Uh-oh.
It’s looks as if Wolfsburg have taken a break from their 22 year-old Croatian winger, Josip Brekalo.
After starting nearly every game for the Bundesliga side in 2020 and scoring some fantastic Euro goals, Brekalo is currently getting the cold shoulder in Germany with Wolfsburg competing for a Champions League berth. Wolfsburg sit third place in the German top flight with 15 matches to go in the season. They’ve won four straight matches (in all competitions) and are doing it without Brekalo.
Brekalo has only started one of Wolfsburg’s last five games and is only averaging 32 minutes/game in that stretch. To top it off, Brekalo hasn’t scored or assisted since December 21st against Stuttgart. With a healthy Ante Rebić pounding on the door for EURO 2021 this summer, Brekalo better get his season in order or he will be riding the bench hard this summer.
Brekalo would probably come off the bench anyways, but if he’s in form, it will only push Rebić and other Croatian teammates to work harder for their spot. The exact same equation the team used in Russia.
Come on Brekalo! Get your season under control.
@Markus
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It’s worth a try.
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You gotta always go with your best eleven.
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Just put your most talented and in-form players out there.
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Unfortunately, Lovren is likely going to start. Livaković too. But Dalić will probably get the midfield and forwards right. We’ll see next month when we play games that matter.
@Racist cetnik
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“How can you be pro-Croatian and antiWhite at the same time?”
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Just like you’re not absolutely pro-white, can you explain to the public what you imagine “pro-Croatian” to mean? Maybe then someone will answer your foolish question?
@Racist cetnik
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““I’m rooting for my man Mahomes” this week.”
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Whose Lonzo Ball’s man, Martin Luther King (Baptist), or Malcolm X (Mohammedan)? Only a senseless fool would answer both because they have black skin. You’re a liberal white muppet, tell us, what 3 white people with different beliefs would you have tattooed on your arm?
Ziva Svircina lives? You don’t say…
Inter’s strikers were horrible today but their midfield bossed the game.
Perisic got the start and a goal.
@Maminjo
I agree, Kova in and Perisic out is not the right move. Would u put Perisic as left forward and back Krama up next to Vlasic? We don’t have a good lone striker and I don’t think Vlasic or Krama should be on the bench so should we ideally be playing a 4-2-2-2? It would be a cool experiment but I feel like Dalic would never do that. Who knows though we did play with 2 up front against Sweden. I also agree 100% with the Gvardiol statement. The kid is out of this world and if it were up to me he’d be 100% starting in the LCB role next to DCC. But as Armada said, I also doubt Dalic would be benching both Lovren and Vida unfortunately. I see Gvardiol coming on as a sub occasionally unless Lovren really fucks up and Gvardiol performs amazingly. Is this how you are envisioning the lineup?
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Perisic-Rebic
Krama-Vlasic
Modric-Brozovic
Bradaric-Gvardiol-DCC-Vrsaljko
Livakovic
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They could play a similar 4-2-2-2 to Salzburg’s with Sucic as the LAM. Who knows maybe they slot him in there in 2 years if Krama gets washed. And that sticks as our formation.
Perišić with a goal for Inter today after starting the match @ Fioretina
@ARMADA
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Yea, Niko was a core starter for us at a young age.
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He played well for us from 2004 to 2010, then fell off a cliff…because he didn’t care about football (and was probably distracted by other things).
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He was only 20 when he scored that awesome goal against Bulgaria when we beat them on the road 3-1 and pretty much secured qualification.
He was (I believe) the second leading scorer for Tottenham in 2009 as well, behind Van Der Vaart.
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Then he had a kid with his wife in 2011, then they divorced less than a year later. Then he started banging an actress, and they moved to New York lol.
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This is why you shouldn’t get married whole trying to juggle a footballing career.
@Markus
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Solid lineup, but…
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Remove Kovacic for Perisic…and Remove Pongracic for Gvardiol.
🙂
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Kovacic starting, with Perisic on the bench is a travesty.
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I agree that Krama shouldn’t be isolated up top. But you gotta toss Kovacic on the bench, pull Krama back a bit if you have to, and include Perisic in that lineup. Kovacic has a negative value in anything other than a 4-3-3.
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I agree that both Vida and Lovren are done and need to be benched as soon as possible.
I like Pongracic, but he has mono and likely won’t be at full fitness prior to the Euros.
I do the bold move, and I go with the young, hungry and fit Josko Gvardiol.
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We know this is the move. People are just too scared because he is young, and has to earn his stripes, blah blah blah…
But we all know that starting someone like Lovren is equally as risky, but with no benefit.
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I’d go with a Gvardiol/Caleta-Car CB pairing as soon as possible right now.
Now that the Australian Open is about to begin I’ll give you a good tennis story.
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Years ago I was watching the tennis channel and Lindsey Davenport picked Ana Ivanovic to win a match over a black player. The black guy in the studio with her CLEARLY intimated she made that pick based on race. You would not believe how put down Davenport looked, and she said something like ‘How can you believe I’m like that?’
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Of course nobody would expect a black person not to root for their own kind. Listen to all the black men saying “I’m rooting for my man Mahomes” this week. Everyone assumes white moral superiority – we are supposed to be “above” that kind of thinking.
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In another incident, in a CBS NFL show before the U.S. Open Final btwn Serena Williams and Azarenka, Shannon Sharp CLEARLY intimated he would root for Williams b/c she’s black. So Bill Cower got all angry, but of course no CUCKSERVATIVE would ever call a black man “racist” for rooting for THEIR own kind.
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So on the one hand you have the liberal idea that ONLY whites can’t be loyal and on the other the CUCKSERVATIVE idea that nobody is allowed to be loyal – except Jews of course – while ALL and ONLY white countries are being forced to “assimilate” with a global herd of 3rd worlders.
I happen to catch about 30 seconds of an “open discussion on race” on the NBA channel – meaning an establishment circle jerk where only antiWhite opinion is allowed.
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So a black guy says that essentially that white people who have not submitted to the ongoing program of white genocide is based in “fear”. All they do is throw out words like “hate”, “fear”, “racist”, “nazi” and then run away(suppress dissenting opinion) -who’s really scared here?
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People have called the police numerous times for the Crime of proWhite fliers being placed – they are calling on the State to suppress free speech. -Who’s really scared here?
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And of course they could NEVER in a million years imagine that being turned around on them b/c white apes can’t think for themselves, right?
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These are people who go mad if a 10 year old doodles a swastika somewhere, they immediately call for ‘reeducation camps’ and march down the street protesting “hate”. HAHAHAHAHA.
@ Poglavnik
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Niko Kranjcar is/was LIGHT YEARS ahead of Alen, in terms of judging their careers. Niko was a big contributor for the NT for a time, had a nice run in the EPL with a few teams. Alen could only dream of a career like that at this point. Hell, even if Halilovic was allowed to switch allegiances and play for BiH, would he even be a backup MF for them at this point?! haha
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@ Markus
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I like your backline, really hope Dalic rolls that out come this summer, barring any injuries to those 4. I just can’t see Dalic benching both Vida and Lovren in favor of DCC and Pongracic. Not sure he has the jaje to bench two guys that have been regular starters for us, on the eve of a major tournament.
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If I had to bet, if there are no injuries, he goes with DCC and Lovren as the CB duo, with Vida being the first CB off the bench. Feel like they’ll let Pongracic get his turn once either Vida and/or Lovren retire after the Euro.
Actually scratch that he went on to lose, it is a bit weird tho they are playing 2 matches in the same day, heh
Hmm nice, Coric just defeated Kyrgios easily in straight sets in the warm up tourney for Aus Open. Maybe he can be our one shining light this summer? Hope so, anyway he is into quarters in that tourney.
Boli me kurac.
VW is a basic boring club like the cars they produce.
Brekalo is the goods.
He will be an asset this June.
Actually like that his legs will be fresh for March.
VW are full of basic players who get in Brekalo’s way half the time.
Kovačić will stabilize once again under Tuchel.
^
Markus’s team sorry, looks good!
@Anonymous
Maminjo did not post a team lol
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I watched Chelsea for the first time in a while today, Kova impressed me. He’s looking like he did last season which is an improvement to his very meh form this year.
Mateo Kovacic 8
A driving force in midfield with his piercing runs and searching balls. Dominated for the visitors – but shooting still lets him down.
A good start for him under Tuchel. Let’s hope it continues.
I really like Maminjo’s team! That’s what I want to see.
@Suba
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Funny that you mention that Halilovic should go play for FK Sarajevo. I was thinking that too, and I agree completely.
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The kid reminds me of a diaspora Croat, who constantly talks about Croatia without ever going there…but he’s a diaspora Bosniak (born and raised in Croatia) who constantly babbles about BiH.
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I think he really wanted to play for BiH, but Mamic pretty much shut that down.
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Somehow, Halilovic’s favorite team is FK Sarajevo, his favorite teammates were his Bosanac buddies, his idol is Ibra…in all his interviews, he just has to plug Bosna, lol.
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I would love for him to go to FK Sarajevo and see how much he likes it when his beloved Bosjnaci turn on him (like they did on Edin Dzeko).
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He’ll see that the grass is not always greener, and he owes his career (and money in the bank) to Croatia, and not his stupid Bosanac of a father who pretty much ruined his young career by uprooting the entire family and moving to Barca, lol (while smarter footballing fathers like Dani Olmo’s were doing the opposite).
Take it easy guys on Brekalo.
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This crap happened to players like Mandzo and Perisic (at older ages even), and they turned out just fine.
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Everyone knows that Brekalo is very impactful (for both club and country) and he’s a tough kid who’s not afraid to speak his mind and is passionate about winning. His offensive skillset is potentially world class.
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Human traits like emotions and pride are things that robotic Germans do not value at all.
Wolfburg is also coached by some svabo who used to be a defender in his playing career, and only has experience coaching low-skilled (but likely disciplined) teams.
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Wolfburg is a high floor, low ceiling team.
They would rather focus on not being bad, than trying to do something good.
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They may qualify for Champions League, but they won’t make an impact like other teams of their caliber (like what Atalanta did last year).
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It’s funny because Atalanta was interested in Brekalo actually. I think they still are, but there is a gap in what Brekalo wanted for salary.
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Brekalo needs to go to a team that aspires to be great. Not a safe and sensible German team like Wolfsburg. He’s not designed for that. That’s more of a Milan Badelj kind of thing.
@Croatian Sensation
Bradaric and Barisic? Who plays on the right side? And I highly doubt Vida starts over DCC. Although Josip hasnt had the best season I think he should definitely be in our squad as a decent sub or reserve player at the very least. Don’t see enough depth in our NT pool to bring anyone up who will be much better than him.
My Euro 2021 Squad
———Rebic———-Kramaric———
——————Vlasic———————-
———-Modric——-Kovacic————
—————–Brozovic——————–
-Bradaric–DCC–Pongracic–Vrsaljko-
—————–Livakovic——————–
We ran a two up front against Sweden in our only win and I hope Dalic explores that with Rebic instead of Perisic (imagine Perisic coming on with fresh legs as a sub, that’s crazy depth). Krama plays on the left side and never isolated for Hoffenheim and imagine if he could score for us like he does with club that’d be lethal.
Kova makes it for me but will be on very thin ice as if he does not produce we shift formations slightly and sub him out.
Lovren and Vida are done. They can sub in to help out late in games at best or in case of injury. They are done for me. Bradaric also needs to be our LB no question. Barisic is great for Rangers, never for us, Melnjak is garbage, and Sosa is great but I prefer Bradaric (younger, faster, better technically, higher potential). Anyway by the time they are in their prime we will have unbelievable LB depth… its about time (Bradaric, Sosa, Stefulj, Colina, etc, etc).
Heres the subs and rest of squad:
GK
Grbic
Semper
Defence
Lovren
Vida
Gvardiol
Uremovic
Midfield
Pasalic
Basic
Majer
Forwards
Perisic
Petkovic
Brekalo
( We make room for Mandzo if he somehow wants to come back after lifting the Scudetto 😉 )
Brekalo isn’t experienced enough to make the final 23 for Euros. Disappointing season and not a key player for Wolfsburg. He’s too young and hasn’t proved enough to start for national team. Rebic and Kramaric will for sure be the starting two. Give him more time to develop. He’s 22! Only good thing about Josip is that he refused to wear that garbage rainbow arm band couple years ago.
Starting 11 V England
Kramaric
Rebic
Modric
Kovacic
Vlasic
Brozovic
Bradaric
Barisic
Vida
Pongračić
Livakovic
Halilovic should play for Sarajevo FK
To give Wolfsburg some benefit of the doubt
Perhaps they are resting Brekalo as they don’t want to overuse the young man
However I suspect all is not that rosy there
If that’s the case why waste another minute there
Hajduk would be happy to pick him up with halilovic
Well for one Kranjcar was pretty darn good.
Our best player for a period of time.
Bold prediction Armada 😉
Halilovic winning a title with Hajduk
What a wet dream come true
Niko kranjcar did it so why can’t alen hahaha
Brekalo is another case of a very talented player who gets benched because he’s brilliant in his good moments but not effective enough overall. I’ve felt that way about his play for Croatia too. Talented? Most definitely. Effective? Sometimes… For players to get playing time, they have to be considered solid overall, so Brekalo needs to develop that (so do Kovačić, Livaković, and The God of Birmingham among others)
Meh… who cares about Halilovic at this point? I’m sure he’ll sputter along at Birmingham for a year or so, do a whole lot of nothing and (you heard it here first) next stop? An HNL team. Maybe he’ll go to Hajduk, get into the form of his life and lead them to a title? My god… imagine that? Seeing Halilovic raise the league title for Croatia’s most loved team!? Must see TV right there… THEN people would care about him again haha
Halilovic needs to follow in his Serbian counterpart Bojan’s footsteps and head to a Canadian MLS team.
@Medo
I agree, Brekalo needs to get out of there.
Lol Laknat Alen still has the Maltese and Cyprus leagues left to see if he can flourish.
Breks needs a new environment ,a new coach,and he will shine eventually..he’s too damn skilled,And you can see the fire in his belly when he’s out there.
Pair him up with sucic in Austria,that would be interesting?
Josip Drmic going to Rijeka. Another reclamation project for Rijeka. Hoping this one pays dividends too.
well . .
overrated player 0_- for the non-believers
so hope you guys not so hype about this guy
and follow where the light is up in Birmingham