Rest assured Hrvati! Modrić and Rakitić said Thursday that they will both be back for Croatia’s 2021 Euro run next summer. Obviously, both Croatian legends will be a year older and who knows which clubs they will be playing for – but Rakitić and Modrić will be on board for the 2021 tournament.
Some Croatian fans say both will be too old to offer anything in 2021. I completely disagree.
Your thoughts?
Hopefully Dalic has the balls to bench veteran players and the leadership to explain their important roles
I fully agree with everything you guys are saying. Definitely an asset to have experienced players. But not an asset to have players that don’t offer really anything and are essentially just there for a last chance in the spotlight. If an older player is hungry they can be invaluable to a team that wants to make a run. It’s up to Dalic to gauge that. I think our guys will definitely be hungry. The only one I question is Rakitic as he sometimes seemed like he was bailing on the national team for Barcelona. Now that his time in Barcelona is coming to an end, maybe he will put every last ounce he has left into a run in these two tournaments. Only time will tell.
Look if Croatia is gonna make deep runs in Euro ’21 and WC ’22, then we need all the depth we can get–in every position.
Rakitic would be an invaluable sub in these tournaments. In fact he could very well start some games if card suspension and injuries take their toll.
So older veteran players are definitely assets. Del Piero is another example of a veteran player that provided an impact off the bench during Italy’s WC run in ’06.
Older veteran players are definitely valuable assets, if they play within their role.
Quaresma was a joker off the bench for Portugal, so it worked. If he started the entire game, he probably would be much less effective.
Šuker and Žuti in 2002 were done, and should not have been starting in that game against Mexico. Olić clearly offered more than Šuker, and Jozić messed up with that move.
Rakitić would be a VERY valuable asset off the bench for us.
He could even start too, but we really need to integrate Vlašić (who is arguably better). I personally would start Vlašić, but if any of our central midfielders are having a bad game… Rakitić can be slotted anywhere.
Kovačić is good, but he’s not a good CAM (he’s better deep). Pašalić is good, but he’s only been playing CAM. I still put Rakitić ahead of them… For now.
If he wants to leave, then at least we still have tremendous depth there.
I can see Perišić in a similar situation a couple of years from now, with Brekalo taking some steps forward… But having Perišić as a supersub off the bench.
Suker and Prosinecki in ’02, no bueno
Modric and Mandza in ’18, tres bien
@The Great Anonymous Doom
I fully agree with that, but players that are very clearly don’t deserve their place is really what I’m talking about. Srna was still a great player for us at that time, as was Olic. Remember that soon after that World Cup was when Olic really dropped off and eventually just retired from the national team when he wasn’t a starter anymore. At the time, the only really good wing player was Perisic. We were playing Brozovic on the right because of it.
oh ffs dont mention quaresma
jesus
that cunt with a black teardrop tattoo, what a fucking cuntrash
Older players often do very well for their national teams. Remember Srna in 2016, Olic in 2014, a past-prime Corluka making some important cameos at the last tournament… An overweight Ricardo Cuaresma lead Portugal to the championship off the bench in 2016… Depending on the situation, these more experienced players can be crucial assets, but only if they actually contribute something unique.
@ All,
Tons of Croatians fans on our Facebook. Take a look. Obviously, you guys are the savviest audience we have regarding football talk so I would take Facebook opinions with a grain of salt.
Also, with the corona virus cancelling the Euros, when do we see our next game happening? Maybe the Nations League in September? Googling the national team still shows the friendlies in June, but I don’t see those happening since the club seasons aren’t scheduled to be over until the end of June at the earliest.
I definitely see Modric playing and starting in both tournaments unless he has a MASSIVE drop off before the World Cup. I do hope that Dalic replaces players if a younger player becomes a better player or a better fit for the team, rather than sacrificing the team’s performance to give the older players what they want. I suppose there can be arguments from both sides, but I just prefer to put the best team on the field even if it isn’t the most experienced team we have.
I think Dalic has been alright at it so far. Better than most managers that we’ve had. I can just see a problem in the World Cup when Lovren and Vida have been clearly overtaken by multiple CBs, but they just keep their place because they are legends of the team. Maybe I’m wrong and just obsessed with the next generation coming through, but we all remember Pletikosa having a pretty bad World Cup in 2014 when we had Subasic entering his prime on the bench.
Modrić is gonna play at World Cup 2022.
He already stated that he will never retire.
Rakitić was likely going to retire after Euro2020….
But since they are only one year apart, I can actually see him sticking around (assuming that he still has a role).
If he’s pretty much on the bench for the entire Euros (with Vlašić starting ahead of him every game) then he will probably retire.
Fake news. They will be ready.
And these guys worked their arses off to get into the Euros, so naturally they are gonna be around for it.
…But the million kuna question now is, if they are gonna be apart of Euro ’21. That means they will participate in the World Cup 2022 qualifying matches starting in Spring 2021. So will they be at World Cup 2022???
With the way this World Crisis is heading, rest assured, Modric and Rakitic will be all rested up for this Tournament….
…They’ll have plenty of miles left in the tank.
Yeah i dont think anyone is saying Modric would be too old, unless that person is an out and out fuckwit
LOL
Come on man. No Croatian fans are saying that they are too old to offer anything in 2021.