Eduardo and Arsenal will begin their Champions League season on August 18/19 when they travel to Scotland to take on Celtic. This two-legged tie is the only obstacle the Gunners will face on their way to Group Stage where they would join the rest of Europe’s big boys. Prediction: Arsenal 5-1 on aggregate.
Mario Galinović and Panathinaikos take on Atletico Madrid. Will Ante Rukavina get a chance to shine this time around? Can Panathinaikos duplicate last year’s run where they made it all the way to the Round of 16? I don’t see it happening. Atletico will be too strong for the Greeks.
Dinamo Zagreb get a fairly easy test that should keep their minds off their disappointing departure from Champions League as they take on Hearts from Scotland in the Europa League playoff round at Maksimir on August 20th. Dinamo should progress. If they don’t- sound the alarms because there is trouble in Zagreb!
Darijo Srna and Shakhatar Donetsk start their UEFA Cup title defense against Sivasspor of Turkey. They should handle business to return to the group stage.
Mladen Petrić will see if he can duplicate another deep run into Europa League without Ivica Olić as Hamburg take on Guingamp. It should be another two easy matches for the German side.
OTHER CROATIANS IN EUROPA LEAGUE…
Ivica Križanac (Zenit St. Petersburg) vs. CD Nacional.
Ivan Jurić (Genoa) vs. Odense BK.
Hrvoje Čale (Trabzonspor) vs. Toulouse.
Jurica Vranješ (Werder Bremen) vs. Aktobe.
Arsenal, Dinamo Zagreb, Hamburg, Shakhtar Donetsk, Trabzonspor, Genoa, Werder Bremen and Zenit should all make it to their respected Group Stage but I foresee trouble for Panathinaikos.
Having just read this Cufre deal is sealed – i suppose i guess he'll do since our left backs are so bad. There is a lot of rumours board is unhappy with Glavina, but Jurcic should protect him. Glavina is a left winger having to play left back. Now we have Cufre we should try out Glavina in place of Sammir for a couple of games on the left wing. If it don't work by all means send Glavina back to the Ukraine, but i think the guy deserves a run out in his natural position.
Pokrivac transfer is really needed. I think he should really look to test himself at another decent club – would be great if Soldo rekindles his interest. But we will definitely take him. Vrdoljak would definitely have to go though.
30 year old – er i think i'm with Istina on this one. Why bother with such a player. Yep i expect he will have more defensive nouse than Glavina, but personally i'd try Ibanez. Defence does need improvements, but nah not Cufre. The guy was given so long to sign for us. We should have given him a cut off period ages ago.
As for Pokrivac – i am okay with his signing. If he comes that's fine. If he don't then personally give Callelo a chance.
CONFIRMED:
Dinamo have just signed 30 year old former Roma and Monaco defender Leandro Cufre.
Dinamo also have said that they want Pokrivac- but only if Monaco can act normal about it.
Vranjes and Leko isn't a good comparison at all. Vranjes is like a scarecrow stuck in the ground. The guy is like Biscan. He can't offer anything going forward and hardly moves from the centre circle. He also has not been a sub at every club in his career. Vranjes is one of the most disappointing players to ever come out for Croatia. His has not progressed. He's just sat on bench at big clubs and done nothing with his career. I mean even Ivan Leko got fed up with that after a while and went back to Hajduk and he was in the Premira Liga. I can't understand players who like being on bench.
Jerko Leko however can cross, shoot and gets all around the pitch. He was fantastic at Dinamo Kiev, but since then he's been on easy street just picking up his wages in a club which basically has been taking on other teams left overs ever since Prso, Guily, Rothen, Givet left the club. Monaco and Vranjes are a good comparison cos they are the height of mediocrity. Leko has talent but he's gone lazy in the mind.
Istina you misread me. i probably didn't write it properly. I meant Dujmovic deserves to play for Croatia more than Leko and Pokrivac if neither of them are playing any football because Dujmovic plays each week. Leko is just messing around. If he does not move and finds it amusing to price himself out of transfers like he did to Wolves then i say we drop him off the Croatia squad. Pokrivac is more unfortunate as he has not really had a proper chance at Monaco although its clear he's not done much with his playing time. Koln is a perfect place for him. He needs to transfer as well otherwise he cannot play for Croatia. Monaco coach already made it clear these three are not in his plans. Simic i believe is looking for a move and said he would come to Dinamo so i believe he will transfer either to us or to another club abroad. Yes he slow but considering how bad our back line is at moment we can't any worse. With Glavina's comedy defending just now a 40 year old Simic would be better. Glavina is a left winger. I think he will prove our undoing if the stays at left back.
I believe as players if they were playing Leko and Pokrivac should be in the Croatia squad, just like Klasnic should be in a squad of 25… but if all three continue to move to clubs for money or for lifestyle and not do it on the pitch then they can't play for Croatia.
Remember guys, if you're on the verge of retirement like Simic is, what better place to play than in Monaco hanging out on the French Riviera with superstars from around the world.
Now, I believe Leko still has a half a tank left and can make a difference on a team that he can have chemistry with if he has the right attitude.
Pokrivac is still a baby and has to transfer to a club tht can compete and help him harness his skills.
Simic would be the only player I wouldn't mind staying in Monaco for a last hurrah-but only if he's happy there, but it sounds to me that he's not….so let's see what happens.
The Vranjes-Leko comparison is a very good one….
Why Dujmovic want to go to Dinamo from Lokomotiv Moscow. Its a step in opposite direction.
You need to view this from the players perspective. If Dinamo will pay me more than anyone else and gaurentee that contract (something Mamic rarely does) than I will go to Dinamo. If not, dont waste my time.
As Istina said before it appears all Leko is interested in is money. He was impressive at Dinamo Kiev, but since he's been at Monaco he seems more interested in the lifestyle than football and basically when he priced himself out of move to Wolves cos of high wages i lost major respect for him. He'll never get a Prem offer again. He's just like Marko Babic. Good player that wasted his career. If he doesn't move its clear Monaco are well and truly sick of him and will leave him to rot or talk to him about cancelling his contract. If this happens his international career should be finished. Done and dusted. Also if he won't come to Dinamo now then we should not bother with him at any other point as he'll be old. He either comes to us now for a revival or can just waste away.
Simic is at least trying to transfer. He says he wants to come to Dinamo and Livorno. But Dinamo need to make a move for him if its to happen. Otherwise Monaco will let him rot too. Looks like a good decision good by Saturdays result to kick out all three.
Pokrivac i consider the least likely option to come to Dinamo. I consider him a bit more steady than Vrdoljak. I believe Soldo would like him at Cologne though needs to persuade his bosses of his talent, but again if he plays no football, Bilic must drop him.
Tomislav Dujmovic plays each week for Lokomotive Moscow and i think if Leko and Pokrivac continue to mess around then Dujmovic and Juric deserves it more. And this is coming from someone that don't even like Juric.
Simic is done and has had a solid career. He played many great games for the Croatian national team. He didn't start all the time at AC or Inter but he spent many years there. Personally, Leko has never impressed me as a player. He disappointed me once again with his inconsistent play at Monaco. He reminds me of players like Ivan Bosnjak and Jurica Vranjes. Everyone praised them in Croatia but once they transferred they disappeared. I have only seen Pokrivac play a few times and he looked ok. Its a big problem if the Monaco coach doesn't even want him on the bench.
Its time for Simic to retire. Leko and Pokrivac need to find other clubs as soon as possible to prove themselves. They should probably go to clubs in Belgium/Austria/Holland. I don't know what Pletikosa is waiting for either because staying in Russia is very bad for him.
When it comes to Anas Sharbini I don't know what to say. I would like to see him play another year or two in Croatia but now the only option looks like Hajduk. Once Kalinic gets his work permit both brothers may come to Hajduk. This would make the Croatian league much more interesting. Rijeka needs money and they will take an offer of 2 million euro. I believe this is nothing for a player of his potential and I'm interested to see what happens.
Regards Pokrivac, Leko and Simic. What are they still doing with the team – they are under contract, but all three are not wanted.
I would say anything is better for those three then staying at Monaco as otherwise they are out of Croatia squad and as for Simic i think his career is over if he doesn't transfer in next two weeks. Nobody will takes Simic in winter as a 34 year old who has not played in 5 months.
If Leko does not come to us. Its his loss. He has give up his national team place to Ivan Juric and Tomislav Dujmovic cos nobody will pay his daft wages. They guy has not done it at Monaco. All three flopped. Simic you can let off as he's getting on and the team had improved defensively when he arrived, but Leko and Pokrivac have stank out the place.
****Prediction****
Dinamo 2-1 Hearts (combined score)
@Ivica
Thanks for the Drago Gabric story. Hajduk is looking at Sharbini..
@Dinamofan
"Pokrivac, Leko and Simic not considered or given squad numbers at Monaco."
Wow! What are they still doing with the team?
Leko has been rumored to join Knezevic at Livorno. Not a bad move, not a good move. Dinamo would be a step back for Leko..
Simic still has a year or so left in the tank.
Pokrivac needs playing time and should get a transfer if he isnt wanted at Monaco.
i read we are trying our best to tie up Anas Sharbini's transfer to Dinamo. Essential signing for us as Sammir doesn't do it and perhaps we may let Mandzo go should a bid come. With Sammir there is nothing worse than a playmaker thats not got a long distance shot on them.
Hajduk and Genk chasing Ahmad. Zec played his first game of season for Sibernik which suggests he was getting rusty and that they could no longer protect him from injury.
I hope Genk sign Ahmad cos i like this player and it'd be harder to hate Hajduk with Ahmad up front. Go to Belgium!
Olic (Bayern) and Ilicevic (Kaiserslautern) scored on the opening day of the football season in Germany.
Pokrivac, Leko and Simic not considered or given squad numbers at Monaco. Dinamo should make a move for one or all of them. Recommend exchange deal offer for Sammir and Vrdoljak in return for Leko or Pokrivac. Sammir can't score. Papa, Morales and Mandzo demonstrate usefulness in 5-2 win over Sesvete, but no goal again for Sammir.
Drago Gabric to Trabzonspor
http://www.istockanalyst.com/article/viewiStockNews/articleid/3402635
good for him, terrible for hajduk. who can replace him?
Anyone that wanted to know what makes us think Dinamo can reach the group stage. Heart of Midlothian is the reason. Encourage some research of this club that last week just avoided going into administration. A classic example of a wealthy owners dream gone hideously wrong. By this time we should have Kovac, Ibanez, Etto, Mandzo back. I just don't see us losing this tie. Red Bull were lucky, but Red Bull are fairly strong in areas. All we ask at Dinamo at the moment is to be in that group stage of the Europa Liga each season and to make improvements in it. Our ambition is to each the stage after the group stage. That's all we ask at the moment. I've got to be honest i'm a fan of the Europa Liga. I just like how everyone thinks they can beat each other and how virtually anyone out of 30/ 40 teams can win it.