[Archived] Nikola Kalinic

[The Rover of Finland]

Rovers must decide soon what to do with Niko. To offer him a new deal with better wage or to sell him. Rovers can´t afford to gamble and leave the decicion on his last year. Under current situation he probably won´t even sign new deal. Another worry is would someone pay £6M for him now?

[Tom]

We'd be lucky to get £3m for him now IMO.

I have to agree that at present signing him appears to be a mistake, not because he is a bad player per se but he is never the kind of player Sam wants.

[den]

Really. Would a young Owen shine in our side playing the tactics we do?

You cannnotttt be serious man.

Of course he would. Talent shines through.

[Amo]

What's glib about saying that the best players are generally the best players, whatever the tactics/formation? Talent is talent.

As for "history being full of players flopping at one club only to play out of their skin at another", that doesn't happen as often as you might think.

Because you're oversimplifying. There are many factors that equate to a successful sportsman, especially in team games. Rovers aren't in the habit of buying the 'complete player' who can adapt to any tactics - for the simple fact that we can't afford them. This isn't a matter of Kalinic being 'good enough', it's about Sam's lack of homework on the player trying to shoehorn him into a system that doesn't make the best of his abilities.

[sweet]

What we also have to remember was that Kalinic was never on Sam's first page of targets the summer we bought him. And was only brought in a week or so before the season started. A last resort?

We only came in for him once we heard about portsmouths interest. Which begs the question did we even scout the guy?

[dubdubdub]

Fully agree with that. A lot of people on here that say otherwise were Di Santo Sympathisers too.

Good squad player at best.

Don't forget though, we are just 'a stepping stone' for him.

Di Santo is doing a lot better at Wigan, which is embarrassing for our style of play.

[ada2020]

Di Santo is doing a lot better at Wigan, which is embarrassing for our style of play.

Is he, how many has he scored there so far?

[dubdubdub]

Is he, how many has he scored there so far?

I was just saying he looks like he has talent. Which he does. Regardless of goals scored.

[ada2020]

I was just saying he looks like he has talent. Which he does. Regardless of goals scored.

He looked talented the first three months he was at ewood, he look less talented sat on the bench for the second half of the season.

I'm not disagreeing with what you said, he is defiantly talented, but his chances plummeted after his loan deal was extended at ewood which was less to do with our system and more to do with Sam picking kalanic or Roberts IMO.

[BPF]

I was just saying he looks like he has talent. Which he does. Regardless of goals scored.

Amazed that this belief is still present on the board!

He was always a country mile off Premier League Standard and will continue to be so.

[Blueboy Downunder]

You cannnotttt be serious man.

Of course he would. Talent shines through.

yes den, however...."talent has to be allowed to shine through", which in my mind is clearly not the case with our young players. sure, they are getting a game and the main one is jonesy, why on god's earth sam continues to play him i seriously have given up trying to make sense of it.

the point i am trying to make is that under our current system and the way we play, we could have all the talented youth in the world, but that talent is never gonna be able to prosper, under this current regime.

[Bing]

Franco Di Santo is a very, very good footballer. Has all the attributes to develop into a top drawer number 9.

£1m for a 21 year old was an absolute steal for Wigan.

[super_arran]

Franco Di Santo is a very, very good footballer. Has all the attributes to develop into a top drawer number 9.

£1m for a 21 year old was an absolute steal for Wigan.

Some sense on the messageboard at last.

[den]

the point i am trying to make is that under our current system and the way we play, we could have all the talented youth in the world, but that talent is never gonna be able to prosper, under this current regime.

This current "regime" - ala Allardyce, is giving opportunity to more academy lads than any other manager I can remember. They're doing quite well.

Really surprised you used that as an attack on Allardyce.

[47er]

If we ONLY rated strikers on their scoring rate, Manu would have to let Rooney go for free! On a more serious note I didn't think Kalinic was as ineffectual as some make out. He had 3 decent attempts at goal in the first half! For that matter i didn't think the match was boring, I thought Pedersen's corners/free-kicks were very dangerous and didn't think the ref was that bad either.People surely can't expect much better in conditions like that and with 10 men.

Far too much negativity on this board which, I suspect, won't go away till Sam leaves.

[dubdubdub]

He looked talented the first three months he was at ewood, he look less talented sat on the bench for the second half of the season.

I'm not disagreeing with what you said, he is defiantly talented, but his chances plummeted after his loan deal was extended at ewood which was less to do with our system and more to do with Sam picking kalanic or Roberts IMO.

I know...it didn't come across that you were disagreeing and such. I just get ticked off by the people who continually slate our players when they're playing as part of a system that flatters nobody. And whether you meant to say defiant or definite. Then he is definitely talented...not defiant...he ran his arse off. The only thing that defies any talent at Ewood is Allsy.

[BPF]

Franco Di Santo is a very, very good footballer. Has all the attributes to develop into a top drawer number 9.

£1m for a 21 year old was an absolute steal for Wigan.

Where are you getting this from?

Chelsea didn't think so

Blackburn didn't think so

You'll have to excuse my ignorance but if I was buying a top quality striker, I'd be looking for someone that had scored a decent amount of goals?

Maybe I'm wrong about Di Santo, let's see....

2008–2010 Chelsea 8 (0)

2009–2010 → Blackburn Rovers (loan) 22 (1)

2010– Wigan Athletic 4 (0)

I'm sincerely sorry, I overlooked the fact that he had scored one goal.

Clearly a top player. I only wish Mr Ali had bought us out in July....

[92er]

This current "regime" - ala Allardyce, is giving opportunity to more academy lads than any other manager I can remember. They're doing quite well.

There can be no argument about this.

However, 1 of the reasons we don't appear to have built on the success achieved right at the end of last season might well be that the youngsters have gone backwards.

Personally I prefer Joes at centre back where he played really well last season. The one weakness he seems to have is being out paced in the penalty area, and this led to a couple of goals last season, from what I remember.

Ollson and N'Zonzi have rarely played this season. You might argue this is partly beacuse of Ollson's early season injury, but part of the initial reason seemed to be to include the younger Diouf in a position Ollson might have taken up. On Monday, when Ollson could have played further forward, Emerton was played on the right and Older Diouf went on the left.

If N'Zonzi really was player of the season, it is imperative Allardyce gets him to perform again this season.

[Blueboy Downunder]

This current "regime" - ala Allardyce, is giving opportunity to more academy lads than any other manager I can remember. They're doing quite well.

Really surprised you used that as an attack on Allardyce.

sorry den, "regime" was the wrong choice of word. i have never launched an attack on big sam, but rather questioning said tactics. i was so frickin angry bout the game.

i should have use the word "tactics"

[thenodrog]

This current "regime" - ala Allardyce, is giving opportunity to more academy lads than any other manager I can remember. They're doing quite well.

Really surprised you used that as an attack on Allardyce.

Some people will use anything as an attack on Allardyce. I think it's being proven wrong that irks most and causes most resentment Den. In fact you frequently succumb to it yourself.

Sam's way might not be pretty but it's pretty effective and especially so given a squad that he is stuck with due to the crippling financial constraints that he is having to work under.

In hindsight it's looking like Kalinic was too expensive, but then who is blessed with owning a crystal ball? Flip the coin and both N'Zonzi and Givet could be considered cheap whilst not too many are moaning about EHD or Salgado this season as there were previously. I can't think of many Prem managers with a better buying record than Sam in recent years except of course the current incumbent at Craven Cottage. Maybe some of the critics of Allardyce could enlighten me.... but I shan't be holding my breath.

[Wild Irish Rover]

In hindsight it's looking like Kalinic was too expensive, but then who is blessed with owning a crystal ball?

I think it would be an awful lot simpler to evaluate the lad if he was played to his strengths (i.e. goal taker) rather than trying to make him play in a role not natural to him (i.e. goal maker). I don't think it can help his confidence to be consistently asked to play with his back to goal and starving him of goal-area chances. Confidence is everything at Premiership level, and it doesn't take a rocket scientist (or an expert for that matter) to see the current style of play is destroying Kalinic' confidence.

I'm convinved he would be a different player if we had some decent crossers of the ball in the team, playing balls into the strikers in the area facing goal...

Oh, yes, I see the flaw in that system... that's called football, isn't it...?

[thenodrog]

I'm convinved he would be a different player if we had some decent crossers of the ball in the team, playing balls into the strikers in the area facing goal...

Oh, yes, I see the flaw in that system... that's called football, isn't it...?

Eh? We have decent crossers. Emertons poor but MGP, Diouff, Dunn, Olsson and Salgado can all send a good cross over.

If thats all Kalinic is good at then he will have to sign for Blackpool. Most other Prem clubs these days require a lone striker to play with his back to goal.

Your post is just plain daft but you've collected 4 ticks. Not only mystefying but slightly worrying.

[Amo]

Eh? We have decent crossers. Emertons poor but MGP, Diouff, Dunn, Olsson and Salgado can all send a good cross over.

If thats all Kalinic is good at then he will have to sign for Blackpool. Most other Prem clubs these days require a lone striker to play with his back to goal.

Your post is just plain daft but you've collected 4 ticks. Not only mystefying but slightly worrying.

You're clearly oblivious to our almost non-existent wingplay, Drog.

[RibbleValleyRover]

Eh? We have decent crossers. Emertons poor but MGP, Diouff, Dunn, Olsson and Salgado can all send a good cross over.

If thats all Kalinic is good at then he will have to sign for Blackpool. Most other Prem clubs these days require a lone striker to play with his back to goal.

Your post is just plain daft but you've collected 4 ticks. Not only mystefying but slightly worrying.

We really don't have decent crossers. Pedersen used to be decent but that was years ago, one of the reasons why he was moved into the centre was that his crossing ability declined (that and whatever pace he had left). The rest just aren't consistent especially from out wide.

Never replaced Bentley's quality.

[den]

The argument expanding to **"we've never put any decent crosses in for the last 15 months"** is really getting silly.

**which is pretty much what some folk are saying.