[Archived] Nikola Kalinic

[waggy]

what a great chance to win the game on sat,i think he took his eye of the ball and started watching the keeper,needs to eat 3 shreeded wheat from now on

[Hughesy]

what a great chance to win the game on sat,i think he took his eye of the ball and started watching the keeper,needs to eat 3 shreeded wheat from now on

He did sh!t out to be fair.

The most promising aspect is that he gets in the positions to get the chances. He also had another decent effort when he shifted the ball and fired just over.

He will come good.

[Majiball]

The most promising aspect is that he gets in the positions to get the chances. He also had another decent effort when he shifted the ball and fired just over.

He will come good.

I agree. However I would take it a step further, he's finding spaces against the big boys of our league.

Your right he will.

[den]

Serious question Maj and Hughesy - do you see any weakness?

[CrazyIvan]

Serious question Maj and Hughesy - do you see any weakness?

I do but they are certainly things he can work on...

[Amo]

Serious question Maj and Hughesy - do you see any weakness?

I'd say he's lacking some composure, but he is a young lad playing in supposedly the "best league in the world." That'll sort itself out with more consistency in the first team.

[bennyboyt11]

Disappointed with him pussying out of the one on one if I'm being honest, but his shot wasn't a bad effort considering the position he was in and was being chomped at by a couple of Liverpool players.

[LeChuck]

I'm surprised at the level of blame put towards Kalinic for the 'miss', Hoilett played a bigger part in ruining the chance by holding on to the ball for too long and then playing a very poor final ball, he shouldn't have given Reina chance to get that close.

I'm still not sure how Kalinic could have scored from there. Reina was far too close to put it round him and into the goal, I think the best he could have done is knocked it to the side of Reina and drawn the foul. It would have been a definite red card but only a free kick and we probably would have drawn anyway.

[thenodrog]

r move sideways bmuch date='07 December 2009 - 22:04 PM' timestamp='1260223447' post='847965']

I'm surprised at the level of blame put towards Kalinic for the 'miss', Hoilett played a bigger part in ruining the chance by holding on to the ball for too long and then playing a very poor final ball, he shouldn't have given Reina chance to get that close.

I'm still not sure how Kalinic could have scored from there. Reina was far too close to put it round him and into the goal, I think the best he could have done is knocked it to the side of Reina and drawn the foul. It would have been a definite red card but only a free kick and we probably would have drawn anyway.

1. Superb play from Hoilett. He drew the defence to him and gave Kalinic about half an acre of space to work in.

2. He should have rounded the on rushing Reina. Reina was rushing out so fast that he could neither backtrack fast enough nor swerve to at least try and block Kalinic.

[Miker]

There's a lot of things he could've done in retrospect, but he didn't, so we move on. He has scored a couple in the league cup and I'm sure he'll soon be scoring in the league. I think all our young players seem to be seriously lacking a good finishing touch, but other than that they are excellent. It's an issue, but it's something that will sort itself out as they get more matches under their belt.

[grizfoot]

In my opinion Kalinic's miss wasn't as bad as the one-on-one chances Di Santo has missed in recent games. I still think he should have took it around Reina but he didn't have muhc time to think and at least he did manage to get some sort of shot off, whereas Di Santo had a good few seconds to get a shot off and didn't.

If I remember correctly Kalinic also created a chance for himself out of nothing with a neat turn. It's difficult to judge him off twenty minute cameos here and there, think it's about time he got a start sooner or later. From the two full games I've seen of him (Peterborough and Chelsea) he's definitley impressed when being partnered alongside McCarthy.

[Majiball]

Serious question Maj and Hughesy - do you see any weakness?

Yes, needs to be stronger with his upper body, core strength. Lacks calmness under pressure at times, composure and accuracy of shooting. Needs to learn how to accelerate/decelerate properly and also needs a better idea of proprioception and decision making based on analysis of that space. He's flawed of course he is, but he's ours and he has got something about him.

For a change from the last 18 months I want something to get excited about with rovers, Kalinic.

At the end of the day with reference to his miss, I do believe Hoillet released it one touch too late. Kalinic seemed surprised it came to him and I also think that he thought he had plenty of time, until he looked up and saw Reina there, bit of a shock panics and screws it up. But he has bagged one at Man U, Chelsea and found himself a golden one against Liverpool, three of the best defences around.

[LeftWinger]

...also needs a better idea of proprioception

Me and the boys were saying the exact same thing in the pub the other night

[Hughesy]

Serious question Maj and Hughesy - do you see any weakness?

Yes several - however most relate to experience & confidence.

• Lacks composure when through on goal
  
• Lacks abit of confidence, I.e. had he been confident he would of took it past Reina
  
• A little bit soft when going for 50/50 balls
  
• Not bad at flick-ons but not really seen any other heading ability so far
  

[Majiball]

Me and the boys were saying the exact same thing in the pub the other night

It should get better with more game experience. He does all the right things, he just needs to do it quicker. Playing against the pace of our defence/players in training is one thing but since we seriously lack pace across the board?

It just won't be the same. Would Robbo have even come off his line, even in training?

He needs game time for this to develop so lets hope he gets it. He certainly gets into more goal scoring opportunities than Di Santo so I'd like to see him get on a bit more.

[joey_big_nose]

Yes several - however most relate to experience & confidence.

• Lacks composure when through on goal
• Lacks abit of confidence, I.e. had he been confident he would of took it past Reina
• A little bit soft when going for 50/50 balls
• Not bad at flick-ons but not really seen any other heading ability so far

It is amazing how much more physically capable Kalinic looks now than when he first arrived and got the odd fifteen minutes here and there. When I watched him for the first time he was in the back pocket of the Gillingham centrebacks. On Saturday he was very competitive against two top class centre halves and looked sizeably more dangerous than Dirk Kuyt. Have to say Allardce's decision to blood him slowly is paying dividends, and it makes me interested to see what Van Heerden offers in the new year.

To be honest I see Nicola and Di Santo being the first choice partnership within the next three or four games. And you have to say it is a tantalising prospect. They have pace, ability to hold up the ball, good feet, good movement and seem well suited to each other with Di Santo a target man and Kalinic more playing on the shoulder of the defence. They do however need goals.

[LeChuck]

2. He should have rounded the on rushing Reina. Reina was rushing out so fast that he could neither backtrack fast enough nor swerve to at least try and block Kalinic.

Do you think that was possible though? I think Reina and Kalinic were going to collide regardless of what happened to the ball, I don't think it was possible to go round him.

Perhaps I was a bit harsh on Hoilett's initial play as he did do well do draw the defenders to him, but the pass still should have had less weight on it so that Reina would have been forced to stay nearer his line.

[den]

Do you think that was possible though? I think Reina and Kalinic were going to collide regardless of what happened to the ball, I don't think it was possible to go round him.

The only reason he might not have been able to go around Reina, was that Reina would have fouled him. Kalanic did get to the ball first, so there's no doubting that he had the option.

Wouldn't have mattered though, if he had got his shot on target.

[LeChuck]

I must admit I haven't seen this again since Saturday so I could be barking up the wrong tree...but from memory wouldn't getting in on target have meant blasting it at Reina? I don't think there was room to get it past Reina and on target.

I agree with what you say about going round Reina. If he'd tried that it would have resulted in a foul, red card for Reina and a free kick...but probably still a 0-0 draw.

[den]

I must admit I haven't seen this again since Saturday so I could be barking up the wrong tree...but from memory wouldn't getting in on target have meant blasting it at Reina? I don't think there was room to get it past Reina and on target.

I agree with what you say about going round Reina. If he'd tried that it would have resulted in a foul, red card for Reina and a free kick...but probably still a 0-0 draw.

I wouldn't criticise him too much anyway. It all happened very quickly and he just needs to find a bit of mental agility.

[T4E]

Do you think that was possible though? I think Reina and Kalinic were going to collide regardless of what happened to the ball, I don't think it was possible to go round him.

Perhaps I was a bit harsh on Hoilett's initial play as he did do well do draw the defenders to him, but the pass still should have had less weight on it so that Reina would have been forced to stay nearer his line.

Agreed on both scores. Kalinic was too square on to be able to go round Reina, you have to have an angle on the ball and your run to be able to do so. And to be fair to Reina he was out very very quickly - because the ball from Hoilett was too heavy and gave him that option.

[bellamy11]

I agree with what you say about going round Reina. If he'd tried that it would have resulted in a foul, red card for Reina and a free kick...but probably still a 0-0 draw.

Agree with the first part, but I find the insinuation that Keith Andrews wouldn't have converted the resulting free kick to be offensive.

[Ozz]

I reckon Nikola could have done better, and as I said in the match thread I feel if it had been Benni he would have scored. He could have either tapped it past Reina and rounded him and rolled it in, curled it round Reina with his inside right foot or even done a Pele , and dummied it completely and swerved round the keeper, leaving an empty net to tap it into.

Inexperience on his part, for which he cannot be blamed though. He simply shat himself .

[bennyboyt11]

http://www.101greatgoals.com/videodisplay/4117216/

MOTD highlights of the game, I think Kalinic could have gone round the keeper.

[G Somerset Rover]

Di Santo's miss was more inexcusable, at least Niko didn't have long to think.