Mario Mandžukić (62 Viewers)

[catch22]

Yeah, anyone who wants Zaza over this guy is not thinking properly. Unlike Zaza who has no special qualities Mandzukic is a aerial force to be reckoned with. He and Zaza also offer a very high workrate. However, working hard and being good in the air isn't enough to be starting over the all round talents that Dybala and Morata are.

 

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[JuveID]

I hope zaza learn from mandzukic.

 

[Vlad]

Crap for Atleti to the tune of 20 goals? C'mon. He wasn't great, but he was by no means crap. And he's also scored 3 goals already for us, while dealing with injury problems.

Regardless, we all agree. Morata-Dybala should be our first choice pair. But Mandzukic is a fantastic option for rotation with Morata. How many teams can say they have a forward with 20+ goals in each of the last 3 seasons coming off the bench?

He WAS crap in the 2nd part of the season and didn't start well here either, so my post was referring to this little fact. Not his entire last season. Didn't score since beginning of March for Atleti, was dreadful for Croatian NT and started equally bad here. Anyways not gonna shit on a player when he scored, so I'll leave it at that.

 

[AFL_ITALIA]

Not chasing down that Atalanta player in the 25th minute gave me nightmares.

 

[Carlos Primera]

Love this type of old school battering ram centre forward. Get this guy match fit and he will be a difference maker for this club.

 

[AlexOB]

He's a shadow of the Mandzukic we could appreciate in the last three seasons in Germany and Spain. Slow on the ball, often unable to hold it, and poor/slow decision making. Since he returned from the injury he played like a thinner version of Llorente, and even before he was not really that sharp except the Supercoppa match. Since the match vs Udinese where he wasted tons of good chances it was possible to see that he was gonna struggle a bit to find himself in this new situation. Actually he cannot be a starter, honestly, but when and if he comes back, he's a player you have to start because he's one of the few real pure goalscorers left in the game, Trezeguet style. Of course he's not at his level.

 

[Bianconero_Aus]

He needed that goal badly. Happy for him. Still a very long way to go in terms of fitness and fitting into our teams attacking schemes, but he will get there. I feel he has received way too much criticism on this board. Are people still forgetting, that he is nowhere near 100% fit and in form (all season long) and he still scored in the Supercoppa, CL against City and today? Not a bad start for him, I expect at least 15 goals from him this season.

 

[DanielSz]

He's really just another Llorente. Has a reputation as this aerial threat but haven't really seen it since he's been here. Taking playing time away from a more deserving Dybala and I have a feeling that will continue in champions league. He hasn't impressed me but I guess he puts himself in good position to score from time to time. Still prefer Zaza who has more pace and technical ability, but not quite the positional awareness.

 

[DelpieroForLife]

Since when he has become that slow?

 

[catch22]

Love this type of old school battering ram centre forward. Get this guy match fit and he will be a difference maker for this club.

This isn't 2001 though. Top teams are going to struggle if they're starting strikers who can't contribute in buildup play. Mandzukic will score goals, but the question is whether his positional awareness and strength in the air offsets his slow decision making and poor passing. Personally I don't think it does, especially if we want to play on the counterattack.

He's a fantastic supersub to have though.

 

[JuveJay]

Why 2001? I would take Mandzukic at his best from 2012-14 any day of the week, it's just that he isn't that player right now.

 

[Bianconero_Aus]

Why 2001? I would take Mandzukic at his best from 2012-14 any day of the week, it's just that he isn't that player right now.

At his best, he is a one-man pressing machine with amazing stamina, a beast in the air that scores a good amount of goals per season. If we get him even close to that level again it'll be brilliant.

 

[abrakadaver07]

Not his usual self yesterday, wasn't dynamic at all and didn't press as usual. Still got a goal though.

Us changing systems all the time really doesn't help our new players.

 

[catch22]

Why 2001? I would take Mandzukic at his best from 2012-14 any day of the week, it's just that he isn't that player right now.

2001 when big teams could get away with strikers who are simply poachers. Mandzukic at his best is better than a out-and-out poacher because of his workrate, but nonetheless even at his best he's going to stifle a lot of attacks due to his lack of all-round ability.

 

[s4tch]

based on his whoscored stats:

- only 8 shots/headers so far (including all competitions for juve, so serie a, cl and supercoppa)
- 3 goals from these 8 shots

incredible.

he'll start to shit goals when we learn how to feed him with crosses.

 

[Hydde]

2001 when big teams could get away with strikers who are simply poachers. Mandzukic at his best is better than a out-and-out poacher because of his workrate, but nonetheless even at his best he's going to stifle a lot of attacks due to his lack of all-round ability.

Not liking this guy either.

Both him and Zaza sharing the spoils of heirs of llorente.

 

[Nenz]

He should have scored a few more goals IMO. The ball seems to get caught under his feet quite a bit or he hesitates to hit it first time. Hopefully he gets sharper and takes advantage of those half chances, not just sitters.

 

[piotrr]

he'll start to shit goals when we learn how to feed him with crosses.

Never heard this before.

 

[s4tch]

sorry, man, english is not my native tongue. i hope it makes sense.

 

[piotrr]

sorry, man, english is not my native tongue. i hope it makes sense.

Nah, your english is good. It's just i heard same when Llorente arrived here.