[Grobar]

realistically. I've seen a lot of posts stating we're [email protected], or we have no stars,etc,etc. People, after the initial shock of the result let's take a deep breath and analyze this result objectively.
1. It's true that some of our players are showing some bad form. But most of our players that are, are coming back from injuries. Jugovic, Djorovic, Jokanovic, and Mijatovic just to name a few. Who really cares if their form is lacking now, what we need is for them to be in top shape in June...not March.
2. China isn't a soccer power, but Bora is a world renowned genius for taking so-so squads and making them play a defensive game. It's not that they score so much, but they rarely get scored on. He did it with Costa Rica, America, and Mexico in recent memory.
3. It is China after all, and it's hard to get up for a match of such small signficance. As a matter of fact I didn't hear of anyone leaving work or school early to listen/watch this game... so imagine what it was like for our players.
4. I don't doubt that some players were fighting for positions to join the squad. Unfortunately in these cases (I know from experience), the players tend to more emphasize how reliable they are on the field, and play a more defensive minded game. Would you want to be the one who was cut from the squad for an unecessary chance you took that resulted in a goal for China of all teams? I think not.
5. We have WORLD class players...and I can't stress this enough. Lippi took Jugovic to Inter as damaged goods from Atletico because he thought he was good looking right? No, Lippi took him because he's a multiple European champion and he leaves his heart and soul on the pitch, that's why. Same thing goes for Trappatoni when HE requested Mijatovic play with Batistuta. And once again, Ancelotti DEMANDED Kovacevic come to Juve to compliment DelPiero and Inzaghi. Darko is THE most expensive tranfer in Juve history, and he sits on the bench. Politics is the reason for this gang, plain and simple. Mihajlovic is the heart and soul of Lazio and no one can tell me different. Cragnotti LOVES him. And Deki is the future of that team... even the hard core Lazio fans admit that. So that's THE last I want to hear about that!
6. As for our players playing "harder" for club rather than country...there might be some truth to this. Juve and Lazio are in a race for the scudetto, the like of which is as exciting as last years race...anyone can win. And truthfully, you tend to go with where your bread is buttered, I know I would. But some of you think Jugo is alone in this aspect. Think again gang. The Dutch have been complaining about this for years, just ask any Dutch fan. Same thing goes for the English and the Italians. The real cases fro this arguement are Spain and Portugal. Their club teams have won everything in Europe consistently since time can remember, but anyone remember the last time Spain or Portugal won the World Cup? You can't becuase they haven't. Imagine how they fell knowing your club team can kick your national teams butt any day of the week. Believe me gang, we're not that badly off.
Truly there's no need to panic for a meaningless game. What bothers me the most is I don't know what the FSJ was on when they agreed to a "tournament" in the Orient just BEFORE Euro. Our players have less than a week to acclimatize themselves with the Euro time zone and then it's off to Belgium. Anyone in the FSJ ever heard of jet lag? They should've asked Piksi, he knows all about it.

So gang I hope we won't be too hard on our players for this meaningless result. Sa verom u boga i nasoj ekipi sve se moze!!!!! (With faith in God and our team anything is possible)

Napred Plavi!!!!

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Later

 

[red star forever]

I'm sorry to be the only negative one here, but lets look at it this way:

1. What are we to do if players coming back from injury don't reach top form in June??
In EURO, that doesn't count, the opposition isn't going to give our players a head-start at every ball because they're coming back from injury

2. Bora is a good coach but we were playing in front of our own crowd, the Chinese were the ones that had to adapt to a different time zone, and we are YUGOSLAVIA, they are CHINA!!! No offence to the Chinese ( I am saying this only in terms of soccer), but what would then happen if Spain or Norway (hell, even Slovenia!!) decided to play defensively - I'll tell you, we would start passing the ball around the 30 metre area of the opponents goal and wait and pray for someone to foul one of our players...

3. That kind of attitude and dividing matches into "big" and "small" almost cost us the points against Iran and USA - it should not happen no matter who the opponent is!!
Brazil (yes, Brazil, 4 time world champions) played I think Thailand and thumped them 7:0 - their stars obviously don't have "motivation" problems...

4. If the players that were fighting for positions in the squad were emphasizing their reliability, I sure do hope they don't do it in EURO..

5. Jugovic - I know he's been injured but he's been injured for almost over a year with a few breaks..
Kovacevic - as you said, he was brought to compliment Juve's two strikers, not the opposite so that can tell you a few things (but don't get me wrong, Darko is having a relatively good season, he just isn't WORLD class, can you seriously compare him with Vieri or Rivaldo)
Stankovic - one of my favourite players, and maybe one of the very few that can become a world class player
Mijatovic - hope he comes back, but I can't see it just yet, and the clock is ticking...

6. No comment on this one, but on (5) , even if these players do improve, who can tell how they will play together, it hasn't actually been a picnic so far..


I'm going to say this once again, I really do hope, wish whatever you want, that our players prove me wrong in June...
Anyway, good luck to the U21's tonight ( I know I said they'll lose, but that doesn't mean I'm not hoping )

 

[Voyager]

I think it is essential we make changes. Players like Jokanovic and Mijatovic (first two that come to mind) have served the NT well, but if they cannot produce the goods anymore, I dont see why they should be in the team. Im sure we have at least 2 better players than Jokanovic for whatever position it is he plays and as for Mijat, sometimes he plays good, but he never gives 100% - by that I mean, he's always walking, not defending etc. In todays game we cant afford to have players standing around doing nothing.

About the point rsf raised about world class players, we have a few, but none up front.
Sure our strikers are good in the air (great in fact), but I have never seen either Savo or Darko hit a decent shot that goes in giving the keeper no chance. They're lacking a dimension to their game. When players from Holland (example) get the ball anywhere near the edge of the box, its often a goal.

If the u21's beat England tonight, and the NT loses the next friendly, I say we just send them to Euro2000 instead (with Mihajlovic of course ).

[This message has been edited by Voyager (edited 29-03-2000).]

 

[Mrs Stankovic]

I'll have to agree AND disagree with many things said here.

For one, I do think that Mijat is 80% finished He was even in '98, did you see him in the WC - as Voyager said, just strolling around like he's the king, but whom do we have to replace him???

Again, this is "big - small game" SH!T must gooooo, and go now! It cost us top spot in the group in '98 and could cost a place in the second round if we treat Norway and Slovenia as "small"! It's not looking too great

Again, we were playing in front of our home crowd, and me living in god damn AUSTRALIA, can't watch the game, so all I can input is what I've read in the Serb newspaper and the Web and it's not very incoureging to get booed off the field!

Cmoki

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MiLz