StrandedRanty McRantfacewindermereROYAL Andrija Novakovich is in talks with PEC Zwolle.
He was in the crowd for their 2-2 draw with Sparta today
As much as I feel sorry for him and hoped he would get the opportunity he's been patiently waiting for, I'm glad he's going to be playing a decent level somewhere else. The poor lad has not been given a fair crack here. Assuming the talks go well I hope we have a sell on clause for his transfer.
Whilst I have some sympathy with this view, I've never quite understood. He has had the same crack as any other player who trains at a football club. He was asked to go on loan but the performance he has put in simply haven't impressed multiple managers so he hasn't been selected. He has the ability to score goals but maybe his game is just not set for English football - the Dutch environment may well be the perfect fit for him. I wish him well if this comes off but he IMHO he is just as likely to have an OK career playing for a few mid-table Dutch sides before a move back to the MLS than he is going on to be one that we feel we made a mistake on.
If he was ever going to make it here, he would have been retained when he went to Fortuna - as soon as that loan went through, he was essentially gone.
I don't think you're entirely wrong, but it is fair to say that if he hadn't been sent on those loans then he would have played a fair few games for us. There have been times when we've had no fit strikers, times we've had to use Sam Smith up front, times we had to use Baldock and McNulty together.
Smith is the real injustice - Novakovich is a much better player but Smith got more game time because he wasn't ready to go out on loan.
By no means am I saying that he would definitely have been the Messiah, but you look at how Rinomhota stepped up when he got in the first team, or how much Richards has improved, and it's hard not to think Nova deserved at least the opportunity to make the same impression.