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Friendly: HRVATSKA vs. Sweden (29.02.2012)

10K views 225 replies 37 participants last post by  beaver 
#1 ·
Croatia's first match of 2012 and also their first test in preparation for EUROs, and likely the only "strong" opponent they will face prior to EUROs with Norway already booked and possibly another home match with Estonia in May.

Goalkeepers: Stipe Pletikosa (Rostov), Danijel Subasic (Monaco), Ivan Kelava (Dinamo)

Defenders: Darijo Srna (Shakhtar Donetsk), Vedran Corluka (Bayer Leverkusen), Josip Simunic (Dinamo Zagreb), Gordon Schildenfeld (Eintracht Frankfurt), Domagoj Vida (Dinamo Zagreb, Danijel Pranjic (Bayern Munich), Sime Vrsaljko (Dinamo Zagreb)

Midfielders: Luka Modric (Tottenham), Niko Kranjcar (Tottenham), Ivan Rakitic (Sevilla), Ognjne Vukojevic (Dynamo Kiev), Tomislav Dujmovic (Real Zaragoza), Ivan Perisic (Borussia Dortmund)

Forwards: Ivica Olic (Bayern Munich), Eduardo (Shakhtar Donetsk), Mario Mandzukic (Wolfsburg), Nikica Jelavic (Everton)


Dejan Lovren will miss out due to injury while other key absenses are Ivan Strinic, Nikola Kalinic and Mladen Petric. Strinic will still be considered but he must play better at Dnipro while Corluka is another option at LB along with Pranjic.Bilic called up a smaller squad because there won't be much time to prepare for this match being a midweek one and he will attempt to give as many players as possible a run. Bilic says Sweden will be a good test for what will await for them in Poznan against Ireland, a strong team who are very fit. He is happy about the playing time of all players selected except for Pranjic.

There will be scouts at all three Euro opponent's friendly matches: Spain will play Venezuela at home and Goran Vucevic will scout them, Italy play USA at home and Kruno Jurcic will scout :D, Ireland play Czech Republic at home and Goran Cipric will scout.

The rest of the conference was about Sinovcic's attack on Bilic saying Mamic helps Bilic select NT players which he denies of course and he says he will not leave before Euro (has "interest" from Dnipro and Tottenham...:howler:)
 
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#224 · (Edited)
CT in friendlies you have to try different things and see what you learn from them. You want to know if you can go to this guy in that position come crunch time.

I said earlier in this thread that we should have called up a few other options and put them out on in the field, especially Manuel Pamic and Ivan Tomecak as Bilic mentioned them in his remarks.

I would say i learned that Rakitic is really not suitable as a Defensive midfielder right now, he has trouble reading the game from there. And that Pletikosa needs to become a backup sooner rather then later.

Other things were more like confirmed to me, for instance I see Vida as a future CB and not as a RB, and that my preference for Jelavic feels as a starter just feels more justified after this performance.

I also wish Bilc would have played with a different formation in this game, as i would of liked to have seen some kind of formation in the midfield that didn't have Modric, but featured ,as an example, Rakitic and Dujmovic(at the same time on the field) as the Central Mids/Defensive mids.

I also feel that he missed giving Perisic a greater amount of game time, which he surely could of used.
 
#225 ·
I would say i learned that Rakitic is really not suitable as a Defensive midfielder right now, he has trouble reading the game from there. And that Pletikosa needs to become a backup sooner rather then later.
This is what I was calling for before the game, the Raketa/Modra midfield, and it suffices to say that it doesn't work against opposition at Swedens level. You need one proper DM.

I watched the game again as well and it wasn0t as bad as I initially thought. Our attitude was obvious when you look at the reactions from players when the ref gave a pen against us. Nobody cared too much, even though the Swedish player handelled the ball prior to Pleta making contact with him.

It was half arsed and they need to get their heads into it ASAP because if not, we will get embarrased at the EC.
 
#226 ·
it is just insane that your technically gifted players are DMs...it's madness, line up your workhorses behind them and let them run the play...
 
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