[Archived] Nikola Kalinic

[Rovers_Dan]

Been watching a few of his games recently on the old blocko vision.

Seems to have found his feet again albeit a weaker league.

Come to my attention that hes got some very good service on the wings for his current club and isnt playing with his back to goal like he did with us.

What a shame, I still reckon he would of come good.

[BiggusLaddus]

When though? We waited two years as it was.

[patrickvalery]

Ahh the age old Kalinic debate! Things must have got bad at Rovers to rake up this old topic. I mean, we don't even employ him anymore!

Would be of little use to us this season so i'm pleased for him that its working out in the Ukraine.

[DE.]

It would never have worked out for him in a team like ours. I think he may have had moderate success in a team like Swansea or WBA, but his form playing for Dnipro is irrelevant as the league is so much weaker than the Prem.

[Andy]

It's good that he's doing well for Dnipro, I always saw some decent potential in Kalinic.

I think in the current side, where scoring is regular (but shipping goals is twice as regular), he'd be banging in a lot more than what he did whilst playing as a target man, which his back to goal.

[Tom]

But Yakubu hasn't got much better service and much more of a run in the team and managed to bad himself ten goals.

Proper striker, knows where to be in the box (although I'm fully expecting it not to last)

Then again Niko would have been a better option than the rest of our lot most likely

[Sparky Marky]

Keans only real successful game lastseason..(west brom away) Kalinic & EHD ran the show. Funny how he saw fit to get rid....cock.

[den]

I thought Niko's supporters would have realised, now we have Yakubu, how a proper front man holds the ball up without falling over, or trying to run around the centre half - hoping he'd miss it. Along with actually being able to create his own chances.

[Veevs]

But Yakubu hasn't got much better service and much more of a run in the team and managed to bad himself ten goals.

Proper striker, knows where to be in the box (although I'm fully expecting it not to last)

Then again Niko would have been a better option than the rest of our lot most likely

Can't really compare the two imo.. very different styles of striker.

Pretty much most people agree that as a sole striker he was not exactly in his best position, there are lots of very good and successful strikers who simply can't do a lone striker role.

Personally believe he will do well in the future, never had a chance with sams style of play and he certainly did not fit with Keans style (if he has one it certainly does not involve two strikers).

If he had of been in a formation similar to the Dalglish days with proper wingers and a second striker I reckon he would of been a big success. We did see it in a few games when we played more of a 442 with wide players.

But anyways he has gone so this is a pointless debate lol

[Amo]

Even when he did score goals for club & country, he was overlooked by Kean. Talented player, just a shame it didn't work out for him.

[bob fleming]

I thought Niko's supporters would have realised, now we have Yakubu, how a proper front man holds the ball up without falling over, or trying to run around the centre half - hoping he'd miss it. Along with actually being able to create his own chances.

I still think he would have better in a front two den, something that would only have been possible under Kean and his free flowing pass and move football.

Oh hang on.

Still at least we reinvested whatever Niko went for in agents fees, Anderson, Ribiero, a wage rise for Keano and taxi fares.

[modes98]

But Yakubu hasn't got much better service and much more of a run in the team and managed to bad himself ten goals.

Different types of player completely mate.

Like comparing Kate Moss to Nigella Lawson. Each have have their strengths but opposite ends of the spectrum and need to be handled completely differently!

If you give Kalinic service he will score. You give the Yak the ball he is good enough to use his bulk and strength to beat you can get a shot off, however also has good positioning when he is off the ball, a Jason Roberts but good, if you will.

[lowerdarwenblue]

A mate at work who is a Liverpool fan reckons that they should have signed Kalinic rather that Carroll. They would have got him alot cheaper and he couldn't be any worse according to him !!!

A bit controversial but i also think he could definately have done a job for them.

[Tom]

I would say as a player Yakubu is more akin to Kalinic than Roberts by a fair margin.

He isnt a carthorse type not strong in the air the lad is just clever and knows how to play as a striker.

[Hughesy]

Yakubu scores goals in the top league, Kalinic doesnt. Good look to him in the Scottish standard league

[Rover_Shaun]

Kalinic will have his future mediocrity highlighted on here forever

Just shows how bad things have got

[Elvis McSmithy]

yakubu has started most games, kalinc had to settle for coming on as sub the majority of times and was never given a consistant run of games under kean, the yak and kalinic are to very differant types of player(phtsically and tacticaly).

[mcphee7]

Kalinic was a good player and I will always maintain that. He held the ball up really well I thought. He was strong and he always put in a shift. Im not going to compare him to someone like Yakubu because that would make me look stupid. I compared an orange to a piece of chalk once and tried to argue which was the better.

Kalinic just needed better players around him while he was finding his feet in this league. Yes, we had him two years, but how much of that did he play? I think in a good side he would have scored goals. Lets face it, we're a really poor side.

[Tom]

When we are only ever likely to play one striker these days it's more than fair to compare Yakubu to Kalinic, they are both strikers both paid to score goals.

[Ozz]

Can't really compare the two imo.. very different styles of striker.

Yep. One scores goals in the Premier league and one fell over a lot.

[Rovers_786]

Good luck to him.

[BPF]

Never a Premier League player in a million years.

[Roversi]

shame it didnt work out, really liked him. miss going into weekends hoping he will start up a good run of form. was at villa away in the league cup and wba away when he got those brace's.

[Sparky Marky]

If you see what shyte forwards we have apart from yak, then its a crap decision to get rid. At least he looked a bit like a premier league player...compared to roberts, goodwillie etc.

[Baz]

He held the ball up really well I thought. He was strong....

Honestly, strong and held the ball-up really well? I know football is all about opinions etc but those were his worst two qualities.

Happy things are going well for him, and still delighted we got the reported £6m for him. Shame we just forgot to spend that money.