After suffering a hamstring injury in late October, Mateo Kovačić is back in full training for Chelsea. Chelsea have dropped points against West Ham, Burnley, and Manchester United since Kovačić sustained his injury, and are in dire need of the midfielder’s presence as they continue to push for the Premier League title this season.
Before his injury, Mateo Kovačić was playing the best football of his life. Despite missing more than a month of Premier League action, Kovačić still has the fifth most assists (5) this season in England. Kovačić also has the third highest average SofaScore rating in the Premier League, averaging an amazing 7.54 rating per game. In Kovačić’s last match before his injury, he recorded two assists against Norwich, earning himself a fantastic 9.2 SofaScore rating.
Evidently, Mateo Kovačić has been one of the best midfielders in the Premier League this season. Once Kovačić develops a solid long shot, he will be one of the most dangerous players in world football. The Vatreni’s midfield will be in safe hands with Kovačić after Luka Modrić hangs his boots for the last time.
I actually do think we are in the top tier of not just European football but world football!
I also think that our players and coaches respect for other teams is not an example of small mentality but of realism. The modern game, especially in Europe, is highly competitive. There are numerous examples of the ‘big’ nations being humbled by lower ranked teams (ex. Germany v. Macedonia, Portugal v. Serbia etc.). This happens on a regular basis.
As far as I can see, the mentality of Dalic and our current squad is precisely the right mix of confidence in our abilities and a realistic assessment of the unpredictability of outcomes in the modern state of the game.
Barring any huge loss of talent (to injury, covid etc.) we have an excellent chance of going deep in the next WC.
We just need to play our game, remain unified and be loose and relaxed. Bring on the so called ‘big boys’. Hrvatska is like David in the Bible, killing lions, bears and Goliaths- that’s our m/o.
Bog i Hrvati
Yeah, you guys are right, Dalic really sucks as a coach…WC finals, and qualified directly (no playoffs) to a Euro and another World Cup.
Italy, who just won the Euros might miss out on their second WC in a row and they have one of the most respected coaches on earth.
C’mon give the guy a break!
You guys act as if we should win every game with no hiccups. So unrealistic!
Dalic has done a great job and seems to have successfully navigated the integration of our youth into the team.
That is no small feat.
We have a really nice mix of vets and youth and everyone finally seems to be on the same page! It’s nice to see some continuity and stability for once.
Less than a year to go!!!
Ajmo dečki!!!
Bog i Hrvati
You are spot on about people being unrealistic. We are not in the top tier of European Football. We are not in the same class as France, Spain, England, Germany, Italy and Belgium. Yes, on a good day we can beat any of these countries, but we need to be thank full that for a small country we continually make it to the WC and Euros.
In regards to Dalic and his contract extension to Euro 2024, I would not be surprised if there is a clause in the contract based on performance ? If we flop badly at the WC he could be gone. Minimum expectation at the WC should be getting out of the group.
“We are not in the same class as France, Spain, England, Germany, Italy and Belgium”
Yes, we are in the same class. Not to mention, besides Italy & Spain, our players don’t have foreign blood and never will. <You're welcome.
Were you born in Croatia? Do you live there?
@bob. You might have misunderstood his post.@mart is spot on.
The answer is Yes and No. In my opinion the countries that I have mentioned are better than us. We could argue that countries like France and Belgium ”se kite sa tudim perjem” however it is all within FIFA rules and regulations.
Indeed
Small mentality.
This is the single biggest problem our football team, coach and fans have.
Total satisfaction with being 2nd or 3rd place, because we are a “small” country.
There’s nothing worse than watching all those interviews of world class Croatian National Team players (like Modric, Rakitic, Kovacic, etc.) talking up teams like England, Italy or Spain like they are some unbeatable World Class teams.
Who the hell does England have these past several years that is on par with Modric? Or prime Rakitic even?
Spain and Italy are filled with Brazilians and still can’t even produce what we have (funny that one of Spain’s most promising players has a Croatian passport and was developed by us).
Nothing worse than watching Modric talk up guys like Jordan Henderson and Jesse Lingard before our 2018 World Cup match with them. Give me a break.
I don’t hate Dalic, but I don’t love him either.
I was hoping we would at least attempt to do a coaching search (and it’s obvious that Dalic is not some wanted man by other clubs). But even the HNS did move on from Dalic, they probably would have just defaulted to Igor Biscan (which carries equal risk to extending Dalic).
Dalic has that same ‘small country’ mentality where he plays down every possible expectation, where drawing a team is a big success, and any victories are considered bonus. Big time handicap when preparing your team for battle.
0K Stupid Dalic will never change! _
I am gonna let him know, how to pick the right squad for WC 2022:
Goalie ((in order)) | 3 players
1st – Ivucic | pick up
2nd – Grbic | pick up
3rd – Sluga / Livakovic
Central Defender ((in order)) | 5 players
1st – Gvardiol | pick up
2nd – Pongračić | pick up
3rd – Ćaleta-Car | pick up
4th – Josip Stanišić | pick up
5th – Lovren / Vida
Wing Back ((in order)) | 4 players
1st – Borna Sosa | Left pick up
1st – Juranovic | Right pick up
2nd – Borna Barisic | Left pick up
2nd – Tin Jedvaj / Bradaric | Right
Midfielder ((in order)) | 5 players
1st Luka Modric | pick up
2nd Brozovic | pick up
3rd Kovacic | pick up
4th Nikola Vlasic | pick up
5th Jakic / Sucic
LW & RW Forward | 4 players
1st Ivan Perisic | Left pick up
1st Lovro Majer | Right pick up
2nd Mislav Orsic | Left pick up
2nd Josip Brekalo / Marko Pjaca / Halilovic | Right
Centre Forward | 3 players
1st Andre Kramaric | pick up
2nd Roko Simic | pick up
3rd Budimir / Peter Musa / Livaja
Where is Pasalic? He’s been our best player over the past month.
ok sorry :O correction ->
Midfielder ((in order)) | 5 players
1st Luka Modric | pick up
2nd Brozovic | pick up
3rd Kovacic | pick up
4th Pasalic | pick up
5th Jakic / Sucic / Vlasic
Bingo!
Agree with Ante’s comment , Pasalic has a nose for the goal. Is a great complement to Sosa and Juranovic with their fantastic crosses. Gone are the days of Srna’s low line drive crosses, that never seemed to cross.
Zlatko Dalic just signed an extension that runs till Euro 2024
*can’t watch*
I guess Modrić is retiring
Ante, what makes you believe Kovacic will develop a hard shot and become a threat to score outside the 18 yard box? Nothing he has shown on the field indicates this will happen.
That directed towards me?
Yes, my mistake. Didn’t pay attention to who wrote the Kovacic comment. My question is directed to Croatia U14.
Yeh, CroatiaU14 wrote this one. But remember, Modric couldnt shoot the ball at Spurs and it took him 2-3 seasons in Madrid to learn how to shoot from outside 18.
Kova still on the same trajectory.
I understand your point, but can’t see it happening. Can’t comment on Modric having a poor shot and then “learning” how to hit them from distance, since I don’t know. If you mean the diagonal, far post curling shot like the one scored by Orsic against Spurs, then I can see someone learning how to hit it. Or being told by a coach to hit the ball low and aim for a corner, like many of Vlasic’s goals. But for power, either you have it or you don’t. Unless he strengthens his legs, his shot will always be crap.
CM Luka Modric
While Luka Modric did not have a sensational goal, the man on the opposite side of the midfield to Toni Kroos was also fantastic vs. Inter Milan. Modric tends to do well against the Nerazzurri, and he was all over the pitch in this one, without even being subbed off. The 36-year-old is an absolute marvel. He was creating chances, carrying the ball, winning the ball, and doing all the little things that were key in this latest clean sheet victory for Real Madrid.
Rating: 8.0
Romeo Jozak back at Dinamo! New Managing Director of Football. Good for our football in general to have him ‘back in the food’.
Good.
No need to waste his time with youth league teams in Ohio.
I guess he read my comment section of Ante’s interview with him, lol.
Good for business!
Modric captain for Real against Inter. A couple of clever moves already, and nice strikes from Brozo (just over the bar) and Perisic (blocked).
To come back, it is implied, you first have to had arrived somewhere along the way.
“Once Kovačić develops a solid long shot…”
I mean how many years have we been saying that; it’s clearly just not going to happen.
this is the morning news:
Livaja ispred Messija i Ronalda na Transfermarktu
🙂
Unfortunately Kova tested positive this morning…so not back quite yet!
Oh they’re still doing that