Should we heed Petrovic’s call over our Serbian misfit?

Serbian Head Coach Vladimir Petrovic was full of praise for Liverpool forward Milan Jovanovic after the 29 year old came on at half time to help complete a 2-1 comeback against Northern Ireland:

“I am not surprised by Milan. I know he is a player who can play at a very high standard. It is impossible that such a good player would forget how to play football. He is special and he had a special desire to play for us here. In the past he has been one of our best players and I think he deserves more chances (with Liverpool). If he gets chances he will soon be on the same level again.”

Jovanovic was a constant threat with his runs playing as a second striker behind Marko Pantelic in the second half after coming on as a substitute, and assisted the equaliser for his strike partner to help Serbia win 2-1.

Although it is clear that Jovanovic has lacked the required ability to cut it in the Premier League, with his general tendency to keep his head down and run very directly with the ball before losing possession, the ironic thing is that he hasn’t played one match in his favoured central striker position.

Of course with Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll now the preferred striker pairing, Jovanovic doesn’t really have the chance to play regularly in that position but I can’t see why he can’t be the first reserve in front of David Ngog until the end of the season. Both Kenny Dalglish and Roy Hodgson went off the Serbian very quickly after initially starting him in matches, but neither has ever played him as a striker. He has always played as a left winger.

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