[Archived] Nikola Kalinic

[RibbleValleyRover]

Even though I seem to be one of the few who believes he has been treated pretty harshly I think if a club comes in with an offer of £2, £3 or £4m then we should sell. It's clear from what I've seen that the lad doesn't fit into the system we use here plus the lad's confidence has been totally shot when he was dropped after a decent run of goal scoring form. Kean's comments about him training with an open goal clearly went further to demoralise and humiliate a player publically and there is a sense there that the relationship between them has completely broken down.

I'll wish him all the best if he does leave as I do believe he will be more of a success somewhere else, perhaps in a system that uses two stikers or one that provides plenty of support. It wouldn't surprise me if he goes to somewhere like Spain or Italy and does pretty well.

[DE.]

If a club comes in with a bid of £3-4m i'd be very tempted to sell. If he has another season like last season his price will plummet to almost nothing, and what are the chances of it realistically working out for him here? You'd have to say slim-to-none based on the last 2 years

[67splitscreen]

Edit

From RoversMad, the poster is from Croatia and joined the board with others when Kalinic moved to Rovers.

" To quote the important part of interview from newspapers

Q: "Will this goal help you, in a situation when your position in blackburn is very uncertain"

Niko: "It probably will. I haven't played latley. Definitly i wanna leave b'burn and solution is going to be worked on in next couple of weeks. I wanna stay in England and its primary for me to play games, i dont wanna get my self in a postion of just working out contract in the stands and all b'coz of some reasons i cant explain. When as a clubs top goalscorer i wanish from clubs radar, than i dont think problems in me...."

This sounds to me like Kalinic has a a problem that is nothing to do with form, system, attitude or even being liked by the squad.

[magicalmortensleftpeg]

From RoversMad, the poster is from Croatia and joined the board with others when Kalinic moved to Rovers.

" To quote the important part of interview from newspapers

Q: "Will this goal help you, in a situation when your position in blackburn is very uncertain"

Niko: "It probably will. I haven't played latley. Definitly i wanna leave b'burn and solution is going to be worked on in next couple of weeks. I wanna stay in England and its primary for me to play games, i dont wanna get my self in a postion of just working out contract in the stands and all b'coz of some reasons i cant explain. When as a clubs top goalscorer i wanish from clubs radar, than i dont think problems in me...."

This sounds to me like Kalinic has a a problem that is nothing to do with form, system, attitude or even being liked by the squad.

You're right. Its his lack of ability thats the problem.

No loss if we sold. He's had his chances and not taken them. In a less physical league I think he could do well.

[Roversi]

im completly 50/50 with Niko, i do feel he can turn things around, his goal scoring record this last season was better than all our other strikers. He is technically better then all our other strikers and at 23 he still has time on his hands. i'm a big big fan of his and feel that with better players around him he will score goals. you only have to look at the midfielders that job was to wiegh in on goals and create chances Pedersen, Andrews, N'Zonzi, Olsson, Emerton, etc etc none of them have any real natural creativity to see a pass before they even have the ball. im sure when guys Rochina and Formica come into the fray Kalinic will have more chances.

However

he is niether a target man nor a striker that will strech defense's. He comes alive in the penatly area. too many times under allardyce Kalinic was picking the ball up a good 20 yards from the goal. Niko needs a front man alongside him, but, even with allardyce i never moaned about not playing 4-4-2, im a big fan of the diffrent variations of the 4-5-1 formation whether it be 4-2-3-1 or 4-4-1-1. i think Kean will go with a variation of the 4-5-1, it worked towards the end of the season with Holiett just in behind the lone striker and this formation really works against Kalinic. if someone offered 3-4 million with clauses i would possibly sell.

i'd like to see Kalinic have one more season with better players around him, its only fair. get rid of Benjani, leaving Roberts and Kalinic plus one or two new strikers.

[gumboots]

im completly 50/50 with Niko, i do feel he can turn things around, his goal scoring record this last season was better than all our other strikers. He is technically better then all our other strikers and at 23 he still has time on his hands. i'm a big big fan of his and feel that with better players around him he will score goals. you only have to look at the midfielders that job was to wiegh in on goals and create chances Pedersen, Andrews, N'Zonzi, Olsson, Emerton, etc etc none of them have any real natural creativity to see a pass before they even have the ball. im sure when guys Rochina and Formica come into the fray Kalinic will have more chances.

However

he is niether a target man nor a striker that will strech defense's. He comes alive in the penatly area. too many times under allardyce Kalinic was picking the ball up a good 20 yards from the goal. Niko needs a front man alongside him, but, even with allardyce i never moaned about not playing 4-4-2, im a big fan of the diffrent variations of the 4-5-1 formation whether it be 4-2-3-1 or 4-4-1-1. i think Kean will go with a variation of the 4-5-1, it worked towards the end of the season with Holiett just in behind the lone striker and this formation really works against Kalinic. if someone offered 3-4 million with clauses i would possibly sell.

i'd like to see Kalinic have one more season with better players around him, its only fair. get rid of Benjani, leaving Roberts and Kalinic plus one or two new strikers.

I told you ages ago that he can't hit a barn door with a banjo at Rovers. Now whether that's bad management by both the previous managers, the system, the fact that he hasn't had a run of games to get confidence up, his attitude, the attitude of other players to him, it's true, in that I have every confidence that the person who told me that knows a lot more about football and Rovers than most if not all on here do. Therefore if anyone is willing to pay decent money for him, I, if it were anything to do with me, would take it.

[modes98]

and what are the chances of it realistically working out for him here? You'd have to say slim-to-none based on the last 2 years

It depends. If Venky's are serious about putting pressure on Kean to play "pretty" football then he could well fall into a system that suits him perfectly. They aren't going to want Roberts up top with his back to goal scrambling around. Kalinic in a formation that suits him with decent crosses coming into the box, well any would be an improvement, would be deadly.

It's no surprise that he goes away on international duty and scores quite regularly.

[vintageadidas]

I'd snap their hands off for anything over £3m!

He has definitely shown how good of a finisher he is - that one Joe hart gave him was superb, the one tim Howard gave him was again clinical and who can forget the finish at villa this season!

I can name every goal Kalinic has scored and only the one at spurs which was disallowed and the one at west broom had any type of quality about them! If someone is judged to be a good finisher from 9 goals in two seasons with only one decent finish then football has gone mad!

[Tom]

All this talk of being a good finisher reminds me of his Robertseque miss against Liverpool at home last season.

[92er]

Now whether that's bad management by both the previous managers,

Hang on.....do you know something we don't know?

[gumboots]

Hang on.....do you know something we don't know?

Sorry - should have said previous and current. Perhaps a bit of wishful thinking came in there.

[Ozz]

All this talk of being a good finisher reminds me of his Robertseque miss against Liverpool at home last season.

His bottle went when confronted with the onrushing Reina. Which is odd for a Croat really.

[den]

Wants talks about his future.

[braddock]

If he wants to make an effort to force his way into the first team and mix then keep him. If he isn't going to then get rid and get someone in who will. Our hands may be a little tied unfortunately due to all the other changes we hope will take place at the moment alongside replacing others. I think he's a good player but he's gone down in my estimation recently. He could thrive under Kean and with a second striker alongside him.

[Miker]

Kalinic can make it as a player at this club, he just needs to continue working hard in training and be given the chance on the field. One of my biggest beefs with Kean is that he completely mismanaged Kalinic last season. Although Kalinic shot himself in the foot with his red card, I felt he was finally making a breakthrough and showing what he's capable of in that match against West Brom, but was then virtually dropped for the rest of the season.

When I look back on the season, I remember how Sam dropped Roberts for a number of games and then got a stellar reaction from him once he finally put him on as a sub at Wigan, because Roberts has that determination in his character.

Compare it to Kean's treatment of Kalinic, and I see a stark contrast in experience and management ability. I don't see what casting a player aside for the remainder of the season is supposed to achieve?

[Tom]

Kalinic can make it as a player at this club, he just needs to continue working hard in training and be given the chance on the field. One of my biggest beefs with Kean is that he completely mismanaged Kalinic last season. Although Kalinic shot himself in the foot with his red card, I felt he was finally making a breakthrough and showing what he's capable of in that match against West Brom, but was then virtually dropped for the rest of the season.

When I look back on the season, I remember how Sam dropped Roberts for a number of games and then got a stellar reaction from him once he finally put him on as a sub at Wigan, because Roberts has that determination in his character.

Compare it to Kean's treatment of Kalinic, and I see a stark contrast in experience and management ability. I don't see what casting a player aside for the remainder of the season is supposed to achieve?

Remember Samuel Allardyce didn't play him that much either.

When Kalinic has featured he looks lightweight and doesn't offer much to the team, he may be a decent finisher but the likes of Benjani / Roberts do a lot more for bringing Hoilett and Olsson into play

[davulsukur]

Kalinic can make it as a player at this club, he just needs to continue working hard in training and be given the chance on the field. One of my biggest beefs with Kean is that he completely mismanaged Kalinic last season. Although Kalinic shot himself in the foot with his red card, I felt he was finally making a breakthrough and showing what he's capable of in that match against West Brom, but was then virtually dropped for the rest of the season.

When I look back on the season, I remember how Sam dropped Roberts for a number of games and then got a stellar reaction from him once he finally put him on as a sub at Wigan, because Roberts has that determination in his character.

Compare it to Kean's treatment of Kalinic, and I see a stark contrast in experience and management ability. I don't see what casting a player aside for the remainder of the season is supposed to achieve?

After Kalinic returned from suspension he started against Chelsea and WBA and also came on as a sub in the Villa game after only 10 mins for RSC. He also started the Newcastle game a couple of games after. In those starts (limited tho they may have been) and any sub apps he made thereafter he showed absolutely nothing.

I dont see what the problem is with Kean dropping an underperforming player.

[Miker]

Remember Samuel Allardyce didn't play him that much either.

When Kalinic has featured he looks lightweight and doesn't offer much to the team, he may be a decent finisher but the likes of Benjani / Roberts do a lot more for bringing Hoilett and Olsson into play

Well, as I said, he seemed to be finally making a breakthrough. I've been highly critical of him in the past, but refused to write him off. He seemed to be making small improvements with every game, but then it practically went to waste after he was dropped following the red card. The thing that bemused me was that one of the goals he scored, where he ran onto a long ball that was sent through to him, was apparently something that Kean had encouraged him to do in training (can't remember the exact interview quote, something about him facing towards goal and anticipating the pass). So he basically had a great game, seemed to be following Kean's instructions in how to play better on the field, but was then suddenly dropped. To me, that's poor man management. I can't think of any time when either Allardyce or Hughes treated a player in the same way while they were here.

Also, yes Sam didn't play him that much in his first season, but he started off last season as the first choice striker and scored a couple of goals. It's not about how many times he was played though, it's about how he was treated as a player.

[Tom]

But if he wasn't putting the effort in in training Kean was spot on to drop him. He was idiotic against WBA and nearly threw away 2 vital pointd after putting us in a good position.

Sam treat Roberts in an equally bad way and what about Derbyshire?

People see what they want to depending on their view of the manager sometimes.

[Miker]

After Kalinic returned from suspension he started against Chelsea and WBA and also came on as a sub in the Villa game after only 10 mins for RSC. He also started the Newcastle game a couple of games after. In those starts (limited tho they may have been) and any sub apps he made thereafter he showed absolutely nothing.

I dont see what the problem is with Kean dropping an underperforming player.

Actually, he was dropped to accomodate Santa Cruz as first choice striker.

The game against Chelsea, we basically offered nothing as an attacking threat, so you can hardly blame him. He got an assist in the game against WBA and a goal in the 10 mins of the Villa game, but was barely given a look in for any further games, especially when Santa Cruz continued to provide a lack of goals. He went from first choice to fourth choice without any clear indication why, other than his alleged lack of effort in training.

[A cup of beans]

But if he wasn't putting the effort in in training Kean was spot on to drop him. He was idiotic against WBA and nearly threw away 2 vital pointd after putting us in a good position.

he won us the game!

MIKER is spot on!

[Miker]

But if he wasn't putting the effort in in training Kean was spot on to drop him. He was idiotic against WBA and nearly threw away 2 vital pointd after putting us in a good position.

Sam treat Roberts in an equally bad way and what about Derbyshire?

People see what they want to depending on their view of the manager sometimes.

What about Derbyshire? I liked him as a Rovers player, but he was always a fourth choice striker behind Santa Cruz, McCarthy and Roberts. This didn't change after Sam came in.

Roberts had plenty of chances in Sam's first full season in charge, but was severely underperforming towards the end and rightly lost his place at the start of last season to Kalinic. I don't think there was a single person wanting Roberts to stay at that point. And again, after dropping Roberts for a number of games, Sam brought him back in and he responded with 2 goals in 2 games.

[davulsukur]

Is a lack of effort not enough?

Actually, he was dropped to accomodate Santa Cruz as first choice striker

Was he indeed, because after the Villa game when Niko was dropped in favour of RSC, RSC was injured for 2 games and Niko was dropped for Jbob. RSC then returned for the Newcastle game and partnered Niko, where Niko did naff all.

Pretty sure kean mentioned something about him not working hard enough or his head was elsewhere or something after he returned from international duty.

Incidently Santa Cruz was also dropped in favour of Jbob in the latter part of the season.

Niko could come good, but after 2 years he has been largely poor, certainly for a fee of £6 million.

[Miker]

That's not to say Kean didn't get it right with some other players like Hoilett and I actually think he did well in the transfer market in January signing Jermaine Jones, who was integral to us staying up and think we might have another gem on our hands in Rochina (and possibly Formica), but I think he got it completely wrong with his management of Kalinic.

[Tom]

What about Derbyshire? I liked him as a Rovers player, but he was always a fourth choice striker behind Santa Cruz, McCarthy and Roberts. This didn't change after Sam came in.

Roberts had plenty of chances in Sam's first full season in charge, but was severely underperforming towards the end and rightly lost his place at the start of last season to Kalinic. I don't think there was a single person wanting Roberts to stay at that point. And again, after dropping Roberts for a number of games, Sam brought him back in and he responded with 2 goals in 2 games.

So you think not giving a player a squad number and totally freezing him out until there was no other choice is fine? Lets not pretend Sam dropped him and then brought him back to get a response.

Derbyshire got shipped out by Sam for one mistake against City pretty much.

And Zacchius you're wrong, Niko set us up for the win then acted like a total idiot and had to hope the rest of the team bailed him out, Mark Bunn won us the game.

I was a big fan of Niko last season but when you see him in the flesh often you see how little he puts himself about during the match. Decent finisher fair enough but needs to bulk himself up to make it in England I think.