The Alen Halilović hype-train has left the station! Again. The 25 year-old is already becoming a Reading fan favorite, scoring once and assisting twice in his first four starts for the club, which is currently in the English 2nd Division. Halilović scored the game-winning goal against Middlesbrough on Saturday, and was the highest rated player on the pitch.
Halilović has been one of the biggest disappointments in Croatian football history. Once hailed the “Croatian Messi”, Alen has been unable to find a groove for himself in any top league. His father’s animosity, pressure, and Dinamo Zagreb’s management of Halilović when he was a youngster, are all factors to suggest blame. Halilović is undoubtedly a talented player, and can still make defenders look silly with his silky dribbling, but his ego (from playing for Barcelona in his teens) could be a product of his career stall. Individually, he is a level above almost all players in the English Championship, but consistency has always been his downfall.
The real question is: will Halilović ever make a complete comeback and challenge for a spot on the Croatian national team?
Absolutely!
If he can continue his impressive form in England and help Reading get promoted to the Premiership, why not also give him a shot with the national team? If in-form players such as Ćolak, Ivanušeć, and Livaja can earn a call up from Dalić, Halilović should be in the same conversation with 2+ solid months of performances.
The God of Halilović has returned! 🙂
Writing off a nogometaš before age 27?
Never !!
I don’t see any right wingers for us right now?
He can play right wing, also as a #10.
I saw glimpses of maturity over his odyssey before he got a couple tough ankle injuries.
At 25 he is still approaching his prime.
Heck two years ago Kovačić was labeled not worthy of filling in as our #8.
That left foot has magic in the final third.
I am rooting for him.
Any of the old guard remember when you were age 25 figuring life out?
He will mature these next two years.
His touch and gifted left foot have not gone anywhere.
Championship makes a man out of you.
I think thes players halilovic balic coric lost kredibility media hyped them up way too much imo and they could not live up to the hype once they got to senior football.
I like players that media doesnt hype and make a name for themselves kovacic was hyped and even he just staring to become a strong player at 27.
Need time to develop scores one goal and hes back screw that. Even a broke clock is right twice a day
Dinamo are elite evaluators of talent.
Whenever Dinamo dumps a player early, like they did to Jedvaj, Coric, Simunovic, and Halilovic…you know that something’s up.
Dinamo probably knew that these guys didn’t have the mental makeup or were just not as talented as they were hyped to be (and were complete hit or miss prospects) so Dinamo were more than happy taking the guaranteed money.
Whereas with other prospects, they never sold low, and they chose to hold on to until they received more serious money (like they recently did with Majer, and are continuing to do with Ivanusec).
So by that logic, is Gvardiol finished?
They sold Gvardiol for almost 20m euro. That’s the opposite of ‘selling low’. Jozo Simunovic, was sold for 7-8m to Celtic and I think many were surprise DZG got that much for him. Many were expecting DZG to get a big return on Josko.
Exactly.
Actually, the Gvardiol deal will probably be their biggest payout in a very long time.
Leeds was offering 22 million, but Dinamo accepted the 16 million offered by RB Leipzig instead.
The reason for this was because…
– Dinamo will receive 25% of the future transfer fee
– Dinamo receives 300,000 Euro for every year that Leipzig makes Champions League (for the next five years)
– Dinamo receives 75,000 for every HNL game, and 100,000 for every Europa game that Gvardiol played while he was on loan at Dinamo last season
Dinamo already got like 2-3 million from that loan outcome, and they will get 1.5 million for the five Champions League campaigns.
The future transfer will probably score them another 10+ million.
.
They misjudged Petkovic,his value has plummeted in 2 years!
Start the Brekalo hype train
No hype — he is playing consistently under Juric and this is great for his game. I would imagine that he’ll only get better.
Gol Brekalo, 1-0, 55th.
Torino playing and Pjaca isn’t even on the bench? Don’t tell me he’s hurt again..
Pjaca is hurt again but he is also resting Juric said in papers.
The commentator said he has a calf problem, and hopefully will be fit for the Juve game
It’s a slight injury, nothing to do with the knee injuries which plagued his career.
maybe Hali can make something of himself- psycho parents can zap any kid / any sport- if he can find himself he might be able to do something and play – definitely a long shot for HNS but why not- let him fly without being hindered and he might surprise us all
Considering that he plays as a right winger, it’s possible, just because Ivanusec has not been looking good for us. Halilović is a little bit like Pasalić, in that he has played all over and is still relatively young. Considering how well Pasalić plays now, don’t call failing to make an impact until now total failure for Halilović. Maybe he takes Reading to the Premier League and earns his way back into contention now that his brand is worthless and forgotten
I’m waiting for Andrija Balic to score a few goals in Slovakia and hearing all the calls from the Hajdukovaci that he needs to be back in the NT.
Anything is possible although a lot would have to change for Halilovic personally for him to rise and play well consistently.
There are literally thousands of young players that have the potential, Halilovic has even more than most but he completely lost his way and the hard work expected to make it at the highest levels was exchanged with being entitles. On the flip side, there are players that have far less talent than Halilovic and even if their career’s end up being mediocre, they still made a career with far less talent.
I don’t get overly impressed by highlite reels…they’re just that, cut and sort a bunch of actions to make a player look great and as far as I’m concerned, Halilovic is great for those.
Throughout his career, he’s had too much swagger and little consistency. I’d love to see him settle down and play with responsibility, both sides of the field and on a consistent basis before I’d ever see him on our squad again.
In my opinion, he has more tools than a guy like Brekalo but he lacks the mentality!
Brekalo is FAR more talented than the fraud of halilovic.
Same slight frame but Josip is faster more explosive,and breks can shoot with both feet where as Alen is left footed and only left footed.
Seriously though, I was on the Halilovic hype train in the beginning, just like most of you. Its a sad story of fame, unrealized expectations, and a greedy ignorant father who ruined him. Sorry guys, its fun to sarcastically worship the “god of halilovic” but I feel like some of you are actually believing in this comeback story. I wish him all the best in making a mediocre career, but his star has faded, and he will never be a great player.
You have to believe in God
When did Halilovic sign for Osijek? 😉
I dont expect much from halilovic hyped at age 14 too much pressure put on him left dinamo way too young and is just an average player maybe for china cups and b friendlies for croatia at best.
https://ibb.co/5sLwDgb
Recalling the figure of the Croatian Messi,
who had failed to build a career at Barcelona and AC Milan, Alen Halilovic.
The name Alen Halilovic may sound less familiar or even not favorite,
but not to the fans at the clubs he has played for.
Well, It’s not only for Barcelona and AC Milan,
the player who was born on June 18, 1996, was recorded as a player for ->
Dinamo Zagreb, Hamburger SV, Sporting Gijon, Las Palmas, Standard Liege,
Heerenveen, Birmingham, and the latest one for Reading.
It sounds like he is quite experienced in many clubs, right?
Yes, Alen Halilovic can be called a traveler at a relatively young age.
Yes, before… Alen Halilovic was nothing more than a young footballer
who was the ‘victim’ of the public’s and fans’ excessive expectations,
plus a little misfortune in his lifeline | miss management to put it simple
Although his career seems to start declining,
It turns out Halilovic admits he is fine. Of course, there was a kind of disappointment over something that has happened.
Don’t give up on him…
He just needs more prayers from us to lift him up |-
I’ve given up …label me an Atheist!
No way in HELL this over rated bum plays for us again.
Why is he getting all the ink, why not some for Coric,Balic,perica,muric and all the other can’t miss prospects we have had??
Hey @LAknat. Your time to shine! Make us proud man!
Nice write up but this should’ve done by LAknat
Agreed, laknat has been waiting forever for this
If halilovic comes back, he owes laknat a huge glass of wine
Wait.., what if laknat is halilovic or his old man???!
LOL. I would love to read a writeup from LAknat.
The punctuation would be legendary.