Nikola Vlašić scored his first Serie A goal of the season Monday night against Sassuolo in a 2-1 Torino victory. Vlašić came off the bench in only the 9th minute of play and would score the winner with a low, right-footed shot just inside the far post. Sadly, it’s already November and the former Hajduk Split midfielder only has one goal in nine league matches. Vlašić was once a hot commodity when he was sold to Everton from Hajduk in the summer of 2017. He was unsuccessful on the Isle but he did win Russian Premier League ‘Player of the Year” in 2020.
Vlašić is only 26 years old, but he will need to produce a “6-goal, 8 assist” season (or something close to it) this year at mid-table Torino if he is going to get his career back on track. This goal on Monday night is a start, however, Dalić already omitted Vlašić from this month’s Euro qualifiers against Latvia and Armenia. Maybe some added motivation?
Martin Erlić played the full 90 minutes for Sassuolo in the loss. He was a half second too slow on blocking Vlašić’s goal.
Both Mateo Kovačić and Joško Gvardiol got the start for Manchester City Tuesday night in a routine 3-0 thumping of Swiss club, Young Boys, in Champions League group play. Kova played 80 minutes and earned an 8.0 rating from 90min.com as he was “Graceful throughout, gliding through midfield with ease and producing several defence-splitting passes. Replaced Rodri emphatically, albeit he was rarely required to put his defensive head on.” Gvardiol played the full match and received a 7.0 rating from 90min.com. “Seldom tested defensively but looks so assured in a sky blue shirt. Effortless at times and made a few powerful bursts down the left flank.” City have already booked their spot in the CL Round of 16 with he win.
In other news, Luka Ivanušec looks to back at full strength as he came off the bench in the 74′ of Feyenoord’s 1-0 loss to Lazio Tuesday night. He is expected to start as the left-winger in Dalić’s starting XI later this month in Euro 2024 qualifiers.
@MART
https://croatiansports.com/the-weekend-water-cooler-74/#comments/500827
I hope the scenario described by Maminjo will transpire, i.e. Baturina is sold to a suitable club next summer and Dinamo extends the loan spell for Vidovic and then starts playing him in a midfield role. At the same time Dinamo really need to find themselves a proper left winger.
Not sure why Gabriel Rukavina is not being given a chance to play on the left wing for Dinamo? He was also one of our better players in the U17 and U19 youth teams when Josip Simunic was the coach. He is left footed, quick, good at crossing and has a good shot on him. He is in Dinamo’s first grade squad but never seems to get a chance to come on. He needs to find a new club ASAP as it is obvious that he is wasting his time at Dinamo. When you are 19 you need to be playing and not sitting on the bench.
His dad did him no favors last yr when he cried about his lack of playing time.
When parents get loud, it never works out.
Look at Brkljaca’s dad. He opened his mouth, hajduk stayed quiet as he moved his kid to dinamo while his kid wanted to stay at hajduk, and his play has been bad over the last year.
Midfielders under the age of 20 almost never get regular first team football in the HNL.
It seems like that’s just how it goes when it comes to development in Croatian football.
It happened to Modric, Brozovic, Olmo, Ivanusec, Majer…despite them being our biggest talents in the midfield and all of them showing signs of being good in their teens.
The only time I see them playing guys earlier is when they are trying to cash out early before the player either blow up or busts…like Kovacic, Coric and Halilovic. Kovacic ended up doing well, but the Dinamo did well to cash out early on the other two.
Baturina playing regularly as early as 19 is either a good sign (that he’s just that good) or a sign that Dinamo is planning to sell him and need to showcase him. However, he’s shown more for Dinamo as a 19 year old than Kovacic did, so that’s good.
On the Hajduk side, an exception that comes to mind is Vlasic! Maybe even Puktas and Biuk..?
Gabrijel Rukavina is a curious case indeed… dunno why he’s hardly given any chances🤷♂️ despite Dinamo not having an adequate LW. Guess it’s time for him to move on loan to another HNL club… well unless SJ gets the boot and a new coach decides to utilize him more.
Great analysis Kvartuc. How can you say that Vlasic needs to have a 6 goal, 8 assist season, yet Kovacic has 10 goals total in almost 10 years since he started playing for Inter at club level.
Kovacic is one of the least effective players yet you always give him a pass. Based on your expectations Kovacic should not be playing for the repka either.
https://www.goalstube.online/2023/11/ludogorets-fenerbahce.html?m=m2
Man, Livakovic is in real bad form. He’s kinda left out to dry on the second goal but on the first one, even though the ball has some tricky movement……. sheesh, it’s from really far out and he doesn’t even move.
I really hope that deer in the headlights Livakovic isn’t back.
Now compare this to how Vicario played vs Chelsea
When Tottenham go down to 9 men
Ange got them to play a crazy high line (all the way at the half-way line)
And Vicario acted as a goalie-sweeper (essentially covering the whole half / all the overhead balls over the 9 men)
He ended up w/ 12 clearances outside/in front of the penalty area
And Livakovic can barely decide to move off his line
Dinamo in tatters. Repka has shit themselves. Hajduk still doing Hajduk things with league handed to them. Not a good year for our football.
Silver medal in Nations League is pretty good.
Another poor performance by Dinamo. You could say a bit unlucky with the VAR decision to rule out the Kulenovic goal in stoppage time. Without Petkovic they are like a toothless tiger in attack. If they lose to Rijeka on Sunday ? I’m not sure that Jakirovic will keep his coaching job ?
Our U17 side got outmuscled and outclassed 5 – 1 by England in Karlovac.
Big difference in quality between the two teams. Thanks to our easy wins over Kosovo (4-0) and Faroes (6-0) we came second in the group and have progressed to the elite round of qualifiers.
Losing to England at youth level is expected. Look at results from England at the youth level in recent years. They dominate
Dinamo with another stinker 🙁
Dinamo absolutely cheated in that game against Plizen
Well, this is how the rest of the HNL felt when mamic was in power. He purchased refs. Now, we dinamo fans know what it feels like when the crooked people in charge are against you.
What I like best is sucic and simic growing together
They should be a huge part of our future
I always love our guys to play together. It was one super advantage of Spain when they had basically Barca running and winning everything
If simic sucic and baturina pan out to be above average players(notice I didn’t say world class) we should be just fine
Ya and it’s crazy we expect these guys to dominate champions league
Of mandzo, luka, raketa, and Perisic
Who was playing meaningful minutes in CL at this young age? never mind against top Italian competition
Let’s see what the future brings…
I was impressed by simic against Inter Milan. He was tightly marked but his movement and hold up play was excellent as was his touch and passing. He definitely has potential to be a top player. Needs more time and to find his scoring form.
Sucic is talented but he needs more time to develop into a top player.
Hopefully by the end of this season they will be regulars in the squad
Well according to some on this site, he sucks because he’s not getting regular MOTM awards at the Champions League as a 20 year-old and our National Team is screwed in the future.
However, these were the same people who whined about Gvardiol being garbage too…so now I don’t know what to believe.
@maminjo, yeah Gvardiol is garbage and always gets injured, he is a bust. From now on we will be as good as Kosovo, no better. Halilovic is our best ever player, and Donald trump will MAGA. X (oh yeah I nearly forgot there is global conspiracy to get rid of the ‘white race’, by teaching them how to use basic logic)
I think they both showed huge potential. Sucic is really good on the ball, and has some silky moves. I like that Simic has lots of passion, and can hopefully develop into a Mandzukic type finisher. However, Red Bull are full of very young, inexperienced talents. Simic was wide open a few times, and showed his frustration when his teammate selfishly took the shot instead. Too bad they couldn’t hang on for the draw…they didn’t make it easy for Inter.
Simic being a hard worker is what I like the most about him.
Mandzo wasn’t a huge talent. He had a knack for getting his head on every ball, but he wasn’t some technically gifted player or elite finisher.
He worked hard to get himself into scoring position, and he ran tirelessly at the opposing defenders. He was the best defensive striker out there when it came to pressuring the opposing defenders.
Simic seems to like to run alot, so it’s good to see that discipline.
Roko’s dad was also a disciplined player for us, and his uncle was a striker. Roko is essentially a bigger and more physically impressive version of both of them. Hopefully it works out, since he has footballing in his blood and he has the advantage of his father and uncle having raised him in the footballing world.
You can see the good decision-making already, with them going directly to Lokomotiva Zagreb (which also has good development program) and then to Red Bull Salzburg right after.
Definitely. Really hard to shine when there is no experience next to you. The other striker made the wrong choice 2/3 times instead of setting up simic. He has to score a few then they will start looking for him in the box
dear super Latvia
………………………..
the super team that
we could depend on
for our future!
give us a hope
and release us
from an evil Dalic
glorious to your majesty
—————-> Super Latvia
Juranović, with Juranovic on the back of his jersey, hit the post on a free kick in what was the last play of the first half at Napoli.
Okay; Is there any coach that Croatia has had, that people are satisfied with, that actually added value?
Do you think the players respect Dalic and like him? I know Kalinic and Rebic don’t think too highly of him, but consider the source.
Personally, we made it to two final fours with him at the helm, and am grateful for his efforts, with modric’s backing.
Rakitic had a falling out with Dalic.
Honestly, most coaches are very replaceable.
People forget that Rakitic often made himself unavailable for the repka when called up. That is something that I disliked about him big time.
His wife has him by the balls. Too busy taking photoshoots with her
He has to ask for her permission to travel back to Croatia after the family was attacked.
What happened to his family
Wasn’t that “attack” almost nothing? lol
Actually it was something. Someone throws a rock through a window where he was staying with his wife and two children. One was just a few months old. What happens if it strikes his kid? No excuse for this. Rumour it was Torcida but who knows and will never know. Regardless they left the island immediately. Can’t blame his wife and him being concerned for the children.