Andrej Kramarić is the current leading goal scorer in the Bundesliga after bagging #4 Saturday in a 3-1 loss to Eintracht Frankfurt. Krama separated himself from the Frankfurt defense in the box and tapped home a perfect cross from teammate Adam Hlozek from the corner. Krama is in fine form heading into the international break. The question is: where is Dalić going to play him? All signs point to status quo on the right wing which is not Krama’s position at Hoffenheim. He’s best as a supporting striker and poacher in the box.
Ante Budimir (above) assisted and was MOTM Sunday in Osasuna’s 3-2 victory over Celta Vigo. He was voted MOTM for his efforts with a 7.6 FOTMOB rating. Question is: will Budimir be Croatia’s starting #9 this week in Nations League vs. Portugal and Poland?
Both Mateo Kovačić and Joško Gvardiol got the start for Manchester City Saturday in a 3-1 win over West Ham. Kova played the full match while Gvardiol was taken off in the 88th minute. Both Croatians were given a 6/10 grade from 90min.com. Kova had an average day at the office. “Put to work by Bowen down his side, even if the only tangible blemish on his record was allowing the cross for Dias’ own goal.” A bit rough if you ask me as the cross was going nowhere near a West Ham player. Kova’s review from 90min.com was “Bright in the first half but notably faded in the second when West Ham turned up the pressure. Not as strong or imposing as Rodri so that made sense.”
Lovro Majer was subbed off (injury) before halftime Saturday as Wolfsburg defeated Holstein Kiel 2-1. the extent of his injury in unknown heading into the international break this week. We will monitor the situation.
Now the Dalic Vanity Project is just being spiteful
x.com/HNS_CFF/status/1830563284828750095
Nikola Moro and his one cap just called up !
Bhahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahaha
ON WHAT BASIS / WHAT MERIT / WHAT LOGIC ???
He wasn’t good enough to call up for Euro 2020 (even prelim squad) – so what’s changed in the first 3 games of the season ?
R we living in a bizarro world ?
1 DM at Euro 2024 (so no doubt Broz hits 100 caps – which Dalic couldn’t even do) – now we call up 4 DMs (Kova (#6 at Man City), Jakic, Moro, Petar Sucic) – one extreme, to the other
So to recap – plan is Pjaca RB (in a back 3), Jakic as DM (or RB cover), Moro as DM cover – where does that leave Petar Sucic ? On his way to play for Bosnia
We should just turn the Croatia national team into a “O30” team (Over 30) – only qualify if u have 12 perfectly consistent seasons at Tier 1 club in Tier 1 league
Can’t wait to see the U21 in action this week (and forgot the Dalic Vanity Project)
Yea, I don’t understand any of what Dalic is doing.
He doesn’t call up Pjaca or Marco Pasalic, despite losing whatever flank players we do have in Juranovic and Stanisic.
Then he finally gives Pjaca the nod, but talks about experimenting with him at RB (as if playing him at LW is not an option).
He loses Lovro Majer to injury, who probably would have been our starting RW despite being out of position for him…but then replaces him with Nikola Moro (a guy we don’t need at all right now).
So, it looks like we’re going to go with Krama and Perisic as our sole LW options, and we’re going to experiment with Jakic and Pjaca at RB.
I assume we are probably going to just play Luka Sucic (or someone else) out of position for our RW spot.
Just a collection of experiments that don’t really address our major issues.
Preach Anon Preach. U r absolutely correct.
Dalic on Matanovic (and more contradiction)
Igor picked bc of 2-3 good games (instead of 2-3 years)
Well Marco Pasalic has had more than 2-3 good games in his life
But still not getting picked
Why ?
Bc he doesn’t play for Dinamo – and it’s all his fault that Rijeka let in 5 goals in Europe and got eliminated – I mean sure it’s the RW fault – not the back 4 and keeper, lol
Where did this rule come from ? That a player needs to play well for 2-3 years before getting on the National Team – it’s actually been the opposite – go back and look at the LONG list of HNL players that got capped at 16, 17, 18, etc – with the only purpose to get them on the National team – in order to increase their transfer value out of the HNL – should we start with Halilovic, Coric, Radosevic, etc etc etc
Also – many of our best players – joined the National team in their teenage years (while they were playing in the HNL) – and didn’t have 2-3 years track record at their club team (Kovacic, Rakitic, Modric, Srna, etc etc etc)
Crazy what came out of his mouth today (every new sentence contradicting with what just came out before)
x.com/TheCroatianLad/status/1830541539879100696
I don’t think it’s a Dinamo thing.
A coach has his favorites, and Marco is not one of them.
It’s also made worse by the fact that EVERYONE is calling him out for not playing wingers ( like Marco) so his ego is disallowing himself to make the right decision.
Oršić is a Dinamovac who has been done wrong by Dalić when he was immediately cut from the team after the last World Cup (while Hajdukovac Perišić gets helped out with callups he doesn’t deserve).
This kills the Dinamo favortism argument.
I don’t know if it’s a Dinamo thing or not (I hear what ur saying – and clearly de-bunks it) – but even more worrying is I don’t know if Dalic knows if it’s a Dinamo thing or not – he contradicts himself from one sentence, to the next
Not cool that he sh*ts on the HNL and says there are no players in the entire league to chose from (unless what he is really trying to say is he thinks implicitly there should be less “foreign” players taking the starting position of “Croatians” in the HNL starting XI as e.g. Dinamo’s back 4 in the play-off last week – maybe that’s what he meant – but a really bad way to express it)
The thing about Marco – is he was full of praise for him last year on the first call up – that’s he’s passionate, loves Croatia, positive energy, scores a lot of good goals, gives us a winger we don’t have, etc etc etc – so not sure why he doesn’t even get a look (i.e. not even one minute during Euros)
If u look at Marco Pasalic goal vs. Istra and compare/contracts to Jarrod Bowen vs. Crystal Palace – it’s 1000% identical goal (from beginning to end) – actually Marco’s is more difficult as the shot was far farther out – so if Jarrod Bowen is good enough to get called up to the England national team (and get minutes at the Euros – not starting only bc of Saka) where they have DOZENS of PL caliber right-wingers to choose from – it makes no sense Marco Pasalic doesn’t get a minute on the Croatia team
U want Marco Pasalic to play for a serious team ? He needs to get the chance in the National Team – to give him exposure and propel that move (as we’ve discussed / gone over before)
It’s almost like (for whatever reason) – they don’t want to help Rijeka get a big pay day on a Marco Pasalic transfer (now Dalic can play Pjaca as he is Dinamo property (to their benefit) – but based on his own logic – wouldn’t have called him up if he was still at Rijeka bc they are out of Europe)
Pjaca and Marco Pasalic both have 2 goals and 1 assist this season – so given Marco plays on a worst team (Dalic’s logic) – than u could argue that Marco has performed better than Pjaca (i.e. harder to get goals / assists on a worst team)
Dalic comments on HNL
He will never pick a player not playing for Dinamo
So dumb
So bc Pjaca is at Dinamo he gets picked
But if the same player (Pjaca) was still at Rijeka he doesn’t get picked
Marco Pasalic can’t get picked bc Rijeka got eliminated in Europe
Sigur can’t get picked bc he’s at Hajduk – but if he went to Dinamo – he’d be picked
Give me a break – by definition – there can always be a “great” player on a team not called Dinamo – but u and ur nose-pickers actually have to learn how to spot talent – that’s ur job
The best part “Our players leave after playing just two games, and our young talents aren’t achieving much in Europe, with few exceptions.”
So he’s justifying continuing to pick the geriatrics bc none of the Croatian youth are doing anything – either in the HNL (outside of Dinamo) nor in Europe (once they leave)
https://x.com/TheCroatianLad/status/1830540306707603636
The best part of
“Our players leave after playing just two games, and our young talents aren’t achieving much in Europe, with few exceptions.”
Is it will do WONDERS for motivating our U21 side – just before some key games coming up against Portugal
They’ll be like “guys Dalic says we’re all crap and aren’t achieving anything – so no point trying against Portugal and playing the game of our lives – because he’ll never pick us – he just guaranteed Perisic his spot until he reaches 65 and can collect his pension”
Great motivation and unifying the family and country Dalic
Dalic on Pjaca / Jakic
Pjaca is going to be starting RB in a back three
With Jakic as cover in RB position
Bhahahahahahaha
https://x.com/TheCroatianLad/status/1830539518694338811
Dalic on Sigur
U spoke to him before the squad announcement bc u were telling him he wasn’t being selected or u called him to invite him and he turned u down ?
x.com/TheCroatianLad/status/1830538791699779721
Dalic on Perisic
He will never drop him and says it’s his responsibility to give Perisic time in order to help him find a club (implicitly) lol
x.com/TheCroatianLad/status/1830538443862028388
Dalic spitting fire today
Broz told Dalic he is leaving the team BEFORE the Euros
And Dalic says it’s weird he left on 99 caps
Meaning
It didn’t matter how badly Broz played he was always going to get on the field (in order to get to 100 caps)
Unreal
x.com/TheCroatianLad/status/1830538215461192092
@Mart
Does MaxTV (Sport1) have an on-line service that you can stream the channel from (for upcoming U21 fixtures) similar to what HRT has w/ HRTi or BBC has w/ IPlayer ?
Took a look but can’t find it
Anonymous, I do not know. I pay a subscription to have access to Maxsport TV.
22:10 start for Vekic tentative ET. for those interested
Does anyone seem to think that Baturina might be wasting his time in the HNL?
Seems to slice up defenses at will. Glad he stayed but a part of me wants to see him elsewhere to see what he can do.
Nope.
HNL isn’t a bad league at all. Nothing wrong with keeping players there until they are 23.
I’d rather he stick around longer than make the mistake of joining a team that may be a bad fit.
I didn’t like the names being thrown around (Leeds? Fiorentina?) and since Dinamo is in Champions League, him sticking around was very beneficial to both him and Croatian football.
Cool. Thx.
Agreed
Ask Dani Olmo if his move to Dinamo was worth it.
Thx @Eric. How would you compare him with Olmo?
Would you say he’s as good or somewhat comparable to Olmo?
At Olmos age would he be better than Baturina now?
Vekic into fourth round at U.S. Open. Plays v. Zheng tonight in a rematch of the Olympics gold-medal match.
Thanks @gbvh. Forgot about that. Her strong season continues. Love it.
Biuk still terrible in the final third. He has a quick first step pace and a decent dribbler his descision making is terrible along with his finishing.
Stipe Biuk to hajduk… wild career path
It’s a loan.
He was purchased by Real Valladolid from LAFC. We were talking about it on here about a month ago, but I guess he’s not in the first team plans this year for them.
We’ll see how things go for him re: his National Team future. He wasted time in LA and some youngsters are starting to come up for us in the youth categories.
Kova and gvardiol both had great games yesterday.
Sad to see all the injuries popping up, I’ve never seen this many for us at one point in time right before international break. If there is any positive that can be taken here is that we should get a look at a few players that wouldn’t otherwise get the chance to play
I think Dalic can still call up another two replacement players, no?
We need some wing support on the right side, especially with both Jura and Stanisic injured.
Marco Pasalic is the obvious choice.
Vuskovic would be a nice callup too, but Dalic isn’t that forward thinking. He would never play him even if he did get a callup.
Would be nice to call up Orsic and try him (along with Pjaca) on that left side. Perisic shouldn’t be playing.
Maybe Durdov? Love Gattuso for trotting him out today.
High rating on SofaScore too.
I see that he got injured?
dumb question…how do you watch Hajduk games in the US?
Luka Vuskovic played 90 min y’day
Crnac playing tomorrow
btw: Dalic – u do realize – that if u call up Vuskovic to the senior team – and even if he only comes on for a minute at the end – to get “appearances” – that it helps him w/ the points needed for his UK work permit in order to play for Spurs ?
i.e. the more national team games he appears in = less time to play for Spurs
***.davidsonmorris.com/visa-to-play-football-in-the-uk/#:~:text=Once%20the%20player%20has%20been,the%20points%2Dbased%20immigration%20system
Crnac played 45 in a 1-0 Norwich victory today.
Majer injured/replaced late in the first half.