da bet sport： When Aleksandar Mitrovic first signed for the Magpies during the summer transfer window, the St. James’ Park faithful were left somewhat split on whether or not the young Serbian striker would eventually become a success at their club.
da dobrowin： Some believed Newcastle United had simply signed a madman – someone who couldn’t be trusted out on the pitch due to his hot-headed style and unpredictable approach – whilst others were somewhat looking forward to the passion and commitment such a character would exude across the rest of the starting XI.
But, as the 21-year-old former Anderlecht man has only managed to score a meagre four goals in 17 league appearances on Tyneside this season, perhaps the Magpies’ hierarchy should have really cast their attention elsewhere this summer when all is said and done…
So then, should the St. James’ faithful continue to persevere with Mitrovic this season, or is it time Steve McClaren found a replacement for the Serbia international before the close of the January transfer window?
Well, although the determined centre-forward successfully got himself on the scoresheet last time out against Manchester United, Mitrovic has undoubtedly missed a succession of potentially match-winning chances for his side in recent weeks – which could possibly prove the difference between Newcastle either going down or avoiding relegation this term.
Despite previously carrying a decent reputation prior to moving to the North East this summer, the bustling striker has certainly struggled throughout spells of the 2015/16 campaign – and although his hunger in advanced positions seemingly endears himself to the St. James’ crowd, patience for Mitrovic will become strained if the goals don’t start to flow soon.
However, Newcastle simply didn’t sign themselves a tried and tested reliable centre-forward after all, they landed a promising young asset in need of further development out on the pitch. The Serbian has arguably performed exactly as expected in 2015/16. Although the 21-year-old striker did in fact seem somewhat like a loose cannon at the beginning of the campaign, Mitrovic has definitely shown a little more maturity as the season has progressed, even if the goals haven’t quite been flying in as expected.
Now was perhaps the wrong time for Newcastle to sign such a player with all things considered. When QPR’s Charlie Austin was seemingly available over the summer – someone who had previously excelled in the Premier League in an arguably worse side – the decision to move for Mitrovic seemed even more questionable. McClaren and co. have simply been left looking somewhat naïve in regards to their risky summer decision making at this stage, which is made clear by the Magpies’ current position in the league table.
In the end, the St. James’ Park faithful would struggle to point any justified criticism in the direction of their Serbian centre-forward this season. Mitrovic certainly looks capable of scoring goals in the English top-flight at a pretty frequent rate one day, and whilst £12.5 million does seem a slightly over inflated transfer fee in hindsight, Steve McClaren arguably hasn’t played to the starlet’s strengths.
This is a player who could easily thrive when playing with enough confidence on his side, but as Newcastle have invariably failed to do their fans justice in 2015/16, such a notion may be rather hard to come by for Mitrovic in the end. If the Magpies eventually manage to avoid relegation this term, then the 2016/17 campaign really could be a successful one for the striker with less pressure on his shoulders.
As things currently stand, however, Newcastle fans should keep faith with Mitrovic at their club, it’s just the current state of their manager and boardroom staff that remain the most questionable concern with everything fairly taken into account…
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