Joško Gvardiol is fitting in quite nicely ay Manchester City in the young season. Gvardiol played all 90 minutes in City’s 1-0 win over Newcastle United Saturday and received an 8/10 grade from Goal.com. “A highly impressive debut. Made the most of his strength and size to shackle Alexander Isak and Miguel Almiron without over-committing himself and made a vital block to prevent substitute Callum Wilson creating a golden scoring chance.” Gvardiol singlehandedly prevented a 2-1 Newcastle break that should have equalized the score.
Mateo Kovačič also played the full 90 for City and received 7/10 grade from Goal.com as he “Gave City control in midfield and his passing was exceptional. Looks very comfortable in his new side. Played his part in the goal, setting Foden free.” City are 2-0 to start the Premiership season.
Ivan Perisić came off the bench for Spurs in the 70th minute in a 2-0 win over Manchester United. Perišić slipped in a cheeky pass into the box 13 minutes later that would result in a United own goal to seal the match. He was given a 7/10 grade from NBC.com as “Helped calm things down and his pass which led to the second goal was beautiful.”
Is there trouble in paradise for Croatian captain Luka Modrić at Real Madrid? For the second straight match, Modrić was left off the Real Madrid starting XI by manager Carlo Ancelotti. With Jude Bellingham coming over from Dortmund this summer, is Modrić no longer in favor at the club or is this simply a strategy to keep his legs fresh for the entire season with Champions League group stage matches coming up? As far as Croatia goes, fresher the better….right? Modrić played 18 minutes in a 3-1 victory over Almeria Saturday. He received a 7/10 grade from ManagingMadrid.com as he “Combined with Carvajal for a great opportunity, and produced a couple nutmegs to “wow” the Almeria crowd.”
Roko Šimić assisted and received a 7/10 grade from FOTMOB in a 5-1 Red Bull Salzburg win over Hartberg.
Lovro Majer made his Bundesliga debut for Wolfsburg and played 66 minutes in a 2-0 win over Heidenheim.
Gvardiol is our left back now and for the next 10+ years.
If you can play LB at Man City you can play LB anywhere against anyone.
He will get better and better at CROcity – CC.
Sosa is too weak to stop real ballers.
He can play back up LB or wing back.
No need to waste Perišić at LB when we need his two footed class in the final third.
@ Svima
I LOVE Real Madrid giving limited minutes to Modrić.
Let him be fresh for Croatia.
He looks sharp when he plays.
I know he likes to play regularly so maybe off the bench or a limited starts is what works? I know he didn’t like playing full minutes and then getting too many full games off.
They will need him when it matters most.
Let the young bucks earn their keep.
Real Modrić was retired last season.
This is the best thing for Vateni Modrić!
Hmm Ante, are you sure Roko Simic assisted?
Marco Pasalic with another stunning goal for Rijeka. This kid has some left foot.
Cro911, was it you or someone else who commented some time ago that Franjo Ivanovic is a real find for Rijeka and is two-footed. I was looking at his shotmap in the Rijeka-Lokos… wow the dude took 8 shots, 3 of them with his left foot with 1 of them on target. Too bad he didn’t score, but imo this two-footedness combined with his other attributes makes him an interesting young forward we should keep an eye on.
Wonder if Rijeka can give Lille a run for their money…
Ye it was probably me. Ivanovic even though he didn’t score had a really good game against Lokomotiva. Had some really nice touches and dribbles. Should have scored on one chance but fired it over the bar. Kid is only 19 but already pretty strong and has descent pace.
So we are pretty safe to say Livaković is becoming that keeper we had hoped he would be….
Sutalo apparently off to sign for Ajax
Do we know if Livaković and ivanusec leaving too??
Well said Danny. And goalies can be effective into their late thirties. Amazing how our backline and goalie, that looked so suspect after 2018, has become the rock of the national team. Livakovic, Gvardiol, Sutalo, Stanisic, and hopefully Sosa if he improves his game. Many teams have won tournaments based on a strong defence.
“Many teams have won tournaments based on a strong defence.”
This is true hence the saying you build from the back. But Sosa really needs to improve the defensive aspect of his game. Atm, I dunno who exactly is our long-term left back on the NT.
If we are winning from the back that also requires having a goalie who can play from the back. That is not Livakovic. As great as he is saving shots he is that bad passing from the back.
Gvardiol and sutalo can play it out
Stanisic looks the goods with that too
Don’t forget about erlic as a reliable option too
Hope he keeps his form and even improves
The older vuskovic has potential too depending how This steroid setback is for him
Forget about that kid. He is cheater and should never be allowed to play for the national team. Makes me also question his brother’s rise. Must have been doping assisted.
I’ve often questioned the philosophy of “killing the game” off by wasting time. If there’s anything I hate more than anything else, it’s that and in today’s game between Dinamo and AEK, this is exactly what got Dinamo in trouble. They had a few instances in the last 10 minutes of regulation time where they should have gone for goal but they played a cute game, took the ball to the outside and played the damn “wasting time game”…makes me sick to my stomach!
AEK were down 2-0 and after the first 90 minutes there was 5 minutes of extra time. If anyone needed to panic and take risks it was AEK…so why try to slow walk the game instead of keep playing and get them on a 100% sure counter-attack? It’s gonna happen so why not welcome it instead of dilly dallying the ball, allowing them to regain possession and catch everyone scrambling to get back into position? Every Croatian team completely sucks at this “kill the play” tactic and yet they do it soo often…I’m completely perplexed by this.
AEK got lucky, they had everything go their way in the 5 minutes of extra time. Livakovic was the best player on the field for both teams and he’s by far the best Croatian goalie I’ve seen in years…better than Suba was! Making huge saves in a regular basis and saving Dinamo over and over and over again…he even stopped the game ending penalty kick…and then Vida scored from the save he made.
Sometimes I hate this sport, it just seems soo unfair at times. Dinamo deservedly could have won by playing a strategic game, scoring on their chances and everyone working hard to help defensively. Petkovic was making some incredible passes and plays and yet, a 5 minute mental collapse gives AEK the goal they needed to advance !
Hajduk Twitter Warriors once again celebrating in Dinamo’s loss…I’m beginning to think I’m in the minority when I want all Croatian teams to do well…those guys are relentless and hate filled…they despise Zagreb and Dinamo more than they love Croatia and Hajduk…makes me wanna vomit!
I’m a Hajduk fan but I also want all our clubs to be successful in Europe.
Livakovic has developed into a top goalkeeper and was superb in both matches.
When taking both matches into account AEK probably slightly the better side however leading 2 – 0 after 91 minutes and then to concede 2 goals in stoppage time was hugely disappointing. AEK coach made 5 subs, yet Biscan made only one. This in my opinion was a huge mistake and Biscan should have brought on fresh legs for the last 10 minutes.
You are 100% correct about that. AEK raised the tempo of the game while Dinamo players were exhausted and barely able to match the pace of the game.
This loss may be a blessing.
I have serious doubts about Igor Bišćan as a coach, and I find that HNS has been grooming him these past several years to become Dalić’s replacement.
I didn’t find him to be that good as our U21 coach and today’s game is a good example of his coaching limitations.
Dinamo is a better team than AEK. The difference in quality is visible over these two legs…but Dinamo collapses at the end of both games?
How does this happen?
Igor also doesn’t like to take accountability, when a good chunk of today’s loss falls on him. He’ll blame something else.
I can’t see him doing well for the senior National Team.
He reminds me (ironically) of Otto Barić, who was the NT coach he had a falling out with when he was a player. He’s pretty much become him.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CwJBvoCNg8i/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
They want his head in Zagreb. I hope they get it.
That last game has to be one more nail in Bišćan’s coffin as a coach.
I think you are right in the HNS grooming to be next up. I typically support any Croatian team and player. But bailing on the national team as a player back in the day has me hoping he fails as the coach for Dinamo. This last debacle and getting his tactics all wrong at the end of the AEK game is a good start.
I recall he had some crazy defensive lineup in an important U21 game a while back.
On a side note, some decent moves for some players that we need to step. Majer, Stanisic, and hopefully Ivanusec can thrive with their new teams.
Yea this is why I compared him to Barić.
Barić took over as coach, just as we started producing some young postwar talent again (Srna, Klasnić, etc.) but the guy would opt for the more defensive veteran option (Živković, old Šimić, etc.).
We played very anti-Croatian when Jozić and Barić were coach. You could forgive Jozić because he literally had next to no players offensively, but Barić had some options. It was only until Cico took over after him when we played with offensive flair again, and did well in a tough qualifying group against Sweden’s golden generation.
Bišćan seems to share a similar mentality where he likes to play it “safe” with some anti Croatian football tactics.
Nonsense.
Dinamo fans celebrated on Thursday when Hajduk lost. This is sports and rivalries are good things. Who cares what they say on twitter. I think it is good to laugh when a rival fails and I think it is good to rub it in when you are better than the rival. You think Zvezda fans are rooting for Partizan. You think Inter fans root for Milan.
My posting has been light because things aren’t too interesting lately and I’ve been in hrvatska for the summer months, most recently doing some yatching. croatia is still one of my favorite places to yatch with its many islands but the infrastructure is still a bit limited with many towns not having the ports/docks to accommodate large boats
I digress. Back to football and some catch up items
Gvardiol playing left back for man city is a disaster. As i warned, gvardiol will be great but he’ll torture croatia fans with his injury proness. As usual, my predictions came true when we saw him miss the nations league finals. Get used to it
Last thing we need is him racing up and down the left wing wearing his body down and increasing high intensity exposure and collisions. The injury risk will only increase. Need him safely situated in the Middle defense
As for majer, let’s see. 25 is getting older but remember that rakitic was becoming a bit of a journeyman before clicking with sevilla around the same age. Majer has some similarities with his technical abilities and lack of pace. Maybe he can follow rakitic one step further and find a German wife to run his life
Relax on the gvardiol playing left back fear. Pep inverts his left back. When city had the ball gvardiol inverted into the center and played passes from the center back position. Gvardiol is World class and today he played like a champion. Pep believes in total football.
Bad luck for Dinamo conceding in the 92-minute following a corner and then in the 96-minute Livakovic saves a penalty only for Vida to react the quickest to rebound and head into the net for 2 – 2.
Livakovic was superb in goal. Sutalo and Petkovic also had great games.
Dinamo with the massive choke. Up 2-0 going into extra time and blow it. Livakovic with the save on an PK only for the rebound to be headed in by Vida in the last play of the game. Isuse.
Stanisic paid 3.3k per week. Harry Kane paid 400k. Stanisic has two goals in friendly despite subbing in mid way through 2nd half
Everyone in the World knows that was one of the worst buys a team has made in a long time.
Bayern outbid themselves for Kane.
Insane amount for a 30 year old who hasn’t proven himself outside Tottenham.
Looks like Stanisic has finally had enough of training at Bayern and is joining Bayer Leverkusen. Should have left ages ago. It is amazing how well he has played for Croatia when given the opportunity by Dalic, if one takes into account how very little match play, he was getting at Bayern over the last few years.
Yep that is amazing… hope he plays even better for Croatia when he gets regular playing time elsewhere, be it Bayer or another club. Read that it’ll be a loan move?
I don’t get why some people want Gvardiol to play at LB now for the National team, very strange.
Fools what else can you say.
I’m personally proposing three at the back
Something
Gvardi. Sutalo. Stanisic
Flanked by Perisic and JJ
We all know more or less the three in the middle
But what two forwards would team up best together
@Slavonac from Canada
Thanks for recommending the website below. I’m pretty scared of pop-ups and dodgy sites in general but will check it out nonetheless haha. I badly need to catch some HNL!
http://utakmice.net/rukometuzivo/
***
Re AEK-Dinamo, I really hope Baturina will beat the virus and start the game. Hope Dinamo can pull off a mini miracle here.
I’ve used the site for years. It’s safe but can be annoying although all games are there and I’ve used it all over while traveling!
That’s awesome pal, again thanks for sharing👍
Stanisic is officially condemned in bayern
Last minute decision by management..not much time to find new club…just 2 days he mentioned will continue to fight to stay in club
https://bulinews.com/news/18353/bayern-updates-pavard-stay-stanisic-allowed-leave-sky
I guess it’s all because Pavard failed to move to Man Utd…
Screw the way TT/Bayern management have treated Stanisic. No worries, our guy will flourish elsewhere.
Wonder if they are still half grinding him cause he chose the checkers
Where could he possibly move so quick?
Will have to wait till winter I guess
I hope he steals a bunch of towels or something from them out of spite haha
Lol, bunch of towels😆