Marcelo Brozović

[Universe]

I said a double pivot with him given a more free role. Similar to Rakitic in the WC. But not as our sole orchestrator deep in midfield. He's a liability simple and plain. Whatsmore he can contribute goals which we badly need.

He is contributing more than most and contributing what others can not, playing in his deeper position. But you said it yourself, he should not be the sole orchestrator.

Consistency is the key defining factor of ability. The ability to do something consistently. Any player in the world can score a screamer from 30m on their day. Any player can score a beautiful free kick or terrorize a defence on their day. The question is can they do it consistently? How about when it's not their day? Or rather, how often can they make it their day? Only then can you say they have significant ability in that area.

Brozovic does not have the characteristics to consistently excel in an advanced position. He might have some good games here and there but he simply isn't built that way as a player. He is, however, built to consistently play as a high level distributor and playmaker on his deep position. The problem, as so many have pointed out, is that both the individuals around him, and the coaching instructions of these individuals, is trash. This restricts his playmaking, makes him do the brunt of the defensive shift, and in turn makes him tired, frustrated and more likely to commit errors. That is an issue to fix, but it's not fixed by changing his position. It's the exact same thing Kovacic went through. He looks up for someone to play the ball to, but there is no one.

Those two headers against Lazio and Tottenham seem to make Vecino think he's an amazing goal scoring midfielder like Lampard or Hamsik. He is not. But nevertheless, he is always so far forward and usually marked, meaning Brozovic can not even pass to his midfield partner. What kind of partner is that? Speaking of midfielders, Valero is having a good season but he does a similar job to Brozovic and there's no need for him to play with Brozovic. He should be his sub (which he is. Spalletti got that one right.) Gagliardini is having an awful season and Spalletti won't give him time even in spite of Vecino's continual horror shows. Joao Mario had a brief comeback a few months back but that momentary motivation looks to have worn off and last night he was the same lax, lazy, overly casual and impotent midfielder who was hated by the fans. The less said about Nainggolan the better.

The fullbacks too, are indescribably mediocre going forward. D'Ambrosio has no pace nor skill nor the linkup ability to actually make any forward plays on the wing. He cannot dribble past players and as soon as a defender stands in his zone, that's it, he can not advance and must pass inside or backwards. Vrsaljko seems slightly faster and more skilled but not by much, and he is permanently injured anyway. Asamoah is hardly spectacular in this regard and he has been woefully inconsistent. Dalbert deserved more chances but last night was absolutely pathetic. He set himself back 5 steps with that trash of a game.

The wingers are, either by build or instruction, very wide. They don't come in very often and Brozovic often has to walk out wide with the ball to distribute the ball to them. That's not even mentioning the form and issues of Perisic, and while the enthusiasm and (usual) sensibility of Politano is appreciated, it seems finally many are coming around to my view that he lacks that cutting edge to ever really be a top level player. I don't even want to bring up our forwards.

So, what options does that leave Brozovic? What options are there for the guy whose job it is to run, cover ground, defend the midfield by himself, make last ditch 1-on-1 tackles and least of all, control and dictate the entirety of our possession play?

I consider myself one of Brozovic's longest and most ardent supporters on this forum, but has been garbage in the past handful of games. That's partly on him, zero doubt about it. But there is no question that he is not only not helped, but is actually being damaged by the team and the setup around him. There's no excuse for the sloppy giveaways in possession he made last night. But if we address the root of the problem, those giveaways were from overly ambitious passes or from desperate attempts to retain the ball. Perhaps he wouldn't have to be overly ambitious with his passes or dangerously desperately to keep the ball if the team (but midfield in particular) was set up more usefully, not to mention filled with better players.

 

[ADRossi]

I have no basis to this claim, but I'm thinking he might be the next guy to go. His compatriots are now gone; Vrsaljko sent back to Atletico and Perisic demanding a way out. It was less than a year ago that he had a transfer to Sevilla all but finalized before Spalletti stepped in. Clearly you can see him growing frustrated with the performance of those around him.

I could see him putting a transfer request in during the summer

 

[rfU]

He might have some good games here and there but he simply isn't built that way as a player.

How do you mean? he can shoot with both feet, has a good build, decent speed, good close control, good balance on the ball, good passing... How do you mean? In any case, because I say he should a free-role doesn't mean he shuold play as a AMF. FYI.

But there is no question that he is not only not helped, but is actually being damaged by the team and the setup around him.

What about the in WC versus england when Modric had to foul Delle Alli just outside the area because of amateur positional play by Brozo?? Were Modric and Rakitic to blame also?

Look, Brozo can run rings against ordinary position, those who typically sit back and let us play our game. My issue is teams who commit to a high pressing game. I missed the Atalanta game but I'm guessing Brozo didn't have the best of matches.

 

[Universe]

What about the in WC versus england when Modric had to foul Delle Alli just outside the area because of amateur positional play by Brozo?? Were Modric and Rakitic to blame also?

You're talking about one isolated incident in an unprecedented WC final run by a Croatia team who all (generally) performed out of their skins. I'm not saying Brozovic never makes mistakes or never loses the ball. But the positives usually outweigh such negatives. Who really cares if he made an amateur positional play once in one game when he was otherwise a key contributor (had a much better WC than Rakitic IMO) to Croatia's amazing WC run? When's the last time Brozovic had an outright poor game for Croatia? (Perisic too for that matter but that's a different story..)

How do you mean? he can shoot with both feet, has a good build, decent speed, good close control, good balance on the ball, good passing... How do you mean? In any case, because I say he should a free-role doesn't mean he shuold play as a AMF. FYI.

Even if you specifically don't say he should play as AM, generally players with free roles are much closer to the AM mold than what Brozovic is. If you don't see it, or you don't agree, then you don't see it or you don't agree, but there is a difference in "good close control" and "good passing" between the likes of Brozovic and those who play in free roles (who are again, generally more fitted to the AM role). Sure, both David Silva and Brozovic have 'good passing' and 'good close control'. But if you can't see the difference between the close control of Silva or even Sneijder (who had a pretty free role at Inter) compared to Brozovic, then I can't really say much more. They have a level of articulation, creativity, vision, technique and 'fantasia' that Brozovic (to my eyes) simply does not. Most of the other 'free role' players I can think of, AM or otherwise, are much, much more articulate and creative on the ball than Brozovic.

Look, Brozo can run rings against ordinary position, those who typically sit back and let us play our game. My issue is teams who commit to a high pressing game. I missed the Atalanta game but I'm guessing Brozo didn't have the best of matches.

The Atalanta game looked like this:

Handanovic
Skriniar Miranda
Brozovic




D'Ambrosio Politano Gagliardini Vecino Perisic Asamoah

Icardi​

That was one of the worst set-up teams I have ever seen in my life and while you are right in saying Brozovic had a poor game and struggled to cope with Atalanta's high press, it just goes back to what I was saying - that Brozovic isn't helped by the fact that his fellow "midfielders" are nowhere to be seen, like to think they're fucking pseudo forwards, and have the technique and positional sense of fucking Lega Pro players.

 

[Adriano@10]

I ve said it before and i ll say it again he needs to learn when to play the easy pass. He tried a fancy pass quite often when we just recovered the ball and he more often then not passed it straight to the opposition who could start their attack again. This put us in danger on numerous times.
Now i can understand him trying to pass his way out of difficult situations but quite often he would have the option of playing the easy back pass but he rarely does it. I mean yesterday he recovered a ball and somehow tried to pass it through the guy who was standing like 1.5 m in front of him! Like it was so obvious that the opponent would get that ball and start a counter yet brozo tried it.

Also i want to say that i know it s hard to evaluate when he should take a risk and when not and it s easy to judge in hindsight, but imho he really tries it to often and puts us in danger a lot of the time. It s also clear that sometimes he s forced to do so cause the midfielders surrounding him barely move and usually pass him the ball when they are in troubles.
But like i said before in order to become a true top player imho he needs to learn when to try that risky pass and when he d rather just play it back or even just fucken clear the ball forward.

 

[Linege]

calciomercato:

Brozovic wants only Wanda !!!

 

[IRR26]

calciomercato:

Brozovic wants only Wanda !!!

I knew it!

 

[varmin]

Brozovic needs proper partners. He was pretty good last season with Rafinha and in- form Gagliardini. Nowdays all his colleagues are trash or at least Spalletti's instructions are. And stop pointing our last match as a example for someone's liability. That was a game of individuals not a team. So, it's normal that all of players looked like shit.

 

[compile]

Sarcasm aside, that's exactly my point. Lets be honest here, I know most of you think he was dropped back because he has great vision and positioning, but real reason is because he's slow to decide, losses possession easily and lacks the discipline to track back. Now what happens when he faces a team like Man City or Barcelona for example who press high up the pitch like Tornio did so effectively last night? See how quickly Brozo became flustered, easily becoming agitated and losing the ball in dangerous areas smh. Certainly it didn't help with Vecino and Dalbert losing possession so easily, but he was just as culpable in many instances. Anyway, we can all agree that Brozo needs help in midfield. But he shouldn't be our regista. He's just not mentally there. He needs a wiegl, paredes or kovacic alongside him, but I'm leaning towards Kova because he's more mobile and can handle the high press better.

I don't know what games you are watching but Brozovic is always the only midfielder that actually tracks back and breaks up plays. He's constantly yelling at whoever his partner is or Perisic to actually fucking move, thus causing him to foul someone to stop an attack. He was our best player against Barca in both games, I don't know wtf you are smoking. It seems like you have Vecino confused with Brozovic who does NONE of the things you are describing tbh.

 

[Alex de Large]

Talking about sell this dude is like wanting to sell Skriniar or Icardi. Or Lautaro or De Vrij who are also Inter future.

 

[Pimpin]

so no one mentioning how utterly shit he has been lately?

 

[ElDuccio]

so no one mentioning how utterly shit he has been lately?

he should learn to take corner kicks.. in the last games we always had like 10-15 corners. Most of them were a gift to the opponent, he just can't cross.

 

[Batman]

so no one mentioning how utterly shit he has been lately?

Because he was not utterly shit.

 

[CafeCordoba]

so no one mentioning how utterly shit he has been lately?

Not utterly shit but his performance level is considerably lower than what we've used to.

His mood seems to be more sensitive, he's losing his mind easier these days (just like the old days with Brozo).

 

[Alex de Large]

We can't expect Brozovic to play like a super-top midfielder. He is a very good team-player but he needs some company.

 

[Ed.]

I have a feeling that he will leave in the summer especially if Perisic is also leaving.

 

[InterFCAustin]

I have a feeling that he will leave in the summer especially if Perisic is also leaving.

Really? I doubt tbh He's probably next in line for a raise after Icardi and Skriniar.

 

[snake]

Really? I doubt tbh He's probably next in line for a raise after Icardi and Skriniar.

By default, if he leaves, he will get a raise.

I too think he will submit a request in, Croations stick together man. No Modric. Perisic and Vrjkskskskalso gone.

The only way Bozo will stay is if we make serious investments this summer to show we fight for the league.

 

[Lui]

Brozovic is a great player. Just currently infected by the shit virus.

Sent from my SM-A520W using Tapatalk

 

[CafeCordoba]

Brozovic just signed a new contract in autumn.