[Archived] Nikola Kalinic

[Blue n White Rover]

What are your views on this guy? I haven't seen him play, I've seen a few Youtube Videos, but that's about it.

What kind of player is he and do you think he has the capability to fill the void left by Roque?

[mellison24]

With Kalinic, I'm getting the impression of a Bellamy/Santa Cruz love-child. Bellamy's temper and well-timed runs, with Santa Cruz's height, heading ability and hold-up play. Kalinic also has those vital assets they both possessed: Pace and finishing. I'm liking him a LOT. Sign his croatian midfield mate from Hadjuk Split too!! The box-to-box man we've been looking for!! (The bloke who scored against us for them about a month ago.)

[Majiball]

Lets see him play first.

[disgruntled]

I think he needs to be eligible to sign before that!

[grizfoot]

I'll be disappointed if he doesn't sport a pair of gloves come October with a first name like that.

[jny]

nikola kalinic - phonetically sounds like knicker-lacker-leen-ich so 'nik'name could 'Nik nak' which leads me to think he could have a song-

(to the tune of Nick Knack Paddywack) Nik Nak paddywack give the lad the ball, he might just score rover's a goal.

Sorry for all my ramblings but he isn't the most expensive signing since Shearer Kevin Davies is!

P.s hope the lad (I can hardly call him adjudging to the fact that he is older than me) does well!

[magicalmortensleftpeg]

Pompey sound genuinely gutted to have missed out. Its a weird feeling, to have outbid a premiership rival, it must be a first. Serious potential, seems quick, tall and a decent finisher. Cant complain. That with Di Santo makes today officially a 'good day'.

[rover6]

From the youtube clips (evidently not comprehensive) he seems a tall Matt Derbyshire type.

I hope he's better than Derbs and there is more to his game than 6 yard box finishes.

I will refer back to this post come the end of the season but at the moment, I see no justification for the hysteria. He seems a useful finisher. However, I don't know the details, so could well be inaccurately pessmistic. To my mind, his agent/PR buddies have done a magnificent job in hyping him up.

[DavidMailsTightPerm]

Seems to be a lot of good things written about the guy - but I will reserve judgement until I have seen in him play regularly. I still remember watching Carlos against Grimsby and thinking we had a potential world beater on our hands. Lets give the guy some time and support - and fingers crossed he will come good for us.

[tcj_jones]

Let's hope he's good because, otherwise, we're in trouble.

I'm cautiously optimistic. Must be good for the club to spend such a hefty amount.

[Exiled in Toronto]

Given that he apparently wasn't on the list of targets, I wonder how many times Sam has seen him play in the flesh

[Inta Beaver]

The lad looks like he can finish, I've seen alot of his goals on youtube, I don't think he will get the time like he did at Split, some shocking defending! It looks like he finishes with both feet and his head (not often nowadays) I'm looking forward to seeing him.

Let's hope he starts off well and if he takes the pens I think I know which side he will put it! Opposite to Benny!

[mhead]

This is a fantastic signing. Young,fast,quick feet and shoots early like BIG AL.

Also Croatians have attitude.... lots of it and work very hard with heart.

He will go down a bomb cos he will attract any spectators eyes. With Di Santo we now have a strike force that has a big surprise element for Premier defences. The moves look long-term and ambitious. Di Santo eventually to be replaced by maybe Hoilett or a new player.

This refreshes the whole squad for the new Season. Can't wait!

[Hughesy]

Iv not seen too much of the lad, but IF sam wanted him, and Bilic rates him as 'the future of croatian football' then it cant be a bad thing.

Hope he can take over as the new star striker - with age on his side, we could have a bargain here too!

[mhead]

Amazed by the lack of activity on this thread. This is a marque signing of the top order and may shape our next 5 seasons. Even if he only scores 15 per season this is a sign of the new sharper, stronger,athletic Rovers able to play against the Top 6 with hope and aspiration.

And all we get is a combination of silence or gloom about central midfield. The glass is more than half-full "Summer surfers".

[rover6]

The main reason that I am slightly disappointed in this signing is that I was hoping we would go for someone with creativity AND goals. Someone like LuaLua in his prime - someone to inject our side with some much needed skill and speed.

Kalinic will, I hope, score some goals. But who'll be creating the chances?

Edit: It's always an anti-climax once the player signs! Proof is the number of posts on this thread. It seems that the most exciting part of being a football fan is following and letting the imagination run away with transfer speculation. When the names and sources and agents and reported fees and all that speculative business becomes the tangible reality of "so and so" signs for "such and such" for "this long" - it just doesn't seem so mindbogglingly exciting....Nicko submerges and everyone gets back to twiddling their thumbs.

Bring on January transfer window!!!

[Majiball]

Amazed by the lack of activity on this thread. This is a marque signing of the top order and may shape our next 5 seasons. Even if he only scores 15 per season this is a sign of the new sharper, stronger,athletic Rovers able to play against the Top 6 with hope and aspiration.

And all we get is a combination of silence or gloom about central midfield. The glass is more than half-full "Summer surfers".

If he hits 15 in his first season I'll be ecstatic, buts he's going to need time to adapt and fit in at the club.

We desperately need a Midfielder with Grella, Dunn and Reid as three of our 5 specialists in that role.

[joey_big_nose]

Amazed by the lack of activity on this thread. This is a marque signing of the top order and may shape our next 5 seasons. Even if he only scores 15 per season this is a sign of the new sharper, stronger,athletic Rovers able to play against the Top 6 with hope and aspiration.

And all we get is a combination of silence or gloom about central midfield. The glass is more than half-full "Summer surfers".

I'm excited. To be honest this is the most exciting squad we have had in ages: two higly rated and young strikers, a set of younger players coming through (hoilett, olsson, marrow, Judge, Doran, N'Zonzi), decent balance and depth to the side, a solid defence.

There are a lot of unknowns. Of course this could blow up in our faces, but it will be interesting finding out!

The obvious issue is central midfield. We need to shift someone to buy someone (it could happen - remember that Nicko has been explicitly told we are looking for a "new Tugay".

Personally, if we don't sign anyone, I would be tempted to play Warnock and Dunn in the midfield together of a 442 - Warnock chasing the ball down a la Savage and Dunn sitting a bit deeper and providing the quality.

Not perfect but I think the best option we have at the moment. When Dunn gets injured, inevitably, we can then swap him out for Grella. Who will then get injured, but then, hopefully, Dunn can come back in.....

The thing that would transform the team would be if NZonzi turned out to be a very good player. Bit of a way off at the moment though.

[tchocky]

Kalinic looks to be a great signing with time. He's only 21 so I don't expect him to be great in his first season. If we can get Ibricic as well I will be very pleased with the summer signings.

[Ninjathunder]

Call me sceptical but until it's official I'm with Victor Meldrew.

[adopted scouser]

The youtube clips look great, Big Sam's making me feel quite optimistic. One thing's for sure Burnley are gonna get f****ng leathered home and away with 'kalinical' finishing

[incecticide]

This looks a good signing, two young players with the experience of Benni and Roberts backing them up and lending a hand. The only dampener is the frustrating reality of being a Rovers fan - if he does well, we'll get a maximum of two seasons out of him before he attracts interest and we're back to scouring the earth for a new striker to buy with "the Kalinic money"...

[AggyBlue]

Amazed by the lack of activity on this thread.

I think I'm the same as most posters when I say I'd never heard of him, let alone seen him play. In such circumstances it's difficult to post an opinion.

The glowing comments coming out of Croatia about him does raise some excitement though.

But I'd prefer to wait until he gets a work permit before popping the champagne corks.

[Claytons Left Boot]

Wonder if his grandfather was a Chetnik or a Partisan?

I'll guess a partisan.

Dobar dan!

[CrazyIvan]

I'm looking forward to see him play (as with Di Santo) but I'm not getting overly excited by any signing we make. The last one we did that looked exciting was Carlos and, while we saw glimpses of his talent, he just wasn't good enough to make it with us. We shall see with this round of signings whether any are adequate replacement for RSC (first season).