the strike partner flourishes. Or the holding player gets obsessed with getting around him for the second ball and Shelvey is left more room to operate in.

I still think 433 with pace around him is the best option but I can accept we don't really have the players. Ritchie and Perez are most suited to the role and neither has high energy or blistering pace. Atsu is more of a wide man. Therefore a bit of 442 at home would be interesting. Away Rafa can operate the counter attack as you can't really argue with his results away.

 

Agreed we should be going with 2 up top! We struggle to kill games off/see them out and an additional striker will give us a bit more going forwards. Look back at all our our draws and defeats this term and bar the QPR draw the last weekend we have failed to score more than once in those nine games... (also we have only won 1-0 thrice this season including Saturdays win over Derby - Rotherham and Bristol the others respectively)

Mitro and Gayle seems like a match made in heaven with pace and power and I think they'd be looking at 15+ goals a season each, although Gayle looks like he can hit 30 himself this year so that's probably why Rafa doesn't feel the need to.

I'd go with 3-4-1-2 as we have the players to make a really attack minded team with the added benefit of 2 strikers.

 

Gayle and Mitrovic could play together but Gayle should be playing off Mitro, not the other way round. Mitro is not a number 10. Gayle would basically have to alter his game a bit for them to play together but I'm sure it could work. It's crazy that they've barely spent any time together whatsoever on the pitch this season. I said before the season started that Gayle, Mitrovic and Rafa should sit down and watch tapes of Shearer and Bellamy because that's exactly how that partnership should be working.

Anyway, we've been saying this all season and it hasn't happened and basically it isn't going to happen, is it?

 

Very well said mate.

 

Added his 6th Start to the list... Are people still moaning about him? He's a young lad, shows passion and will only get better, deserves the fans unwavering support until he starts having a Shola-esque scoring record or angling for a move away. Until then.... MITROS ON FIIIIIIRE!!!

 

And its more expensive to get his name on the back of your shirt - txxt

 

For me he has not been given a fair crack his goal ratio per game is fantastic.
My only concern is his inanity to control his emotion.
I would to see him up top with Gayle but it will never happen