Gone are the days of rotating mediocre right-backs like Tin Jedvaj, Karlo Bartolec, and Filip Uremović, praying one of them doesn’t produce a costly mistake in an important match. Now Croatia has TWO in-form right-backs at two of the top three German clubs that are dropping elite performances in European competition week in and week out.
Josip Stanišić has beat out world-class Portuguese full-back Joao Cancelo to a starting spot for Bayern Munich as he has started in the last three matches, two of which came against 3rd place Union Berlin In Bundesliga action and PSG in the Champions League. And he isn’t just playing “well enough”. Stanišić is earning praise from teammates, manager and fans for his incredibly solid defensive displays and has earned himself a place in the Bayern starting XI. He has maintained a 92% passing accuracy over three games, made 12 tackles, won 16 of 24 ground duels only getting beat twice; recovering from it both times. He has also created one dangerous chance offensively and has contributed to the attack by playing balls forward and being accurate with his crosses. And come on…0 goals against in two legs versus Messi and Mbappe is a gigantic feat. Stanišić was at the heart of that and he has now shut down Mbappe twice in as many attempts. Who’d have thought that 22 year-old Josip Stanišić would be Kylian Mbappe’s kryptonite?
Josip Juranović has been killing it as one of the “main-men” for 3rd place German side Union Berlin. Against Ajax in the Europa League round of 32, Juranović won MOTM honours as Union Berlin eliminated the Dutch side 3-1 (agg). Juranović recorded one goal and one assist, three keys passes and one big chance created out of just SEVEN total passes in the game. He won all three of his ground duels and made three tackles and clearances. You could not ask for a better performance from a right-back as he earned a 8.8 match rating from SofaScore. Union Berlin faced Royale Union Saint-Gilloise in the Round of 16 Thursday night, and Juranović (deployed at left-back on his weaker side) scored a wonderful free kick, made four key passes, took three shots, completed a dribble, won all his three ground duels and completed one tackle. Juranović has not been dribbled past ONCE since he joined Union Berlin from Celtic during the winter transfer window.
These performances from both right-backs creates an amazing problem for the National Team. Instead of “which of the two average players is the lesser of two evils?”, the question becomes “which of the two good players is the better one?”. Who would you start if you were Dalić: Stanišić or Juranović?
Vidovic a bench player for past few games.
Perisic off form
Kramaric no goals recently
Orsic no minutes
Musa is not just behind ramos in pecking order. There is another backup striker ahead of him in benfica.
Biuk in MLS
Pasalic no form and injured too
Majer no more goal and assist these days. Not a definite starter too
We cant rely on brozovic who is 31 this year. He is more of bench player these days too.
Jakic on bench for past few games. 38 yr hasebe is ahead of him.
We are left with kovacic colak petkovic to lead the frontline.
To the basics, Stanisic was outstanding!
Any idea what is status of ante coric andrija balic marko rog robert muric brekalo, franjic? They are supposed to be next generation of midfielders to replace brozovic modric kovacic..even modric has praised rog in the past
Milan Badelj is better than the aforementioned players. That’s it
He’s just trolling.
I’m not trolling. It is absolutely necessary that we give our fans the truth. (no not that guy). Badelj is better than those players. No?
Lol. Yes, you are exposing the truth to our fans. Thank you.
There are about 20-30 prospects that come out of every age group, every single year. Over 90% won’t be good enough for the National Team, and some will completely bust out on their careers too.
So you cherry pick 6-7 of the bottom range players, and claim they were supposed to be the future.
Funnier is that you included guys who are actually 27 years of age and older, and suggest that they are somehow the next generation (despite most of them never being part of the National Team setup)…yet you deliberately exclude younger guys like Majer, Sucic, Vlasic, Ivanusec, etc…who are already on the team and actually playing in tournaments for us.
Why wouldn’t you consider guys who are all under 25 as the next generation?
And why wouldn’t you consider the youth who are currently on the team (and actually performing well in the World Cup, by scoring goals and high pressure PK shootouts) as the next generation?
You’re a troll.
Rog was linked to real madrid (modric recommended). Balic linked to barcelona. Muric linked to man u. Brekalo linked to liverpool. Coric player so much against juventus and was sold to roma. Imagine if they go to mid tier clubs first to develop. The talents could be better managed. They are in 25-30 age range.
Our current starters (Broz, Kova) are in that age range. Modric is obviously an exception.
Guys like Broz, Kovacic, Kramaric, Pasalic were part of the SAME GENERATION as guys like Rog and Muric.
Some of them make it, some of them don’t.
In this case, it was guys like Broz and Kovacic (along with Pasalic and Krama) who made it, the guys who didn’t were Rog and Muric.
The next generation would obviously be players who are younger than this age range.
Guys like Brekalo, Vlasic, Majer, Jakic, Ivanusec, Coric, Balic were in that next generation.
Out of this group, Majer and Vlasic made it (along with possibly Jakic and Ivanusec) with guys like Coric and Balic being the obvious busts.
The next generation after this one, includes guys like Sucic, Baturina, and Gabriel Vidovic. Sucic already made the National team, and Vidovic is pretty much on the doorstep already.
The jury is still out on this generation, but it looks promising.
See how this works?
So, the ‘story’ that you’re selling to everyone is that the NEXT generation is weak…but then you go ahead and reference guys who are old and would not be next generation players.
It doesn’t matter what rumors surrounded these guys. Every Croat prospect was linked to a big club at some point in their career.
There will always be a handful of guys from every age group who makes the cut, and the rest don’t.
I know that you see this. You’re just a cynical pessimist and are trying to create fake concerns and a negative atmosphere like you always do (which is fine) but you’d better back it up with real facts (not fake stories).
Bit of good news, looks like our dude Brozović is in the starting XI for Inter today.
I just hope we don’t hang onto the krama livaja petko up front like a bit with the vrsaljko deal and lovren
Budimir is easier to have gotten rid of cause well play wise but also not playing for hajduk or Dinamo and less fall out from cutting him
Petko is an easier cut cause we have other Dinamo players but the split faithful will have hernias if livaja gets left off
Tho they still have JJ and vlasic as seen as their own
If Inter, Leipzig, Frankfurt, and Real win their ties next week, then there is a Croatian on every team in the quarterfinals and we keep the streak alive.
Astounding!!
Just for those keeping score.
Stipe Biuk: 0 goals
0 assists
2 shots ( don’t know where)
Way to go
How did he play?!
What’s his annual salary at LAFC?
To be honest, maybe Biuk is just not ambitious and doesn’t really care, so he jumped for the guaranteed money (assuming it’s a big contract).
You see players like Gvardiol turn down EPL money at Leeds United, to sign for less money with a team more focused on development (RB Leipzig).
I remember Vlasic had a chance to leave early, but he stayed at Hajduk a few years longer to develop. Took a big salary risk there, but it panned out.
Lots of guys are focused on their careers, but it’s really hard to see LAFC as a good career move (since it takes you away from Europe and your National Team).
It’s an experimental move, that may or may not work out…but it’s a bigger risk than if he just signed with a Europa caliber team in Europe.
If he has a high salary there, then it’s hard not to think it was largely just a money move.
I think the answer is situational. Is it vs a team where we need more discipline and muscle, or is it a situation where we will press for a lead?
Count me among those that would like to test them both being in the formation, with JJ as the RW. I’m not so confident that it will work, but a friendly could provide a consequence free opportunity to find out.
The answer is both !!
We have no strong RW and JJ is a liability in the box at RB (defending headers).
I really don’t understand why we don’t play Stanišić at RB and JJ at RW??
I get we don’t have a #9 and want added height on the wings for crosses but Pasalic doesn’t finish opportunities and he’s too slow to threaten the defence to create opportunities for others.
Dalić briefly experimented with a back 3 and should look to try it more often in March Qualifying.
The key objectives (aside from matchup tactics) should be
1. Put the BEST XI on the pitch
2. Put your BEST players in position to make the biggest impact possible
Orsic? Perisic.
Majer (*There is nobody else)
Sucic?
Dion?
Ivanusic?
Vidovic?????
Simic??????
Ljubicic?????
Kova- Magician
Brozović
Sosa JJ
(*needs to get better at NT)
Joško – Sutalo – Stanišić
Livakovic
Mark, You read my mind. Right now at Union Berlin, Juranovic is playing left/right wing in a 3-5-2 formation. If he stays this hot in Germany, we can start talking about playing him as a wing and not as a back.
We were soft at right wing at the World Cup with options coming from Vlasic, Krama, Pasalic. No one really stepped up. This will certainly be a great problem to have for Dalic.
My question is can Stanisic be used as a Right Centre Back?? With Juranovic as a Right Wing Back?? I read somewhere that Stani is confident playing most roles defensively.
Both of them in the lineup would be nice if possible, with Gvardi as Left Centre Back, and Sosa as Left Wing Back. If you have a back 4. Which I don’t know I if a comfortable with a back 3 just yet.
Including them both somehow seems like a better option to me if possible.
Yessssssass!!!!!!!!
Let’s start the petition and send to Modrić to tell Dalić !!!!!!!
Yea, Stanisic started out as a RCB.
He might actually be better suited for that position.
A back four of Sosa/Gvardiol/Stanisic/Juranovic would be good.
Trying out Juranovic at RW, sliding Stanisic over to RB (with one of Erlic or Sutalo coming in at RCB) is another option.
Good to see we have options there now.
They both offer something differently which is what the best part of the two players are, one has tenacity and brilliant going forward (Juranovic) while the other is a lot more composed and helpful defending (Stanisic).
Crazy to think how two years ago, we were using Vrsaljko at RB who couldn’t find his feet after 2018 and was used at Euro as first choice after until Juranovic came in and completely overshadowed him with that game against Scotland.
Juranovic was available to us two years ago and made his debut for us and looked pretty good (I think it was the Turkey game)…but I think Dalic didn’t want to ruffle any feathers with Vrsaljko.
I think Vrsaljko is similar to Lovren where he would become a cancer if he has to sit on the bench.
I think this is the reason he suddenly retired from the National Team a month before the World Cup.
Dalic finally told him that he can’t be the starter anymore (after his poor final performance in his start against Denmark in Nations League).
So, in order to save face, he retired from the National Team.
Vrsaljko was brutal at Euro2020 and brutal in the Nations League. Despite all the leeway and loyalty Dalic offers to his veterans…even Dalic couldn’t stomach it.