[Archived] Nikola Kalinic

[den]

Kalinic proved once again last night that he is not an impact player.

Good strikers can make an impact at any stage of a game.

[Gav]

He needs to be put out to pasture until next season for me, he's taken a beating in the press, hardly played, and isn't doing much in training, not attributes required for a relegation fight.

[gumboots]

Good strikers can make an impact at any stage of a game.

And there aren't many that miss them in training but put them in on the pitch. there are some who score in training but can't do it in a match but good strikers just keep putting the ball in the net wherever. They sometimes lose confidence in a match situation or can be marked out of things for a large part of the game, but eventually, if they get a chance they stick one in. If you're not doing it in training, the chances are you'd not do it in a match.

[Mercer]

Donut Kean has shot the lad's confidence to pieces.

Anyone who thinks that getting ANY professional player, let alone an international striker who bagged two for Croatia very recently, to shoot into an empty net is beneficial is, IMO, an imbecile and quite clearly totally lacking in the art of psychology and man management.

Rhetoric should been "Niko is busting a gut to get a chance and I feel sure that, given his career record, he will get us goals when called upon".

Build the lad up you clown just as you've built yourself up for Venky's.

I still maintain that Niko's movement in the box is the best of any striker we have and so is his finishing. Watch the highlights from his previous club and the international teams. Movement = intelligence, coolness in finishing is what you either have or haven't (and Donut's cheerleader, Roberts, hasn't).

I've said this before and I'll say it again, with the right management, we have potentially a top, top striker here and it will be no surprise to me when he turns-up with either Liverpool or Spurs next season, Villa at worse. Many will laugh but just wait and see.

[Tom]

It may not have been the wisest thing to say in the press but it's hardly Keans fault that Niko has no strength and Is lacking in many attributes needed for the scrap.

Benjani busted his balls for the team last night winning quite a few tackles in our half, Niko came on and hardly put himself about at all.

[booth]

Donut Kean has shot the lad's confidence to pieces.

Anyone who thinks that getting ANY professional player, let alone an international striker who bagged two for Croatia very recently, to shoot into an empty net is beneficial is, IMO, an imbecile and quite clearly totally lacking in the art of psychology and man management.

Rhetoric should been "Niko is busting a gut to get a chance and I feel sure that, given his career record, he will get us goals when called upon".

Build the lad up you clown just as you've built yourself up for Venky's.

I still maintain that Niko's movement in the box is the best of any striker we have and so is his finishing. Watch the highlights from his previous club and the international teams. Movement = intelligence, coolness in finishing is what you either have or haven't (and Donut's cheerleader, Roberts, hasn't).

I've said this before and I'll say it again, with the right management, we have potentially a top, top striker here and it will be no surprise to me when he turns-up with either Liverpool or Spurs next season, Villa at worse. Many will laugh but just wait and see.

Well said. Also anyone saying they thought Roberts had a decent game last night is lying to themselves or didn't watch it live (so didn't see his terrible positioning off the ball, constantly straying way from where he should be). Benjani on the other hand was having a decent game and their defense were wary of him. So what does Kean do, takes him off. The right thing would have been to replace Roberts with either Niko or M Diouf. Or just not play Roberts from the start.

Roberts always has and always will be a decent player for ten minutes as a sub. After ten minutes he gets fed up and becomes a passenger.

[Tom]

To be fair as frustrating as roberts is he works harder than Niko and won us some free kicks in perfect positions last night - or rather conned them out of the ref.

[Gav]

To be fair as frustrating as roberts is he works harder than Niko and won us some free kicks in perfect positions last night - or rather conned them out of the ref.

He also put a quality ball across in the first half that any winger would have been proud of, pity nobody gambled in the middle.

For me he offers more than Kalinic.

[JAL]

Kalinic does very little for me or Rovers.

Think some supporters think that because he cost the most money he then must be the best

Sat in the stands cringing at the home crowd chanting his name last night WTF !

[AndyC]

We all get excited when Roberts tracks back, or somehow manages to trap a ball and keep it under control. Thats all I really expect of him!

When kalanic came on, he at least made the right runs into the channels and his positioning was excellent. But only having 20 mins on the pitch was just not enough. If he'd been on from the beginning, I would have been far more hopeful of getting a goal.

I'm staggered that kean talked to the press about his lack of confidence. He's totally betrayed any trust between them.

And I was amazed wg

Hen he took benjani off first, who was having a far better game.

Kean is tactically inept.

Kalinic does very little for me or Rovers.

Think some supporters think that because he cost the most money he then must be the best

Sat in the stands cringing at the home crowd chanting his name last night WTF !

It has nothing to do with money, he's just a natural goalscorer unlike Roberts.

But I guess you would rather watch someone who chases down lost causes and barges into people because that clearly shows commitment.......

And rather than cringing, you should have joined in and offered your support. If the lad lacked any confidence before he got on the pitch, the fantastic crowd who chanted his name over and over will have done more for him than kean has done.

Do you understand the notion of getting behind your team?

[MeanGreenMachine]

Kalinic couldnt trap a bag of concrete, falls over and looses the ball with each touch. Yet people still think the sun shines out his arse.

I thought Benjani and Roberts put a decent shift in yesterday, just a pity there was only one half chance between them.

[den]

he's just a natural goalscorer unlike Roberts.

I keep saying that he can't shoot. You know, hit a ball with power and accuracy on a regular basis.

I expected a drubbing for that, but I don't think anyone can remember him actually hitting a goalbound effort that's required a great stop from a keeper - apart from a disallowed goal against Spurs [i think it was] when he just turned and hit it. Has he ever forced a goalkeeper into making any kind of real save - in two years?

[Tom]

And rather than cringing, you should have joined in and offered your support. If the lad lacked any confidence before he got on the pitch, the fantastic crowd who chanted his name over and over will have done more for him than kean has done.

Do you understand the notion of getting behind your team?

Do you not understand that by chanting for Kalinic it is doing a disservice to the 2 strikers working hard for the team on the pitch?

It wasn't all his fault obviously as the service wasn't up to much but Niko would have struggled to be less effective if he tried yesterday, he was more a passenger than Keith has ever been. A few times the ball was played into him and he was outmuscled and lost the ball or played a bad pass.

I think he deserves another chance starting maybe even against Bolton but last night was not good enough.

[Kelbo]

We all get excited when Roberts tracks back, or somehow manages to trap a ball and keep it under control. Thats all I really expect of him!

When kalanic came on, he at least made the right runs into the channels and his positioning was excellent. But only having 20 mins on the pitch was just not enough. If he'd been on from the beginning, I would have been far more hopeful of getting a goal.

I'm staggered that kean talked to the press about his lack of confidence. He's totally betrayed any trust between them.

And I was amazed wg

Hen he took benjani off first, who was having a far better game.

Kean is tactically inept.

It has nothing to do with money, he's just a natural goalscorer unlike Roberts.

But I guess you would rather watch someone who chases down lost causes and barges into people because that clearly shows commitment.......

And rather than cringing, you should have joined in and offered your support. If the lad lacked any confidence before he got on the pitch, the fantastic crowd who chanted his name over and over will have done more for him than kean has done.

Do you understand the notion of getting behind your team?

Yes you are right, we all assume that charging down lost causes and being strong is what is required of a striker, Kalinic likes the ball played early into the channels, he plays off the shoulder of defenders, for me, Rochina would be ideal as a support striker, he has the ability to play people in, is quick thinking, has quick feet and can score goals himself, we never get the ball behind the defence which is where Kalinic is dangerous. Most clubs have towering centre backs so the ball in the air is not dangerous unless from set plays and big Samba etc gets forward.

Edit here, the little Mexican at Man U rarely gets the ball with back to goal, the young Michael Owen was the same, they are predators in and around the box!!

[FourLaneBlue]

I keep saying that he can't shoot. You know, hit a ball with power and accuracy on a regular basis.

I expected a drubbing for that, but I don't think anyone can remember him actually hitting a goalbound effort that's required a great stop from a keeper - apart from a disallowed goal against Spurs [i think it was] when he just turned and hit it. Has he ever forced a goalkeeper into making any kind of real save - in two years?

He´s not the wonder kid we were all hoping for, that is for sure.

Still, he´s better than the others we have. Which is pretty damn depressing, really.

I´d try starting with Kalinic and Diouf. Bring on Roberts and Benjani when their defenders are tiring. That is when Roberts can really make a difference.

[tony gale's mic]

He was no less effective in those 20 minutes than Roque's been since his arrival.

But Roque had one good season in his career. Three years ago.

[John]

Roberts played best when he was angry at the start of this season.

[dopper69]

It's like watching bald men argue over a hair comb.

None of our permanent strikers are good enough for any team with top 10 aspirations.

[tony gale's mic]

It's like watching bald men argue over a hair comb.

None of our permanent strikers are good enough for any team with top 10 aspirations.

Yet last season we finished top 10 without two of those strikers, and with another one of those strikers in considerably worse goalscoring form - and were on course to do the same this season.

I don't think any of our strikers are particularly great, but we do need to start rotating them more and stop playing RSC in every game he's eligible for.

[chaddyrovers]

Yes you are right, we all assume that charging down lost causes and being strong is what is required of a striker, Kalinic likes the ball played early into the channels, he plays off the shoulder of defenders, for me, Rochina would be ideal as a support striker, he has the ability to play people in, is quick thinking, has quick feet and can score goals himself, we never get the ball behind the defence which is where Kalinic is dangerous. Most clubs have towering centre backs so the ball in the air is not dangerous unless from set plays and big Samba etc gets forward.

Edit here, the little Mexican at Man U rarely gets the ball with back to goal, the young Michael Owen was the same, they are predators in and around the box!!

didn't Kalinic played well for the reserves with Rochina in the hole in one game. could be the way forward next season or even this season

[magicalmortensleftpeg]

Yet last season we finished top 10 without two of those strikers, and with another one of those strikers in considerably worse goalscoring form - and were on course to do the same this season.

I don't think any of our strikers are particularly great, but we do need to start rotating them more and stop playing RSC in every game he's eligible for.

We were moderately lucky to come 10th last season. Our strike force was poor and that was with Niko getting regular games. Kalinic has had his chances and hasn't taken them so I dont personally blame Kean for not playing him as, quite frankly, he's never shown enough to warrant selection.

RSC we know CAN produce. He's an aerial threat and is a better finisher than Roberts and Benjani. Im not saying that RSC is the answer as he hasnt looked sharp since returning but Roberts is god awful, Kalinic is a poorer version of Roque and that leaves Benjani.

We're going to have to make do with our strikers, none of them fit the bill. I'd go for RSC simply because we know that he has proven himself in this division. He has a better record then any of the alternatives.

The key is Rochina and Hoilett. If those two can click then we might have enough to beat the likes of Bolton and one of Wham and Wolves.

[tony gale's mic]

We were moderately lucky to come 10th last season. Our strike force was poor and that was with Niko getting regular games. Kalinic has had his chances and hasn't taken them so I dont personally blame Kean for not playing him as, quite frankly, he's never shown enough to warrant selection.

RSC we know CAN produce. He's an aerial threat and is a better finisher than Roberts and Benjani. Im not saying that RSC is the answer as he hasnt looked sharp since returning but Roberts is god awful, Kalinic is a poorer version of Roque and that leaves Benjani.

We're going to have to make do with our strikers, none of them fit the bill. I'd go for RSC simply because we know that he has proven himself in this division. He has a better record then any of the alternatives.

The key is Rochina and Hoilett. If those two can click then we might have enough to beat the likes of Bolton and one of Wham and Wolves.

1. No such thing as luck in a league over a season. Where you come is where you deserve to come. IF we were lucky, then we wouldn't have been the 10th best side in the league the half season after Sam came, or we wouldn't have shown similar form in the half a season before he departed.

2. Kalinic scoring 4 in 6 before he was dropped was him taking his chances and WAS enough to merit selection. At least once between January and yesterday. Strikers are judged by goals.

3. RSC has had one flash in the pan season out of the last twelve. RSC wasn't particularly sharp for most of his career before summer 2007 or after summer 2008. He has a better record for one season where everything clicked. Looking at the rest of his career, he's no better than the rest of them. More importantly, looking at his record this season and he's the worst of the lot.

[Exiled in Toronto]

Last season we wouldn't have been anywhere near 10th without Dunny's 10 goals, which of course we are most definitely without this season. We've had poor forwards for 2 years now. I'd take fat Benni and Kuqi over the current lot.

[tony gale's mic]

Last season we wouldn't have been anywhere near 10th without Dunny's 10 goals, which of course we are most definitely without this season. We've had poor forwards for 2 years now. I'd take fat Benni and Kuqi over the current lot.

We were a better side last season after Fat Benni left. In fact Dunn faded considerably after Christmas but we were still had a much stronger second half.

Where would we have been without Kalinic's extra contributions this season? People criticise him but I count 2 points won with his goal against Everton, one point against City, 2 points with his brace against West Brom..and that's from playing 17 games this season. 5 points is incidentally the same amount of points we gained from Dunny's contributions from open play last season (his penalties won us 6 points).

Hoilett, given plenty of game time last season under Sam didn't really impress, whereas he's matured a lot in his second season and won us quite a few points. So it's swings and roundabouts.

[Exiled in Toronto]

We were a better side last season after Fat Benni left. In fact Dunn faded considerably after Christmas but we were still had a much stronger second half.

Where would we have been without Kalinic's extra contributions this season? People criticise him but I count 2 points won with his goal against Everton, one point against City, 2 points with his brace against West Brom..and that's from playing 17 games this season. 5 points is incidentally the same amount of points we gained from Dunny's contributions from open play last season (his penalties won us 6 points).

Hoilett, given plenty of game time last season under Sam didn't really impress, whereas he's matured a lot in his second season and won us quite a few points. So it's swings and roundabouts.

Be honest tho, you and I would have scored the goals against City and Everton - I can't remember another 2 bloopers like those in my 45 years of watching. And the best part of our season - the last 9 or 10 games - were when we had Roberts up front on his own, which doesn't make him any better than he is this year.

Fat Benni just stood on the penalty spot for the final 4 games would score 2 or 3 and what would we give now for Kuqi's 7, many of them crucial?