'There aren't many fans who want him to start' - Danish journalist on Rajovic

Yahoo

14-05-2025

The debate as to whether allowing Mileta Rajovic to spend the season out on loan was the correct one still goes on – but it seems certain the striker will be back at Watford this summer.
The 25-year-old Dane's spell with Brondby in his home country has become less and less successful as the season has ticked by.
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Having not scored since February, Rajovic now has five goals in 22 senior outings for Brondby since moving there in August.
Four of those five came before the Danish league's winter break, and he has found the net just once in his last 11 outings.
Since the Superliga split, with the top six teams playing each other and the bottom six playing each other, Brondby – who were second in the regular season – have played eight games and Rajovic has featured for just 196 minutes.
He has started one of the eight fixtures, and come off the bench in six others.
The Watford Observer posed questions to Danish journalist Toke Theilade, editor-in-chief at , to get his take on the Rajovic situation.
Do you think there is any chance that Brondby might try to re-loan, or even sign, Rajovic?
'It is very low at this point. Reports have emerged that the club has decided to let him go at the end of the season, which makes sense considering how little he's played in the spring."
He seemed to play less and less as the season went on - what happened?
'Brøndby cleaned the house at the end of last year.
'The sporting director and head coach that brought Rajovic to the club were both sacked.
'The new head coach Frederik Birk hasn't played him much and prefers faster and more mobile strikers up front. He's simply been used as a late emergency target man.
'This has also been disappointing since he came in on deadline day in August and was thrown into games straight away.
'He was supposed to be better in the spring when he was more accustomed to the system and his teammates, but it hasn't been the case.
'It should be mentioned though that he doesn't suit Brøndby's style well either.
'Birk wants to play possession-based with short passes and few crosses, and Rajovic is obviously best when he receive loads of crosses.'
Has the head coach said much about him?
'Not really. The focus has mostly been on Filip Bundgaard instead, who is also not playing a lot.
'Generally, when asked about the players on the bench, Birk refers to the tough competition the offensive players are facing and how they have to work hard to earn playing time.'
What do the fans think of him?
'He was very popular in the beginning.
'His past at the academy at the club suited the love for the local talents, and he started greatly. He had an immediate impact with four goals in his first five matches and impressed with his nose for goals.
'However, as we have seen more of him, the opinion has dipped a bit about him as a player.
'There aren't many fans who want him to start, and it is recognized that we are a better team when selecting our other options.
'Regardless, he is still a popular guy due to his past, and he is appreciated for his goals.
'Ultimately, this has been a season to forget for Brøndby as the club will finish without titles yet again. There haven't been many positive stories this season, so generally the mood among the fans is poor at the moment.'
Having seen him for a season, what do you think Rajovic's strengths are?
'He is definitely lethal in the box. His instincts are great, and his finishing is at a high level.
'You can easily see that he has a nose for goal and has good positioning in the penalty box. Also, he is physically strong which is a dangerous weapon on crosses.'
And what do you see as his weaknesses?
'To me, it seems like almost anything else is a weakness unfortunately.
'He doesn't contribute much in the build-up play and doesn't link up well with the teammates. For a guy his size, it surprises me that he doesn't win more aerial duels. He also isn't great technically and his lack of pace is also an issue.
'Generally, I think it is a problem how he needs a very specific playing style to be successful. He isn't an agile player that can work in different environments.
'That's also the reason why he has mostly received cameos in the spring, when Brøndby were either chasing goals or defending leads and needed his powers in the air."
From what you have seen, could Rajovic score the goals next season to make Watford promotion contenders in the Championship?
'I think Rajovic will score goals anywhere he goes, but I don't see him becoming a regular player for Watford if they want to earn promotion.
'He seems more like a back-up striker to me that you can use for specific situations where his strengths are required.'