| Niko back on 13:27 - Dec 22 with 4323 views | stevec |
Well I never. How many of the four years left? |  | |  |
| Niko back on 13:34 - Dec 22 with 4301 views | RBlock |
| Niko back on 13:27 - Dec 22 by stevec |
Well I never. How many of the four years left? |
Runs until 2024, so only two and a half years left! [Post edited 22 Dec 2021 13:35]
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| Niko back on 13:41 - Dec 22 with 4255 views | daveB |
don't know about being found out, wasn't his loan always due to end this month.
he looked quite promising at the start of last season but really lacks a bit of self belief going forward |  | | |
| Niko back on 13:58 - Dec 22 with 4182 views | danehoop |
Yet plays well regularly for a competitive Finnish national team.
Bit of an enigma. There is definitely a good player in there somewhere (the contract extension indicates that others within the senior management think likewise). Seems that we just haven't seen it consistently for us yet and not sure just how we get it out. Still given we seem to have run out entirely of fullbacks his arrival might be timely and he will be relatively fresh. |  |
| Never knowingly understood |
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| Niko back on 14:03 - Dec 22 with 4154 views | dmm |
Yep, his loan was until the end of 2021. I hoped he'd do well at LA Galaxy and perhaps earn a permanent move for himself but that report doesn't suggest that will happen. |  | | |
| Niko back on 14:03 - Dec 22 with 4154 views | francisbowles |
Their 'regular' season concluded on the 7th November. He started 12 games and was a sub in 2 in basically half a season. Experience wise, not too bad. Whether he has improved or not we will have to wait and see.
If we can't get fit cover for Wallace, we may have to keep him rather than loan him out again. He may get more cover, 'bombing forward', from Barbet and our back three than he would in the MLS. |  | | |
| Niko back on 14:12 - Dec 22 with 4094 views | stainrods_elbow |
I haven't seen anything at all to feel there's 'a good player in there somewhere', or even out there. Can't mark, can't defend, gets bullied and lost, and is also tentative in an attacking context. Where, exactly, is the guy's untapped potential? For me, he looks like the proverbial rabbit in headlights at the best of times, even in the daylight.
If he can't make it in the MLS, I'm stumped as to how he's going to come up trumps in the Champ, so I'll hope all the signs are misleading. |  |
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| Niko back on 14:19 - Dec 22 with 4088 views | gazza1 |
Big question if Niko is, or ever will be, good enough for Championship football.
I recall when 'so many' on this MB rated him as a 'proper' LB without seeing him play more that 3 first team matches, better than Wallace, etc, etc.....he is limited and appears to have failed in across the pond. How he was given a 4 year contract is baffling. | | | |
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| Niko back on 14:28 - Dec 22 with 4045 views | James_Paddocks |
Next stop, the National League. |  | | |
| Niko back on 15:14 - Dec 22 with 3867 views | Boston |
| Niko back on 14:03 - Dec 22 by francisbowles |
Their 'regular' season concluded on the 7th November. He started 12 games and was a sub in 2 in basically half a season. Experience wise, not too bad. Whether he has improved or not we will have to wait and see.
If we can't get fit cover for Wallace, we may have to keep him rather than loan him out again. He may get more cover, 'bombing forward', from Barbet and our back three than he would in the MLS. |
Good experience for him, probably learned a lot, like proper application of sunscreen and how to surf. | |
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| Niko back on 15:27 - Dec 22 with 3823 views | qprd |
the issue with niko is that he seems to start off quite well wherever he goes, and then the manager ultimately decides he doesnt rate him
-happened at qpr with warburton
-happened at his first MLS loan spell where he initially planned and then sat on the bench for the rest of the season
-happened at LA galaxy, now, too
i think keeping him as injury cover in january is quite a sensible thing to do, esp with mccallum and wallace currently injured... he's not great, but hes not useless and certainly better than odubajo or kakay at LB (who probably need to stay on the right b/c of adomahs injury)... and while barbet might be better at LWB than niko, i think hes more valuable to us as a LCB.
We should be looking to loan him out to scotland or L1 for the remainder of the season | | | |
| Niko back on 15:30 - Dec 22 with 3808 views | TheChef |
"Found out" is a bit harsh.
Have you been found out too? |  |
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| Niko back on 15:58 - Dec 22 with 3708 views | BrianMcCarthy |
| Niko back on 13:58 - Dec 22 by danehoop |
Yet plays well regularly for a competitive Finnish national team.
Bit of an enigma. There is definitely a good player in there somewhere (the contract extension indicates that others within the senior management think likewise). Seems that we just haven't seen it consistently for us yet and not sure just how we get it out. Still given we seem to have run out entirely of fullbacks his arrival might be timely and he will be relatively fresh. |
"Yet plays well regularly for a competitive Finnish national team"
Fair point. He played against Ireland and did well, so he does have the skills. An enigma, as you say. |  |
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| Niko back on 16:26 - Dec 22 with 3632 views | dmm |
| Niko back on 15:27 - Dec 22 by qprd |
the issue with niko is that he seems to start off quite well wherever he goes, and then the manager ultimately decides he doesnt rate him
-happened at qpr with warburton
-happened at his first MLS loan spell where he initially planned and then sat on the bench for the rest of the season
-happened at LA galaxy, now, too
i think keeping him as injury cover in january is quite a sensible thing to do, esp with mccallum and wallace currently injured... he's not great, but hes not useless and certainly better than odubajo or kakay at LB (who probably need to stay on the right b/c of adomahs injury)... and while barbet might be better at LWB than niko, i think hes more valuable to us as a LCB.
We should be looking to loan him out to scotland or L1 for the remainder of the season |
Do you really think he's better than Odubajo at LWB? For me, Odubajo is a bit like James Perch, better on the left than right, and would definitely be ahead of Hamalainen.
He's already been to Scotland playing for Kilmarnock in the Premiership in the 2019/20 season. That didn't seem to go all that well either though he did rack up 32 appearances.
I'm not convinced he suits British football and, it would seem, American football as well. Hard to know what the next step for the lad might be. | | | |
| Niko back on 16:42 - Dec 22 with 3584 views | CliveWilsonSaid |
Only things going for us are that he knows our system and he’s better than Sam Field in that position. When we don’t ask much of him, i.e. he just has to occupy the space on the far left 15 yards either side of the halfway line he usually does ok. At least he does the easy stuff ok. With Barbot covering in behind and Chair/Willock marauding ahead of him we might just get away with it. Also has lots of good options to his right in midfield. If him playing means we don’t have to have a complete change of formation then probably worth a try. |  |
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| Niko back on 17:02 - Dec 22 with 3506 views | Ned_Kennedys |
| Niko back on 16:42 - Dec 22 by CliveWilsonSaid |
Only things going for us are that he knows our system and he’s better than Sam Field in that position. When we don’t ask much of him, i.e. he just has to occupy the space on the far left 15 yards either side of the halfway line he usually does ok. At least he does the easy stuff ok. With Barbot covering in behind and Chair/Willock marauding ahead of him we might just get away with it. Also has lots of good options to his right in midfield. If him playing means we don’t have to have a complete change of formation then probably worth a try. |
Quite frankly I’d rather persevere with Field rather than put Niko back in the first team. Offers nothing going forward and doesn’t like to get a tackle in or mark properly.
As far as I’m aware he’s hardly a regular for Finland either: he didn’t play a minute in the Euro 2020 finals.
Nowhere near good enough for us: offer him a mutual termination of his contract and he can hopefully find his level elsewhere. |  | | |
| Niko back on 19:59 - Dec 22 with 3151 views | collegeranger |
Do we need cover at Left back - yes
Are we going to sign a LB in Jan- probably not
Can he play LB - yes
Is he better than playing someone else out of position - probably.
No brainer he comes back in as a bench warmer and will be used. Don't destroy him before he comes back FFS ! |  | | |
| Niko back on 20:54 - Dec 22 with 3024 views | francisbowles |
| Niko back on 16:26 - Dec 22 by dmm |
Do you really think he's better than Odubajo at LWB? For me, Odubajo is a bit like James Perch, better on the left than right, and would definitely be ahead of Hamalainen.
He's already been to Scotland playing for Kilmarnock in the Premiership in the 2019/20 season. That didn't seem to go all that well either though he did rack up 32 appearances.
I'm not convinced he suits British football and, it would seem, American football as well. Hard to know what the next step for the lad might be. |
I think his loan at Kilmarnock in the Scottish Premier League went pretty well.
He played every minute of every league and cup match whilst he was there, including extra times, until the last match of the season. Then when they knew he was going back south he was a sub and just played the last 17 mins. He got two assists, was named in the SPL team of the week twice and they finished mid table.
Unfortunately, he didn't really utilise that experience when he returned. | | | |
| Niko back on 21:30 - Dec 22 with 2963 views | queensparker |
He’s never going to be the next Stuart Pearce or Roberto Carlos, but surely we’re not turning our noses up at a fit and ready left back who knows our squad and system? Welcome back Niko imagine you’re going to get a few games |  | | |
| Niko back on 21:34 - Dec 22 with 2950 views | OakR |
I think it we have learned one thing over the last few years, it is that players can improve greatly under our current coaching system and a combination of loans.
We won't always get it right, but I've got faith in our coaching staff that they know which players to take a chance on. Hopefulyl Niko will be one of the successes - not everyone will be an instant hit. | |
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| Niko back on 12:21 - Dec 23 with 2536 views | enfieldargh |
We need to give him another chance, he has shown in glimpses he can do a job, think he needs some self belief and to try and play with a smile on his face, he always looks so unemotional |  |
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| Niko back on 13:09 - Dec 23 with 2469 views | Logman |
That article tells you all you need to know - or already knew about it him. Reading it you could easily be mistaken for thinking that it had been written by anyone of us who had monitored his 'progress' with us to date. | | | |
| Niko back on 13:22 - Dec 23 with 2424 views | westberksr |
| Niko back on 16:42 - Dec 22 by CliveWilsonSaid |
Only things going for us are that he knows our system and he’s better than Sam Field in that position. When we don’t ask much of him, i.e. he just has to occupy the space on the far left 15 yards either side of the halfway line he usually does ok. At least he does the easy stuff ok. With Barbot covering in behind and Chair/Willock marauding ahead of him we might just get away with it. Also has lots of good options to his right in midfield. If him playing means we don’t have to have a complete change of formation then probably worth a try. |
this sums it up for me.
rather than try and fit a square peg in a round hole; not as susceptible as he is at LB in a 4 and not too bad going forward.
Putting Sam Field there was a complete waste of time for me. |  | | |
| Niko back on 00:56 - Dec 24 with 2124 views | DylanP |
The thing is, the LA Galaxy aren't QPR and the US MLS isn't the Championship. We are a much better club than LA Galaxy, with more talent and smarter management. Our defense is much tighter than there's. They couldn't handle a wingback but we have a defense built for wingbacks. Our defensive record demonstrates that we can handle defenders bombing up into attack and still keep our shape and discipline.
I'm not saying that he will succeed back at QPR, but he went out to get playing time, he got playing time and so job done. |  |
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| Niko back on 01:15 - Dec 24 with 2105 views | DavieQPR |
| Niko back on 20:54 - Dec 22 by francisbowles |
I think his loan at Kilmarnock in the Scottish Premier League went pretty well.
He played every minute of every league and cup match whilst he was there, including extra times, until the last match of the season. Then when they knew he was going back south he was a sub and just played the last 17 mins. He got two assists, was named in the SPL team of the week twice and they finished mid table.
Unfortunately, he didn't really utilise that experience when he returned. |
They gave him 22 games the season after he returned from Kilmarnock. So I think they did try to utilise that experience but it didn't work. |  | | |
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