OPINION
Fulham attacker Aleksandar Mitrovic opened up about his time at Newcastle United and his remarks will surely cause attackers looking to join the club to second guess their decision.
The 23-year-old who joined The Cottagers from the Magpies on a permanent basis in the summer has excelled in the Premier League this season as he has scored four goals after making four appearances.
Despite it being early days, this form suggests that Mitrovic is going to flourish at Craven Cottage in a way that he simply couldn’t at the Magpies as he managed to score only 10 goals in the 40 top-flight appearances he made for the club during his time with them.
The ex-Newcastle ace shared that the reason for his struggles was Benitez’s style of football as while he respected the manager for his defensive tactics it just wasn’t for him.
“Benitez plays defence and counter-attack, I tried to give my best but it wasn’t me,” said Mitrovic in an interview with the Daily Mail.
“I was just running and getting in the team shape. He told me what he wanted and I tried but I am 90 kilos and if I run so much defensively I have no power left when I am in the box. He knew I couldn’t play in that style and I felt it too.
“Defensively he was one of the best and you can see that when they play, but personally I like to be close to the opponents’ box. I need crosses and service. But Benitez is a great person and in the end I shook his hand.”
These remarks will surely act as a red flag for any attacker looking to join the Magpies especially as Mitrovic appears to be delivering the goods in the Premier League at another club.
Ahead of the 23-year-old joining the Cottagers it was doubted whether he was good enough for England’s top-flight due to his record at the Magpies and other clubs may not have risked signing him for this reason.
However it’s clear that Benitez’s style of play made life difficult for Mitrovic to excel and that’s what caused him unable to showcase his ability.
If you’re an attacker looking to join a Premier League side, especially one with multiple suitors, than you are going to lean towards joining the club who will give you the best chance of succeeding.
And while Benitez has improved several players, certain forwards may doubt their ability to succeed in his system following Mitrovic’s remarks and struggles.
This all means that the 23-year-old’s comments on his time at St James Park will sound alarm bells in a forward’s head when weighing up whether to sign for the club.
