To Russia With Love…

“Does anyone think that Modric does not attack enough straight at the goal?”

That’s a task beyond Modric’s capabilities, he’s a crab, if he had those capabilities I think he woulda did something against Portugal rather than sit back in his safe space watching the game go by.
I’ve always felt that Rakitic is inhibited by Modric also, that coulda been sorted if Rakitic was made captain, and Modric could just be the role player he is at Real Madrid.
Modric in my opinion will be the shittest captain at the world cup.

@the truth

Are you familiar with a ‘za dom… spremni’ lifestyle?

it’s funny to see the usual holiga bashers be excited about this article where holiga bashes mamic

the irony of it is holiga is always bashing the mamic element of croatia, and everyone usually takes offense and calls him uncroatian

sure, he tries to tone down the nationalism, which for like a domoljub like myself is a big no no….but he recognizes that those in power, ever since the days of tudjman, have used that nationalism to numb the people to the injustices of the ruling class and that’s why he refuses to buy into it

@ BZ

Strinic is serviceable in area where with current tactical set up needs start.

@ Lika Joey

Makes sense to me.

At least play him for Senegal, if he shits the bed in Osijek than glue his ass to the back up crew.

If he plays well put him in against Nigeria.

He is serie A level LB.

Pivaric offers nothing going forward.

I have close friends and distant family in Argentina, there media is taking us lightly. They think we have good players but are no real test. Croatia always fails to get out of the group stage. Croatia will surprise them this time.

Lika Joey- Many LBs are just guys who weren’t fast or skilled enough to play wings at the youth level. My club teams have always been successful taking our most skilled athlete who is not starting and placing them at LB. Other teams take the best left footed player that they can find, often to horrible results.

If u firced me to choose between Pivaric & Strinic, I might go Pivaric…cause although both are horrible defenders Pivaric has yet to give a game away like Strinic eg Portugal and Peru.

Goku hopefully they play like that against us…Nigeria scares me.

Does anyone think that Modric does not attack enough straight at the goal? I think if he starts to do more direct attacking we will get more shots on goal per game, and of course the same goes for all of our midfielders.

Zdravko Mamić osuđen je na šest i pol godina, Pernar na četiri godine i dva mjeseca, Zoran Mamić na četiri godine i 11 mjeseci, a Vrbanović na tri godine. Također valja istaknuti kako osuđenici moraju vratiti i protupravno stečenu imovinsku korist.

About time – Eto sad si dobio svoju

Is it too late for Carlo? Lol

I know this cannot be seriously considered, but someone wrote that Mandzukic should play left back. We know he can defend. He can attack as well. Would he be that much worse than Strinic defensively?

Re: Mamić…hopefully that means less likelihood of flare throwing BS at the games.

They’ll hear about him after he transfers to Bayern Munich this summer.

He’s better off there. Hoffenheim don’t deserve him.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgMi9xsY-Ew

We will advance to the knockout stages but can’t afford to have games like we did against Portugal in the last Euros with our defense and lack of must score offense or we will not go deep in the tournament. This is the World Cup where we get back into the Semifinals.

We are 4W 2D 4L in last 10 games 🙁
9 goals scored 8 conceded

Not really championship material statistics…

Im staying positive but I dont have any expectations… Just gonna enjoy watching the games and see what happens … Hopefully we will be pleasantly surprised

I’d like to use Luka and Ivan like at their clubs, would love to see Croatia go 4-3-3…

Perisic Kramaric (or Mandza) Rebic (or Krama)

Rakitic Modric

Badelj

Strinic Corluka (or Vida) Lovren Vrsaljko

we cant score, therefore we need more attacking options. maybe the midfield is too crowded, why have brozovic on the ball when you can have modric. or why have badelj defending when mandzukic always runs back

…………..Mandzukic…………Kramaric…………
..Perisic……..Modric………Rakitic……Rebic..
.Strinic………Lovren………Corluka…..Vrsaljko.

Is there another hype video from one of the croatian beer companies like there was 4 years ago?

Luka Modric has been moved into a more advanced role under Zlatko Dalic and is seeing less of the ball but the benefits may outweigh the drawbacks

Aleksandar Holiga
Tue 5 Jun 2018 04.00 EDT Last modified on Tue 5 Jun 2018 04.15 EDT

This article is part of the Guardian’s 2018 World Cup Experts’ Network, a cooperation between some of the best media organisations from the 32 countries who have qualified for Russia. theguardian.com is running previews from two countries each day in the run-up to the tournament kicking off on 14 June.

Andrej Kramaric: Croatia hero who risked his career for his principles

Despite arguments that 4-3-3 might be a better fit, Croatia’s default formation has long been 4-2-3-1 – with the odd foray into a 4-4-2 midfield diamond. Zlatko Dalic made a significant change immediately after taking over as manager (two days before the deciding group game against Ukraine in the qualifiers), moving Luka Modric to the No 10 position, a role the Real Madrid player has rarely occupied since his early days. The Modric-Ivan Rakitic conundrum was a stumbling block for Dalic’s predecessors, who struggled to harness both stars’ playmaking skills coherently; the new coach’s solution paid off in Kiev and in the play-off against Greece.

Croatia had grown increasingly dependent on Modric. He had previously organised play from as deep as the edge of his own box, carrying out a lot of defensive work too. Whoever played in front of him – generally Rakitic, Marcelo Brozovic or Mateo Kovacic – rarely provided killer passes and Croatia chiefly attacked down the flanks, which was odd for a team packed with midfield talent.

Now Modric, playing much higher up, has much less time and space on the ball and his passing statistics are nowhere near as impressive. But the benefits may outweigh the drawbacks: Dalic hopes Modric’s intelligence and movement will bring more incision. Rakitic has to play deeper, engaging in more defensive challenges and hopefully shuttling passes forward. It also means there is no room for either Brozovic or Kovacic. Instead Dalic needs someone who can provide a bit more balance and, while he does not have a true holding midfielder, Fiorentina’s Milan Badelj fits the mould better than anyone.

Monaco’s Danijel Subasic is a certain starter in goal, with Sime Vrsaljko and, probably, Ivan Strinic the full-backs. Domagoj Vida, Dejan Lovren and Vedran Corluka will compete for two centre-back spots. Corluka used to hold an advantage by way of seniority but he has been injured a lot lately. Although Croatia are unlikely to play a high line, the other two seem a safer bet.

The right side of the attack is usually busier than the left, with Vrsaljko advancing very high up and the winger – be it Andrej Kramaric, Mario Mandzukic or someone else – cutting inside. Modric will also appear there as Croatia look to overload that zone of the pitch.

Left-back has long been regarded as a weak spot and many opponents have looked to exploit it. Although it is true that Croatia lack a top-class player three, it is also a question of needing to provide more defensive cover for Ivan Perisic. The Internazionale player switches from running into half-space to more conventional left-wing play, while contributing little in the other direction and often leaving the team-mate behind him exposed.

Perisic, despite some weaker performances in recent games and the challenge posed by younger players such as Ante Rebic and Marko Pjaca, is likely to keep his place. Kramaric and Mandzukic are likely to swap positions in attack, meaning the centre-forward position is either occupied by a robust striker (Mandzukic) or a more flexible attacker (Kramaric). Nikola Kalinic is the next in line to play up front.

However their attack lines up, Croatia’s starting XI has an average age of nearly 30 and they will be one of the oldest teams at the World Cup.

Probable starting XI

Croatia probable starting XI
Croatia probable starting XI
Which player is going to surprise everyone at the 2018 World Cup?

Andrej Kramaric, with his versatility and tendency to exploit space between the lines, gives Croatia an unpredictable dimension they have lacked for a long time. He could be crucial.

Which player is likely to disappoint?

Dejan Lovren has never been trusted in Croatia, failing to work particularly well with any of his centre-back partners in the national team. He is likely to replace the injury-hampered Corluka in the starting XI, and looks likely to be the usual suspect.

What is the realistic aim for Croatia at the World Cup and why?

“Anything is possible in the knockout rounds” has been the mantra of every Croatia team since the nation’s ascent to the big stage. Croatia can beat anyone on a good day; they can, however, also lose to just about anyone. Although they have not made it to the last 16 since 1998, getting that far is the minimum expectation for the most talented generation the country has produced in the two decades since.

Aleksandar Holiga writes for Telesport.

Follow him on Twitter here.

Click here for a profile of Croatia’s Andrej Kramaric.

Call me crazy … many here have done …

But eye test tells me that both Vida and Vrsaljko look awkward and limited at LB.

Why take Strinic and not give him a chance?

Is he not our best option at LB?

Then scrap back four and go with three.

Have Perišić and Vrsaljko as wing backs.

Rebić was a revelation against Brazil.

Na Ma , de je me bob bin ?

Stef TO- I did see that Willian got off a bunch of unblocked crosses, but what I noticed even more was how many opportunities were nixed before Brazil got deep on our left side. Pivaric and Strinic would have allowed Brazil to stroll down our left, even if they were able to block one or two more than Vida.

Even more importantly, no lost markers for Vida on crosses coming from the other side. What happened to Tin Jedvaj, also happened to Strinic and Pivaric in recent games. It’s a pet peeve.

@Maminjo- Vrsaljko played on the left with Vida on the right vs Ukraine and it worked well. Vrsaljko’s ball skills allow him to still get off crosses from the left, albeit from a less perpendicular position.

Jedvaj Caleta-Car Lovren Vrsaljko

I like that back 4.

Vida as RB and Vrsaljko at LB is intriguing because it benches our weakest starter in Strinic/Pivaric…but you will eliminate crosses coming from that right side completely.

Vrsaljko is inconsistent, but when he connects well, he can deliver a perfect cross. He’s done so many times for us, but it hasn’t been recently.

Rebic clearly our starting LW, and Perisic rw.