DavidEU 2,023 Posted November 18, 2007 Share Posted November 18, 2007 He's again been linked with Chelsea in the papers this morning, in the Guardian.Exclusive - Croatian playmaker is heading for the Bridge, reports Jonathan WilsonIn this age of weight-training and rippling physiques, it is heartening to find the game still has a place for somebody as slight of frame as Luka Modric. He is routinely compared to Tomas Rosicky, but there is something, too, of Jesper Olsen about his slump-shouldered brilliance.It is assumed that it is doubts about his size that have prevented him leaving Dinamo Zagreb already, but it has been revealed exclusively to Observer Sport that club vice president Zdravko Mamic was at the home of Roman Abramovich this week and it looks likely that Modric will move to Stamford Bridge in the summer.A member of Dinamo's management committee, Tomislav Marcinko reiterated the Chelsea owner's wish to sign the player, and pay a high price for him, saying: 'Abramovich is ready to pay for every one of Modric's kilos.'Modric might be slight, but he's tough, having learned how to handle himself during an early stint in the Bosnian league with Mostar side Zrinjski. If he were to join the Premier League, he says he would not be fazed. 'If you can play in Bosnia, you can play anywhere.'While there is something traditional about Modric's reliance on the deft and the subtle, he is representative of a new breed of player: the playmaker who does not play as such. He is sumptuously talented, but can also track back.Balkan football has always prized its No 10s. The Croatia side that reached the semi-finals of the 1998 World Cup played with three of them - Robert Prosinecki, Zvonimir Boban and Aljosa Asanovic - something none but the unorthodox coach Miroslav Blazevic would have dared attempt.More recent interpretations of the classic Balkan system tend to have been rather more conservative, supplementing the three central defenders with two holding midfielders in a 3-4-1-2. Modernisers see that as old-fashioned, but it remains the most common formation in Croatian club football. At Dinamo, Modric operates almost as an orthodox No 10, albeit in a 4-2-3-1.By the time of the last World Cup - when the issue had been brought into sharper focus by Serbia's impressive qualifying record with a flat back four - it had become Croatian football's equivalent of the West Lothian question, or the debate over whether Gerrard and Lampard can play together in the same midfield.The national coach Zlatko Kranjcar reasoned that as he had two of the best wing-backs in the world in Darijo Srna and Marko Babic, he may as well use them and stuck to a 3-4-1-2 system, with his son Niko as the playmaker. Croatia were eliminated in the group stages.Almost the first thing Slaven Bilic did on succeeding Kranjcar was to put an end to the debate. His preference, he said, was for a Dutch-style 4-3-3, and although he has come to favour a 4-1-3-2, there has never been a suggestion of returning to a back three.The paradox is that while the traditionalists feared the disappearance of the playmaker, Bilic has managed to squeeze in two, sometimes even three. Kranjcar has been retained in the left-sided role in which he is blossoming for Portsmouth and Modric, a player Bilic championed through the under-21 team, has become a fixture. 'My role in the national team is very different to the one I perform with Dinamo,' Modric said. 'Here I have a freer role, but I also have more defensive responsibilities.'Kranjcar senior hailed Modric as 'very talented, with a strong presence and organisational qualities' after his debut in a 3-2 victory over Argentina in a pre-World Cup friendly. Yet he gave him just 26 minutes on the field, in two substitute appearances, during the tournament.Bilic, making a conscious turn to youth and away from the physicality and cynicism of Kranjcar's side, included him in the starting line-up as he began his reign against Italy. Modric responded with a goal in a 2-0 win. 'The team now is very different to the side at the World Cup,' Modric said. 'There are a lot of young players. Bilic was our under-21 coach and he knows us and our capabilities. He's a perfect coach and we have a great relationship. You can see that from the results we've had.'Bilic has proved himself adept at international management. His rough charm disguises his astuteness , but his side has a pleasing balance. With Niko Kovac sweeping in front of the back four they have a stability that has allowed Bilic to give rein to his more creative players. The result is a confidence about Croatia that is probably greater even than in 1998.There will be 6,700 Croatia fans at Wembley on Wednesday - the maximum number of away supporters the FA will countenance - and they will not care what England need from the game. They will be there simply to celebrate Bilic's new Croatia. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aesthetic Relic 301 Posted November 18, 2007 Share Posted November 18, 2007 Anything I've read about Modric has been very good. He seems the type of player who could well fit into our set up with ease.It'll be interesting to see how he plays on Wednesday against England. I'll be having one eye on him to see how he copes.Maybe not, I'll be watching the and.Ireland game v Spain Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
True_Blue 469 Posted November 18, 2007 Share Posted November 18, 2007 If we buy him for 15 million we should consider murdering Roman.He is no way worth that much money.Croatians talk to much about him like he's the new bloody Pele. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EskWeston 696 Posted November 19, 2007 Share Posted November 19, 2007 The links to this player are very strong now, saying that we have agreed in principle to sign him. Only time will tell, but we could do a lot worse thats for sure. But i don't know a great deal about him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidEU 2,023 Posted November 20, 2007 Author Share Posted November 20, 2007 The papers (The Sun) are saying THIRTY million today, in a battle with Arsenal.Ridiculous.(Trying to find an internet source) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EskWeston 696 Posted November 20, 2007 Share Posted November 20, 2007 The papers (The Sun) are saying THIRTY million today, in a battle with Arsenal.Ridiculous.(Trying to find an internet source)I'm not sure they are saying we are going to spend £30m on him, i thought they were saying that us and Arsenal had £30 available to spend.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidEU 2,023 Posted November 20, 2007 Author Share Posted November 20, 2007 I'm not sure they are saying we are going to spend £30m on him, i thought they were saying that us and Arsenal had £30 available to spend.."London rivals Chelsea and Arsenal are locked in a £30m scrap for Dinamo Zagreb and Croatia midfielder Luca Modric. (The Sun)"http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport...ticle482866.ece Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EskWeston 696 Posted November 20, 2007 Share Posted November 20, 2007 Well if thats the case it would be frigging ludicrous...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisGnu 0 Posted November 20, 2007 Share Posted November 20, 2007 Clearly paper talk but 30 million is ridiculous!Anyone actually seen him play because I havent.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EskWeston 696 Posted November 20, 2007 Share Posted November 20, 2007 Clearly paper talk but 30 million is ridiculous!Anyone actually seen him play because I havent....Forget that, there are only 2 sources you need to know if a player is good or not apparently:1. YouTube2. Football ManagerFACT.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisGnu 0 Posted November 20, 2007 Share Posted November 20, 2007 Forget that, there are only 2 sources you need to know if a player is good or not apparently:1. YouTube2. Football ManagerFACT.... Freddy Adu http://forum.talkchelsea.net/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/thumbsup.gif He must he 37 now.Probably plays for Chester. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EskWeston 696 Posted November 20, 2007 Share Posted November 20, 2007 Freddy Adu http://forum.talkchelsea.net/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/thumbsup.gif He must he 37 now.Probably plays for Chester.Without youtube how would we find about players like this gem playing for AFC Wimbledon: Sign him up Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisGnu 0 Posted November 20, 2007 Share Posted November 20, 2007 There was this MASSIVE compliation on youtube of Gareth Bale when we first signed him.However he actually is as good as the video suggests. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EskWeston 696 Posted November 20, 2007 Share Posted November 20, 2007 There was this MASSIVE compliation on youtube of Gareth Bale when we first signed him.However he actually is as good as the video suggests.Anyone can be made to look good on a Youtube video, it doesn't show the actual ability or potential of a player 90% of the time... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mungii 3 Posted November 20, 2007 Share Posted November 20, 2007 I still say that it wil be grat to see young Modric in CFC... But that is too much money for himm....And I think that he can go good in English football Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisGnu 0 Posted November 20, 2007 Share Posted November 20, 2007 (edited) Anyone can be made to look good on a Youtube video, it doesn't show the actual ability or potential of a player 90% of the time...George Weahs cousin? Edited November 20, 2007 by ChrisGnu Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aesthetic Relic 301 Posted November 20, 2007 Share Posted November 20, 2007 The best ever attempted signing was that of Didier Baptiste to Liverpool. You know, the guy off Sky Ones Dream Team.Houuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuulier.Makes me laugh. What a muppet he must have felt . The Times printed an exclusive report on Liverpool's efforts to sign French under-21 striker Didier Baptiste for £3.5m, more than a few eyebrows were raised. It wasn't the fact Gerard Houllier was signing another foreigner, or that he could be a Frenchman of high potential that provoked so much controversy. It was the fact that Baptiste didn't actually exist. He was an entirely fictious footballer who plays for Hardchester United, the football team in the TV soap "Dream Team".Anyway, back on topic......10million tops for this lad. We've spent too much on players in the past. Its not as if he's a well known talent in world football Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mungii 3 Posted November 20, 2007 Share Posted November 20, 2007 what was with the story that Roman won't give anymore money?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aesthetic Relic 301 Posted November 20, 2007 Share Posted November 20, 2007 what was with the story that Roman won't give anymore money??When was this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EskWeston 696 Posted November 20, 2007 Share Posted November 20, 2007 There has always been money available, we bought Belletti and Malouda in the summer and was prepared to spend quite a lot of Alves too. I am sure in January and certainly in the summer there will be plenty of cash around for us to spend Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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