It was a questionable call, but Šime Vrsaljko was sent off for his second yellow card inside the first 10 minutes of Atletico Madrid’s Europa League first leg semifinal against Arsenal Thursday night in London. Already picking up a yellow card in the second minute of play, Vrsaljko got a piece of the ball and the ankle of the Arsenal player just moments later.
Atletico manager Diego Someone was sent to the stands minutes after the Vrsaljko red for arguing fouls with the referee, but in the end, Atletico would equalize late in London to force a 1-1 draw going back to Spain next week.
Atletico have already booked their spot in next year’s Champions League group stage by finishing top-four in La Liga but Arsenal will need to win the Europa League title in order to earn a berth. Arsenal will have their entire season on the line next week in the return leg.
@Maminjo
I really don’t give a shit about his winning record with the NT, my point is that no one has bashed Kovac more than you and BZ.
And based on how closely you watch games you thought he would be sacked half way through his first full season at Eintracht Lol! You were wrong. Maybe you gotta watch games more closely.
BZ is a bigger dickhead than you though, he still calls him a shit coach even now he will be coaching Bayern.
Do you know how good you have to be to coach Bayern?
Kovac came from the U21’s to coach the NT, what sort of moron would you have to be to expect anything more than a group stage exit at the 2014 WC?
You gonna watch the Roma vs Lovren game mid week, or should I say Lovren only? Cos all you do is watch Lovren Lol!
46%
End of discussion
@Maminjo
How many times have you repeated that Kovac can’t coach, no sandals, no talking, authoritarian approch, how many times?
Keep watching Lovren on player cam Lol!
@Maminjo
I know that Norway and Azerbaijan are included in that winning %.
You said you weren’t talking about those games though.
The winning percentage comes from ALL of his games (including the precious 4W 2D start you keep preaching about).
All of his games, ONLY amounts to a 46% winning rate.
That is terrible.
@Maminjo
So in the playoffs against Iceland he had tactics!
Only in in those WC games did he have “no tactics”?
In my opinion the team was shit.
Then to start Euro qualifying we get to a 4w 2d start with his tactics.
Then against Azerbaijan and Norway he had “no tactics” again. Lol
You’re talking about his coaching, which involves more than just 3 WC games.
You gotta watch the qualifying games as well, maybe then you wouldn’t be so surprised at his “no tactics.”
Where does his winning percentage come from, the 3 WC games Lol?
Nobody said anything about Norway and Azerbaijan. Stop repeating your pointless argument, especially if you’re going to ignore any points I made.
Not gonna bother continuing this.
Numbers don’t lie.
46% winning percentage.
Good for LAST PLACE among Croatian coaches.
End of Discussion.
@Maminjo
So a coach with “no tactics” can be responsible for winning matches? But when the team loses to Norway and can’t beat Azerbaijan it’s the coaches fault with “no tactics.” Lol
You gotta win qualifying games to make the Final tournament, you understand that right?
It wasn’t because they beat Bulgaria and Malta only that they made the Euros.
What about the people on this site that like to tell everyone that they’ve played the game, some even like to tell everyone that they’re coaches as well Lol. It’s as if they expect that their comments will carry more weight when they give us that knowledge.
What would some of these very same meatheads say if Niko Kovac came on this site and started writing comments and told everyone, “I’ve played for Hertha, Bayer Leverkusen and Bayern Munich, I’ve also coached the Croatian NT, Eintracht Frankfurt and will be coaching Bayern Munich next season.”?
The meatheads would answer, “who gives a shit, you can’t coach and you haven’t got an eye for talent.”
So why would anyone want to tell everyone on the site that they’ve played the game or coached, what motivates those people to give out that information, anyone?
Also, to answer your questions about the coaching record…
Kovac is just as responsible for our victories as he is for our losses.
Kovac’s overall record for us was 10 wins in 19 games.
(6 wins in 13 games if you exclude the meaningless friendlies).
A rock solid 46% winning record for Kovac, lol.
Aside from Stimac, Kovac was the worst coach we had. Both the raw numbers and the coaching decisions (when watching the games) backs this up.
Even the mediocre Ante Cacic managed 9 wins in 15 qualifying and tournament games for a 60% winning record.
I only care about tournament results. It’s the only thing that matters to me.
We didn’t progress in that tournament because of his dim-witted decision to throw Pranjic in the central midfield (for the first time ever) because he was hell-bent on starting him even though it made no sense to do so. Then he took out Vrsaljko (who was playing spot minutes at LB) just so he could keep Pranjic in the game. Our left side was so exposed whenever Pranjic was there, and we couldn’t mount a comeback once he was placed there. It was awful to watch. Watch the game again (assuming you even watched it the first time).
Most coaches would get fired after that, but he remained because we owed it to him (I guess) for taking us there, lol.
You probably don’t watch the games closely enough, or else you would notice that he had no tactics and his substitutions were random. He was not a good coach at all.
The ‘authority’ tactics and calling players out in the media was just an added bonus.
Anyway, Kramaric needs to start.
@Maminjo
Kovac was a player for us also, wasn’t a positive force for us?
@Maminjo
“Kovac’s results at Eintracht are good, but I would never have him coach our National Team. He had his chance, and he sucked. Nobody can dispute this.”
Kovac comes in from the U21’s to coach the NT, some might say he was inexperienced, but you thought Croatia should of did better at the 2014 WC? Based on what?
You gotta remember the Croatian team is shit (after a 4w 2d start in 2016 qualifying), it’s a team that in Modric’s own words “gave 100%” against Azerbaijan and Norway and couldn’t win either game in which he dictated the tempo Lol!
What tactics would you have employed against Azerbaijan who in my opinion were always gonna park the bus?
Who was responsible for the 4w 2d start, Kovac or the players? You would answer “the players.”
Who was responsible for the poor performances against Azerbaijan and Norway? You would answer “Kovac.” Lol.
And all the shit you talk about is irrelevant, fucking sandals, no talking at training, disrespecting his own, it’s all bullshit you’ve made up in your own head as an excuse for why your beloved players didn’t reach (in your opinion) their full potential.
4w 2d, didn’t seem like any of that shit you talk about was a problem.
Maybe we see a more experienced Kovac coach the NT again one day. Why would you be against that?
Sorry, you’re all over the place here.
So, are you disputing my views on Kramaric being a starter for our National Team, on account of me thinking Kovac is a shit coach for our National Team?
Kovac’s results at Eintracht are good, but I would never have him coach our National Team. He had his chance, and he sucked. Nobody can dispute this.
He experimented during the World Cup and we crashed out in epic fashion as a result. He had an obsession with one player (who was easily our worst) and was too stubborn to listen to pundits, reporters, fans and even his own players. He lost the team completely with his stupid antics when he’d randomly call players out in the media, and his strange rules that nobody understood. He doesn’t do that shit at Eintracht, but for some reason he did it with our National Team. He’s one of those seljak Croats who disrespects his own and treats them one way, but when he speaks to a švabo, he gives them utmost respect.
It’s good to see that his prioritizing of fitness methods worked on at Eintracht, but we’ll see if it works at the next level. It didn’t work at all for our National Team. And we’ll see if he uses the media to call out players like Lewandowski or Müller when they are not performing. Something tells me he won’t.
Anyway, both Kovac and Kramaric were a positive force for Eintracht and Hoffenheim.
But (unlike Kovac) Andrej Kramaric was always a positive force for our National Team. He needs to start for us.
@Maminjo, @BZ
“Kramarić is fantastic.
He was always great for us (even when he was riding the pine at Leicester).
Hoffenheim was a relegation team before he joined them. There is a direct correlation between him playing big minutes and them winning games.”
Was Eintracht Frankfurt a relegation team before Kovac joined them? Why are they not now?
You and BZ call Kovac a shit coach, and BZ says Kovac has “no eye for talent.” Maminjo you also predicted that Kovac was going to be sacked half way through his first season at Eintracht! In my opinion Maminjo, you and BZ wouldn’t know shit from clay.
If there is not a direct correlation between Eintracht’s improved performances and Kovac’s arrival (remember Kovac has “no eye for talent”), then how have they improved?
And there it is, you guys like Kramaric so you say Hoffenheim improved on his arrival.
You guys don’t like Kovac so you say he can’t coach and has “no eye for talent” even though Frankfurt have improved on his arrival. Smh
The coach sacked before the Kovac’s hiring at Eintracht was championship winning coch with Stuttgart in 2007 Armin Veh.
Do you have to be a good coach to win a championship?
Has a guy that can’t coach and has “no eye for talent” like Kovac done a better job at Eintracht than championship winning coach Veh did?
BZ would answer, “Yes, but Kovac still can’t coach and has “no eye for talent.”
So the question I would like answered is how can a guy that can’t coach and has “no eye for talent” do a better job than a championship winning coach at Eintracht?
Fuck yeah Maminjo shake and bake. I’m drunk.
Kramaric is whack
@BZ
Who were you fighting with, because I don’t remember anyone saying bad things about Kramaric, only good things?
Kramaric never needed you to defend him is what I’m saying.
“It was Soul who loves Rog, I have made it clear that I am not a big fan…but I do hope Soul is right about him.”
How is it that you hope that Soul Champ is right about Rog when you say you’re not a big fan of his? Why are you not a big fan of his?
With your “eye for talent” would you say that Rog has some talent? If you feel he is a player with some talent, why are you not a fan?
Crnkovic likened Rog to Steven Gerrard, do think Crnkovic doesn’t know what he’s talking about, but you do? Crnkovic is a coach!
I went into the archives and found a guy calling himself Babazaba saying some nice things about Kramaric, was that you BZ?
Yeah i think Krama should be our go to striker. Great news about the hat-trick, hopefully there’s a video posted soon and i can see the goals in the brief window before the video is taken down due to copyright 😉
Kramarić is fantastic.
He was always great for us (even when he was riding the pine at Leicester).
Hoffenheim was a relegation team before he joined them. There is a direct correlation between him playing big minutes and them winning games. Same goes for us.
He’s the ONLY reason we’re at the World Cup today.
He better fucking start.
@Iggy-Lol, there is the Iggy I know.
Kramaric had many haters last year, and I felt members on this site left me on an island when I was defending his prowess. I had to practically fight with people to get them to understand how important he was to Hoffenheim’s “historic season” last year. Now we all agree, he is legit. Glad I am vindicated, as usual.
Kramaric hat trick today…1st goal was a tap in but the other 2…mama mia sexyy
if perisic or kramaric get injured…we’re fuked
Yeah never trust a fake iggy! hehe
I actually saw the red card on the news and i have to confess i didn’t even recognise it was Sime, LOL, so i guess he sure does look diff now.
Anyway, it’s a diff case to Luka cos Luka needs his long hair like Samson. Sime just looked like he was doing lines off some hooker’s chest before games previously .. like that vs Greece game LOL
Iggy would never use such language.
fuq you niqqa
Kalinic, – Vrsaljko, Lovren, Corluka, Vida, – Kovacic, Modric,- Perisic, Rakitic, Pjaca – Kramaric
oh crap, now Iggy gonna come on here and say something about him losing his mojo cause of his cleaned up haircut. Like he said about Modric in 2014.
Now I am sure these guys read this forum. As soon as I said he was looking like a baba booey, Sime cut his Gary Dell’Abate hair.
Sime, you look better clean cut!