The Newcastle fans in the Transfer Tavern are confused today, as news surrounding on-loan striker, Aleksandar Mitrovic, has emerged. The report from The Chronicle states that before being loaned out to Championship side, Fulham, the Serb was offered a chance to lead the line by Rafa Benitez.
The report states that Benitez had a conversation with the 23-year-old, telling him that there was a chance for him to start at St James Park if he could show in training that he deserved to. However, the report claims that other forwards, Joselu, Dwight Gayle and Ayoze Perez put in more sprints and covered more ground, leading Benitez to doubt Mitrovic’s work rate before ultimately loaning him to Championship club.
Mitrovic has divided opinions among our resident Magpies since joining the club from Anderlecht, with his reputation as a hot-head often making headlines as well as his goalscoring ability. Make no mistake though, in his short time at Fulham so far the Serbian, who seems to be a shoe-in to go to the World Cup in summer, has been on fire since joining Slavisa Jokanovic’s promotion pushing Fulham, netting five goals in his first seven appearances for the Whites.
Here’s the verdict from the Toon Army on their on-loan forward:
So he was lazy in training and wasn’t disciplined enough to put the required effort in. Just what we need in a relegation fight
— Stablemate Racing (@stblmtrcng) 7 March 2018
Le tissier would never have played a game with rafa as a boss
— Haggan (@haggo28) March 7, 2018
Obvious statement incoming but you don’t get 3 points in training, you do in matches!! How Mitro hasn’t played ahead of Gayle and Joselu is this seasons most baffling decision!
— m@tty (@mjwinning11) March 7, 2018
https://twitter.com/daniel3105g/status/971365905908289536
29 points this season playing a system and getting the very best from the worst squad in the league. Or he could have played mitro and won wvevry single game!!!! Sick to the back teeth of this now defining our run in. He’s no different to Daryl Murphy now and last season
— geordie dug (@geordiedug2) March 7, 2018
Why are the chronicle so eager in thier smear campaign against the player? 4 goals from 11 starts certainly isn't the worst return, especially as most weren't consecutive apps. Strikers need game time for match sharpness. Given the games Joselus had Mitro will have scored more.
— Kevin Cuthbertson (@kev1664) March 7, 2018
Imagine how easy we would have won the league if Rafa had actually played 442 in the championship with Mitro and Gayle up top instead of trying to turn Diame into a number 10. Rafa has handled Mitro terribly over the past 18 months along with signing Gamez, Sels and Lazzar
— Ki-ki Delendo (@ellington09) March 7, 2018
