Aleksandar Mitrovic

[Old Programme seller]

We’ve come a long way to say that we’re talking about £16 million players t was only just over 2 seasons ago that a £3 million player was a real talking point we do have to be respectful of how far we’ve come

 

[Yogi]

well one thing he has got is pace but can only see slav using him in wide areas if we keep him might be handy in a front 3 but i think we will offload him if we can

He’s got a more than just pace he’s an excellent all round athlete he’s got the power and physicality to go with it. He’s also flashed good stuff on the ball the villa game stands out in that regard. The problem is he’s not a kid anymore and for every flash of good play there’s 9 instances of him having breezeblocks for feet. He’s also got some real weird habits like jumping early for headers. To make him into the player he showed signs of being as a teenager all that would need to be fixed. He needs taking back to basics in terms of what he does on the pitch and then rebuilding from there.

 

[Blade58]

He’s got a more than just pace he’s an excellent all round athlete he’s got the power and physicality to go with it. He’s also flashed good stuff on the ball the villa game stands out in that regard. The problem is he’s not a kid anymore and for every flash of good play there’s 9 instances of him having breezeblocks for feet. He’s also got some real weird habits like jumping early for headers. To make him into the player he showed signs of being as a teenager all that would need to be fixed. He needs taking back to basics in terms of what he does on the pitch and then rebuilding from there.

He may have a number of attributes but one he hasn’t got is a football brain
There were rumours before he came about a manager who gave up on him because he just wouldn’t do what he was told to do.

I just can’t help feeling we are wasting our time with him and he’ll never learn because he would’ve done already if that’s the case

Perhaps he’ll shine in the championship and that’s his level and I’m doing him a disservice, but I have a nagging doubt about him

 

[jono_t2000]

Fulham have turned down 16 million for mitrovic they want more than that.

Not necessarily true. From what I understand Moscow wanted to pay very little up front which in this current climate was a turn off and risk for Fulham. Alot of clubs want cash up front as security.

 

[Yogi]

He may have a number of attributes but one he hasn’t got is a football brain
There were rumours before he came about a manager who gave up on him because he just wouldn’t do what he was told to do.

I just can’t help feeling we are wasting our time with him and he’ll never learn because he would’ve done already if that’s the case

Perhaps he’ll shine in the championship and that’s his level and I’m doing him a disservice, but I have a nagging doubt about him

Oh yeah I’ve got shed loads of doubts about him. Like you say asking him to do anything particularly complicated is probably pointless right now. The only way it works is if his entire remit is beat your man get it in the box but that would limit us in an attacking sense.

 

[Yogi]

Not necessarily true. From what I understand Moscow wanted to pay very little up front which in this current climate was a turn off and risk for Fulham. Alot of clubs want cash up front as security.

Don’t think many clubs will offer lump sums this summer given the way things are can really only see the big prem clubs operating like that.

 

[ancientblade]

Don’t think many clubs will offer lump sums this summer given the way things are can really only see the big prem clubs operating like that.

the point is if we sell 2 or 3 players which i think we will we could be in a position to maybe offer 10m for mitrovic with the rest depending if we get promoted and it still wouldnt suprise me to see slav being in for mitrovic cairney and sessignon

 

[Yogi]

the point is if we sell 2 or 3 players which i think we will we could be in a position to maybe offer 10m for mitrovic with the rest depending if we get promoted and it still wouldnt suprise me to see slav being in for mitrovic cairney and sessignon

Sessegnon on loan I could see. The cost in fees and wages puts cairney and mitrovic beyond us imo. Our stated aim is to buy for value and sell high and neither represent that. Now with a more expanded and integrated scouting network I think we’ll be looking at more Coulibaly type acquisitions from home and abroad rather than experienced heads as we have plenty of those already at the club.

 

[ancientblade]

Sessegnon on loan I could see. The cost in fees and wages puts cairney and mitrovic beyond us imo. Our stated aim is to buy for value and sell high and neither represent that. Now with a more expanded and integrated scouting network I think we’ll be looking at more Coulibaly type acquisitions from home and abroad rather than experienced heads as we have plenty of those already at the club.

suppose problem with sessignon is that weve already got too many lwbs at the club unless we could use him further up the pitch but agree looks the most likely of those 3

 

[Yogi]

suppose problem with sessignon is that weve already got too many lwbs at the club unless we could use him further up the pitch but agree looks the most likely of those 3

He’ll play as part of a front 3 like he did under Slav at Fulham. I could see us having interest in Harvey Elliott as well. I’m interested to see what Slav does with bogle and whether he moves him forward into a front 3 from being a fullback like sessegnon.

 

[KiwiBlade]

He’ll play as part of a front 3 like he did under Slav at Fulham. I could see us having interest in Harvey Elliott as well. I’m interested to see what Slav does with bogle and whether he moves him forward into a front 3 from being a fullback like sessegnon.

Given his forward movement, eye for goal and questionable defending I’d say he’s a prime candidate for a front 3 role.

 

[Yogi]

Given his forward movement, eye for goal and questionable defending I’d say he’s a prime candidate for a front 3 role.

That’s where he played as a youth for Swindon before moving to derby. Their academy sides didn’t play a front 3 when he was coming through so he was transitioned to wingback. Very similar to us and seriki.

 

[ancientblade]

He’ll play as part of a front 3 like he did under Slav at Fulham. I could see us having interest in Harvey Elliott as well. I’m interested to see what Slav does with bogle and whether he moves him forward into a front 3 from being a fullback like sessegnon.

that will suit me but think bogle and baldock will be competing for the rwb spot also be interesting to see where brewster fits in with slavs plans maybe right side of the front 3 with mcburnie as the central striker

 

[Yogi]

that will suit me but think bogle and baldock will be competing for the rwb spot also be interesting to see where brewster fits in with slavs plans maybe right side of the front 3 with mcburnie as the central striker

It will be interesting what happens with Brewster full stop I think he needs to be developed and moulded into having a specific role he’s looked a bit lost at times this season. I think he has the technical ability to play like didzy but his positioning isn’t anywhere near didzy’s. Mcburnie could play central but he’s played his best football as a wide player with the license to roam and come central at will when he was at Swansea and Barnsley.

 

[ancientblade]

It will be interesting what happens with Brewster full stop I think he needs to be developed and moulded into having a specific role he’s looked a bit lost at times this season. I think he has the technical ability to play like didzy but his positioning isn’t anywhere near didzy’s. Mcburnie could play central but he’s played his best football as a wide player with the license to roam and come central at will when he was at Swansea and Barnsley.

well maybe other way round brewster as the central striker and mcburnie one of the wide attackers think one things for certain we wont be seing this pissing about with it in triangles anymore well hope not anyway

 

[Yogi]

well maybe other way round brewster as the central striker and mcburnie one of the wide attackers think one things for certain we wont be seing this pissing about with it in triangles anymore well hope not anyway

Potentially yeah I can see Slav liking jebbison quite a bit but it’s whether he’s ready or not. Oh I think we’ll see lots of triangles but we’ll see them in different areas of the pitch Slavs sides are all about regaining and retaining possession.

 

[robbiez666]

Wait, we've spent £40 million on two strikers and people have a realistic expectation that we'd try and sign Mitrovic?! A player whose wages we couldn't afford in the top flight.

 

[Old Programme seller]

The transfer market can be very tempestuous one minute a player is valued by his club at one price then because of other deals that are being done to bring in other players the original player value can change significantly Raphael van der vaart signed for Spurs last minute on deadline day for £8 mill but on the same day in the morning spurs was quoted £15 million.

 

[ancientblade]

Wait, we've spent £40 million on two strikers and people have a realistic expectation that we'd try and sign Mitrovic?! A player whose wages we couldn't afford in the top flight.

i get your point and im not saying we will sign mitrovic but those 2 signings for 40m were made by a different manager the new manager might not fancy either of them and go in another direction as is often the case when theres a change of manager

 

[JJBlade]

I wouldn’t be comfortable gambling the clubs financial stability on promotion it should be our aim yes but we should t be risking everything to achieve it. Lots of championship clubs have been down that road and when it doesn’t work it’s catastrophic

I'm not comfortable with having 8-10 players who have as much chance of seeing a first team shirt as I have, on £15,000 - £20,000 a week.

This puts the club in even bigger financial trouble because the players aren't worth anything, they just pick up salaries for nothing and have no resale value. Nobody wants them if we have to offload.

It's always been the same, even as a League One club. We'd have a dozen or so League Two or non league standard players on good League One money, they can't move upwards and their wages are too high for them to move downwards where they belong.

Better players cost more, simple as that, they always have and always Will, and there is zero evidence that players only perform well if their wages are similar, quite the contrary actually

 

[Yogi]

I'm not comfortable with having 8-10 players who have as much chance of seeing a first team shirt as I have, on £15,000 - £20,000 a week.

This puts the club in even bigger financial trouble because the players aren't worth anything, they just pick up salaries for nothing and have no resale value. Nobody wants them if we have to offload.

It's always been the same, even as a League One club. We'd have a dozen or so League Two or non league standard players on good League One money, they can't move upwards and their wages are too high for them to move downwards where they belong.

Better players cost more, simple as that, they always have and always Will, and there is zero evidence that players only perform well if their wages are similar, quite the contrary actually

True I’m not advocating over paying for poor players. But good players don’t always cost the most money established players do but that doesn’t guarantee performance. Good recruitment is finding undervalued players signing them and then benefiting from them being undervalued either by selling them on or the club progressing with them. Wilder signed a lot of undervalued players during his time at united up until the prem years.

If as a club you have the money to pay high prices and wages consistently then fair enough buy established players but I don’t think it’s a reach to say we don’t have the ability to pay those prices/wages outside of the parachute time frame. We aren’t in a position to be bankrolled by the owner in the long term. Large wages are a greater risk as well because should that transfer fail a player on a large contract is more difficult to offload than a player on a smaller deal. I expect we’ll have difficulty off loading mousset for this reason as his wages will prevent clubs taking a low cost gamble on him. I think we’ll pay competitive but not excessive wages over the next 2-3 year period.

 

[Torrix1889]

Our stated aim is to buy for value and sell high

But it's not is it, we have consistently paid well over the odds the last few seasons and not sold a player we have bought at any sort profit for a long time....it might be the aim but we haven't achieved it.

 

[Yogi]

But it's not is it, we have consistently paid well over the odds the last few seasons and not sold a player we have bought at any sort profit for a long time....it might be the aim but we haven't achieved it.

I agree we have not done well with it these past few years. That either means it’s a new strategy this summer in hindsight after the last couple of windows or it’s always been the aim but was one of the sources of friction between wilder and the board.

The two signings that really stand out during that period in regards to being undervalued would be verrips and Coulibaly both of which definitely don’t look like wilder signings more van winkle targets. Berge could possibly be added to that depending what fee united receive if he leaves.

 

[bertieblade]

Brewster Mcburnie moose have all been bad vfm signings.
brewster and Mcburnie have a chance of recovering lost value this season but moose does not have the right attitude and calls into question the Wilder claims of how much research he did into all aspects of new signings. Something I am sure that the Prince asked him to look at and subsequently created friction

 

[ancientblade]

not a mcburnie fan but if we keep him and brewster they really have to deliver next season with a combined cost of around 40m theres no reason they shouldnt both hit 20 goals in the championship

 

[Grumps]

Sorry for my memory loss, but what happened to Parkhouse last i knew he was out on loan up Scotland

 

[robbiez666]

Sorry for my memory loss, but what happened to Parkhouse last i knew he was out on loan up Scotland

went on loan to Ireland and I think stayed there?

 

[Yogi]

Sorry for my memory loss, but what happened to Parkhouse last i knew he was out on loan up Scotland

Derry city I think loan then perm.

 

[Grumps]

Derry city I think loan then perm.

Ok thanks

 

[JJBlade]

True I’m not advocating over paying for poor players. But good players don’t always cost the most money established players do but that doesn’t guarantee performance. Good recruitment is finding undervalued players signing them and then benefiting from them being undervalued either by selling them on or the club progressing with them. Wilder signed a lot of undervalued players during his time at united up until the prem years.

If as a club you have the money to pay high prices and wages consistently then fair enough buy established players but I don’t think it’s a reach to say we don’t have the ability to pay those prices/wages outside of the parachute time frame. We aren’t in a position to be bankrolled by the owner in the long term. Large wages are a greater risk as well because should that transfer fail a player on a large contract is more difficult to offload than a player on a smaller deal. I expect we’ll have difficulty off loading mousset for this reason as his wages will prevent clubs taking a low cost gamble on him. I think we’ll pay competitive but not excessive wages over the next 2-3 year period.

I think we both know what each other mean

My point is very simple regarding United

A good player becomes available, we throw our hat into the mix, make all the right noises, then the player demands a certain salary, we pull out of the race, then we sign some donkey who is on 50% - 75% of what the player we wanted was on.

Player on 50% - 75% fits in with our wage structure but offers absolutely sweet FA on the pitch even if he actually gets a game.

If it was a cheap car, or sofa, or carpet, or table, or washing machine it would be seen as false and stupid economy