In January, Aleksandar Mitrovic headed out of Newcastle United believing he was going back in time; Anderlecht, his former club, had agreed a deal to take him on loan, virtually ending his mixed career at St James’ Park. But, on Transfer Deadline Day, his world was to be turned upside down; the deal fell through, and before he could even contemplate returning to Tyneside, he headed for West London and Fulham, hoping to aid their promotion push.
Mitrovic is a player who divides opinion; his propensity for playing on the edge means taking the rough with the smooth. Rafa Benitez, the Newcastle manager, has never really trusted him, and he rarely built up a head of steam at St James’ Park.
Benitez is the kind of man who remains professional at all times and expects the same from all of his players, so it is no surprise that he didn’t have total faith in someone who started his first full season with a four-match ban, before receiving another three-match suspension at the start of this term.
Controversial characters need to be managed in a way specifically tailored to their needs, and the presence of fellow Serbian Slavisa Jokanovic meant Fulham was a decent alternative for Mitrovic. He hit the ground running at Craven Cottage, scoring 12 goals in 17 Championship games and helping them into the playoffs, which they won to return to the Premier League for the first time since 2014 on Saturday.
Prior to the 1-0 victory over Aston Villa, Mitrovic had spoken many times about Jokanovic’s influence on his game, suggesting his style suits him and allows him to express himself. It would be easy to suggest that Benitez does not rate Mitrovic, and the striker does not see eye to eye with the boss at his parent club, but that is not the complete truth; Benitez gave Mitrovic his blessing when he left, setting him a target of 20 Championship goals and admitting they will look at his future upon his return.
That tally may have been a little beyond him, but everything that Benitez will have wanted to happen has; he performed consistently, kept himself in check and, most importantly, found the confidence that he’d so clearly been lacking in the first few months of the season.
February's Goal of the Month, presented by @ICMCapital... 😎
#FFC #COYW
Benitez may be the main reason for Newcastle’s recovery from relegation in 2016, but the Mitrovic situation has still attracted criticism from some sections of the fanbase.
One of the major disappointments for the manager last summer was the club’s failure to bring in a proven goalscorer to supplement Mitrovic and Dwight Gayle; as time went on, both were linked with moves away as a sell to buy policy became apparent. In the end, neither departed, and Benitez used what little money was available to bring in Joselu from Stoke City.
When the Spaniard struggled to score goals after a bright start, fans soon called for Mitrovic, but they weren’t heeded. Some accused Benitez of ignoring him to the detriment of the team, but while Mitrovic is a better striker than Joselu, he puts faith above talent, and he has always been able to rely on the latter to put his instructions into practice.
Fulham fans have taken to Mitrovic superbly, too; and they want him to sign permanently.
Benitez may be open to a sale, especially if he can add significantly to his summer budget in the process, but the least Mitrovic deserves, after proving himself in English football over the past few months, is a fresh start; he could be an asset to Newcastle, and almost certainly would be if he were able to replicate his form back in the top flight.
He didn’t score in the playoffs, against Derby in the semi finals or Villa on Saturday, but the impact he has had on Fulham was still in evidence in the way he held the ball up and set the tone in attack.
When asked about his future, Mitrovic has only spoken about the World Cup, during which he will lead the line against the likes of Brazil for Serbia, and that anything beyond will be discussed afterwards; despite never hiding his affection for Newcastle, it does feel as though he will be a Fulham player next season, now that they have secured promotion.
But Newcastle made an investment of £13million when they signed him in 2015; he is just 23 years of age, so if he does leave, there will be a real sense of disappointment and failed potential. He has done everything Benitez required and deserves the chance to win back the trust of a man who has never denied his ability; he will score goals in the Premier League, whether it for Newcastle, Fulham or somebody else.
If he is to go, though, it is easy to see why; Benitez wants a certain type of player and Mitrovic has not fit that mould yet. He wanted to sign Feyenoord striker Nicolai Jorgensen in the winter, so may view a Mitrovic sale as a way of funding that.
Once he returns to pre-season training this summer, he deserves the chance to showcase the form he has found at Fulham. Brighton and West Ham were keen on him in the winter, but Benitez didn’t want to aid a direct rival; he needs to be certain it is worth doing that this time before he sanctions a deal this summer.
