OPINION
Aleksandar Mitrovic is a player who divides opinion, and one who will likely do so for the whole of his career.
Despite the fact that the Serbia international left Newcastle United this summer, he is still dividing opinion among the Toon Army about whether the club should have let him go.
During his time at the club, there was an obvious disparity between his style of play and the style of manager Rafa Benitez, with Mitrovic eventually falling out of favour under the Spaniard.
That disparity was clear for all to see, but Mitrovic’s goalscoring form for Fulham, first on loan last season and now at the beginning of this term, means many still believe the club made the wrong decision in letting him go.
Mitrovic has now given his side of the story on his time at Newcastle, and his revealing comments should now put this debate to bed for good.
In an interview with the Daily Mail, he said: “Benitez plays defence and counter-attack. I tried to give my best but it wasn’t me. 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.”
It is clear from his comments here that the two opposing styles of player and coach clashed so hard that both realised it was pointless even trying.
This clash is something that has been obvious for a long while, and yet many Newcastle fans seem to cling on to the fact that Mitrovic is a proven goalscorer.
Yes, he scores goals, but if Benitez, the man who has saved the club on countless occasions in the past three years, does not believe he can play effectively under him, then it was the right decision to let him go.
Keeping him around would have posed far too many problems for both Mitrovic and Benitez, and those headaches would have detrimentally affected the Magpies’ 2018/19 season.
It is now crystal clear that Newcastle’s decision to let Mitrovic leave was the right one, and the debate that is still raging among fans must now be put to bed for good.