[Archived] Nikola Kalinic

[Tris]

If he had shown enough, he would be making appearances.

Oh dear, I think we're all forgetting Allardyce's legendary pre-signing "tests" down at Brockhall ...

You know, the test which eliminated cheaper players who are now performing well for other teams ...

The test which Salgado didn't actually take at Brockhall - he passed it with flying colours at Northcote Manor ...

Who knows how Kalinic got through and then cost 6 million quid. Half a year has gone, and he's still not good enough.

I'd love him to emerge as a real superstar striker, but the poor lad needs a chance from the bloke who paid so much of our money for him.

[Bobby G]

People until he gets on the pitch and gets the minutes that people like Di Santo, Roberts, and Benni have had, we cant judge him. He hasnt even started in the league yet.

[Majiball]

People until he gets on the pitch and gets the minutes that people like Di Santo, Roberts, and Benni have had, we cant judge him. He hasnt even started in the league yet.

Bobby G, don't get me wrong I'm desperate to see him suceed but he needs as you've said to get out on the pitch much more.

[den]

So what is the reason?

I've already said, that the staff haven't seen enough from him, in training/reserve team games/short first team apps, to think he's up to it yet. If they had, he would be playing.

[mellison24]

I've already said, that the staff haven't seen enough from him, in training/reserve team games/short first team apps, to think he's up to it yet. If they had, he would be playing.

Yet we the fans (or at least some of us) feel that Kalinic IS ready!!! he scored a goal against ManYoo FFS!! THE LAD NEEDS TO PLAY!!!

[Exiled in Toronto]

Certainly anyone who still believes he is being eased in is deluded - he's being left out.

[John]

Think, sometimes, we can read too much into situations. Recently, Sam said Dunn's form, playing in the 2nd striker role, meant there would be unhappy strikers (because they would not be playing).

We can probably make the assumption, at the moment, that Sam rates Di Santo higher than Benni/Kalinic/Roberts - makes you think there could be something in terms of the loan arrangement. If it was not for his goal against the dingles, think there would be greater outcry.

[herbergeehh]

Flip it around: Roberts would be furious, and rightly so, if Kalinic or Benni had been chosen ahead of him when Dunn came off.

After this, we chose to make substitutions in midfield, where we were struggling to compete. Grella came on to pass the ball around, Gamst Pedersen came on to give us something extra the last twenty minutes - our "wingers" were positioned as wing backs most of the time.

My point being; our forwards wasn't the problems last night, our total lack of creativity and legs in midfield were. I will repeat myself, just for the record: I think they still believe in Kalinic, but the on-off form of our experienced strikers has kept him out of it for now. I just hope Sam and his team are a bit more patient than most of the posters on here.

Won't bother you on this thread anymore, until I am proven right or wrong. He will come good!

[sweet]

I suppose the question is - what other examples are there of teams leaving out their most expensive summer signing. And most expensive for many years. In the aim of easing them in? I personally can't think of any at this moment in time. Also, we are not the type of club, who can afford to 'ease' in a player of that expense, because, to ease them in - would suggest that it is not certain they will succeed. Does our club take that sort of gamble at that expense?

Also, a 6 million outlay to us, I would suggest is the equivalent of a £25m outlay to a top 4 side. Even teams such as Utd, Chelsea, Arsenal, wouldn't give such little playing time to a 21 year old, who they had paid that sort of money for. Which I think speaks volumes. Espcially when lacking goals, like we are.

Surely, the longer the time the guy is left on the bench - the more damaging it is to his confidence and happiness. Which makes it more likely he will not succeed here, as when the time does come for him to start games, he will not have the same confidence to succeed.

[DavidMailsTightPerm]

Flip it around: Roberts would be furious, and rightly so, if Kalinic or Benni had been chosen ahead of him when Dunn came off.

After this, we chose to make substitutions in midfield, where we were struggling to compete. Grella came on to pass the ball around, Gamst Pedersen came on to give us something extra the last twenty minutes - our "wingers" were positioned as wing backs most of the time.

My point being; our forwards wasn't the problems last night, our total lack of creativity and legs in midfield were. I will repeat myself, just for the record: I think they still believe in Kalinic, but the on-off form of our experienced strikers has kept him out of it for now. I just hope Sam and his team are a bit more patient than most of the posters on here.

Won't bother you on this thread anymore, until I am proven right or wrong. He will come good!

I think you have highlighted a good reason for not playing Kalanic - the service he would get from midfield is absolutely awful.

People are getting at Di Santo - but he hasn't exactly had a load of chances created for him. What impact would that sort of service have on Kalanic and his confidence ?

At the moment I am not too bothered - he has (in his rare apprearances) shown gradual improvement in his performances, which justifies Sam's approach with the player. After Xmas will be the interesting time - as this is when Sam thought Kalanic would be strong enough to start matches. Just remember - Sam is the manager who re-invented Davies - if he can do it from that starting point - he will hopefully be able to bring the best out in Kalanic.

[thenodrog]

Kali needs to be given 3-5 games and told thats his chance, its hardly as if any of the others have done any worse than he could possibly turn out to be.

And if he spews it? Result of a failed gamble = a dispirited player with shattered confidence and a team back in the bottom 3!

Allardyce and Macdonald will have seen much more of him than anyone else. If he was ready for the Prem I'm fairly certain he'd be figuring much more. It's their jobs and futures at stake too.

[alexanders]

I suppose the question is - what other examples are there of teams leaving out their most expensive summer signing. And most expensive for many years. In the aim of easing them in? I personally can't think of any at this moment in time.

Aston Villa - Fabian Delph and Stewart Downing

Liverpool - Alberto Aquilani

City - Roque Santa Cruz

Stoke - Tuncay Sanli

[thenodrog]

Aston Villa - Fabian Delph and Stewart Downing

Liverpool - Alberto Aquilani

City - Roque Santa Cruz

Stoke - Tuncay Sanli

In recent years there's plenty more examples of big signings struggling to get a first team game and being forced to watch from the bench.

Lpool... Bellamy / Keane / Crouch.

Spurs... Bentley / Crouch / Davids

Chelsea.. Shevchenko, Deco, Joe Cole

City... Robinho

WHU... Lundberg

Arse.. Bendtnar

NUFC.. Boumsong / Luque

LUFC / City / .. Fowler

Bradford Collymore / Petrescu / Carbone

and last but not least

BRFC Grabbi / Davies

Some came good and some never were any good.

[den]

Aquilani, Downing and Santa Cruz were all injured weren't they? Delph was playing for Villa from the season start as well, although he's been dropped since?

[Majiball]

Ok so first we're told he's not Physically ready which I can except. However it been 5 months and I know any competent team could get him physically ready in 5 months easily.

But now we're assuming he's also not ready as a footballer????

6 million quid and nothing to show for it 5-6 months later, add in Salgado and we've gone past the 10 million mark with wages included. Its absolute trollope, at this rate we'll be lucky if he's ready for next season.

I suppose all our star signings in Jan will be ready 12 months later and the same in summer??

He showed some good runs when he came on against Fulham, nicked one aginst a top four team (something only two rovers players can claim) and he's still on the bench as fourth choice. Give him some pitch time he's just as capable as Roberts and might actually be able to keep the ball with out falling over and bitching like a kid.

[Mr. E]

hey, let's look at the positive side - It's unlikely Man City or Aston Villa will raid us again this transfer window.

[Paul]

City - Roque Santa Cruz

On 606 last night a City fan was complaining RSC has been criticising every aspect of the club from the stadium to the player car parking. Apparently RSC has said City are not the club he thought he was joining. Anyone know more? If true it's probably justs as well we got rid of him when we did as we no longer have the midfield to allow him, or any striker, to be effective.

[G Somerset Rover]

On 606 last night a City fan was complaining RSC has been criticising every aspect of the club from the stadium to the player car parking. Apparently RSC has said City are not the club he thought he was joining. Anyone know more? If true it's probably justs as well we got rid of him when we did as we no longer have the midfield to allow him, or any striker, to be effective.

This is true. When he bagged almost 20 league goals he had Bentley whipping in crosses every five minutes - this season he'd be lucky to get one per game.

Then again, I'd put money on him putting away the chances that Di santo has missed.

[S15]

Oh dear, I think we're all forgetting Allardyce's legendary pre-signing "tests" down at Brockhall ...

You know, the test which eliminated cheaper players who are now performing well for other teams ...

The test which Salgado didn't actually take at Brockhall - he passed it with flying colours at Northcote Manor ...

Who knows how Kalinic got through and then cost 6 million quid. Half a year has gone, and he's still not good enough.

I'd love him to emerge as a real superstar striker, but the poor lad needs a chance from the bloke who paid so much of our money for him.

Yawn yawn yawn yawn yawn.

The legendary test which eliminated cheaper players who are now playing well for other teams?

That one is complete fiction Tris, I can only think of that Camel bloke, who has hardly set Hull alight. So the tense and the statement are equally inaccurate.

Look it's simple, Allardyce is one of the only managers we could get (possibly the only one) who could get that @#/? team he took over and overhaul a five point safety deficit to keep us up pretty comfortably in the end.

Now he has taken it to the next level by turning relegation fodder into a run of the mill boring mid table team. IT'S CALLED THE NEXT STEP UP FROM RELEGATION FODDER.

There is literally nothing he can do to please people like you. It's pathetic really, cos the football is no different to the stuff Hughes served up, but the personnel is. You are now in the category of have a ridiculously blinkered opinion, driven by a pathetic/ self driven personal hatred of a man, which is making you come across as pretty ratty and bittered. In result you take any opportunity to exaggerate/ alter facts to try and prove things about Allardyce that you wish were true.

The bloke could do very little more. If we had won on Saturday we'd have been in the top half. Would that be enough? Just where do we have to get before you can turn your bitter hatred into a 'actually, he's doing a good job?'

Or are you always going to keep up this sad little witch hunt, which does nothing to help the club you 'support.' Oh, unless you get your way and pressure the board to sack a bloke who is doing a perfectly good job, then we can get some young buck, someone like Ince, who can play his fancy dan football, lead us triumphantly into the bottom three and then you can whinge some more. Then we can sack him, get Allardyce back, who will keep us up. Then then hate campaign begins once more...

[Tris]

Yawn yawn yawn yawn yawn.

The legendary test which eliminated cheaper players who are now playing well for other teams?

That one is complete fiction Tris, I can only think of that Camel bloke, who has hardly set Hull alight. So the tense and the statement are equally inaccurate.

Look it's simple, Allardyce is one of the only managers we could get (possibly the only one) who could get that @#/? team he took over and overhaul a five point safety deficit to keep us up pretty comfortably in the end.

Now he has taken it to the next level by turning relegation fodder into a run of the mill boring mid table team. IT'S CALLED THE NEXT STEP UP FROM RELEGATION FODDER.

There is literally nothing he can do to please people like you. It's pathetic really, cos the football is no different to the stuff Hughes served up, but the personnel is. You are now in the category of have a ridiculously blinkered opinion, driven by a pathetic/ self driven personal hatred of a man, which is making you come across as pretty ratty and bittered. In result you take any opportunity to exaggerate/ alter facts to try and prove things about Allardyce that you wish were true.

The bloke could do very little more. If we had won on Saturday we'd have been in the top half. Would that be enough? Just where do we have to get before you can turn your bitter hatred into a 'actually, he's doing a good job?'

Or are you always going to keep up this sad little witch hunt, which does nothing to help the club you 'support.' Oh, unless you get your way and pressure the board to sack a bloke who is doing a perfectly good job, then we can get some young buck, someone like Ince, who can play his fancy dan football, lead us triumphantly into the bottom three and then you can whinge some more. Then we can sack him, get Allardyce back, who will keep us up. Then then hate campaign begins once more...

This is the Kalinic thread. As for the character assassination, perhaps you should leave that alone for people you don't know and have never met.

I don't hate anybody as it happens. But I can recognise when decisions are being made which are detrimental to BRFC. Spending 6 million pounds on a player and then arriving at the next transfer window without having used him is a poor decision, especially when supposedly there are certain criteria that have to be met by incoming players.

But the real risk is to the excellent work which has been done off the field on pricing and getting fans back to Ewood. Long term and hard core ST holders are talking of jacking it in because the football is so bad. What hope is there for the new arrivals in the Darwen End? We sat in there v Stoke and there is more than a murmour of discontent.

[S15]

As for the character assassination, perhaps you should leave that alone for people you don't know and have never met.

Surely you didn't?

Do you really expect us to be on fire every home game? Anyone who has been to Ewood on even a semi frequent basis this season will have seen one of the leagues best home records, a good amount of goals scored, and some good football played.

Anyone who is trying to suggest our home form wont get people back to Ewood is talking absolute garbage. I also think the presence of our manager last Saturday may well have lead to a victory.

This seasons home record is better at this stage of the season than it ever was under Hughes.

[47er]

Surely you didn't?

Do you really expect us to be on fire every home game? Anyone who has been to Ewood on even a semi frequent basis this season will have seen one of the leagues best home records, a good amount of goals scored, and some good football played.

Anyone who is trying to suggest our home form wont get people back to Ewood is talking absolute garbage. I also think the presence of our manager last Saturday may well have lead to a victory.

This seasons home record is better at this stage of the season than it ever was under Hughes.

and enormously better than under Ince, the bloke he supported long after most realised he was hopeless. Go figure as they say!

[Paul]

But the real risk is to the excellent work which has been done off the field on pricing and getting fans back to Ewood. Long term and hard core ST holders are talking of jacking it in because the football is so bad. What hope is there for the new arrivals in the Darwen End? We sat in there v Stoke and there is more than a murmour of discontent.

Anyone who is trying to suggest our home form wont get people back to Ewood is talking absolute garbage. I also think the presence of our manager last Saturday may well have lead to a victory.

This seasons home record is better at this stage of the season than it ever was under Hughes.

I've missed 2-3 PL games already this season as I had other things to do. In the past football would have taken priority. I already know I shall miss the Man Utd home PL game because I have a better offer. I'm not going on Wednesday because I think we'll roll over and have our tummies tickled and I have an option to do something else. I haven't been to any League Cup games this season as I have no expectations about the football we will play.

I'm seaon ticket holder of 27 years. I'll have an ST next year as well but if you need proof of the effect poor football has here it is. Not Allardyce's football but any poor football.

[S15]

I think the overall level is falling to what Scottish football was like maybe 10-15 years ago. That's why gates everywhere are dropping. I can accept the argument that the quality of football in the country is dropping due to the big teams getting stronger, small teams weaker, and I accept that we fall into that.

However, I absolutely refuse to accept that only Rovers' standards are dropping, and I absolutely refuse to accept that this is because of Sam Allardyce.

[Paul]

However, I absolutely refuse to accept that only Rovers' standards are dropping, and I absolutely refuse to accept that this is because of Sam Allardyce.

I think you're mainly correct. Saturday was evidence of this, as was the previous Saturday. Stoke are no more attractive than Rovers, better at being boring but no better to watch. Bolton were very poor, though it lead to a good game. Allardyce, to an extent, has his hands tied by Rovers financial position and the quality of players available however I don't think Sam helps himself with his signiings. Kalinic and Salgado being prime examples. to spend £6m on a player and leave him out is just crazy. This lad should have been all about getting bums on seats instead he's rapidly turning into the next Grabbi.

Tris mentions mutterings of discontent in the Darwen End, it's the same in the Jack Walker. Either Kalinic is unfit, in which case why did we sign him, or now he has arrived Allardyce realises he's not good enough. Everything else we have been told is simply a smokescreen. After 5-6 months he's either ready or not.

Salgado is just ridiculous.

Signings like these do nothing to justify faith in Allardyce's ability to sign good footballers.