Aleksandar Mitrovic has four months to save his dream, his Newcastle career.
First of all, I just want to start this by saying that I was not at the game against Oxford. A game in which Mitrovic allegedly had a nightmare, so I will not criticise him for what I have not seen.
But, it has been well noted that Mitrovic missed a handful of good chances in the first half, as well as missing a crucial penalty with the score at 1-0. Newcastle went on to lose the game 3-0. It was felt that this was another big chance for the Serbian striker to impress and stake his claim for more involvement. It’s fair to say he did not take the chance.
The problems with Mitrovic run far deeper than one game though, and patience is starting to run thin.
Until this point he has largely remained an immensely popular figure among supporters. Popular to the stage where he has been exempt from many valid criticisms.
This was supposed to be his season, in which he validated the adoration thrown at him by Newcastle fans with goals. So far this season he has only managed five, with three of those coming in the league. Mitrovic has appeared 18 times for Newcastle this season (including 10 sub appearances) yet has only scored in three of those – doubles against Preston in both league and cup, and one against QPR.
To put that into context, Daryl Murphy has scored three goals in six appearances.
Mitrovic and Murphy are battling to fill the void left by Dwight Gayle’s injury, Murphy is grabbing that chance. Mitrovic is not.
Throughout the season it has been interesting to watch Mitrovic and personally his game is perplexing and frustrating in equal measure.
For a striker, he spends far too much of the game in areas where he will not make an impact on the game. Mitrovic averages 1.6 shots per game, it is no surprise that Gayle more than doubles that at 3.5. If you do not shoot then you do not score.
Mitrovic is constantly coming short and rarely is his first instinct to get in the box, meaning he spend a lot of time not in a position to score.
When Sir Bobby Robson became Newcastle manager, he told Mitrovic’s Idol, Alan Shearer, that he spends too much time facing the wrong way. Shearer regained his form once Sir Bobby changed this. Mitrovic has exactly the same problem.
Gayle is the perfect contrast, granted they are completely different types of striker, but the main expectation of a striker is to score.
Gayle has 20 league goals this season because he is always trying to get in the box, the majority of a striker’s goals come from inside the box- all five of Mitrovic’s goals have been in the box.
Gayle’s movement is exceptional, his pace helps, but he also knows when to make his movements and where. Leeds away, Rob Green drops the ball. Gayle scores. He is always ready for a chance to come his way.
Gayle is always looking to get in a position to score, Murphy gets more involved in build up play than Gayle, but has still looked dangerous. With Mitrovic it is less clear.
While many will point to Mitrovic’s youth, it is worth noting that Gayle and Mitrovic have been professional footballers for the same length of time – 2011.
To say that the 6ft 2in Serb is not blessed with pace is putting it mildly but movement is not all about pace. He has shown glimpses of it with his goal against Spurs on the final day of the season being an example of perfect movement for a striker.
It is not just his movement that has been disappointing this season. He was given a big chance from the start against Blackburn, however he was completely dominated in the air from start to finish.
On that day Danny Graham was 10 times the player Mitrovic was by making himself a handful. If Mitrovic is to regain his place then he will need to put himself about more and make himself far more difficult to play against.
By contrast, Daryl Murphy’s hold up play when given his chance against Rotherham was excellent.
So on the evidence of this season, Mitrovic is not our best – or rather most likely finisher and he is not our best in the air. And you get the feeling Benitez could be tempted to cash in on Mitrovic come the summer.
As a result he now appears to be third choice striker when all are fit.
Benitez has not appeared to trust him with the responsibility of leading the line and Mitrovic will have a lot to prove should he be given the chance to start any time soon.
There is not a single Geordie who does not will Mitrovic to do well, you see how much it means to him, he supports us, he is one of us. But that in itself is not enough. For every Shearer or Andy Carroll there are ten Michael Chopra’s.
Here’s hoping Aleksandar becomes the player we all want him to be.
