Slipperduke
The Camden Cad
While England’s footballers sulk in their sun-loungers, the rest of the continent will be contesting the 2008 European Championships. Iain Macintosh, who still won’t allow the word ‘McClaren’ to be uttered in his home, runs the rule over some of the potential stars of the summer. This week, it’s the turn of Dynamo Zagreb and Croatia midfielder, Luka Modric
I don't really remember much about England's defeat to Croatia last year. I watched most of it from behind the sofa, occasionally popping up to bellow, "Crouch can't play up front on his own, you ginger dolt!" I tried to be an objective journalist and study it as I would any other match, but there's only so much that you can see through a flood of frustrated tears. Apparently, according to some of my more professional colleagues, Croatian midfielder Luka Modric was very good. I didn't notice. All I noticed was an idiot under an umbrella.
Well, I've recovered now, sort of, and I decided it was time to have a look at this Modric character and find out just how good he really was and, you know what? Those professional journalists weren't quite right. Luka Modric isn't 'very good'. Luka Modric is absolutely outstanding!
Croatia arrived in Scotland for this European Championship warm-up game in defiant mood. Slaven Bilic, their bullish coach, has seen his hopes of summer glory dashed by the injury to Eduardo last month, but he's worked hard to rally the nation. Croatia practically went into mourning after that tackle. Their newspapers carried huge pictures of Martin Taylor with the headline, "The Executioner." It's fair to say they were unamused by the crippling of their leading goalscorer. Bilic was unamused by the smoking regulations in Scotland. A ban on cigarettes in all public places meant that he had to be escorted outside the stadium for his pre-match smoke. If he was nervous, he needn't have been. Why reach for the reassuring drag of a Malboro when you can just watch Modric in action?
If this sounds like an adolescent love letter, then I make no apologies. Some of the things that Modric did just made me sigh with pleasure. He's a wonderful player and I sincerely hope the rumours of his impending arrival in the Premier League are true. He is built like a sparrow and moves like one too. A sort of fluttering, ethereal blend of walking and flying, his head flicking around looking for danger. He doesn't so much kick the ball as gently wave his leg at it. He's so impish and light that you could clad him in tapshoes and make him play on concrete and you'd never hear his foot-falls.
Early on in this miserably wet night, he came into possession of the ball just outside of his own penalty area. A Scottish midfielder charged in to clatter him, but Modric simply shifted his weight and let the ball slide from his left foot to his right. That's all he did, but he seemed to spring three yards sideways as his assailant hurtled past him. Then, touching the ball back to his left foot he pushed out with his boot and sent a fifty yard through ball across the pitch that was measured so perfectly that it whistled past a Scottish defender and began to slow down just in front of Ivica Olic. If the Croatian striker had scored, you'd be seeing replays of the pass until the end of time.
Croatia's goal came from a swerving Niko Kranjcar shot (is there any other kind?) but it was made by Modric who took a thrown-in down with one gentle touch, bringing the ball under control with the outside of his foot while in mid-air. In the same movement, he pushed out and delivered the ball to Kranjcar. It was a tiny movement, a beautiful subtlety, but I get the feeling that Modric specialises in this.
Eduardo's absence will probably prevent Croatia from making a serious challenge in the summer, but Modric's presence will be something for everyone to look forward to. This boy is going to be a star.
STAR PLAYER - Luka Modric (Croatia)
Speed - 9
Skill - 10
Determination - 9
Total - 28
I don't really remember much about England's defeat to Croatia last year. I watched most of it from behind the sofa, occasionally popping up to bellow, "Crouch can't play up front on his own, you ginger dolt!" I tried to be an objective journalist and study it as I would any other match, but there's only so much that you can see through a flood of frustrated tears. Apparently, according to some of my more professional colleagues, Croatian midfielder Luka Modric was very good. I didn't notice. All I noticed was an idiot under an umbrella.
Well, I've recovered now, sort of, and I decided it was time to have a look at this Modric character and find out just how good he really was and, you know what? Those professional journalists weren't quite right. Luka Modric isn't 'very good'. Luka Modric is absolutely outstanding!
Croatia arrived in Scotland for this European Championship warm-up game in defiant mood. Slaven Bilic, their bullish coach, has seen his hopes of summer glory dashed by the injury to Eduardo last month, but he's worked hard to rally the nation. Croatia practically went into mourning after that tackle. Their newspapers carried huge pictures of Martin Taylor with the headline, "The Executioner." It's fair to say they were unamused by the crippling of their leading goalscorer. Bilic was unamused by the smoking regulations in Scotland. A ban on cigarettes in all public places meant that he had to be escorted outside the stadium for his pre-match smoke. If he was nervous, he needn't have been. Why reach for the reassuring drag of a Malboro when you can just watch Modric in action?
If this sounds like an adolescent love letter, then I make no apologies. Some of the things that Modric did just made me sigh with pleasure. He's a wonderful player and I sincerely hope the rumours of his impending arrival in the Premier League are true. He is built like a sparrow and moves like one too. A sort of fluttering, ethereal blend of walking and flying, his head flicking around looking for danger. He doesn't so much kick the ball as gently wave his leg at it. He's so impish and light that you could clad him in tapshoes and make him play on concrete and you'd never hear his foot-falls.
Early on in this miserably wet night, he came into possession of the ball just outside of his own penalty area. A Scottish midfielder charged in to clatter him, but Modric simply shifted his weight and let the ball slide from his left foot to his right. That's all he did, but he seemed to spring three yards sideways as his assailant hurtled past him. Then, touching the ball back to his left foot he pushed out with his boot and sent a fifty yard through ball across the pitch that was measured so perfectly that it whistled past a Scottish defender and began to slow down just in front of Ivica Olic. If the Croatian striker had scored, you'd be seeing replays of the pass until the end of time.
Croatia's goal came from a swerving Niko Kranjcar shot (is there any other kind?) but it was made by Modric who took a thrown-in down with one gentle touch, bringing the ball under control with the outside of his foot while in mid-air. In the same movement, he pushed out and delivered the ball to Kranjcar. It was a tiny movement, a beautiful subtlety, but I get the feeling that Modric specialises in this.
Eduardo's absence will probably prevent Croatia from making a serious challenge in the summer, but Modric's presence will be something for everyone to look forward to. This boy is going to be a star.
STAR PLAYER - Luka Modric (Croatia)
Speed - 9
Skill - 10
Determination - 9
Total - 28
