8 | Mateo Kovačić - 2024/25

[Dave Ewing's Back 'eader]

C'mon, let's not beat around the bush 'ere! Rodders has scored some crackin' match-winning goals, but when did he ever score two in one game!!

 

[B\connellblue]

Deserves credit for finding his shooting boots yesterday. Well done sir.

 

[BlueMoonRisin’]

Kovocic hasn't scored many goals in his career so it's nice to see him scoring 3 well taken goals so far. He's got a good shot on him so hopefully it will encourage him to try scoring a few more this season.

 

[Tugay One Cup]

Kovocic hasn't scored many goals in his career so it's nice to see him scoring 3 well taken goals so far. He's got a good shot on him so hopefully it will encourage him to try scoring a few more this season.

Said it when he joined but if he adds goals to his game then people are going to start noticing his value. Same thing happened with Gundogan.

 

[Damocles]

Go check out some of the old Sterling, Mahrez and Džeko threads sometime

Yeah but Dzeko deserved it :)

 

[DATOIA]

Well.. it's what it's..

Kova isn't Rodri (Who is ?), but still he is the best man in our squad to do that job.

I think eventually Gundo will regain his form and he will be used as n6 as well, but Gundo also isn't Rodri and we will still notice issues.

I think solution is not to overplay midfield players and have their energy at maximum levels.

KDB and Gundo are 30+, Macatee is young, Matheus still hasn't proved his worth, so I don't think playing Bernardo RW helps us in any way, cause his resource and energy should be used in midfield, so that our midfield players run a lot and cover each other..

Kova
Foden KDB one game

Gundo
Bernie Matheus the next one

We shouldn't waste our midfield resource.

Plus we have Jack, Doku, Savio..
Macatee can also play there, Bobb will return and play

Bernardo as a winger doesn't make any sense as we have problems in midfield and need to solve them somehow.

Maybe in January if we sign new midfielder, but till then, I wish that Pep uses resource more rationally..

 

[Gaz (FMwkdsoul)]

Any player in the middle is getting hung out to dry on the counter with this system against most half decent teams. Im very happy with Kova in there just need to get the bodies/system around him perfect which i don't think we are right now but we're still in 'pep tweaking' season so whats next..

 

[Yue Wollongong]

Don't think he's good enough to play that holding role. His work off of the ball is lacking.

Also, today it backfired but he's the player the opposition allow a shitload of space on the edge and that usually works for them. I'm convinced Bernardo could do that job better.

I saw Kova as the only reliable ball retainer of the team in the Fulham match. Opposition usually allow Kova space when he has the ball because Kova can take on players and slice through midfield. That is why Kova can stabilise the tempo.

 

[youngbob]

Stones with Kovacic or Bernardo with Kovacic looking like our strongest midfield options.

 

[Alan Harper's Tash]

Gvardiol was already celebrating when Kovacic shot!

 

[MCFC1993]

I saw Kova as the only reliable ball retainer of the team in the Fulham match. Opposition usually allow Kova space when he has the ball because Kova can take on players and slice through midfield. That is why Kova can stabilise the tempo.

Ball retention isn't my main issue, it's positioning and workrate off of the ball given he's the 'defensive midfielder'.

 

[alexmcity]

Ball retention isn't my main issue, it's positioning and workrate off of the ball given he's the 'defensive midfielder'.

Blaming only/mostly Kova for our defensive problems vs Fulham is probably wrong. The other defensive players weren't great, it was a collective problem.

 

[MCFC1993]

Blaming only/mostly Kova for our defensive problems vs Fulham is probably wrong. The other defensive players weren't great, it was a collective problem.

It's not on Kova alone, it's a combination of that midfield 3, off the ball it wasn't good enough at the weekend. I think Bernardo has to be 1 of the 3 at the moment.

 

[Yue Wollongong]

Ball retention isn't my main issue, it's positioning and workrate off of the ball given he's the 'defensive midfielder'.

I admit that Kova’s defensive positioning has not been good in his whole career. But what I don’t agree is to single him out and make him the one that should be replaced. He was still in the key defending area and made crucial challenges/destroy in the defensive phase. You cannot blame just one player for the loose man marking in the box. The second goal was on Stones more than anyone else for not keeping a proper distance with the man he was marking.

 

[vanchi]

kova didn’t join the national team and will miss the first game, to copy erling, baby soon.

 

[BringBackSwales]

kova didn’t join the national team and will miss the first game, to copy erling, baby soon.

Copy Erling?

 

[kaz7]

Copy Erling?

Thors girlfriend is pregnant

 

[BringBackSwales]

Thors girlfriend is pregnant

With his propensity for hat tricks it’s gotta be triplets

 

[vanchi]

kova will miss the second game tomorrow too.

 

[Txiki Txiki Bang Bang]

kova didn’t join the national team and will miss the first game, to copy erling, baby soon.

I hate to say it but are we about to have a "Class of 2024"? A starting line up of Erling's baby, Kova's baby and Jack's baby? Kyle's kids would take up all the remaining spots on the line up.