Photo: Eurosport
Milan Badelj is quickly becoming Croatia’s first choice for defensive midfielder. Not since the days of Niko Kovač has Croatia had a rock in the middle of the pitch who can be physical while distributing the ball across the field. The 23 year-old former Dinamo Zagreb captain was sold to Bundesliga side Hamburger SV in the summer of 2012 after leading the modri to a second straight Champions League campaign. Badelj has made an immediate impact in the Hamburg starting XI, helping his side earn 13 points through the first nine games of the season; only two behind a Champions League spot this early in the campaign.
Badelj doesn’t mind getting dirty in the trenches and has an eye for goal. He can pass the ball from all corners of the pitch and isn’t scared to rifle a shot from long range. He may be the missing link to what Croatia needs to get tot the next level.
So I ask you: are the days of Ognjen Vukojević and Tomislav Dujmović over at defensive midfielder over for Croatia? Because they should be.
I just dream of the day when we wont know what to do with our midfield because of all of the choices!
imagine: euro 2016, WC 2018
Alen Halilovic- Badelj-Modric-Perisic-
– Kovacic-
Assuming Halilovic chooses CRO. This is a deadly midfield
Badelj is a great midfielder. He offers alot more going up front and even defensively than Vuk or Dujm.
Still uncertain, he is playing DMC for Hamburg but against the Swiss he was exposed there, though in reality Stimac played a way too attacking formation and everybody was exposed
Badelj is without question our answer at CDM, now to whoever made the comment above about it depends on tactics, I completely agree, if we’re going to play a major (really mean major) power house (pretty much only Spain, maybe Brazil for the world cup, and a select few others) then yea, maybe play vuko, just because we’re going to have to play on the counter like we did Spain, but even still Badelj might be a better bet if his defensive skills are there….so Badelj for the future, without question
As for Halilovic, Ziva, I’m sorry, I don’t agree with you, we need him for the future…completely agree there have been tonsssss of players who the media created a stupid buzz about for no reason, but in this case, give him the cap, hold him down, and we have a future, i know future, world class player on our hands
More importantly, fucking develop Mateo, he’s 18, he’s our future number 10, he’s the player we’re going to play behind our loan striker….however, as is the way of football, by the time he’s a world class player, formations and tactics are going to change, as was the 4-3-3, as was the 4-4-2 and now 4-2-3-1…..formations and tactics change constantly, so will the current formation
By the way, got married today, I brought my girl over from ZG
@ all the Cynics
Modric should of started at the 2006 world cup and Halilovic should get a look this Spring. We have a good team and his game would do well with better players around him. Drazen Petrovic was a pro at 15. Class is class. His game is based on agility and skill, so his size is irrelevant. We need some magic on the right wing.
IMAGINATION pass it on.
Perisic Badelj Modric Rakatic
MIKI JE LEGENDA
@Ziva
I think you’re overestimating Vuki’s defensive abilities more than underestimating Badelj’s defensive ability
I still think Vukojevic will have a role for the repka. When we play teams where we are clearly better and will have possession a majority of the time then it makes no sense at all to play Vukojevic/Radosevic/Dujmovic. It’s like having an extra defender on the field. But, you will need someone like Vukojevic when we go up against a team that will possess the ball more than we do. Go back to the Spain game at the Euros. I don’t think Badelj holds up as well in that type of formation and playing the tactics that we did. But, for now, he does have a place in the starting 11 against the likes of Macedonia, Wales, Scotland, etc..
Maybe I am underestimating Badelj’s defensive abilities. Could be?? let’s see what he does in germany for a full year.
I’m hoping Badelj can take that role because lets face it Vuki and Djumo have no potential or room to improve. They will always be below average at best. Defensive midfielder needs to have some ounce of a scoring or even playmaking threat. I still haven’t seen much from Badelj that has been positive but I haven’t seen him play in over three months. The game against Switzerland he was moving so slow. I’m more than happy to see him start against Serbia because he is the most capable to be a star. Isn’t anyone sick of seeing bums like Vuki and Djumo on the pitch.
badelj? come on guys!
60 minutes?? Try like 10 minutes. Has he played that much already??
Zivi te si funny
Shit, why not start Halilovic against the serbs. After all, he deserves a call up based on 60 minutes of game action this year in the HNL.
Badelj is a stud! Sky is the limit for this kid….
I don’t care if it was against Wales, Badelj played great and more importantly he allowed Modric to play his game. We are a skilled crew and need to play from back through into the front. The Wales match gave us glimpse of the real HNS. We have the technical ability to control the ball and Badelj is vital in his role as a CDM. In nogomet it is all about the spine.
Put on Halilovic for 20 minutes out on the right wing against Serbia!
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1377100-why-arsenals-mikel-arteta-is-the-best-holding-midfielder-in-the-world-right-now This was an ok article what talk about the dm new role in modern football
I like our team i had bad feeling after 2010 but this team can have chemistry and team work Strinic and Perisic good team work defense and attack on left Rakitic and Srna play well, now Modric and Badlej in middle mandzukic a work horse up front Jelavic or Eduardo depesnds on who we play tactic and cb Carli Joe( for now) Sifo Lovren Vida Runje Kelic Pavlovic and more HNL player looks good lets fo to 2014 and see waht we can do!!!!! Congrats to Zadar
I was hoping Badelj was going to be a good replacement for Kovac for a few years now. I think he has potential to be very good if not great.
Supposedly the kid has asthma. Does anyone know how much this is/will affect his game?
@ Anonymous
So now you’re happy?
I’ve been waiting for someone to address this
I hadn’t watched dinamo play much so i never had a great feel for badelj but i was really excited about what i saw in the wales game. And judging by the solid reviews he’s been getting in the bundeslig the wales game was not a fluke. he looks like he is a creative playermaker, especially when it comes to making long ball passes that either change the field or release the forwards toward the goal. a very similar skill to modric, so it’ll be great if they gel together and can produce a two headed monster in that regard, hopefully able to give our two forwards in mandzukic and jelavic better service as they both seem to be awesome finishers, but desperately dependent on service . i think luka’s great gift are those long passes, but his awesome ability to maintain possession of the ball even in tight spaces. not sure about badeljs skills in that regard. haven’t seen enough to judge. but hopeful for the future
Should be first pick for next game. No one else has really impressed at that position.
zadar knocking dinamo out of the cup. adio cacicu.
Badelj is surely better player than Vukojevic. He has also maintained good form for several months so he should be Stimac’s first pick as a defensive mid.
Milan’s passing and dribbling are top-notch for a DM!
Unlike Sammir, Milan WILL help our team.
I agree with Sude Mi…….right now this kid in nothing morethan potential. Lets see what he does before people start calling for his call up to the repka. Barring injuries, I do think he will be a much better player than Kovacic, but he has to show it. The kid if not Messi, so lets see where he is at in a few year.
dummies
Many a phenom at 16 has fizzled out by the time they are 19/20 years old……injuries, lack of opportunities, immaturity, unscrupulous agents and bad transfers can all conspire to hurt a players development.
Let’s not annoint this kid the next Zuti, until he is. Just my two cents.
May you lads take a look at Alen Halilovic! Already offers to Man U. and Juventus at the age of 16, he’s also a Dinamo Zagred player. He’ll be unbelievable in the future, he’s the new Prosenecki.
Hes is and in my opinion will always be a much better player than radosevic because he’s left and right foot passes are 100% same quality. Some might argue a right footer can pass with the left, yea sure, but Badelj can cross with both. with accuracy.Thats pretty rare.
isnt it funny how Sime replies with “why do you think everyone is Sime” ?
@ Denis , why do you think everybody is Sime ?
Milan Badelj has played well and deserves to start at CDM for Croatia.
Sime,
Stick to one name, you’re not fooling anyone.
To an extent Badelj is a Modric who can tackle. Obviously not as good as Modric but he has class about him. Anyone think Radosevic will be ready for 2014 WC if we qualify? Badelj and Radosevic are definately our best prospects for defensive mid in the near future or even now for Badelj.
Hi Ante K how you doing ?