Former Italy star Andrea Pirlo has spoken of his frustration with compatriot Mario Balotelli for so far failing to live up to his potential. 

Per the Mirror‘s David Anderson, he believes the 25-year-old is running out of time to do so:

He frustrates me, but I do have so much affection for Mario. 

He is infectious to be around. When I used to see him walk into training for Italy, he would have this big smile on his face—and I would just burst out laughing—and start wondering what is he thinking, what is he up to?

Mario should not just be a character the media write about for good stories. We shouldn’t forget what a special player he is.

I have played with some of the best strikers, and I can tell you Mario has all the attributes to be one of the best strikers in the world.

By now I thought that is where he would be, that is where he should be. He has no more time to waste.

The striker emerged as a hot prospect at Inter Milan before moving to Manchester City, where he showed further glimpses of his talent. He secured a place in their history by assisting Sergio Aguero’s last-gasp Premier League-winning strike:

However, he struggled to make an impact in his third season. Balotelli left the Sky Blues in January 2013 for AC Milan, where he netted 12 goals in 13 matches and another 18 the following season.

His career seemed to be back on the up when Liverpool turned to him as they sought a replacement for Luis Suarez, but after scraping together just four goals at Anfield he was quickly loaned back to the Rossoneri last season.

With the first half of his campaign disrupted by injury, Balotelli netted three goals in 23 appearances.

Per the Mirror‘s David Maddock, he has subsequently returned to Liverpool but has been told by manager Jurgen Klopp he has no future at the club.

Betting site Paddy Power summed up his options:

Filippo Bonsignore of Italian outlet Corriere della Sera (via Sport Witness, h/t the Mirror‘s Liam Corless) reported the forward’s camp has been trying to negotiate a big-money deal to the Chinese Super League.

Pirlo hopes he will put his career before riches, though:

He has played for so many big clubs, it’s easy to forget he’s only 25. He still has time to make it at the very top.

He needs to pick his next club carefully. I have read things about him and China. With all respect to their league, Mario should not be going there yet.

If he has two or three good seasons at his next club, he will still only be 28 and could join one of the top clubs in Europe.

I don’t have any advice for him anymore, he knows the qualities that he has. From this point, it’s up to Mario.

Indeed, Balotelli’s career is already faltering, and he failed to make Antonio Conte’s UEFA Euro 2016 Italy squad—a move to China as he approaches what should be his peak years will make resurrecting his top-level career very difficult.

The mercurial frontman is already well on his way to becoming one of the biggest “what ifs” in the modern game. Heading to the Far East could cement that.

from Bleacher Report – Front Page http://ift.tt/29X8JQ2
via IFTTT http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

Former Italy star Andrea Pirlo has spoken of his frustration with compatriot Mario Balotelli for so far failing to live up to his potential. 

Per the Mirror‘s David Anderson, he believes the 25-year-old is running out of time to do so:

He frustrates me, but I do have so much affection for Mario. 

He is infectious to be around. When I used to see him walk into training for Italy, he would have this big smile on his face—and I would just burst out laughing—and start wondering what is he thinking, what is he up to?

Mario should not just be a character the media write about for good stories. We shouldn’t forget what a special player he is.

I have played with some of the best strikers, and I can tell you Mario has all the attributes to be one of the best strikers in the world.

By now I thought that is where he would be, that is where he should be. He has no more time to waste.

The striker emerged as a hot prospect at Inter Milan before moving to Manchester City, where he showed further glimpses of his talent. He secured a place in their history by assisting Sergio Aguero’s last-gasp Premier League-winning strike:

However, he struggled to make an impact in his third season. Balotelli left the Sky Blues in January 2013 for AC Milan, where he netted 12 goals in 13 matches and another 18 the following season.

His career seemed to be back on the up when Liverpool turned to him as they sought a replacement for Luis Suarez, but after scraping together just four goals at Anfield he was quickly loaned back to the Rossoneri last season.

With the first half of his campaign disrupted by injury, Balotelli netted three goals in 23 appearances.

Per the Mirror‘s David Maddock, he has subsequently returned to Liverpool but has been told by manager Jurgen Klopp he has no future at the club.

Betting site Paddy Power summed up his options:

Filippo Bonsignore of Italian outlet Corriere della Sera (via Sport Witness, h/t the Mirror‘s Liam Corless) reported the forward’s camp has been trying to negotiate a big-money deal to the Chinese Super League.

Pirlo hopes he will put his career before riches, though:

He has played for so many big clubs, it’s easy to forget he’s only 25. He still has time to make it at the very top.

He needs to pick his next club carefully. I have read things about him and China. With all respect to their league, Mario should not be going there yet.

If he has two or three good seasons at his next club, he will still only be 28 and could join one of the top clubs in Europe.

I don’t have any advice for him anymore, he knows the qualities that he has. From this point, it’s up to Mario.

Indeed, Balotelli’s career is already faltering, and he failed to make Antonio Conte’s UEFA Euro 2016 Italy squad—a move to China as he approaches what should be his peak years will make resurrecting his top-level career very difficult.

The mercurial frontman is already well on his way to becoming one of the biggest “what ifs” in the modern game. Heading to the Far East could cement that.

from Bleacher Report – Front Page http://ift.tt/29X8JQ2
via IFTTT http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

Former Italy star Andrea Pirlo has spoken of his frustration with compatriot Mario Balotelli for so far failing to live up to his potential. 

Per the Mirror‘s David Anderson, he believes the 25-year-old is running out of time to do so:

He frustrates me, but I do have so much affection for Mario. 

He is infectious to be around. When I used to see him walk into training for Italy, he would have this big smile on his face—and I would just burst out laughing—and start wondering what is he thinking, what is he up to?

Mario should not just be a character the media write about for good stories. We shouldn’t forget what a special player he is.

I have played with some of the best strikers, and I can tell you Mario has all the attributes to be one of the best strikers in the world.

By now I thought that is where he would be, that is where he should be. He has no more time to waste.

The striker emerged as a hot prospect at Inter Milan before moving to Manchester City, where he showed further glimpses of his talent. He secured a place in their history by assisting Sergio Aguero’s last-gasp Premier League-winning strike:

However, he struggled to make an impact in his third season. Balotelli left the Sky Blues in January 2013 for AC Milan, where he netted 12 goals in 13 matches and another 18 the following season.

His career seemed to be back on the up when Liverpool turned to him as they sought a replacement for Luis Suarez, but after scraping together just four goals at Anfield he was quickly loaned back to the Rossoneri last season.

With the first half of his campaign disrupted by injury, Balotelli netted three goals in 23 appearances.

Per the Mirror‘s David Maddock, he has subsequently returned to Liverpool but has been told by manager Jurgen Klopp he has no future at the club.

Betting site Paddy Power summed up his options:

Filippo Bonsignore of Italian outlet Corriere della Sera (via Sport Witness, h/t the Mirror‘s Liam Corless) reported the forward’s camp has been trying to negotiate a big-money deal to the Chinese Super League.

Pirlo hopes he will put his career before riches, though:

He has played for so many big clubs, it’s easy to forget he’s only 25. He still has time to make it at the very top.

He needs to pick his next club carefully. I have read things about him and China. With all respect to their league, Mario should not be going there yet.

If he has two or three good seasons at his next club, he will still only be 28 and could join one of the top clubs in Europe.

I don’t have any advice for him anymore, he knows the qualities that he has. From this point, it’s up to Mario.

Indeed, Balotelli’s career is already faltering, and he failed to make Antonio Conte’s UEFA Euro 2016 Italy squad—a move to China as he approaches what should be his peak years will make resurrecting his top-level career very difficult.

The mercurial frontman is already well on his way to becoming one of the biggest “what ifs” in the modern game. Heading to the Far East could cement that.

from Bleacher Report – Front Page http://ift.tt/29X8JQ2
via IFTTT http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

Former Italy star Andrea Pirlo has spoken of his frustration with compatriot Mario Balotelli for so far failing to live up to his potential. 

Per the Mirror‘s David Anderson, he believes the 25-year-old is running out of time to do so:

He frustrates me, but I do have so much affection for Mario. 

He is infectious to be around. When I used to see him walk into training for Italy, he would have this big smile on his face—and I would just burst out laughing—and start wondering what is he thinking, what is he up to?

Mario should not just be a character the media write about for good stories. We shouldn’t forget what a special player he is.

I have played with some of the best strikers, and I can tell you Mario has all the attributes to be one of the best strikers in the world.

By now I thought that is where he would be, that is where he should be. He has no more time to waste.

The striker emerged as a hot prospect at Inter Milan before moving to Manchester City, where he showed further glimpses of his talent. He secured a place in their history by assisting Sergio Aguero’s last-gasp Premier League-winning strike:

However, he struggled to make an impact in his third season. Balotelli left the Sky Blues in January 2013 for AC Milan, where he netted 12 goals in 13 matches and another 18 the following season.

His career seemed to be back on the up when Liverpool turned to him as they sought a replacement for Luis Suarez, but after scraping together just four goals at Anfield he was quickly loaned back to the Rossoneri last season.

With the first half of his campaign disrupted by injury, Balotelli netted three goals in 23 appearances.

Per the Mirror‘s David Maddock, he has subsequently returned to Liverpool but has been told by manager Jurgen Klopp he has no future at the club.

Betting site Paddy Power summed up his options:

Filippo Bonsignore of Italian outlet Corriere della Sera (via Sport Witness, h/t the Mirror‘s Liam Corless) reported the forward’s camp has been trying to negotiate a big-money deal to the Chinese Super League.

Pirlo hopes he will put his career before riches, though:

He has played for so many big clubs, it’s easy to forget he’s only 25. He still has time to make it at the very top.

He needs to pick his next club carefully. I have read things about him and China. With all respect to their league, Mario should not be going there yet.

If he has two or three good seasons at his next club, he will still only be 28 and could join one of the top clubs in Europe.

I don’t have any advice for him anymore, he knows the qualities that he has. From this point, it’s up to Mario.

Indeed, Balotelli’s career is already faltering, and he failed to make Antonio Conte’s UEFA Euro 2016 Italy squad—a move to China as he approaches what should be his peak years will make resurrecting his top-level career very difficult.

The mercurial frontman is already well on his way to becoming one of the biggest “what ifs” in the modern game. Heading to the Far East could cement that.

from Bleacher Report – Front Page http://ift.tt/29X8JQ2
via IFTTT http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

Olivier Giroud’s agent has rejected speculation linking the Arsenal striker with Napoli in a potential swap deal with Gonzalo Higuain. 

Per Simone Lorini of TuttoMercatoWeb (h/t ESPN FC), Michael Manuello said:

Everything I’ve read on the Giroud is not true. I personally have only said that if Arsenal want to sell it, then we will see.

I do not know where [the Napoli story] came from. We never talked to Naples and there are no other persons appointed over me that can do this, we need to clarify this.

GianlucaDiMarzio.com (h/t Metro‘s Mark Brus) had reported the Gunners had attempted to use Giroud as a make-weight in their pursuit of Higuain.

Manuello has addressed the rumours once before, though the last time he did so he was more positive about the idea of his client moving to the Partenopei, telling Radio CRC (h/t ESPN FC): “In Naples, my client could have a wonderful lifestyle, not to mention that Maurizio Sarri’s style of footballer would get the best out of a striker like him.”

The Frenchman finished the campaign with a strong total of 24 goals in all competitions. WhoScored.com compared his league stats with those of Inter Milan’s Mauro Icardi, whom ESPN noted is also linked with a move to the Emirates Stadium:

Giroud has shown himself to be a capable player, and his contributions undoubtedly warrant a place in Arsenal’s squad.

However, his chance conversion is poor—just 15.8 per cent—which shows he isn’t ruthless enough to be the Gunners’ main goalscorer.

Indeed, he suffered a lengthy and disastrous goal drought last season, per Squawka Football:

While it would be unfair to place all the blame of Arsenal’s simultaneous collapse on Giroud’s shoulders, were he a more clinical striker the team would likely have fared better.

The Frenchman is also rather slow, as noted by talkSPORT’s Georgie Bingham:

It’s less of a problem at Arsenal because of their dominance of possession, but it still shows the Gunners need more firepower.

Higuain scored 38 goals last season and would undoubtedly offer an upgrade on Giroud so a swap deal could work out, though it seems unlikely.

Ideally, Arsenal will keep Giroud, though, and add firepower alongside him—he may not be able to fire them to the title on his own, but for all his faults he’s very useful to have in the squad.

from Bleacher Report – Front Page http://ift.tt/2a5sog7
via IFTTT http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

Real Madrid have set off for pre-season in North America, training at the Montreal Impact‘s base in preparation for participation in the International Champions Cup.

Zinedine Zidane‘s men face a reduced summer programme, playing just three friendly games—against Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Bayern Munich—before competitive action gets underway with the UEFA Super Cup against Sevilla on August 9.

While the main priority of the squad will be enhancing fitness and readiness for the new season, several players need to also show they have the quality to be a regular part of Zidane‘s first team during the upcoming 2016-17 season after disappointing last year—with Mateo Kovacic one of the names in that group.

The Croatian must see the pre-season tour as his opportunity to shine, with circumstances handing him a platform to prove he should be ahead of the likes of Isco and James Rodriguez as Zidane‘s go-to midfielder when any of first-choice trio Toni Kroos, Luka Modric or Casemiro are unavailable.

Downturn

Last season was without doubt the most disappointing of Kovacic‘s recent career history. It started with a surprising move from Inter Milan to the Santiago Bernabeu for around €30 million, but little went right thereafter.

He started only two of Real’s opening 12 La Liga matches, didn’t register a goal or assist until December and was suspended for the start of Zidane‘s tenure, having been sent off for a typically reckless challenge in midfield in Rafa Benitez’s final match, the draw at Valencia.

Toward the end of the season, he was far from one of Zidane‘s trusted players, only starting one of the last 10 league games even though there was some reasonably heavy rotation going on with the XI as the regular starters were rested for European action.

Kovacic managed the full 90 minutes on just three occasions over the entire season, barely totalling 1,400 minutes across all competitions, and played only 34 minutes in the UEFA Champions League knock-out stages—just two minutes from the 480 available from the quarter-finals onward.

The final nail in the coffin of his 2015-16 campaign was Euro 2016.

Although he travelled with the Croatia squad, Kovacic had lost his place in the team and only featured twice as substitute in the group stage.

Opportunity

Croatia’s reasonably early exit from Euro 2016 has one upside for Kovacic other than drawing a line under his underwhelming season: Being part of Real Madrid’s pre-season camp from the very start, while others will join up over the coming days and weeks.

Just three games in non-competitive action means he, and others, need to hit the ground running— but he should almost certainly get the minutes he needs to play simply because of a lack of numbers.

Kovacic, Isco and Casemiro are the senior midfielders in Zidane‘s tour squad from day one, along with the impressive Marco Asensio, with Castilla hopefuls making up the numbers: Enzo Zidane, Martin Odegaard, Marcos Llorente and Aleix Febas.

The youngsters will get a chance, no doubt, but it will be the seniors who see the most time on the pitch against difficult opponents.

Simply put, Kovacic has to be directly better than Isco in all respects: training ethic, on-the-ball production during games, fitness and consistency. He’s a far more aggressive player than Isco, but this next month has to be when he takes the initiative to show he is as—if not more—influential in the final third, too.

All-Rounder

Real Madrid might well sign another midfielder this summer, but they have missed out on their first target.

Marca‘s Jose Felix Diaz and Euan McTear reported that N’Golo Kante was Zidane‘s No. 1 priority, but he has since joined Chelsea, and there is no current obvious alternative without Real moving into huge figures for a transfer fee.

With Diego Llorente already loaned out, there is no back-up for holding midfielder Casemiro available to Zidane—other than to revert to Kroos as the deepest of three, something which never worked quite as well as Real needed it to from a defensive standpoint.

Kovacic is the alternative.

At Inter he would often play deepest, with his aggression and tenacious (at times overzealous) tackling providing a real shield for the defence. He’s perhaps not as naturally inclined to sit deep as Casemiro is, but the extra time in possession that the role afforded Kovacic would often see him excel in his playmaking capacity.

He will, however, look to suddenly drive forward and cover 20 or 30 metres as a surprise element from deep from time to time—an exciting tactical alteration, but one which requires discipline from those higher up in midfield to drop in and provide cover.

Kovacic can fill all three roles in central midfield and is surely the most useful of the non-starters to Zidane over the longer term…but without consistency and showing his quality, that means little.

Success?

What constitutes a good season for Kovacic?

Certainly, featuring more often than he did last season must come as standard. There’s no reason to think his ability should warrant anything less than 2500 minutes across all competitions (barring injury), even if he’s not a starter for 30 league games a season.

The big question is, can he become the player turned to on the bench before James or Isco? Is Zidane even willing to afford him the chance? Marca has published articles surrounding the head coach and the president being set to talk to James and to Isco, but not Kovacic.

Bild (h/t Marca) reported that a move was possible, with Borussia Dortmund interested, but considering the time given to some other players to make good on their ability, jettisoning Kovacic at 22 years of age would be folly.

Much may depend on how much he wants to play for Real, as opposed to simply wanting to play.

Kovacic would have no shortage of takers if he opted to move, but he has the mix of physicality and technicality in his game to be a success at the highest level, making this pre-season an enormous one for him if he is to make the grade at Real Madrid.

Follow @karlmatchett

from Bleacher Report – Front Page http://ift.tt/2a4PBlx
via IFTTT http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

Real Madrid have set off for pre-season in North America, training at the Montreal Impact‘s base in preparation for participation in the International Champions Cup.

Zinedine Zidane‘s men face a reduced summer programme, playing just three friendly games—against Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Bayern Munich—before competitive action gets underway with the UEFA Super Cup against Sevilla on August 9.

While the main priority of the squad will be enhancing fitness and readiness for the new season, several players need to also show they have the quality to be a regular part of Zidane‘s first team during the upcoming 2016-17 season after disappointing last year—with Mateo Kovacic one of the names in that group.

The Croatian must see the pre-season tour as his opportunity to shine, with circumstances handing him a platform to prove he should be ahead of the likes of Isco and James Rodriguez as Zidane‘s go-to midfielder when any of first-choice trio Toni Kroos, Luka Modric or Casemiro are unavailable.

Downturn

Last season was without doubt the most disappointing of Kovacic‘s recent career history. It started with a surprising move from Inter Milan to the Santiago Bernabeu for around €30 million, but little went right thereafter.

He started only two of Real’s opening 12 La Liga matches, didn’t register a goal or assist until December and was suspended for the start of Zidane‘s tenure, having been sent off for a typically reckless challenge in midfield in Rafa Benitez’s final match, the draw at Valencia.

Toward the end of the season, he was far from one of Zidane‘s trusted players, only starting one of the last 10 league games even though there was some reasonably heavy rotation going on with the XI as the regular starters were rested for European action.

Kovacic managed the full 90 minutes on just three occasions over the entire season, barely totalling 1,400 minutes across all competitions, and played only 34 minutes in the UEFA Champions League knock-out stages—just two minutes from the 480 available from the quarter-finals onward.

The final nail in the coffin of his 2015-16 campaign was Euro 2016.

Although he travelled with the Croatia squad, Kovacic had lost his place in the team and only featured twice as substitute in the group stage.

Opportunity

Croatia’s reasonably early exit from Euro 2016 has one upside for Kovacic other than drawing a line under his underwhelming season: Being part of Real Madrid’s pre-season camp from the very start, while others will join up over the coming days and weeks.

Just three games in non-competitive action means he, and others, need to hit the ground running— but he should almost certainly get the minutes he needs to play simply because of a lack of numbers.

Kovacic, Isco and Casemiro are the senior midfielders in Zidane‘s tour squad from day one, along with the impressive Marco Asensio, with Castilla hopefuls making up the numbers: Enzo Zidane, Martin Odegaard, Marcos Llorente and Aleix Febas.

The youngsters will get a chance, no doubt, but it will be the seniors who see the most time on the pitch against difficult opponents.

Simply put, Kovacic has to be directly better than Isco in all respects: training ethic, on-the-ball production during games, fitness and consistency. He’s a far more aggressive player than Isco, but this next month has to be when he takes the initiative to show he is as—if not more—influential in the final third, too.

All-Rounder

Real Madrid might well sign another midfielder this summer, but they have missed out on their first target.

Marca‘s Jose Felix Diaz and Euan McTear reported that N’Golo Kante was Zidane‘s No. 1 priority, but he has since joined Chelsea, and there is no current obvious alternative without Real moving into huge figures for a transfer fee.

With Diego Llorente already loaned out, there is no back-up for holding midfielder Casemiro available to Zidane—other than to revert to Kroos as the deepest of three, something which never worked quite as well as Real needed it to from a defensive standpoint.

Kovacic is the alternative.

At Inter he would often play deepest, with his aggression and tenacious (at times overzealous) tackling providing a real shield for the defence. He’s perhaps not as naturally inclined to sit deep as Casemiro is, but the extra time in possession that the role afforded Kovacic would often see him excel in his playmaking capacity.

He will, however, look to suddenly drive forward and cover 20 or 30 metres as a surprise element from deep from time to time—an exciting tactical alteration, but one which requires discipline from those higher up in midfield to drop in and provide cover.

Kovacic can fill all three roles in central midfield and is surely the most useful of the non-starters to Zidane over the longer term…but without consistency and showing his quality, that means little.

Success?

What constitutes a good season for Kovacic?

Certainly, featuring more often than he did last season must come as standard. There’s no reason to think his ability should warrant anything less than 2500 minutes across all competitions (barring injury), even if he’s not a starter for 30 league games a season.

The big question is, can he become the player turned to on the bench before James or Isco? Is Zidane even willing to afford him the chance? Marca has published articles surrounding the head coach and the president being set to talk to James and to Isco, but not Kovacic.

Bild (h/t Marca) reported that a move was possible, with Borussia Dortmund interested, but considering the time given to some other players to make good on their ability, jettisoning Kovacic at 22 years of age would be folly.

Much may depend on how much he wants to play for Real, as opposed to simply wanting to play.

Kovacic would have no shortage of takers if he opted to move, but he has the mix of physicality and technicality in his game to be a success at the highest level, making this pre-season an enormous one for him if he is to make the grade at Real Madrid.

Follow @karlmatchett

from Bleacher Report – Front Page http://ift.tt/2a4PBlx
via IFTTT http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

Real Madrid have set off for pre-season in North America, training at the Montreal Impact‘s base in preparation for participation in the International Champions Cup.

Zinedine Zidane‘s men face a reduced summer programme, playing just three friendly games—against Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Bayern Munich—before competitive action gets underway with the UEFA Super Cup against Sevilla on August 9.

While the main priority of the squad will be enhancing fitness and readiness for the new season, several players need to also show they have the quality to be a regular part of Zidane‘s first team during the upcoming 2016-17 season after disappointing last year—with Mateo Kovacic one of the names in that group.

The Croatian must see the pre-season tour as his opportunity to shine, with circumstances handing him a platform to prove he should be ahead of the likes of Isco and James Rodriguez as Zidane‘s go-to midfielder when any of first-choice trio Toni Kroos, Luka Modric or Casemiro are unavailable.

Downturn

Last season was without doubt the most disappointing of Kovacic‘s recent career history. It started with a surprising move from Inter Milan to the Santiago Bernabeu for around €30 million, but little went right thereafter.

He started only two of Real’s opening 12 La Liga matches, didn’t register a goal or assist until December and was suspended for the start of Zidane‘s tenure, having been sent off for a typically reckless challenge in midfield in Rafa Benitez’s final match, the draw at Valencia.

Toward the end of the season, he was far from one of Zidane‘s trusted players, only starting one of the last 10 league games even though there was some reasonably heavy rotation going on with the XI as the regular starters were rested for European action.

Kovacic managed the full 90 minutes on just three occasions over the entire season, barely totalling 1,400 minutes across all competitions, and played only 34 minutes in the UEFA Champions League knock-out stages—just two minutes from the 480 available from the quarter-finals onward.

The final nail in the coffin of his 2015-16 campaign was Euro 2016.

Although he travelled with the Croatia squad, Kovacic had lost his place in the team and only featured twice as substitute in the group stage.

Opportunity

Croatia’s reasonably early exit from Euro 2016 has one upside for Kovacic other than drawing a line under his underwhelming season: Being part of Real Madrid’s pre-season camp from the very start, while others will join up over the coming days and weeks.

Just three games in non-competitive action means he, and others, need to hit the ground running— but he should almost certainly get the minutes he needs to play simply because of a lack of numbers.

Kovacic, Isco and Casemiro are the senior midfielders in Zidane‘s tour squad from day one, along with the impressive Marco Asensio, with Castilla hopefuls making up the numbers: Enzo Zidane, Martin Odegaard, Marcos Llorente and Aleix Febas.

The youngsters will get a chance, no doubt, but it will be the seniors who see the most time on the pitch against difficult opponents.

Simply put, Kovacic has to be directly better than Isco in all respects: training ethic, on-the-ball production during games, fitness and consistency. He’s a far more aggressive player than Isco, but this next month has to be when he takes the initiative to show he is as—if not more—influential in the final third, too.

All-Rounder

Real Madrid might well sign another midfielder this summer, but they have missed out on their first target.

Marca‘s Jose Felix Diaz and Euan McTear reported that N’Golo Kante was Zidane‘s No. 1 priority, but he has since joined Chelsea, and there is no current obvious alternative without Real moving into huge figures for a transfer fee.

With Diego Llorente already loaned out, there is no back-up for holding midfielder Casemiro available to Zidane—other than to revert to Kroos as the deepest of three, something which never worked quite as well as Real needed it to from a defensive standpoint.

Kovacic is the alternative.

At Inter he would often play deepest, with his aggression and tenacious (at times overzealous) tackling providing a real shield for the defence. He’s perhaps not as naturally inclined to sit deep as Casemiro is, but the extra time in possession that the role afforded Kovacic would often see him excel in his playmaking capacity.

He will, however, look to suddenly drive forward and cover 20 or 30 metres as a surprise element from deep from time to time—an exciting tactical alteration, but one which requires discipline from those higher up in midfield to drop in and provide cover.

Kovacic can fill all three roles in central midfield and is surely the most useful of the non-starters to Zidane over the longer term…but without consistency and showing his quality, that means little.

Success?

What constitutes a good season for Kovacic?

Certainly, featuring more often than he did last season must come as standard. There’s no reason to think his ability should warrant anything less than 2500 minutes across all competitions (barring injury), even if he’s not a starter for 30 league games a season.

The big question is, can he become the player turned to on the bench before James or Isco? Is Zidane even willing to afford him the chance? Marca has published articles surrounding the head coach and the president being set to talk to James and to Isco, but not Kovacic.

Bild (h/t Marca) reported that a move was possible, with Borussia Dortmund interested, but considering the time given to some other players to make good on their ability, jettisoning Kovacic at 22 years of age would be folly.

Much may depend on how much he wants to play for Real, as opposed to simply wanting to play.

Kovacic would have no shortage of takers if he opted to move, but he has the mix of physicality and technicality in his game to be a success at the highest level, making this pre-season an enormous one for him if he is to make the grade at Real Madrid.

Follow @karlmatchett

from Bleacher Report – Front Page http://ift.tt/2a4PBlx
via IFTTT http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

Real Madrid have set off for pre-season in North America, training at the Montreal Impact‘s base in preparation for participation in the International Champions Cup.

Zinedine Zidane‘s men face a reduced summer programme, playing just three friendly games—against Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Bayern Munich—before competitive action gets underway with the UEFA Super Cup against Sevilla on August 9.

While the main priority of the squad will be enhancing fitness and readiness for the new season, several players need to also show they have the quality to be a regular part of Zidane‘s first team during the upcoming 2016-17 season after disappointing last year—with Mateo Kovacic one of the names in that group.

The Croatian must see the pre-season tour as his opportunity to shine, with circumstances handing him a platform to prove he should be ahead of the likes of Isco and James Rodriguez as Zidane‘s go-to midfielder when any of first-choice trio Toni Kroos, Luka Modric or Casemiro are unavailable.

Downturn

Last season was without doubt the most disappointing of Kovacic‘s recent career history. It started with a surprising move from Inter Milan to the Santiago Bernabeu for around €30 million, but little went right thereafter.

He started only two of Real’s opening 12 La Liga matches, didn’t register a goal or assist until December and was suspended for the start of Zidane‘s tenure, having been sent off for a typically reckless challenge in midfield in Rafa Benitez’s final match, the draw at Valencia.

Toward the end of the season, he was far from one of Zidane‘s trusted players, only starting one of the last 10 league games even though there was some reasonably heavy rotation going on with the XI as the regular starters were rested for European action.

Kovacic managed the full 90 minutes on just three occasions over the entire season, barely totalling 1,400 minutes across all competitions, and played only 34 minutes in the UEFA Champions League knock-out stages—just two minutes from the 480 available from the quarter-finals onward.

The final nail in the coffin of his 2015-16 campaign was Euro 2016.

Although he travelled with the Croatia squad, Kovacic had lost his place in the team and only featured twice as substitute in the group stage.

Opportunity

Croatia’s reasonably early exit from Euro 2016 has one upside for Kovacic other than drawing a line under his underwhelming season: Being part of Real Madrid’s pre-season camp from the very start, while others will join up over the coming days and weeks.

Just three games in non-competitive action means he, and others, need to hit the ground running— but he should almost certainly get the minutes he needs to play simply because of a lack of numbers.

Kovacic, Isco and Casemiro are the senior midfielders in Zidane‘s tour squad from day one, along with the impressive Marco Asensio, with Castilla hopefuls making up the numbers: Enzo Zidane, Martin Odegaard, Marcos Llorente and Aleix Febas.

The youngsters will get a chance, no doubt, but it will be the seniors who see the most time on the pitch against difficult opponents.

Simply put, Kovacic has to be directly better than Isco in all respects: training ethic, on-the-ball production during games, fitness and consistency. He’s a far more aggressive player than Isco, but this next month has to be when he takes the initiative to show he is as—if not more—influential in the final third, too.

All-Rounder

Real Madrid might well sign another midfielder this summer, but they have missed out on their first target.

Marca‘s Jose Felix Diaz and Euan McTear reported that N’Golo Kante was Zidane‘s No. 1 priority, but he has since joined Chelsea, and there is no current obvious alternative without Real moving into huge figures for a transfer fee.

With Diego Llorente already loaned out, there is no back-up for holding midfielder Casemiro available to Zidane—other than to revert to Kroos as the deepest of three, something which never worked quite as well as Real needed it to from a defensive standpoint.

Kovacic is the alternative.

At Inter he would often play deepest, with his aggression and tenacious (at times overzealous) tackling providing a real shield for the defence. He’s perhaps not as naturally inclined to sit deep as Casemiro is, but the extra time in possession that the role afforded Kovacic would often see him excel in his playmaking capacity.

He will, however, look to suddenly drive forward and cover 20 or 30 metres as a surprise element from deep from time to time—an exciting tactical alteration, but one which requires discipline from those higher up in midfield to drop in and provide cover.

Kovacic can fill all three roles in central midfield and is surely the most useful of the non-starters to Zidane over the longer term…but without consistency and showing his quality, that means little.

Success?

What constitutes a good season for Kovacic?

Certainly, featuring more often than he did last season must come as standard. There’s no reason to think his ability should warrant anything less than 2500 minutes across all competitions (barring injury), even if he’s not a starter for 30 league games a season.

The big question is, can he become the player turned to on the bench before James or Isco? Is Zidane even willing to afford him the chance? Marca has published articles surrounding the head coach and the president being set to talk to James and to Isco, but not Kovacic.

Bild (h/t Marca) reported that a move was possible, with Borussia Dortmund interested, but considering the time given to some other players to make good on their ability, jettisoning Kovacic at 22 years of age would be folly.

Much may depend on how much he wants to play for Real, as opposed to simply wanting to play.

Kovacic would have no shortage of takers if he opted to move, but he has the mix of physicality and technicality in his game to be a success at the highest level, making this pre-season an enormous one for him if he is to make the grade at Real Madrid.

Follow @karlmatchett

from Bleacher Report – Front Page http://ift.tt/2a4PBlx
via IFTTT http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

Real Madrid have set off for pre-season in North America, training at the Montreal Impact‘s base in preparation for participation in the International Champions Cup.

Zinedine Zidane‘s men face a reduced summer programme, playing just three friendly games—against Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Bayern Munich—before competitive action gets underway with the UEFA Super Cup against Sevilla on August 9.

While the main priority of the squad will be enhancing fitness and readiness for the new season, several players need to also show they have the quality to be a regular part of Zidane‘s first team during the upcoming 2016-17 season after disappointing last year—with Mateo Kovacic one of the names in that group.

The Croatian must see the pre-season tour as his opportunity to shine, with circumstances handing him a platform to prove he should be ahead of the likes of Isco and James Rodriguez as Zidane‘s go-to midfielder when any of first-choice trio Toni Kroos, Luka Modric or Casemiro are unavailable.

Downturn

Last season was without doubt the most disappointing of Kovacic‘s recent career history. It started with a surprising move from Inter Milan to the Santiago Bernabeu for around €30 million, but little went right thereafter.

He started only two of Real’s opening 12 La Liga matches, didn’t register a goal or assist until December and was suspended for the start of Zidane‘s tenure, having been sent off for a typically reckless challenge in midfield in Rafa Benitez’s final match, the draw at Valencia.

Toward the end of the season, he was far from one of Zidane‘s trusted players, only starting one of the last 10 league games even though there was some reasonably heavy rotation going on with the XI as the regular starters were rested for European action.

Kovacic managed the full 90 minutes on just three occasions over the entire season, barely totalling 1,400 minutes across all competitions, and played only 34 minutes in the UEFA Champions League knock-out stages—just two minutes from the 480 available from the quarter-finals onward.

The final nail in the coffin of his 2015-16 campaign was Euro 2016.

Although he travelled with the Croatia squad, Kovacic had lost his place in the team and only featured twice as substitute in the group stage.

Opportunity

Croatia’s reasonably early exit from Euro 2016 has one upside for Kovacic other than drawing a line under his underwhelming season: Being part of Real Madrid’s pre-season camp from the very start, while others will join up over the coming days and weeks.

Just three games in non-competitive action means he, and others, need to hit the ground running— but he should almost certainly get the minutes he needs to play simply because of a lack of numbers.

Kovacic, Isco and Casemiro are the senior midfielders in Zidane‘s tour squad from day one, along with the impressive Marco Asensio, with Castilla hopefuls making up the numbers: Enzo Zidane, Martin Odegaard, Marcos Llorente and Aleix Febas.

The youngsters will get a chance, no doubt, but it will be the seniors who see the most time on the pitch against difficult opponents.

Simply put, Kovacic has to be directly better than Isco in all respects: training ethic, on-the-ball production during games, fitness and consistency. He’s a far more aggressive player than Isco, but this next month has to be when he takes the initiative to show he is as—if not more—influential in the final third, too.

All-Rounder

Real Madrid might well sign another midfielder this summer, but they have missed out on their first target.

Marca‘s Jose Felix Diaz and Euan McTear reported that N’Golo Kante was Zidane‘s No. 1 priority, but he has since joined Chelsea, and there is no current obvious alternative without Real moving into huge figures for a transfer fee.

With Diego Llorente already loaned out, there is no back-up for holding midfielder Casemiro available to Zidane—other than to revert to Kroos as the deepest of three, something which never worked quite as well as Real needed it to from a defensive standpoint.

Kovacic is the alternative.

At Inter he would often play deepest, with his aggression and tenacious (at times overzealous) tackling providing a real shield for the defence. He’s perhaps not as naturally inclined to sit deep as Casemiro is, but the extra time in possession that the role afforded Kovacic would often see him excel in his playmaking capacity.

He will, however, look to suddenly drive forward and cover 20 or 30 metres as a surprise element from deep from time to time—an exciting tactical alteration, but one which requires discipline from those higher up in midfield to drop in and provide cover.

Kovacic can fill all three roles in central midfield and is surely the most useful of the non-starters to Zidane over the longer term…but without consistency and showing his quality, that means little.

Success?

What constitutes a good season for Kovacic?

Certainly, featuring more often than he did last season must come as standard. There’s no reason to think his ability should warrant anything less than 2500 minutes across all competitions (barring injury), even if he’s not a starter for 30 league games a season.

The big question is, can he become the player turned to on the bench before James or Isco? Is Zidane even willing to afford him the chance? Marca has published articles surrounding the head coach and the president being set to talk to James and to Isco, but not Kovacic.

Bild (h/t Marca) reported that a move was possible, with Borussia Dortmund interested, but considering the time given to some other players to make good on their ability, jettisoning Kovacic at 22 years of age would be folly.

Much may depend on how much he wants to play for Real, as opposed to simply wanting to play.

Kovacic would have no shortage of takers if he opted to move, but he has the mix of physicality and technicality in his game to be a success at the highest level, making this pre-season an enormous one for him if he is to make the grade at Real Madrid.

Follow @karlmatchett

from Bleacher Report – Front Page http://ift.tt/2a4PBlx
via IFTTT http://ift.tt/eA8V8J