With a new Nations League campaign upon us this week against Portugal and Poland; this will be the opportune time Dalić can start experimenting with new players and new tactics. But will he? Brozović and Vida have officially retired from international football. Stanišić, Majer, Erlić and Vlašić are all out for this month’s matches with injuries which will open the doors for others.
Here are 2 things Dalić MUST do during this Nations League campaign:
- Ditch the CDM (#6) role. We don’t need it anymore and have far too many central attacking midfielders that are rotting on the Croatian bench. Play both Modrić and Kovačić as a central midfield tandem and call it a day. That will allow for a true #10 or Kramarić to play directly in front of them.
- Find 2 natural wingers for the Starting XI and stop playing players out of position. With the slew of injuries, Pjaca has been called up to the squad from the ‘Reserve List’. Have Pjaca play as a winger and don’t overthink it. There are rumors Dalić wants to experiment with Pjaca at right-back with Stanišić out? Why?!
Stop putting square pegs into round holes. This is the time to make positive changes regardless of results.
The 12 teams seeded in Pot 1 of WCQ 2026 will consist of the 8 quarter-finalists from the NL League A groups and the 4 best remaining teams as per the FIFA ranking.
Woah… this makes the NL games even more important now.
Kranjcar must be assistant U21 coach per Hns.youth Gram pics today (also some 3rd guy no clue who he is)
Odd we only hear about Olic (incl in media / press conferences)
Good match – one full out maximum effort fast pure fitness runner vs technical like doing tricks slow no fitness runner, lol
Kranjcar always struck me as somewhat cerebral (but just be my bias) though – so hopefully he can help w tactics
Modric should be getting no more than 20-30 minutes for us, focus on rebuilding the team then trying to keep this legacy of 2018 and 2022 alive when it’s already a walking corpse.
As for we have too many attacking midfielders, we shouldn’t be calling up 7 of them then if we want to resolve that issue.
SLOBODAN PRALJAK.
@Rondell What about the bloke?
You still think he is a war criminal?
Franjo Ivanović moved to Belgium?
Hope Dalić gives Marco Palasic a chance to play and show his ability
For sure, I agree Josko but I just don’t see it with Dalic.
It’s very strange.
If there was any time for him to get minutes, it would have been either as a backup during the Euros (which didn’t happen) or at least some minutes off the bench in these upcoming games (with all of our right sided options being injured).
I think when the media and fans stop criticizing Dalic for the mistake of not playing true wingers like Pasalic, then he will start playing him.
With his comments in many conferences in the past, you can tell that Dalic is sensitive and gets upset when people criticize him. So, we’re just going to have to wait it out for him to feel better, then we can possibly see some players in the team capable of playing out wide.
Taking into account club team status current form and hierarchy I think this will be the starting lineup.. Possibly we see the use of Perisic as a striker?? Jakic I believe will share time with Sutalo as Pograncic will date time through DCC aside Gvardiol.. I think Dalic will make some more callups hopefully bringing in Marko Pasalic and another back in Robert Ljubibic as we don’t have many options for the right side.. only guy mentioned is Tin Jedvaj but have heard nothing of him in a while… whatever happens to Marin Ljubicic? Everyone talking about him pre Euros now not even on call list anymore.. also Stipe Biuk back at Hajduk maybe this will muster up some competition in the near future on the left side…
—————Budimir————Kramaric—————
———————————————————————
—Ivanusec———Baturina—————Pasalic
——————-Modric—-—Kovacic——————
———————————————————————
——-Gvardiol——Pongracic——Sutalo———
———-——Perisic——-—Matanovic—————
———————-—(Petkovic)—————————
—Sosa——————Sucic——————Pjaca—
——————Moro————-P.Sucic —————
———————————————————————
——-—Gvardiol——-DCC———Jakic————
Fellas we’re in deep.
Went too far with 4 and 10.
Now we’re cooked. I think I warned this was coming.
Modric is still very useful, as well as Krama.
These two are the over-30 guys I would still have on the team.
But, yes, we need to plan for two years down the road (World Cup) so both of them need to take lesser roles as soon as possible (to account for dropoff), so we can build implement and build chemistry with players like Baturina, Sucic, etc.
if a normal person was the coach:
………………….Budimir……………………..
Pjaca………….Krama…………..MarcoP
……………Kova………Modric……………..
Sosa…………………………………….Jakic
…………….Gvar…….Sutalo……………….
……………………………………………………
……………………Liva………………………..
Ya Cigan, I will roll with that lineup. Numbnuts won’t agree that’s the issue
No “normal person” would put Budimir as a starting striker. C’mon.
He’s old and hasn’t come close to scoring in 4 games played this year.
Media reports suggest that Dalic will experiment with 3 – 5 – 2 formation. This was on the cards the moment he announced the squad with no wingers and injuries to Stanisic and Juranovic.
We’ll see how Sutalo, Pongracic and Gvardiol will work out in the defence. To have any chance against Portugal our defence needs to be rock solid.
Yes
3-5-2 makes sense because Sosa and Barišić are both in form and play LWB, with Perišić out of form but also a LWB. Pjaca has been playing RW for Dinamo and can play as a RWB for the repka. Beyond that, Kramarić is a second striker so the 2 at the top makes sense, and you can put Modrić, Kovačić, and Pašalić/Sučić/Baturina in a midfield three, with Jakić, Moro, and Petar Sučić as backup options (all are in form)
Even with Juranović, Stanišić, Domagoj Bradarić and whoever else might be called up as outside “defenders,” 3-5-2 makes sense because they all play that way at their clubs
Hard to see Dalic doing the right thing now that he thinks he’s the coach – let’s hope he gets back to being a figure head and let Modric pull the strings- the real puppet master
Absolutely correct my man!
If we don’t get speed on the flank we’re done. Simple as that.
Possession is overrated