[Archived] Nikola Kalinic

[MarkBRFC71]

Yeah, me. "you're" and "joking".

Seriously?? You're trying to say that Gerd Muller wasn't a 'proper striker'?!? Jeez ....

[sambo]

lol, did you happen to miss the World Cup this summer? Very, very few of the world's best players actually stood out. For England, Rooney, Gerrard and Lampard could barely get a pass right. Messi cannot stop scoring for Barcelona, for Argentina he is close to pathetic. Portugal's tactics killed Ronaldo's ability. And Brazil? The greatest, most exciting team on the planet? Played 1 and 1/2 decent matches at most. The Italians? Still have some of the best players in Europe, but rightfully were outplayed and knocked out by Slovakia. Same for France. It was negative tactics all throughout, and few players lived up to their potential.

Kalinic is a good player, he has shown it in the rare occasions we have played some decent football, but in the lone-man very-limited-amount-of-help role he can't do much. No one can. The reason why Santa Cruz was successful was largely because of Bentley.

To call Messi 'close to pathetic' for Argentina is well over the top, he had a decent World Cup in the main and was desperately unlucky not to score a few.

[dubdubdub]

Wasted on us.

[Tom]

I'm not so sure, we can say how we can't expect him to score in our formation again and again but in reality he should be offering more than he is.

I defended him all of last season as it takes time to get to grips with our league but in reality we could have got the same effect for much cheaper.

He offers next to no threat whatsoever in most games. He may be great in a 4-4-2 but it's unlikely we'll ever know, starting him up top alone against Chelsea would be silly.

The lads a tryer and has a great touch but I'm just not sure he can cut it.

[Bobby G]

Id like to see how many shots he has had this season and then have people nagging about him. He doesnt get more than 1 or 2 shots off at most, and they are usually half chances, half the time at least.

[BPF]

£1m, and we should have signed him up too.

This will never end, will it?

[alexanders]

Its very interesting to see that the £10m flop Johan Elmander suddenly has started finding the back of the net. He has been touted as rubbish and a complete flop. He has 5 goals already this season?

[Amo]

The £6m we paid for Kalinic was based on his potential. That potential has been gradually suffocated, stamped on and slammed against a brick wall by Big Sam, who thinks he can turn Kalinic into the next Kevin Davies when they couldn't be further apart if you tried.

[alexanders]

Has nothing to do with my comparison. Elmander was touted as a real flop for Bolton. Has been given 2 years in the EPL and has suddenly found the back of the net. He was more expensive than Kalinic and older than Kalinic. He also came from a culture (sweden) who is much more like England than Croatia.

Whether this is down to a managerial change, finding his feet getting used to the league or other impacts i dont know, but it is a very interesting comparison....

[den]

The £6m we paid for Kalinic was based on his potential. That potential has been gradually suffocated, stamped on and slammed against a brick wall by Big Sam, who thinks he can turn Kalinic into the next Kevin Davies when they couldn't be further apart if you tried.

If he ever came good Topman, you would credit Kalanic. Your bias against Sam taints the obvious.

Gradually more and more people are coming around to the view that I had from very early on.

[Majiball]

If he ever came good Topman, you would credit Kalanic. Your bias against Sam taints the obvious.

Gradually more and more people are coming around to the view that I had from very early on.

But he does have attributes that could make him a decent striker. At times last year he looked very dangerous finding some nice spaces in and around the box. I most certainly think he has something, its just not something that we need within our tactical framework.

If the tactics were altered to try and get more out of him then you'd have to credit the man that changed them. But they won't and never will as that's highly apparent after his 18 months with us.

In all honesty and given its been that long, I'd be seriously considering cutting my loses on him if I was in charge. Clubs were looking at him last year and I think we'd get more than the 2 or so being touted on here. But we wouldn't get our 6M back.

[Amo]

If he ever came good Topman, you would credit Kalanic. Your bias against Sam taints the obvious.

Gradually more and more people are coming around to the view that I had from very early on.

We've been here before, Den.

Put Kalinic in a team that can pass, move and create chances. Then we'll see how good he is. He's not a target man, plain and simple, especially one who has to break defences all by himself.

[braddock]

I'm not so sure, we can say how we can't expect him to score in our formation again and again but in reality he should be offering more than he is.

I defended him all of last season as it takes time to get to grips with our league but in reality we could have got the same effect for much cheaper.

He offers next to no threat whatsoever in most games. He may be great in a 4-4-2 but it's unlikely we'll ever know, starting him up top alone against Chelsea would be silly.

The lads a tryer and has a great touch but I'm just not sure he can cut it.

How could he possibly offer more in the system he is played in?

He isn't a lone striker and for the last year and the foreseeable future his talents have and will be wasted on the continuous brain washing of Allardyce, turning him from a highly promising striker, to a substandard target man. I have rarely seen the ball played to Kalinic below stomach height, and so I don't believe you could rule him out as been a lone striker at a club who employ it properly, with support from midfield and better balls to him.

[den]

I have rarely seen the ball played to Kalinic below stomach height,

You should have gone to specsavers.

[braddock]

You should have gone to specsavers.

Congratulations. I would respond with a mature reply demanding proof to suggest contrary to my point, but I just read your post in the Liverpool thread and it is clear that you are deluded.

[Manc Rover]

Kalinic reminds me of a certain Matt Jansen and you wouldn't just hoof the ball up him in his pomp would you? If we insist on playing this horrible depressing brand of football then he's the wrong man for the job!

[den]

Congratulations. I would respond with a mature reply demanding proof to suggest contrary to my point, but I just read your post in the Liverpool thread and it is clear that you are deluded.

Thank you.

Niko doesn't only get passes at head height, that's a ridiculous statement.

[alexanders]

.

[duffbear]

I am not saying changing tactics would improve results but it would improve Kalnic's goal tally.

He is a poacher and has also got a good shot on him. With the current tactits he is nearly always has his back to goal.

When was the last time you saw a pass to his feet or a ball for him to run on time. On occasion we have seen him with his back to goal bring the ball down and beat a man or two. He is a good dribbler on the rare occasion he has the chance too.

If he played in a 4-4-2 and we played to feet more often I see no reason why he would not score 10-15 goals. What Sam has to way up is would it be more benficial to the team to play that way.

When he played this system at Bolton Davies himself did not get a great deal of goals but did set up a lot of goals but this system is not suited to Kalnic skills can he be trained to do it maybe but doubtful.

To me the sign of a good manager is to play to everyone strenghs which with Kalnic is not being done. I believe Sam purchased him after seraching high and low for his ideal Kevin Davies type striker and believed he could turn Kalnic's into that type of player, Unfortunatley that does not look like happening. So in my opnion Sam either needs to play to his strenghs or get rid. I hope it is not the latter as i rate the guy pretty highly .

[den]

I am not saying changing tactics would improve results but it would improve Kalnic's goal tally.

He is a poacher and has also got a good shot on him. With the current tactits he is nearly always has his back to goal.

When was the last time you saw a pass to his feet or a ball for him to run on time. On occasion we have seen him with his back to goal bring the ball down and beat a man or two. He is a good dribbler on the rare occasion he has the chance too.

If he played in a 4-4-2 and we played to feet more often I see no reason why he would not score 10-15 goals. What Sam has to way up is would it be more benficial to the team to play that way.

When he played this system at Bolton Davies himself did not get a great deal of goals but did set up a lot of goals but this system is not suited to Kalnic skills can he be trained to do it maybe but doubtful.

To me the sign of a good manager is to play to everyone strenghs which with Kalnic is not being done. I believe Sam purchased him after seraching high and low for his ideal Kevin Davies type striker and believed he could turn Kalnic's into that type of player, Unfortunatley that does not look like happening. So in my opnion Sam either needs to play to his strenghs or get rid. I hope it is not the latter as i rate the guy pretty highly .

he's a poacher, a good shot on him, bring the ball down and beat a man or two, a good dribbler.

He's the ideal lone striker then. Why's he not scoring goals?

When was the last time you saw a pass to his feet or a ball

Every single game he's played. There really are some views tinted with manager bias.

[braddock]

Thank you.

Niko doesn't only get passes at head height, that's a ridiculous statement.

At which point did I say only?

[duffbear]

he's a poacher, a good shot on him, bring the ball down and beat a man or two, a good dribbler.

He's the ideal lone striker then. Why's he not scoring goals?

When was the last time you saw a pass to his feet or a ball

Every single game he's played. There really are some views tinted with manager bias.

He is not ideal for lone striker. As far I am aware he has never played in this system before Rovers. He is doing he best in this role and when I said bring the ball down and dribble with the ball I clearly stated on occasion. 9 times out of 10 he does not have the time to bring the ball down because he is either man or tightly marked. He can do no more that what he is doing at the momment, over to you Sam.

[roversmum]

The £6m we paid for Kalinic was based on his potential. That potential has been gradually suffocated, stamped on and slammed against a brick wall by Big Sam, who thinks he can turn Kalinic into the next Kevin Davies when they couldn't be further apart if you tried.

Exactly. I feel desperately sorry for Nicko, the poor lad is being ruined and he doesn't deserve that.

[beerwins]

I find it very hard to rate a player based on the chances that Kalinic gets, his movement off the ball is very good and his work ethic is also good, but I just cant say whether he is a good player or not because he simply doesnt get the service a striker needs.

If I was to rate him at the role he is being used for I would give him 2-10 for a target man, When Sam bought him I thought it was a bit of a panic buy as he was due to sign at Portsmouth now watching him flounder around in the lone striker role just confirms he was bought without real thought.

We bought a striker for the future what we needed was an established target man for Sams tactics to work better.

[Miker]

But he does have attributes that could make him a decent striker. At times last year he looked very dangerous finding some nice spaces in and around the box. I most certainly think he has something, its just not something that we need within our tactical framework.

If the tactics were altered to try and get more out of him then you'd have to credit the man that changed them. But they won't and never will as that's highly apparent after his 18 months with us.

In all honesty and given its been that long, I'd be seriously considering cutting my loses on him if I was in charge. Clubs were looking at him last year and I think we'd get more than the 2 or so being touted on here. But we wouldn't get our 6M back.

I watched him earlier in the season, in particular the two games where he got those lucky goals, and he looked decent in our system. He seemed to be more confident on the ball, he could receive it well, make space for himself and get his shots on target (or at least at the post/crossbar). So I agree there is potential there, but I think he's suffering from nerves. Too often he's either falling over or wildly flailing for the ball. He reminds me a bit of "Flappyhandski" (as you call him) on a bad day. So in my opinion, if Sam needs to address anything, then it's definitely Kalinic's confidence and morale levels. With better support from midfield and more confidence Kalinic CAN turn into at LEAST a 10-goal-a-season striker.