[Archived] Nikola Kalinic

[King Kenny's Magic]

Racial.

What I'm being racial for labelling JF as a target man. Watch what you say...

[S15]

What I'm being racial for labelling JF as a target man. Watch what you say...

Wooosh.

[King Kenny's Magic]

Wooosh.

Bang

[T4E]

Bang

Amo?

[S15]

Bang

Racial.

[Ricky]

Can you pair at least try to not take this off topic!!

[sambo]

Hope that proves some people wrong, who have written him off as 'crap' and 'not cut out'. Two very good goals. Fans took to him a lot today

[Exiled_Rover]

Two fabulous finishes from Kalinic. It's amazing what he can do when he has service.

As for the red card - completely accidental. If that was a red then so was the stamp on Olsson later on in the half. Hopefully the appeals panel rescinds it.

[John]

Kean said it was mistimed, but not malicious & we would not be appealing it.

[chris]

Two fabulous finishes from Kalinic. It's amazing what he can do when he has service.

As for the red card - completely accidental. If that was a red then so was the stamp on Olsson later on in the half. Hopefully the appeals panel rescinds it.

accidental???

Bloody stupid

It will never ever be appealed

[cn174]

accidental???

Bloody stupid

It will never ever be appealed

Kean already said they definitely will not be appealing it.

[Miker]

Hope that proves some people wrong, who have written him off as 'crap' and 'not cut out'. Two very good goals. Fans took to him a lot today

He's always had the 'potential' there, most people readily admitted it, but he was consistently getting on the end of balls and then falling over in earlier games, which led me to label him as 'useless'. He needs to keep calm and collected and strong on his feet and he can turn into a class striker for us and bang in 10+ a season on a regular basis.

EDIT: I should add that he's an excellent finisher as well, whenever he's been presented with an opportunity to strike at goal, his shots have been very precise. He needs to improve on the aspects mentioned above and we'll have a gem on our hands.

[DE.]

It will be interesting to see if Kalinic flourishes under Kean's system... i've always maintained that Allardyce was playing Kalinic as a square peg in a round hole. He's not suited to the Kevin Davies role, and if any scouting had been done prior to his signing Allardyce should have been aware of this. In light of that, spending 6M on him was a huge mistake.

However, Kean's system seems to give the striker more support so we may now see the £6M man we supposedly signed. Here's to hoping, anyway...

[T4E]

Can you pair at least try to not take this off topic!!

OK, since it's you

I said on the Stoke match thread prior to the game that Niko had run out of hiding places. Kean wants to be positive, wants to play two up front and wants to give Kalinic a chance. Time to show if he really does have it. He was a game late, but today was a good response. I honestly think if Kalinic started every game, and had a partner more often than not, he could bag us 15 goals a season. I hope Keano thinks the same.

[Miker]

It will be interesting to see if Kalinic flourishes under Kean's system... i've always maintained that Allardyce was playing Kalinic as a square peg in a round hole. He's not suited to the Kevin Davies role, and if any scouting had been done prior to his signing Allardyce should have been aware of this. In light of that, spending 6M on him was a huge mistake.

However, Kean's system seems to give the striker more support so we may now see the £6M man we supposedly signed. Here's to hoping, anyway...

According to the commentary, they said we were actually set up in a 4-3-3 against West Brom with the Dioufs on either side of Kalinic. Not sure if that's right though.

In fairness, the two goals he scored had nothing to do with there being a partner around him. The first was from a long ball into space and the second was from a corner. Two typical Allardyce goals, one might say. I'll reserve judgment on whether he does better or worse with a partner until I see him play a couple of matches with one. I think how well Kalinic does is down to the service and support he receives from the midfield and his ability to stay strong and calm against opposition.

[Torgeir]

According to the commentary, they said we were actually set up in a 4-3-3 against West Brom with the Dioufs on either side of Kalinic. Not sure if that's right though.

4-5-1 and 4-3-3 are basically the same, if a team is attack minded then it's 4-3-3 and defensive minded 4-5-1. It's a bit like the pot calling the kettle black

[RevidgeBlue]

Even Ince made us one belting signing in Paul Robinson.

It would be lovely if we could look back eventually and say Sam had done the same with Kalinic. (Or even two with Mame Diouf who I think is the better of the two)

[RoyRover]

Two good goals, some great touches and a sending off. Quite a day for the young Croat. Hopefully we will see more of today's positives.

[LeChuck]

Two good goals, some great touches and a sending off. Quite a day for the young Croat. Hopefully we will see more of today's positives.

I'm sure we will, he's a cracking player.

The one positive of appointing the dull pinhead as manager is we'll have a style of play that'll suit Kalinic.

The formations are completely irrelevant though. He can easily play 4-5-1 if the football suits him, Allardyce's style obviously didn't. I can't really take anyone seriously that says he needs 4-4-2.

[RevidgeBlue]

The formations are completely irrelevant though. He can easily play 4-5-1 if the football suits him, Allardyce's style obviously didn't. I can't really take anyone seriously that says he needs 4-4-2.

It certainly seemed to suit him when we had three strikers on the pitch against Chelsea under McDonald in the Carling Cup.

[Bobby G]

How many games will he miss?

[Alan75]

Even Ince made us one belting signing in Paul Robinson.

It would be lovely if we could look back eventually and say Sam had done the same with Kalinic. (Or even two with Mame Diouf who I think is the better of the two)

Good point RB.

Here's another one Brian Kidd - Matt Jansen

[S15]

Good point RB.

Here's another one Brian Kidd - Matt Jansen

To be fair, Kidd's signings weren't too bad player wise, but he definitely overpaid for certain players. Gillespie and Jansen were good value in the long run, however McAteer and Carsley, despite not being 'flops,' were definitely overpriced. Ward was his one piece of awful business.

[Hughesy]

Suspended for 3 games according to Guardian article.

Interesting to hear Kean say that they wanted Kalinic to have the ball in attacking, forward positions, up the side of centre halfs – rather than with his back to goal….showed with the early goal that if you put him through he has the ability to finish chances.

4 league goals for the season now – hopefully following his suspension he can play the remainder of the season as 1st choice striker.

[Amo]

It will be interesting to see if Kalinic flourishes under Kean's system... i've always maintained that Allardyce was playing Kalinic as a square peg in a round hole. He's not suited to the Kevin Davies role, and if any scouting had been done prior to his signing Allardyce should have been aware of this. In light of that, spending 6M on him was a huge mistake.

However, Kean's system seems to give the striker more support so we may now see the £6M man we supposedly signed. Here's to hoping, anyway...

The problem is that certain people expected Kalinic to be the finished article, despite being a young striker playing his first years of top level football in a foreign culture. It didn't help that Sam threw him on against Sunderland, where he had a stinker, then hauled him out of the first team and said he was never ready in the first place. Then when Kalinic did get a run in the side, he had to contend for long balls up front on his own, with no appreciation of his individual strengths from the manager. Just plug him in the hole and hope he becomes the next 'Big Kev'.