8 | Mateo Kovacic - 2023/24

[shemnel]

how does that explain his performances for croatia throughout they years? he’s only good there because he plays next to modrić and brozović? but the rest of the team, lol there are no superstars there.

i’ll go with qatar, dinamo zagreb, celtic, stuttgart, atalanta, hoffenheim, leipzig, torino, hajduk split, frankfurt, zenit, rangers, spurs - now compare that to for example english national team. out attack is utter crap and yet we are absolutely overperforming and kova is undroppable and an essential part of our brozović-modrić-kova midfield.

but yeah, keep blaming kova for everything bad, like he’s the only player who didn’t perform well, why not…

bit of an over reation there

 

[vanchi]

bit of an over reation there

perhaps :D but yeah, single out one sentence :D

anyway, as an outsider, i can tell you it is pretty obvious who the fan favorites are, especially when they have a bad game :D

edit: apparently kova is also fat. wonder how he passed the medicals where they measure body fat percentage. someone should be sacked obviously.

 

[dennishasdoneit]

Once again stats not telling the whole story .
He was absolutely wank yesterday both in his general play and his tackling. 3 yard sideways and backwards passes always good to pad out the stats.
The older generation never look for stats,their eyes have told them all the needed to know.
Strange buy.

what do you mean by general play.? Aside from keeping the ball with 97% pass accuracy, what else did you think he should have done yesterday. I'm not being contrary.i just believe Pep set his team out to be disciplined and cautious yesterday...for reasons best known to himself.

Most Blues say he was poor yesterday but arsenal created next to nothing on their own ground,our own.. uncompromising centre midfield must have contributed this.

What most Blues wanted from the player,yesterdsy6 is probably at odds with what Pep demanded...imo.

 

[B\connellblue]

what do you mean by general play.? Aside from keeping the ball with 97% pass accuracy, what else did you think he should have done yesterday. I'm not being contrary.i just believe Pep set his team out to be disciplined and cautious yesterday...for reasons best known to himself.

Most Blues say he was poor yesterday but arsenal created next to nothing on their own ground,our own.. uncompromising centre midfield must have contributed this.

What most Blues wanted from the player,yesterdsy6 is probably at odds with what Pep demanded...imo.

I want him to make forward defence splitting passes. I don't for one minute believe Pep feared artetas team. Kovacic is a player similar to what we have in abundance. Tidy and that's about it. Doesn't score or assist.

 

[Haaland94]

perhaps :D but yeah, single out one sentence :D

anyway, as an outsider, i can tell you it is pretty obvious who the fan favorites are, especially when they have a bad game :D

edit: apparently kova is also fat. wonder how he passed the medicals where they measure body fat percentage. someone should be sacked obviously.

This. It was a poor performance from the team. Kova was subpar, but that's it. People are overreacting because the majority doesn't see him as a fan favourite. He is still a wonderful player who clearly hasn't fully recovered (not match-fit) from his back injury yet. He will be back to his best soon enough.

 

[dennishasdoneit]

He wasn't that bad barring the bizzare few minutes

We were purring over him a couple of weeks ago 'fits like a glove' etc.

Exactly. Just a bit of over reaction,from some,in the wake of a defeat to a title rival.The rash challenge which should have led to a 2nd yellow surprised me for a player of his experience..however,and centre midfield player who goes away to a title rival and doesn't give the ball away is definately top notch.

 

[dennishasdoneit]

I want him to make forward defence splitting passes. I don't for one minute believe Pep feared artetas team. Kovacic is a player similar to what we have in abundance. Tidy and that's about it. Doesn't score or assist.

I'm really not sure Pep picked the player to make defence splitting passes.not from the position he was picked in.

I'm quite sure that a disciplined tight cautious approach ,to meet head on ,and take part in the complex tactical battle which ensued.. was at the forefront of our managers mind.for those matches Pep will look,in Rodris absence ,for players who keep the ball.under control.97% pass accuracy meets that requirement.
As I've said,what you wanted from the player was at odds with what Pep prob asked of him.imo.

 

[cleavers]

After a great start, I think he's been poor since his injury, but I think circumstances haven't helped, more than happy to give him some slack, but his tackling yesterday certainly wasn't great.

 

[alexmcity]

Lost form after the injury and isn't fully fit yet.

 

[B\connellblue]

Ah the old lost form after injury chestnut. Incidentally this is the excuse for grealishs poor form too. These are elite athletes. There is no reason whatsoever not be fit on their return to action. Its not as if they've been out of action for 6 months. These men should be returning chomping at the bit.