Marko Livaja is back on the Croatian national team after being omitted in June for Nations League and left off the squad again during two Vatreni victories over Latvia and Georgia in Euro 2024 qualifiers a few weeks ago. It seems Livaja has smoothed over his “situation” with Dalić after jumping into the stands to confront a Croatian supporter in Rijeka during national team training in June. Livaja never made physical contact with the fan.
Is it a blessing or a curse to have Livaja back on the team? His form has completely fallen off for Hajduk over the past 4 weeks and he has lost his compass as the #9 talisman in Split. Can he find his way back to form in the next 2 weeks in time for the Turkey/Wales matches? Absolutely. Let’s see what he comes up with this weekend when Hajduk host Dinamo in a huge Croatian clash that will decide who sits in 1st place on the HNL table.
25 year-old Josip Brekalo has also been recalled to the national squad for the first time in what seems like ages. With Ivan Perišić out for the remainder of the season with an ACL tear, tryouts for starting left-winger are officially open. Although Brekalo is back in the squad and is getting regular playing time at Fiorentina, I’d be shocked if the position wasn’t Luka Ivanušec’s to lose. Ivanušec has been huge for the Vatreni in his few starts on the left side in the past year and should be fully recovered from a pretty bad ankle roll in Champions League next week. Expect him to be at 100% when the Turkey match kicks off in Osijek on October 12th.
If Croatia can defeat both Turkey and Wales in October, they will have one foot in the door for Euro 2024 qualification and may not have to play any veteran starters in November. We can cross that bridge in a few weeks. However, REST is so important for Modrić this season. I was saying the exact same for Perišić before he blew out his knee.
My opinion: Livaja won’t start if Petković is healthy. No chance Brekalo jumps a healthy Ivanušec in the pecking order.
Gee I didn’t know we beat Georgia in September. Could’ve sworn it was Armenia
I wonder if there is any room on the team for Bradaric? Especially given we have need for lefties. He’s been playing regularly for club. And has an edge to him, especially when he plays for the NT. I’d take him over Brekalo any day of the week.
I think we need to keep Sosa in the lineup and hopefully it gets his confidence back up.
We’re in a comfortable position in qualifying and playing these four qualifying games as a starter should really give us insight into whether or not we need to make a decision to do something else with the LB position (especially since the Perisic option is gone).
Not sure if I want us to be rolling out Barisic in the starting eleven once the Euros begin. Domagoj Bradaric isn’t a bad idea to call up as a depth piece, but he plays on a really bad Serie A team. I liked what I saw of him in the very few minutes he played for us, and I would give him a chance, but I would hope that Sosa is still the best LB option for us if we can get him some games.
We always have the option of throwing Gvardiol there (in case there is an opposing player that is just killing our left side).
Sosa has been mediocre since the World Cup, but he was still one of the Bundesliga’s top flank players (on the offensive side of the ball) for two years running. We gotta get that version of him back.
Pure sense
It’s nice to Subasic being brought into the coaching staff for the team! He was an amazing goalie.
Nice to see**
Being an amazing player doesnt mean he will be an amazing coach. Everyone on Dalic’s team has no experience as a coach.
It’s not like a National Team goalkeeping coach has much (if any) impact at all.
Not sure what their job is other than tossing balls at the keeper during warmup.
Most development will come with the goalkeeping coaches at their clubs.
Having a couple of coffee chats and warmups with a National Team goalkeeping coach during the few times a year you’re on international duty won’t matter.
This is just a move to fill the locker room with idols these players grew up watching. It helps that Suba is from Zadar just like Liva.
I guess that is true. While they both are from same city. How they grew up is much different.
Subasic growing up there during the war (as a half Serb kid), and having a career where he was pretty much forgotten in Ligue 2, and had to play second fiddle to an undeserving Pletikosa for two tournaments…are all character building experiences that is good reminder to these spoiled Gen Z kids.
Livakovic has had the opposite experience. No war. He was pretty much put on a pedestal at Dinamo with no risk of ever losing his starting spot (despite many times deserving so), and was gifted the #1 spot on the National Team after Subasic (without ever earning it).
Livakovic was a coddled pu$$y who was completely afraid of any sort of contact, and almost lost his spot (when Dalic started playing Grbic and Ivusic over him) and I’m sure that experience woke him up a bit…and if it wasn’t for vets like Modric who gave Livakovic a head shake, then Livakovic probably never has that bounceback year in late 2023 and we don’t get that bronze medal at the last World Cup.
The young backup keepers (like Labrovic and Kotarski) especially need to listen to these experiences in case one of them ever loses their spot, or feels like they are owed something. I’m sure Kotarski is on Cloud 9 right now, being a former Ajax youth product, and a current starting keeper at PAOK and our U21 team. He probably thinks he’s gonna be #1 for us soon…but it’s important to stay grounded. That can all disappear in an instant (like Josip Posavec who was a Serie A starter at Palermo before his career just took a dive right after).
Being a critic doesn’t mean your insightful either, but hey I am not complaining Davor.
And yes, it doesn’t mean he will be a good coach, but if his personality fits it could have a good impact on the International Squad and this approach that Dalic has had seems to be working. The approach of bringing former players in to assist in coaching.