Our favorite time of the year, well every two years that is, is finally here.
It’s time to pick the groups!
On December 12th in Paris, the Euro 2016 groups will be set. Last time Croatia was a part of this, we were drawn to open up the 2014 World Cup against hosts Brazil. And although this draw may not have the same fireworks, Croatia can potentially be dealt some pretty stiff competition coming out of Pot 2.
Starting with Pot 1, I’m hoping for Croatia to be grouped with Germany, England or Spain. Bring us a big boy. But anyone will do. Hosts France. Portugal and Cristiano Ronaldo. Or we can get some payback on current world #1 Belgium from last qualifying campaign. And with the top two teams from each group going to the knockout as well as the best four third-place teams, there’s no excuse to get out.
Pot 4 will be the fun team we get. There’s no reason Croatia doesn’t get all three points from anyone in this pot. Every team except Turkey and Ireland are in their first tournament. Give me Ireland again. Those guys are just too much fun to party with. Before, during and after the match. It’s a win-win for everyone at the game. And it’s the only other country that Croatian fans won’t fight with.
Pot 3 is where is gets tricky. Sweden and Poland are the strongest teams. I’m not worried about anybody else. But who on our defense can stand up to true strikers in Ibrahimovic or Lewandowski when the time comes? It’d be a great game but those are the only two teams Croatia would have trouble with.
My ideal group: Croatia, Spain, Sweden, Ireland.
What’s yours?
And this is for you Iggy. No more excuses on not knowing what time this thing starts in your timezone.
@Iggy – Yep. Might actually be there with her during the tourney too.
So the people in Brussels are living in fear, from what I’ve been hearing that means the terrorists are winning.
Brussels is a closed city today. No football games, no concerts, a lot of shops closed. It looks like the police discovered some serious indications that the I.S. will shoot people and even use explosives.
It will be good to avoid Germany other than that Spain is a team that is ageing so we can defeat them they went out early in the World Cup in 2014. Other than that France the host would be good to avoid and Belgium would be a tough test. All the other team are beat able.
@da truth
HA!
How did I miss that?…
He seems like a better teammate though.
Actually found the Russia performance quite impressive as guys were competing at a high level.
Vrsaljko fills a void of speed and power and right back.
Srna has been cutting in on Rakitic for years.
He sits down and we light the field on fire.
What I am really interested in is seeing who from the stable of young studs break through into the squad/line up.
I just want to see us compete and play our game.
I could give a fuck about winning.
We have been so tired and slow at major tournaments that it become depressing.
Play all the young talent and in form veterans.
Just please spare us the weak line ups.
@da truth
Nice work.
More like youll get blown up by the Muslim Albanians
@poglavnik
and he bangs hoes like john terry
@cekic
I guess you can say its the…zivina istina ooooooooooOOoOO
It would be nice if we can see how a backline of Vrsaljko, Jedvaj, Vida, and Pivarić would work.
Unfortunately, we will probably only ever see this lineup well after the Euros.
Oh well, it’s not perfect with Srna and the slower (yet reliable) Ćorluka in there, but at least Pranjić is out. That alone makes this tournament more interesting to watch.
Corluka is John Terry like.
He’s slow as shit but he rarely gets dragged into open spaces and exposed.
That’s da truth.
I think Perisic
But which player would be a bigger loss for the NT, Modric or Perisic?
Obviously, the biggest concern is our back line. It’s the one place where we still have to rely on some older legs (Corluka). At the moment he’s in, but to go far I believe we need to have some of the younger generation step up. Jedvaj was looking good before the injury, but we can’t use him if he’s not fit enough to play for his club. It would be good to have Strinic as an option or maybe someone else can step up their game.
In the midfield and even up front we have great depth and can put a strong team on the pitch. Modric and Perisic are the only 2 players that we can’t easily replace so hopefully they stay fit and on form.
England – Croatia – Hungary – Albania –
Ajmoooooooooo
I wanna get hammered with Hungarians and Albanians when I’m in France
@Armada
Well, at least we have Vida and Vrsaljko out of the three. Most of the time, when predicting player potential, you don’t even get that.
The good news is that Jedvaj developed really quickly and, when not injured, he’s pretty legit. Plus we have some other decent kids coming up the pipeline.
If we want a backline that has both speed and skill (minus the Lovren brain farts) We’ve at least got Vrsaljko and Jedvaj as some very technically skilled defenders who can run all game. Add in Vida as that bulldog who, although not that skilled, can also run and defends very very well (he’s not as stupid as he looks). It’s a shame about Lovren, but I’ve written him off. Aside from that one season at Southampton, he’s just been a walking red card waiting to happen.
Belgium is ranked #1 in the world for a reason. They are the team to avoid. Not Wales.
@ Maminjo
“Pranjic at LB and Olic on the wing would guarantee us the same disappointing results as in the past. Guaranteed. Add in kiks-Srna and kiks-Lovren in our backline which already contains screensaver Pranjic, and you increase the chances even more.”
Spot on my friend. Spot fucking on.
I remember in the mid 2000’s, our media was hailing Lovren-Vida-Vrsaljko as the second coming of Simic-R. Kovac-Tudor (in their heydays) where we would have just a super solid backline.
I haven’t given up on Lovren, but dude just doesn’t “have it” mentally… Physically and skill wise, its there. Mentally, not so much. It’s a shame sort of. Imagine he lived up to the hype and Strinic never had the injury problems leading into WC 2014? We’d have a backline like:
Vrsaljko — Vida — Lovren — Strinic
And I like Corluka… but I just like the feel of those 4; Athletic, technically sound, some speed – 3 of the 4 could definitely jump into the attack when needed.
Jarni was my favourite player on our team in the 90’s.
He was the fastest player we ever had.
@Ziva
People are just happy because a lot of guys who weren’t in the National Team picture a couple of months ago (Halilovic, Vrsaljko, Pasalic, Pivaric, Kalinic) are having great seasons and are slowly being given their chance on our NT. These players are in form, young, and are trending upwards in their career…just in time for the Euros.
The great benefit of this is that these players directly replace our washed up (Pranjic, Olic, Srna), incapable (Lovren), and out of form (Mandzukic) players.
We’ve already witnessed Pranjic lose his spot (which is a HUGE step forward on its own);
Olic not being given any significant time on the wing (except for some late injury time garbage minutes for hustle purposes against Malta), and is behind both Mandzo, Kalinic, and even Kramaric at the forward spot;
Lovren not seeing the pitch in favour of Vida playing in his spot;
Mandzukic not being force fed minutes when out of form, with an in-form Kalinic getting a lot of time instead; and
Srna (for the first time ever, although it was just a friendly) actually not playing a full game
Now I don’t think that Cacic will outright eliminate our four major liabilities (Olic, Lovren, Pranjic, and Srna) by flat out removing them from the squad entirely, and it did seem that Kovac made some slow progress and lost faith in one of them (Lovren), but it was pretty much a guarantee that Srna and Pranjic would be getting 90 minutes every game this tournament if Kovac had stayed on board (with Olic also contributing major minutes at either the Forward spot or on the Wing). This alone made it worth firing Kovac, even if we replaced him with a scrub coach in Cacic.
Pranjic at LB and Olic on the wing would guarantee us the same disappointing results as in the past. Guaranteed. Add in kiks-Srna and kiks-Lovren in our backline which already contains screensaver Pranjic, and you increase the chances even more.
Now that at least three of them won’t be playing any impactful minutes (Lovren, Olic, and especially Pranjic)..that actually gives me hope that this tournament won’t be a complete writeoff.
Sure we still have Srna in there, and we didn’t splurge on a coach with real experience who can make tactical in-game adjustments, but at least we’re actually playing our near-full-strength lineups. When you play your best and most in-form players, you give yourself a fighting chance and anything can happen in a tournament.
you really think these french players give a damn,
they drink, screw around, they don’t give a shit,
these players are not divided at all and will do very well next year
@Iggy,
Re: your comment… “def want to avoid france, yeah
they will be playing high on emotion too with what’s happened lately and hard to beat”
I don’t think France has ever played with high emotion. They’re not really the patriotic type. Also, France is pretty divided right now and a sizeable chunk of their players are muslim. If anything, the recent events would cause that team to implode (assuming they cared at all). But these events will be forgotten come June.
Easy on the Vrsaljko talk…….A very nice player who can play at LB if we need him, but that is not his spot. He is a RB. Jarni was outstanding and a for a few years he was in the conversation for best LB in the world.
We go through this every time we get a favorable result and a few guys play really well. Right away we begin singing their praises. Lets relax a bit. Before we begin anointing ourselves as contenders, lets just get out of the group stage of a competition.
I like Sime Vrsaljko and he should start at RB, but he will never be close to the player Robert Jarni was. Actually this team wouldn’t be fit to carry the bags of the players from that 96 & 98 teams.
@ Poglavnik
I like your thinking though.
I have been a big time supporter for Rakitic as I feel he has been mis handled over the years for the Repka. But even my Hrvati goggles have to admit he has come up flat one too many times for the Vatreni.
I can see him being tired at the end of the season with Barca’s lack of depth.
If he is not locked in ready to bring his best then Brozovic or Badelj or any other hard working CDM takes his spot (still feel Lovren is a closet CDM).
Modric will benefit from Benitez rotation policy and the fact he has to accommodate many more players than Barca.
@ Svima
How fast is Vrsajlko?
He looks like a right footed Jarni.
I think this RB issue has more to do with him being a stud and less to do with Srna being a dud.
You really could play them both on the right side.
Vrsaljko at RW
Srna at RB
Vrsaljko’s running and industry would keep left wing attackers at bay.
Or you could play Srna at RM and when he cuts inside (chronically), Vrsaljko can over lap. Then you sub Srna off when he tires and you insert young dynamic attacker to shred up tired defense.
Actually think the latter is better option.
Our back line is not world class and Srna at RB is not a good mix.
He has to play a David Beckham role for 45 – 60 minutes.
Or if you are Jurgen Klinsman you Donavan his ass.
It’s interesting to read you guys on the groups assessment as Italy is in the same pot.
I personally believe that due to the format, group stage is only a diversion. First two qualify, plus 4 out of 6 third teams go through as well. It really takes some commitment not to make it to the second stage (said the arrogant italian whose team went out of two world cups against weaker teams lol).
Nonetheless if I had to rank the teams on a pot basis, on paper I would go something like this:
Pot1
Germany
France
Belgium
Spain
England
Portugal
Pot3
Sweden
Poland
Slovakia
Czech Rep.
Romania
Hungary
Pot4
Turkey
Wales
Iceland
Albania
Ireland
N. Ireland
I believe group draw is more important as it is what decides matches for the quarter finals… where I would aim to avoid Germany and France (hosting country).
Belgium are so rich in talent, but I think they still miss some experience which is crucial when the water boils…
Eventually, it will be a tournament filled with many mediocre teams and at such form will make a huge difference. We saw it with Denmark and Greece in the past.
hehe
i just noticed u put me in the story due to timezones
well im still gonna whinge cos that’s sydney time 😉
i STILL dunno when that is brisbane time
who can keep up with that weird daylight savings 😉
idk
i dun have that dislike for srna that alot of u fellas seem to
i still think he’s good enough to play for us
he was made to look silly v norway tho that’s true but i still think he creates enough chances to be a worthwhile addition
keep in mind in this euro it’s a weird format too which i think will favour us
cos so often in the past we end up playing well but just missing out, and this euro has the umpteenth best 3rd place teams going thru
i think there’s a good chance we’ll fall into that group .. esp if we get a group with spain and france or italy and germany or something
def want to avoid france, yeah
they will be playing high on emotion too with what’s happened lately and hard to beat
i can see france winning euro again just like 98
Best group to be drawn into would be Group A, B, C or D as winners play 3rd placed teams. Group A and D winners play runner-ups in quarters. So in an ideal group Croatia would have Portugal or Belgium from Pot 1.
@Soul Champ
I know it’s a stretch.
He’s a Barca player that plays regularly.
Not likely they would ever sit him.
Good post Maminjo!
@Slavonac
Yea, I’m hoping that a few of our guys who haven’t been playing this season (ie. Jedvaj, Kramaric, Strinic and to a lesser extent Brozovic) will get back into full form and be ready for the Euros.
I would consider the 14 players that Bobby listed above, plus Jedvaj, Pjaca, Kramaric and Strinic (for LB depth) as being the perfect 18-man roster for us.
GK: Subasic,
DF: Pivaric, Corluka, Vida, Vrsaljko, Jedvaj, Strinic
MF: Kovacic, Modric, Halilovic, Rakitic, Perisic, Brozovic, Pasalic, Pjaca
FW: Kalinic, Mandzukic, Kramaric
Honestly, this is all we need for the Euros. Rarely does a team go deeper than 18 players.
If Jedvaj can recover from injury and get back to form, that’s great. If Kramaric and Strinic can get playing time on their club teams, they can be solid depth players for us in time for the Euros. Also, If we can start incorporating guys like Vrsaljko, Halilovic and Pasalic into our current NT rosters more often, it would be most critical (as these three are better than many of the starters we currently field).
The recent positive things that have happened for us since Cacic took over:
– It looks like we solved the Pranjic problem (with Pivaric playing passably good in that role and pretty much eliminating our biggest liability from the NT).
– Kalinic is in shockingly good form and is having a career year (at the perfect time for us).
– Halilovic has blown up this season too potentially giving us that right winger we’ve always been hoping for.
– Olic and Lovren are having crap years, which will likely lead to them being nailed to the bench for us at the Euros.
– Possibly (and I’m crossing my fingers for this one) Sime Vrsaljko getting more chances to play at RB over Srna.
I think all of Olic, Lovren, Pranjic, and Srna, are liabilities and only make our team worse. It would never happen, but I wouldn’t give a damn if they were simply left off the squad altogether. Glad to see at least three of them pretty much out of our starting eleven. Hopefully the fourth and we’re good.
@maminjo. Just a hunch on Hungary.They pretty much manhandled Norway home and away, who beat us 2-0 and outplayed us for good parts of the game in Zagreb despite a 5-1 score line. Its a team that people will look over and have nothing to lose, making them dangerous. Looking way ahead, 4 of the 5 teams in our world cup qualifying group for Russia will be at the Euros.
So Vrsaljko starts at RB, what does that mean for Srna, he may as well hang them up to then? I don’t think we need him coming on as a sub. I would still like to see Srna start at right midfield, then subbed out at 60min.
Lets wait to see how our form will be before we freak out over France or Portugal or even Hungary. We have to first see how many of our players finish off their season in their current leagues, just as our opponents will be doing. I’m ok playing anyone as long as we make some adjustments.
Vrsaljko has to be a first team player, we have to solve left back, hopefully Kovacic’s gets experience and confidence, hopefully Mandzukic finds his form, let’s wait to see if Pjaca, Rog, Halilovic or Pasalic make some forward strides so we have better options…we can have a very good team or an average team that doesn’t find the solutions we’ve all been hoping for.
No more room for Pranjic or Olic, time for them to hang them up.
@NK Susak
You are so right and so wrong on your post.
You are so right about France. They must be avoided due to the obvious bias that will be called against every team that plays them (especially in the group stage).
Plus, I’m sure if some muzzies are gonna muzz, it would be at a France game. Better our players avoid that heat.
But regarding your point about Hungary…
I completely disagree. I think Hungary is the worst and least capable team in this tournament. I expect them to be eliminated in the group stages, no matter who they draw in their group. They’ll finish with a point at best.
Croatia can beat Germany, but lose to Wales. With a little luck we make the final or we shit the bed and go out in group stage. I have no expectations for this team. As always, my heart will go into every game thinking that we will win.
@NK Susak,
I agree. No France. UEFA/Platini will push France to the final.
Mock draft was fun. I think that was just a one time gig.
@ Poglavnik
Rakitic out? How DARE YOU!
Just kidding … If he is tired after Barca runs into the ground then he sits.
Modric is the only player in my book who starts regardless of form.
@ Svima
If we play our in form, most talented players, we can run with anyone.
I want the Euro to be a spring board for the World Cup.
Compete, compete and compete.
I want the best on the field.
That’s why I loved the u17 crew playing both u20 teams from Nigeria and Mali.
Those boys will grown from the competition !
I want to avoid France at all costs. Last time we played a host, (Brazil), we dealt with a phantom penalty call and other bullshit. Imagine what Platini will have up his sleeve for us. We know that he just loves the Balkan nations. Im gonna go out on a limb and say Hungary is a team that will cause headaches for teams. Other than their goalie and captain, its a young squad with a new coach that will be playing for contracts with clubs across Europe. I may be wrong and theyll probably go 0 and 3 and crash out, but time will tell. Ante and Denis, will you guys be doing another mock draw like you did a few years ago? That was some good stuff.
I guess I’m guilty as charged for thinking “we got this, we’re going through” in all of those matches.
I’m sure I wasn’t the only one.
Yes, I do believe that is jocksniffing.
“So, if I’m going to the games I rather play the big name countries and the big star players.”
jock sniffing right there, only watches the big stars ffs. Oh ziva
Fair enough Ziva, you weren’t one of the many. So you thought the last world cup was a tough group but that we would move on? Unless you bet on Croatia but hoped Mexico won.
i never said we had easy groups……i said the general consensus was that people thought we had easy groups (easy as in “we are moving on”)……go back and read what was posted.
That Koala, that’s one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen on this site, great stuff.
Poglavnik if you’re talking Mexico in the last World Cup, as soon as the fixture came out I’m sure we all knew it was gonna come down to the Mexico game, and when Mexico drew with Brazil they had the advantage going into the game against us because a draw was good enough them, I don’t know what makes you think that was supposed to be easy. Australia, same thing.
You know what was supposed to be easy?
Beating Ecuador, Australia, a depleted Turkish side, and Mexico.
@Colin is u’r girlfriend slovakian ?
Yeah i did wonder what u meant, Ziva, when u said we had easy groups in the past.
I can’t really think of any
Bra, Mex, Cam isnt easy
Ita, Spa, Ire isnt easy
Maybe ’08 was slightly easier but then again u said look how far it got us, well it got us pretty fucking far in ’08 so that’s a case in point that it does matter
i know u like to bet against croatia and to see us lose but not every croat is a self-hating hrvat like u, fella
some of us like to see us actually win matches
“Bring on the best,” would that be Germany, Poland and Wales?
So you guys who want to play the best, interesting!
You want to see Lewandowski, Ibrahimovic or Bale but my question to you all is just what do you want to see these great players do against Croatia? It will be funny if your answer to the question is nothing, that would mean you just want to see the player!
My group is the best outcome for us to easily get to the second round where anything can happen and usually does.
@Ziva
What easy groups have we had in the past?
Ziva.. did
did
(surprised koala face)
http://www.sidesinspace.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/surprised-koala.jpg
did u just say something somewhat positive about our team and players?
im fucking gobsmacked
Yeah i basically was gonna post the same thing hammer said
i think that would be a good group
definitely wanna smash those belgian cunts
most overrated team in europe
Actually come to think of it we don’t have much steel in the midfield with that lineup.
Dare I say I might play Brozovic instead of Rakitic.
Brozovic’s 2 goals recently are more than Rakitic has scored in 2 years for us, and he’s a way better defender.
Or Brozovic for Kovacic.
Spain, Slovakia, and Ireland.
I want another chance to beat Spain so bad and it would be fun to watch Croatia-Slovakia and Ireland-Slovakia with my girlfriend. Might be over there during the tournament next year… If I can get my travel arrangements right this time eh, Ante? 😉
@Bobby V
Perfect line-up!
We start that line-up we could beat anyone.
Belgium, England, Portugal, Sweden, and Wales are not good sides for us.
I can see Ronaldo and Ibra put in two into the back of the net.
Srna to stop Bale? hahahahaha..
Lukaku would dust are defense. Again.
My ideal group:
Spain, Czech, Ireland
Squeak through group stage. Anything can happen in knockout stage.
However, Srna in defense and we bow out in group stage.
Ante, like your group brother!
We always play to the quality of our opponent. So I’m good with a group of death.
Portugal, CRO, Romania, anyone in last pot
Croatia,France(Rematch from 98 in France),Sweden, and dust Turkey again just for old time sake.
Bobby V love that lineup. I’d give the captain’s armband to Rakitic or Perisic.
Give me attractive opponents. We have enough talent to play with anyone. Doesn’t mean we can beat them, but I think we can play with anyone. So, if I’m going to the games I rather play the big name countries and the big star players. We’ve had easy groups in previous years (or so many of us believed) and look where that got us.
I don’t care who we play. We have players at Real, Barca and other big clubs. Nothing to worry about.
there are no easy groups regardless of what any of you think…look at the past few years and some of the teams that have beaten much bigger Nations, Europe is tough…never take anyone for granted.
I’m not worried about Sweden or Poland.
We always seem to have their number.
I’d like England. That would be fun. Sweden also always seem to win or draw against England. Throw in one of the Irelands to mess up England even more and that would be a pretty good group.
France
Croatia
Hungary
Ireland
@ Svima
First time in 16 years I can honestly say bring on the best for our pool play.
We have a core of elite players and a stable of young studs to fill out the deepest talent pool in the history of Hrvatska.
As I navigate yet another neurotic November in NYC, I feel blessed to be Hrvat. I think about this past summer swimming in Dalmacija with my family (both originating and nuclear). I think about my plans for this summer.
When I watch our beloved Vatreni go to Russia and impose our style of play I am ecstatic.
Meaningless ?
NIKADA!
Or yeah we also have 3 players involved in El Classico.
Modric and Rakitic will once again be counted on to the pull the strings.
ZDS
Let’s say it turns out to be Belgium, Hungary and Iceland. Then you want to play Hungary first, Iceland next and Belgium last. It’s all about getting to the second round, where anything can happen and usually does.
“I don’t want a lame group like Portugal, Hungary, Albania.
If you want to get far, you gotta beat some good teams. ”
Well that’s not true at all, most teams get deep into tournaments based on getting a favourable draw. A good draw means a hell of a lot.
France is corrupt stay away.
I’d say Portugal Hungary Albania.
So much parity though.
Pot 4 almost looks stronger than pot 3.
Easiest group – Portugal, Hungary, Iceland. Need to avoid France, Germany (pot1) and Sweden, Poland (pot3)
We would have trouble with them. It’d be a great game. Doesn’t mean I don’t want to see it happen.
I don’t want a lame group like Portugal, Hungary, Albania.
If you want to get far, you gotta beat some good teams.
So bring it. You okay with that Idemo?
Euro 2016 starting lineup: Subasic, – Pivaric, Corluka, Vida, Vrsaljko, – Kovacic, Modric – Halilovic, Rakitic, Perisic – Kalinic
subs: Mandzukic, Brozovic, Pasalic
My ideal group
Belgium, Hungary and Iceland.
And for my second team Ireland
Portugal, Austria and Slovakia.
how does your ideal group have Sweden when in the previous paragraph you say we’d have trouble with them……?
Avoid Wales at all costs out of 4