🇭🇷 Mateo Kovacic

[akgw13 867]

This guy has got a battery pack similar to Kante. It feels like he plays in every single game for club and country. Minimum 65-70' and often the full 90' and he just continues to fly around the pitch. I hope Sarri starts to manage his time a little bit, he is an immense player for us so we don't need him burning out.

[Special Juan 28,141]

He reminds e of Eden in a little way, his balance is fantastic and the way he can shift the ball foot to foot is sublime.

Love everything about him.

[Vesper 30,195]

Kovacic taking in London

 

[Sideshow Luiz 2,310]

1 hour ago, Vesper said:

Kovacic taking in London

 

Should buy a house, then he could do this every day when not at training or match days, for next 5-6 (+) years.

[Vesper 30,195]

“I like it a lot here” – Mateo Kovacic has nice things to say about Chelsea when asked if he will stay beyond loan deal

https://www.chelsea-news.co/2018/10/like-lot-mateo-kovacic-nice-things-say-chelsea-asked-will-stay-beyond-loan-deal/

Chelsea midfielder Mateo Kovacic has lifted the lid on his stay in London so far insisting he will like to exhaust all the months in the loan deal before firming up whether he leaves or stays next summer.

The Croatia international has become an important player in Maurizio Sarri’s squad this season after he was used as a bargaining chip by Real Madrid in their pursuit of Thibaut Courtois last summer. The central midfielder arrived at Chelsea in the dying hours of the transfer window but has quickly acclimatized to life in West London.

Despite having more playing time that he was used to in Madrid over the three years he spent there, Kovacic is still leaving his options open.

“It’s too early for these questions, I am here and very happy. [Playing regularly] is good, I’m a little bit tired. I was not used to playing every three or four games and here it is very tough football.

You can’t relax against anybody so it’s a little bit difficult but I really enjoy it. We have a great team, great fans and the city is nice. I like it a lot here.”

Mateo Kovacic, Evening Standard

Snip

[Vybzkartel 284]

People are getting carried away with Barkley and RLC's form Kovacic is still our best starting mid in that 8 position in most games. He links the midfield and attack well, breaks the lines well, passes well, retains the ball and overall is a better defender. Its good Ross and Ruben are pushing him but lets not get carried away. Im seeing a lot of bin Kovacic and dont sign him on a permanent deal when in actual fact we need to, just a year ago we had Bakayoko and Drinkwater starting games and peple have the audacity to question us signing a quality young mid like Kova??

[Sideshow Luiz 2,310]

Kovacic is the only one out of the 4 midfielders (Kovacic, Kante, Barkley, RLC) that can play both midfield spots (not counting our DLP).  If anything, he's kind of the most important piece because he can be on the bench and sub for anyone (probably including Jorginho), or start in either of the 2 advanced midfield spots and the other 3 rotate around him.

[Magic Lamps 11,692]

43 minutes ago, Sideshow Luiz said:

Kovacic is the only one out of the 4 midfielders (Kovacic, Kante, Barkley, RLC) that can play both midfield spots (not counting our DLP).  If anything, he's kind of the most important piece because he can be on the bench and sub for anyone (probably including Jorginho), or start in either of the 2 advanced midfield spots and the other 3 rotate around him.

I think he can play all 3 and he is also able to play on the wing if necessary. But IMO Barkley and RLC both can play there too (apart from DLP) so that really should not be it. Kovacic came in with great form and immediately looked undisputed starter, esp with Barkley struggling for form initially. But now both, Barkley and RLC have delivered in impressive fashion and I can see why they are playing with the form they are in, no midfielder in this squad can rest on his laurels with the competition we have there. I still think Kovacic is the most talented naturally. But RLC and BArkley have quite decent technique plus are physical monsters with height, strength and pace. Now they are also scroing goals. You can see why they are playing. 

[Sideshow Luiz 2,310]

1 hour ago, Magic Lamps said:

I think he can play all 3 and he is also able to play on the wing if necessary. But IMO Barkley and RLC both can play there too (apart from DLP) so that really should not be it. Kovacic came in with great form and immediately looked undisputed starter, esp with Barkley struggling for form initially. But now both, Barkley and RLC have delivered in impressive fashion and I can see why they are playing with the form they are in, no midfielder in this squad can rest on his laurels with the competition we have there. I still think Kovacic is the most talented naturally. But RLC and BArkley have quite decent technique plus are physical monsters with height, strength and pace. Now they are also scroing goals. You can see why they are playing. 

I totally get why they are playing (I'm less convinced that any of them are useful on the wing).  But, part of why they are playing right now is our schedule.  Against top sides, it still has to be Kovacic and Kante, IMO.  Against parked busses, I'd go with Barkley and Kovacic right now.  Somewhere in the middle is the Barkley + Kante pairing.  

We'll see what RLC's defensive contribution is like by the end of the season, but as of now, having these 4 makes our midfield very versatile.  Cesc may well be gone next summer, so we're looking at these 4 plus Jorginho to take up the 3 starting positions and 2 bench spots which is great, IMO.

[Vesper 30,195]

24 minutes ago, Vybzkartel said:

People are getting carried away with Barkley and RLC's form Kovacic is still our best starting mid in that 8 position in most games. He links the midfield and attack well, breaks the lines well, passes well, retains the ball and overall is a better defender. Its good Ross and Ruben are pushing him but lets not get carried away. Im seeing a lot of bin Kovacic and dont sign him on a permanent deal when in actual fact we need to, just a year ago we had Bakayoko and Drinkwater starting games and peple have the audacity to question us signing a quality young mid like Kova??

Strawman argument. I have not seen one post questioning us signing Kovacic.

I also think the real argument is not Kovacic v Barkley/RLC but Kovacic v Kante.

 

[manpe 10,861]

6 minutes ago, Vesper said:

Strawman argument. I have not seen one post questioning us signing Kovacic.

I also think the real argument is not Kovacic v Barkley/RLC but Kovacic v Kante.

 

I think he means social media-sphere, not posts on here. I'm not sure, I don't follow these retarded twitter fools. But anyway, nobody should question signing him, when you have an opportunity to sign a player of his quality, you do it and bin somebody inferior. He would walk into almost any top team in the world, Barkley or RLC wouldn't. And I'm encouraged, the fact that he's on loan with us and gets accustomed to the team (by the sounds it he's loving it here) makes us the most likely to get him. He is the type we should be aiming at if we want to get back to the level we once were, not Drinkwater or Bakayoko or even RLC (who won't make it at Chelsea).

[OneMoSalah 8,886]

I think if Hazard resigns then signing Kovacic should be the next logical step along with recruiting a top striker and another CB in January or the summer. 

He really is a key part of the team, he may not always play with Ruben/Ross also available but he can play Kantes position as well as that more advanced role. Also his current age and the fact hes still got a lot of growing to do is even more attractive in terms of signing him.

Having 5 or 6 top MF options is excellent and we've lacked this for a while, Jorginho, Cesc, Kante, Ross, Ruben and Kova is the competitive MF options we need to keep everybody on their toes. No need to keep the likes of Bakayoko and Drinkwater either if we get this deal done. Hope Sarri and him push to get this move done for the summer.

[Sideshow Luiz 2,310]

I keep forgetting that we even have Drinkwater.

[Vesper 30,195]

34 minutes ago, manpe said:

I think he means social media-sphere, not posts on here. I'm not sure, I don't follow these retarded twitter fools. But anyway, nobody should question signing him, when you have an opportunity to sign a player of his quality, you do it and bin somebody inferior. He would walk into almost any top team in the world, Barkley or RLC wouldn't. And I'm encouraged, the fact that he's on loan with us and gets accustomed to the team (by the sounds it he's loving it here) makes us the most likely to get him. He is the type we should be aiming at if we want to get back to the level we once were, not Drinkwater or Bakayoko or even RLC (who won't make it at Chelsea).

I am 80 to 90% convinced our strongest MF  for Sarriball is

Jorginho at DH DMF 

Kovacic at CMF B to B Hybrid role

Barkley at AMF

We lose too much fluidity and overall offensive conceptualisation when Kante is in there.

Only way I see to get all four on pitch at same time is to try something like the 3-1-3-3 we came up with, with Azpi as the 3rd CB, Kante in back of Jorginho as pure floating destroyer, and turtle Alonso on the bench.

Or, lolol, sell Hazard (if he refuses ro renew)  buy Icardi AND Dybala and play a 4 4 2.

[Vesper 30,195]

1 hour ago, Sideshow Luiz said:

I keep forgetting that we even have Drinkwater.

[Sideshow Luiz 2,310]

46 minutes ago, Vesper said:

I am 80 to 90% convinced our strongest MF  for Sarriball is

Jorginho at DH DMF 

Kovacic at CMF B to B Hybrid role

Barkley at AMF

We lose too much fluidity and overall offensive conceptualisation when Kante is in there.

Only way I see to get all four on pitch at same time is to try something like the 3-1-3-3 we came up with, with Azpi as the 3rd CB, Kante in back of Jorginho as pure floating destroyer, and turtle Alonso on the bench.

Or, lolol, sell Hazard (if he refuses ro renew)  buy Icardi AND Dybala and play a 4 4 2.

I think it depends on the opposition.  I think that midfield isn't defensively solid enough against a team like City or Liverpool.  In matches like that, it's Kovacic and Kante, for me.  Right tools for the right job.  Nice to have a hammer and a screwdriver in the tool box.

[Vesper 30,195]

17 minutes ago, Sideshow Luiz said:

I think it depends on the opposition.  I think that midfield isn't defensively solid enough against a team like City or Liverpool.  In matches like that, it's Kovacic and Kante, for me.  Right tools for the right job.  Nice to have a hammer and a screwdriver in the tool box.

I can see your point. Especially if we have a healthy Eden.

[Sideshow Luiz 2,310]

3 hours ago, Vesper said:

I can see your point. Especially if we have a healthy Eden.

Don't get me wrong, I'm totally on board with Kovacic + Barkley against teams that want to sit back.  Kante's ability to win the ball back becomes less important when we have 70% of the possession.

[Vybzkartel 284]

20 hours ago, Vesper said:

Strawman argument. I have not seen one post questioning us signing Kovacic.

I also think the real argument is not Kovacic v Barkley/RLC but Kovacic v Kante.

 

Go on twitter or any other Chelsea forum people are saying Kova should be binned because Ross and RLC is playing well. Its still a minority but its growing by the day. 

[Vybzkartel 284]

14 hours ago, Sideshow Luiz said:

Don't get me wrong, I'm totally on board with Kovacic + Barkley against teams that want to sit back.  Kante's ability to win the ball back becomes less important when we have 70% of the possession.

Kante's offensive out put has been great do not underestimate his influence. He has at least 4-5 pre assists this season. Against Burnely he was arguably our MoM from an offensive out put. look at most of our goals and attacking moves they had him as a pre assist or playing in the final assist.