Croatia manager Zlatko Dalić has named his 24-man squad for October’s World Cup qualifiers against Cyprus on the 8th and Slovakia on the 11th; and there’s definitely some questions to be asked.
The $1 Million question: Will Ante Rebić ever play for the Vatreni under Dalič again? Rebić scored two wonderful goals against Liverpool and Juventus this week but is nowhere to be seen on the Croatia squad list. Rebić publicly criticized Dalić following EURO 2020 and no apology has been given. Is this feud only between Dalić and Rebić? Are there other members of the Croatia squad who don’t want Rebić in the locker room? Who knows but those closest to the team? One thing is certain, Rebić is AC Milan’s hottest scorer and Croatia can definitely use him in form. If Borna Sosa made amends with the Croatian national team and HNS after he publicly chose to play for Germany earlier in the summer, Rebić could do the same. Right?
Who will it be in net? Livaković or Ivušić? Osijek’s #1 keeper, Ivica Ivušić, posted two clean sheets last month vs. Slovakia and Slovenia following Livaković’s minor knock in the first September qualifier against Russia. Ivo Grbić is also getting first-team reps in the French Ligue 1 with Lille. A huge goalie shake up is upon us.
Domagoj Vida has missed the last three games with Besiktas due to a foot injury. If it was that severe, I’m sure Vida would have been dropped altogether. Expect him to be available for October.
Luka Modrić will be available for these two matches after missing all three in September with a groin injury. Josip Brekalo has been reinstated, but why? Nothing much has changed in a month and he has yet to impress at Torino in Italy.
Andrej Kramarić has been cold, for both Croatia and Hoffenheim. Will Hajduk’s Marko Livaja be the go-to striker for the Vatreni heading into 2022? Ante Budimir is on the call-up list after missing out on September matches with an injury.
Who will step up to be Croatia’s #1 striker moving forward?
Did anyone see the save Ivusic made on Lovric over the weekend? How can he be denied?
Lovro Majer?
Ok maybe he just getting his feet wet at Rennes but I can see him part of our NT as a role player… reminds me of Dario Simic but much better offensively and less defensively of course… like a blend of Simic and Boban.. I expect big things for him.. if he can shine at Rennes he will soon go to a bigger club but he needs to play… key is how fast can he adapt.. belive Dalic gave him a break for this reason and wanted to see where others stand… another defenseman CB/DM mentioned here by DALMATIA missing is PONGRACIC who also can be usefull as dar as I can remember he was close to being a starter couple years ago and got sick all sudden and forgotten… but he’s is healthy and playing now so em unsure why he’s not here… and finally ANTE BUDIMIR.. is he healthy? Playing for club? If all these check maybe DALIC feels he is outta form? But a healthy Budimir I believe would be starting for us… he is as close as you can get to a Mandzukic type of player… lenky great header and positioning.. feel we are a little small sometimes with our current squad and can’t make much from corners and set plays…
Rebic needs to come back into this squad.
Budimir should have received a call too and should start.
Why is Pongracic not called$
Ante Ćorić golassooooo
Vrsaljko assists the game winner for Atletico after being subbed on
If everyone stays healthy, we could have a stronger midfield, defence and bench than we did in 2018.
If we can also get Rebic to start playing like this for us, we could go all the way at the World Cup.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lG0RgueN1Nc
Sure, but any good performance at the World Cup will rely on Dalic picking the right players…and he will only pick the right ones by accident.
The backline we need to work toward is a combination from the pool of Sosa, Gvardiol, Pongracic, Caleta-Car, Juranovic and Stanisic.
No Lovren. No Vida.
Dalic will never do this…unless Lovren or Vida are injured (or if they just fall so out of form at club level, that Dalic cannot justify playing them). It would have to be a huge gap too, where someone like Pongracic would have to be a starter for Borussia Dortmund every single game, and Lovren never playing for Zenit again….and only then, will Pongracic barely squeeze by Lovren in that starting eleven.
It might happen, though unlikely. Also, these young guys should all be playing together for the rest of this qualification cycle (and friendlies too) to build chemistry.
We can’t show up completely unprepared like we did at the Euros, where we knee-jerk threw Gvardiol into the starting lineup for his first full cap, and relied heavily on Juranovic (after he only played a friendly or so).
Same goes for the keeper, where it’s painfully obvious that we need to try out other options (since we FINALLY have them).
Livakovic getting injured was a blessing, and Ivusic may be a capable starting keeper.
Hopefully it works out for us, but I wouldn’t rule out Livakovic being back in the lineup asap…and never being taken from the #1 spot again.
Livaja creeping into the starting eleven is a big problem too. He’s crap, but is held in high regard. He can’t realistically start ahead of the 5 or 6 more talented players behind him. But I wouldn’t put it past Dalic to keep this going. Livaja will be another possible Melnjak for us.
Eat up minutes in an important position, then we don’t end up using him anyway (and lose the opportunity to build chemistry with Krama, Vlasic or another player playing in that slot).
Do I think we can do well at the World Cup?
Sure. But only if injuries and fitness eliminates Dalic’s preferred options, and forces him into playing the correct lineup.
If Rebic puts his mind and heart into it, he can become just as good, if not a better number 9 than Mandzukic.
I’m very disappointed with his effort and attitude with the repka. Let’s hope he has a change of heart and becomes the star striker we expect him to be.
Maybe Pioli can manage Rebic better. Dalic has a little bit of that Bilic factor in him, where he’s a little soft.
If Rebic wasn’t delivering, then he should have been benched (and not given a full 70 minutes in an elimination game where he was the worst player on the field).
Why would Budimir be a call up? He gives a different look up front off the bench if an aerial assault becomes tactically necessary.
https://sempremilan.com/ac-milan-ante-rebic-crucial
Leadership and quality
Rebić always puts in a shift.
Euros had BS tactics by Dalic.
Kramaric continues to play out of necessity and hasn’t scored for Croatia in years and now even doesn’t score against bundesliga bottom dwellers anymore.
This reminds me when Prosinečki was benched against France in favor of a injured Boban. Blažević regrets that decision.
Rebić has been through the battles during his career.
Yes he is a hot head, but he is no longer some young punk.
Ask Juve?
No one brings what Rebić brings.
He also allows rest for Perišić who isn’t getting any younger.
I LOVE that Sosa is back .. but he CHOSE Germany and is only not there on a technicality.
That gets forgiven .. but not calling out BS tactics .. of which we all know was true?
Modrić
Perišić
Rebić
Our top three attackers.
All three are integral for CL clubs.
In the final third you need something next level to score.
There is a reason Rebić has two assists and two goals in his last three matches.
He brings dynamic movement in the final third.
We lack dynamic movement in the final third.
Good points, but Sosa publicly apologized before he was given a call-up. I am a huge Rebić fan, but he was given every chance to “put in a shift” for the repka for the Euros and he played terrible. I hope that Ante gives a sincere apology, and comes back as a team player, and doesn’t cause problems in the locker room. If his form continues, he can takeover the important roll that Mandzukic played for us.
Exactly. Obviously Zlatko is no tactical genius, but he’s still the coach and deserves that respect. Rebic acted like a little girl in terms of some IG story and airing his laundry (and deleting it, like a pussy). Either go to the coach or staff behind closed doors and if you still don’t like it, don’t play for the repka.
I’m far from a Dalic guy but I applaud him for icing out Ante in a way. Let him apologize and formally ask to be back on the team. If not, best of luck to him at Milan.
We have enough locker room issues it seems, we dont need another one I think, no matter how many goals hes scoring for his club.
Rebic needs to apologise publicly before a recall. His criticism of Dalic on social media was unprofessional to say the least and left Dalic with no choice but to leave him out, no matter how well he is playing for AC Milan. The fact is, that Dalic has been a big fan of Rebic over the last few years and has started him in many matches when Rebic’s form did not warrant him being even on the bench.
Good to see Stanisic get a call up. Defence could be a problem with Vida and Lovren injured and not playing in recent weeks. Uremovic got injured overnight so not sure who will be playing in the middle of the defence, if these three are not fit. Caleta-Car has not had any match play for his club this season, so this is a big worry as well if Dalic calls him up as a replacement.
Shitty about Caleta-Car. Thought he should some good progress during the Euros.
Didn’t realise Igor Tudor is the manager at Verona. Handed Mourinho’s Roma their first loss of the season
Why not try Pasalic as a false 9 with Perisic and Vlasic making overlapping runs in the first game against Cyprus;
——-Pasalic
Perisic-Modric-Vlasic
-Kova-Brozo
Good to see Stanisic and Jakic get rewarded for their recent form.
Pasalic is good with his head, but he’s a pretty lousy finisher with his feet.
He’s better in the background without the ball, not as a player you try and feed the ball to.
Brekalo to compete with Ivanusec and Vlasić for the right wing in attack? Maybe just because we need a quick option there against the Cypriot bunker and someone who dribbles well against sloppy Slovakia after Ivanusec looked sloppy himself…
It’s about to get spicy boys and girlsssssssssssssss
Until Dalic is gone, why is Rebic even a question? He threw the guy under the bus after doing absolutely dick at the Euros, despite given opportunity after opportunity. I dont agree with a lot of the decisions Dalic has made lately, but i applaud him for this one. Fuck Rebic. Dont care if he scores 4 goals a game for Milan. Players are getting too comfortable and taking national team spots for granted. Others would kill for a callup.
+ 1
+2 for being the two biggest rejects on the internet today.
I like that Livaković is on the photo, of all players lol.
Luka’s back. Enough said
6 points please