Mitro’s On Fire But How Much Has He Improved?

Jake Swinburn

As reported by The Chronicle, Aleksandar Mitrovic has taken his tally to seven goals in six games following his header against Wales last night.
Mitrovic is only two goals behind his overall tally of ten goals last season. Impressive considering, he has not been a regular for Newcastle this season.
Mitrovic also seems to have learned to channel his energies in a positive way and notably has no red cards in black and white this season.
When all of this is taken into consideration, it is safe to say that Mitrovic is improving, seemingly on a weekly basis, but just how much is he improving?
Despite his impressive goal record, it must be remembered that for Newcastle he is playing at a lower standard than he was last season. However, this is not the case for Serbia and his discipline is improving despite playing at a more physical level.
Mitrovic also looks more athletic, covering ground quicker, and while we will not know just how good he is until he is back at the top level he has been linked with moves to some top sides.
Furthermore, consider this, if Newcastle had this Mitrovic at their disposal last year, would they have survived? With Jermain Defoe almost single handedly keeping Sunderland up and considering how close Newcastle were to survival despite not having a goalscorer, I think there is a good chance that they would have survived.
Time will tell just how much Mitrovic has improved but he is still young and I for one feel as though he has a big future in the game. It is certainly a positive that he seems committed the cause at Newcastle and it may not even be long before he overtakes Dwight Gayle as first choice striker at the club.

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60 thoughts on “Mitro’s On Fire But How Much Has He Improved?”

  1. I really like the lad and you can actually see the improvements match by match. His 2nd against Preston (LC) and assist for Atsu last week were top drawer. Reminds me of a young Viduka. Great balance and quick feet, gets his head up. He is a bit slow but even that’s getting better.

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  2. Mitrovic came to us a young raw talent with an overly aggressive enthusiasm. He was entirely the wrong player at the time of purchase IMO – we needed a proven PL goal scorer with a bit of experience – someone old enough to cope with the weight of expectation placed on a NUFC forward. He was thrown in at the deep end & despite trying his best, he obviously struggled coming from a lesser league.
    This season you can see his decision making is better & he seems a little less aggressive – is that the Rafa influence?, is it easier opponents?, is it the arrival of Gayle taking some of the pressure off?.
    Whatever it is, his development is going the right way and he’s only getting better. The lad is still young and I think he will be primed for the PL next season.

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  3. I agree with Sharpy. He was thrown in the deep end last season, out of his depth completely. A bit stupid when it came to cards. I’m glad his doing well but we shall see when we are a Pl team again.

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  5. He is a team player as well, not like greedy Sturridge, just look at the Atsu assist and his heading in the Norwich game. When he plays, the team score goals, not only him. Proper old fashioned centre forward with a shot on him and even the odd neat touch.

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  6. I’m right with you on Rooney Eric. The guy started going downhill at 25 and I too share your perplexed feeling as to why the media love him so much.

    Regarding the manager front, there simply isn’t anyone in this country who is better equipped than Southgate. And that truly is a sad state of affairs indeed.

    I just think though, when you look at Wales and Chris Coleman and you have a manager who is utterly devoid of inspiration yet he still gets them to the semi-finals of the Euros, you have to ask yourself…how much is it down to the manager and how much of it is down to the players’ desire?

    Yes, yes, yes. I KNOW they have Bale. But still, a mediocre manager with a mediocre side still get further than we ever have (sans 96) in this competition. Makes you wonder.

    Eric Sykes:
    Andy Magpie: I don’t mean to take over your blog, mate. But nobody says anything over the International Break anyway so it will get even worse next week. If you have anything to counter anything I say feel free to say so, it is your blog after all. I know I have been on a few rants but Trump wound me up and talking football took my mind off it a bit. Even English football is in a better state than the US Presidency and the UK’s status in Europe

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  7. Or maybe I’m not giving Coleman enough credit? Further to that point, it’s interesting that a lot of Wales’ team were actually English people born with Welsh heritage.

    Ashley Williams is a Brummie and started his career at Hednesford Town, the same team I had my short-lived football career at (unashamed claim to fame alert).

    Sam Vokes is from Bournemouth and Robson Kanu was born in that quaint Welsh village of Stockwell in South London.

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  8. My point being, if essentially an England B team with a mediocre manager can achieve that. Then why have we failed so badly with some of the best in the biz? i.e. Sven and Capello.

    Pro-rata by population, England with a populous of 50 million people must be the biggest underachievers in World football (sans the obvious ones like China, Russia and India).

    I’m rambling now Eric, but I look forward to your take on the above views.

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  9. Thanks for the thread Jake. I reckon Mitro looks a lot leaner this season, defo shifted a few pounds and it’s helped his play, seems more mobile. Rafa seems to of gotten him to calm down a bit too, far less rash. I too like the Viduka comparison .

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  10. Andy the Magpie:
    My point being, if essentially an England B team with a mediocre manager can achieve that. Then why have we failed so badly with some of the best in the biz? i.e. Sven and Capello.

    Pro-rata by population, England with a populous of 50 million people must be the biggest underachievers in World football (sans the obvious ones like China, Russia and India).

    I’m rambling now Eric, but I look forward to your take on the above views.

    thought it was 60 million Andy ❓ Anyway, we fail because too few of our players play for the shirt, just the extra money it earns them from ads and such. Very few are world class imo, if they were they wouldn’t of gotten humiliated by little Iceland and been so **** in god knows how many tournaments in recent times.

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  11. I thought UK was 60 and England 50 million no?

    And yep, I agree with the below, rarely we produce anyone world class. Our best player Kane, is still not even in the world top 5 for players in his own position.

    kimtoon: thought it was 60 million Andy Anyway, we fail because too few of our players play for the shirt, just the extra money it earns them from ads and such. Very few are world class imo, if they were they wouldn’t of gotten humiliated by little Iceland and been so **** in god knows how many tournaments in recent times.

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  13. Jake’s on fire. Thanks for the thread, man. Need to keep the ball rolling during the International Coma (I mean Break).

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  14. Andy Magpie: you changed your name from Andy THE Magpie to Andy Magpie and back again.

    You know the old joke right? What is Rupert Bear’s, middle name? THE.

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  15. Jake/Kim – it’s a real pity we got Viduka when he was going over the hill, totally overweight and lacking any kind of fight because he’d been a great player capable of winning games on his own. Having made the comparison I find my enthusiasm tempered by the form of Gayle. Personally I’d stick with Mitro. He has more influence on overall team play and will improve even futher.

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  16. It’s difficult to see how much he’s improved or if he has improved at all because he hasn’t played too much. I personally think he has potential to be 15-20 goal a season man. Considering he scored 9 goals last season in a team that was relegated, he was only 21 and in his first season in England, that was pretty reasonable.

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  17. Yep for some reason I’m known as THE Magpie on my old man’s clunky desktop computer.

    Maybe I should do a Prince and call myself the Magpie formerly known as THE. 😛

    Eric Sykes:
    Andy Magpie: you changed your name from Andy THE Magpie to Andy Magpie and back again.

    You know the old joke right? What is Rupert Bear’s, middle name? THE.

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  18. Stuart79:
    It’s difficult to see how much he’s improved or if he has improved at all because he hasn’t played too much.I personally think he has potential to be15-20 goal a season man.Considering he scored 9 goals last season in a team that was relegated, he was only 21 and in his first season in England, that was pretty reasonable.

    i agree 100%,but not happy his agent seems to be stirring the **** about maybe he might move in the summer

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  20. georgio:
    It’s what agents always do Ice. They only care about the coin rolling into their pockets. Scum.

    i know all about the blood sucking arseholes mate,had my taste of them

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  24. Icedog even Siem De Jong’s agent would have a hard time selling him. He must of had a accident walking from his car to the training pitch.

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  28. It sort doesn’t matter though. He could be on PSV’s treatment table, Ajax’s or ours. Same difference.

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  31. Andy Magpie: I don’t hate Rooney. I just don’t get the British Press’s need to suck his dck. He was a good player once but isn’t anymore, and was never in the class of Messi, Ronaldo (x2) or many others. He would be good for Hull City but not for Man U or England. I can name at least 20 players better than him and yet they are not on the back pages of tabloids every bloody week and don’t have columns written about them by both Redknapp’s – Jamie and Harry. Sandra Redknapp would also have written a column about him if she wasn’t laid up in bed after ‘Arry ran her over, poor thing.

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  32. Stem: from wikipedia:

    “On 25 August 2016, Krul signed a new one-year contract at Newcastle United before joining Ajax on a season-long loan deal.”

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  33. So, here are some players that are better than Rooney and never, or almost never, appear on the back page of The Sun and never get called “Rootastic”:

    Aguero
    Kane
    Wanyama
    Silva
    Coutinho
    Fernadinho
    Kevin Gamiero
    De Bruyne
    Pjanic
    Bale
    Ronaldo
    Isco
    Messi
    Neymar
    Suarez
    Pogba
    James Rodriguez
    Higuain
    Ozil
    Hazard
    Greizmann
    Nolito
    N’Golo Kante
    Diego Costa
    Marcello
    Toni Kroose
    Luka Modric
    Chielinni
    Bonucci
    Thomas Muller
    Lewandowski
    Alexis Sanchez
    Benzema
    Little Jimmy Krankie
    Arturo Vidal

    Is that enough to prove my point?

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  35. Andy lets just say I think Siem De Jong knew his playing day’s were pretty much over the second before he signed a 5 year contract. He can’t stay fit and it’s to much of a risk for the manager to play. Why he didn’t just retire I don’t know.

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  39. Sharpy, agree it would be great if we could promote Sir Bobby’s foundation. Problem is the club want sponsorship cash so it won’t happen. The newkie brown would be a popular return but I can’t see that happening either.

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  44. Shamrock:
    Pogba goal against Swansea was very nice.

    Sham – I reckon Swansea could be doomed this season mate. Them and the Mackems look really poor

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  47. well it looks like Shelvey is going to accept the charge the hearing is on friday,there has been no word from him or the toon,surely they would have said something if there was going to be a appeal??? 😐

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  48. Another good article Jake. Mitro was always likely to improve. He’s a big man and clearly has a football brain. I’m still not sure how he will fare in the Prem but I think the Championship is a fine league to develop him. I still think Gayle is the better bet to score but Mitro is a fine asset to bring on in the last half hour or start matches if Gayle is injured.

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  50. England playing well. Southgate is now guaranteed to get the job despite not being qualified.

    Not sure if the improvement is down to there being no pressure or no Rooney?

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  51. Eric Sykes:
    England playing well. Southgate is now guaranteed to get the job despite not being qualified.

    Not sure if the improvement is down to there being no pressure or no Rooney?

    No Rooney

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  55. looks like Shelvey might be playing at Leeds as he wants to speak at the hearing to put his side,ime pleased because this is going to be our hardest game to date and i for one would be happy to come away with a point,i hate their ground and fans

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  56. Aarons injured again, bloomin Nora!

    P.S. now the international break is finally over, normal service on the threads shall be resumed tomorrow.

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  57. I am not really that bothered about Rooney getting drunk but he is giving people a stick to beat him with.

    There is the role model argument which I have a tendency to think of as too PC but there is something to it. Whenever you see footballers go to hospitals to visit with sick kids or have clinics for young uns you can see how happy they are and how they look up to them. Much as I would like to say it is just PC BS it sort of isn’t.

    Rooney should be fined for being stupid not being drunk. He should know that the Sun and other tabloids are willing to pay for these stories, especially if they have pictures. They advertise the fact and give a hotline number for their readers to name and shame any celebrity let alone someone who is in the news as much as Rooney.

    There is supposedly a code of conduct whilst on England duty. He probably will be fined but it doesn’t look like he did anything bad, just stupid.

    Does he not have any other clothes and has to wear an England shirt on his night out?

    I have expressed my opinion a few times saying I think he has too much power and should not be in the England starting 11 and probably not for Man U either but I do have a vendetta against him. I just think that he is past it and cannot see why he is always the centre of attention for the press and even TV.

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  58. Aarons’ injuries are all unrelated except he had a reoccurrence of the hamstring problem. Since, it has been a broken foot and now a torn ACL. It seems we have an NUFC version of Jack Wilshere. Hang on a minute we already had that with Seim de Jong who is out again with an injury.

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  59. Trouble is, his body is chasing itself around trying to correct muscle imbalances all the time. This puts too much pressure on certain areas and then they go, resulting in him having to lean slightly the other way or alter his posture or way he runs and then the next area gives way. Shame because he has talent, but if he gets over these injury problems he just won’t have the experience to kick on and won’t have the pace or fitness that he needs. Doomed to be a bit part player.

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