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“Useless at building a team?” – These NUFC fans react to manager’s claim on 21-goal man’s exit

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A few Newcastle United fans have been reacting on social media after former head coach Steve McClaren discussed why Aleksandar Mitrovic departed St. James’ Park in 2018.

McClaren was in charge of the Magpies when the club signed Mitrovic from RSC Anderlecht in 2015, and has revealed, in quotes reported by the Chronicle, that he initially intended to use the Serbian as his back-up forward.

Injuries, however, dictated that Mitrovic was thrust into the starting frame early into his debut campaign in England, which would see him strike nine goals in 34 Premier League appearances.

Mitrovic would go on to add five more league goals to his Toon account during the 2016/17 Championship season, ahead of hitting the back of the net once in six top-flight outings before joining Fulham on loan.

He would later join the Cottagers in a permanent deal and has since scored 32 times in 71 games across all competitions, including 21 in 29 Championship fixtures this term, and McClaren feels it was Mitrovic’s attitude that meant he departed the North East in 2018.

“We signed him and he was a young player and we wanted him as the number two,” he said. “Unfortunately, we got injuries and we had to put him as the number one. He was immature and wasn’t ready for that. Hot-headed at the time. He got sent off. Discipline. He got frustrated and got down. And it’s a different level.

Would you try and bring Mitrovic back to St. James'?

Yes

No

“It’s 52,000 [at St. James’ Park], you have to handle the pressure, and he was too young to do that. He went out on loan, I thought he would score goals, which he did. He came back and I thought he would carry on scoring goals. And, unfortunately, it wasn’t for him and he moved on.”

Here are some of the messages shared as fans reacted to McClaren’s remark…

In other Newcastle United news, a £20m midfielder’s agent has confirmed his client would consider joining the Magpies this summer.

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