Poor old Milan Jovanovic. The Serbian forward joined Liverpool from Belgian club Standard Liege in July of last year, but hasn’t exactly managed to set Anfield alight. In fact, since Kenny Dalglish took the reins of the club in January, Jovanovich has made only one start. It’s beginning to look more and more likely that Jovanovic will be moved on in the summer – and the Serbian won’t be too sad to move on. Speaking to the Liverpool Echo, he told reporters:
“In Belgium, I was living in an area where there were so many people from Serbia and my life was different, more dynamic. Liverpool is such a different place. I’m here alone, without anybody. I’m just a very lonely stranger.”
I’m sure that Liverpool’s lonely stranger would be feeling differently were he offered more game-time at Anfield, but such is his lot and there’s every chance he’ll be one of the first players out the door this summer. Liverpool fans may feel as though his attitude whilst at the club hasn’t been most desirable – but it’s fair to say that he hasn’t been offered too many opportunities to impress.
After watching Milan Jovanovic in action at the World Cup, I was convinced he’d be a good signing for Liverpool. Unfortunately, the man who oversaw the transfer, Rafa Benitez left the club and both Roy Hodgson and Kenny Dalglish have somewhat overlooked the Serbian.
I remember his performance against Arsenal in the opening game of the season. He looked fired up, never let their defenders sit on the ball and looked genuinely dangerous going forward. Since then, however, it has been one step forward, two steps back. He never really got a decent run of games within the squad and thus never really picked up any ‘form’.
With the likes of Joe Cole picking up £90k a week and Jovanovic on £60k a week, it’s clear that the Liverpool brass will have to trim the fat come the summer transfer window. I’m just a little disappointed that a forward who displayed such promise in the World Cup and early on in the season has been given such short thrift at Liverpool.
To criticise his performances when he has made the odd cameo appearance is more than a little unfair. Sure, he hasn’t been the model of consistency, but his managers during his time at Liverpool have hardly given him a platform to develop any steadiness.
At this stage in the season, it’s too late to give Jovanovic a decent chance. In all likelihood he’ll leave in the summer and few fans will bat an eyelid. That fails to excuse the fact that Milan Jovanovic is a player who has been horrendously mismanaged during his time at Anfield.
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Do you attend the training sessions? Do you see how he trains and plays with others day in day out? If we still had Hodgson i’d kind of understand where your coming from but with King Kenny in charge i think ill trust his judgement. Jovanovic obviously isnt showing it in training otherwise he would have been given every opportunity under Kenny. Best all round he leaves.
This article would be valid if it was a managers job to manage players feelings. A manager has to manage a team and if Jovanovic doesn’t fit into the currents managers plan.. Unlucky.
Just coz he feels mismanaged doesn’t mean he should get game time. To say he has been horrendously mismanaged is ridiculous. If a manager thinks he can’t do the job a manger wants, it’s up to the player to change not the manager to fit him in.
I agree. After his delightful world cup I also was amazed at the lack of opportunity given him at Anfield. I really had high hopes of this man and his zeal for LFC. I still have but it looks as if he is going….Sad.
Unfortunately Rafa was sacked by the Hickletts and Dodgsons style of hoofball didn’t suit Milans style of play, Cole who should have been his supplier failed misserably, and while Kenny has been in charge Milan has had some injuries so has not come into the equation.
I was a supporter of Jova, defending him when all my friends were dismissed him as no more than a squad player. I really thought he could be LFC quality. I thought his goals in the league cup and Europe, were to be the first of many, and I was still backing him to settle in and get more in the league. I was frustrated for him at one of the Europa games early in the season when he was taken off after being one of our most lively players. However subsequent performances have just not been up to standard – in fact, they have been nothing short of woeful. My constant positive spins on his performances were ignored, and even I stopped believing them myself. While I still think he got a raw deal under Hodgson in terms of establishing himself, the fact that he often doesnt make the squad under Dalglish in an injury ravaged team is the nail in his LFC career coffin. Jova isnt that bad a player, but he embodies what has been wrong with LFC for years. We persist with rotating a squad of mediocrity instead of injecting some real desire to play for the team, something we are now seeing with the youth players Kenny is bringing through. Sorry Jova, but we simply don’t have the luxury of wating for you to bloom into a solid player like we have with the likes of Lucas…
Completely Agreed. Also, his age doesn’t allow us to loan him for a season or two to adjust in epl. Had he been closer to 20, I still would have expected him to match his WC ’10 performence regularly; not at this age. Moving to Italy, France, Belgium or even middle east is probably his best option.
Unfortunately the fate suffered by jovanovic, pacheco and even mavinga tells potential foreign targets how liverpol can be a really hard place if you are not british.
It has ben the pattern from this season which to be fair seemed like hodgson’s master plan. If it is the same next season under kenny then we will know it is a trend.
Surely the fact we have ayala and insua out on loan and we are presently short of defenders does tell a story considering konchesky was farmed out but the club still did not recall our loaned players. Ngog can be added to that list given he is the same age as spearing but for some reason he is not considered a youngster learning his trade. 8 goals this term ought to have given him chance.
what about joe cole? he’s english and that doesn’t bring him in the squad..
players who perform on the training groud get a starting berth..the others, try harder, show the manager u want to play..
From what i’ve seen of him he is not a Liverpool type of player that we want to bring in the future. He is too direct for my liking plus it seems that he has not settled in to the area. Liverpool want more fluid footballers in the attacking third like Young of Villa.
Hopefully this will be the last of the free transfers policy because we have picked up some right duds over the years. I can think of a couple that been a success (Babbel and Gary Mac).
John clearly your comments make no sense if that where the case why does kenny use Suarez , Agger , Skrtel , Reina , Lucas and Meireles maybe the fact could be that those players you mentioned are just not good enough.
kenny is not a ‘big name’ manager, its obvious that players are getting games based on perfomance in training otherwise spearing would be long forgotten. Ngog is quite wasteful given the available options
John, are you Paul merson is disguise? if you are not high i can only presume you are a bloody idiot. The only measure that matters regarding playing for the reds is if you are good enough. End of story. Jovanovich is not playing because when he has he has been hopeless, Pacheco is on loan to give him experience and will be back next season as will Ayala. Your comments re Ngog show your ignorance he may have scored 8 but 5 came in Europa qualifiers playing no body. What about Reina, Aurelio, Skertel,Agger, Lucas,Maxi,Kuyt, Suarez, are they British?
Support the team and stop looking for conspiracies that don’t exist.
The chances are Jovanovic isn’t up to Liverpool standard; he was just one of many compromise signings we were forced to make under the old regime.
Having said that, he’s a damn sight better than he’s had the opportunity to show. And it’s a shame really because he’ll be remembered as an abject failure and that doesn’t do justice to his quality. Jova is no less of a player than Maxi Rodriguez – another player who took his time acclimatising but is now making himself useful.
the lad is a pure mule. I like his fighting spirit but he has nothing to offer. if he was class wouldn’t he be starting for us every week. all the comments above really clarify this.
the is some guy called Greg up above. honestly, I read his post…i i i i , dude get over yourself, your a serious bore to read, I don’t give a crap about your life, I and the readers just want your point of view! please shut up. thanks
It probably is a bad time to make this statement but Maxi has for the most part been hopeless and Jova has been stiff.
Liverpools strategy is to move on most of the oldies and replace them with younger players.
I am expecting Maxi and Jova to be moved on.
He’s basically just Babel. Not clever enough.
Cherio!
G
well its not someones making and i so much feel for jovanovic because lfc is a club were a player is judge by his performance in training,i believe the managers have to let him go were he’ll have more games,and i believe if he has been doing well mr,KENNY could’ve given him some games to show his ability.