Mateo Kovacic ai??i?? Scouting The Inter And Croatia Starlet

Inter have been a team going through a rough patch in the last couple of seasons. Ever since their triumph over Bayern Munich in the Champions League final, the Nerazzurri have gone downhill. A period of transition can be cited as a possible alibi for their slump; it really hasn’t been all rosy at the Appiano Gentile.

Inter, like their neighbors AC Milan, have looked towards youth as the way forward. With the signings of Juan Jesus, Mauro Icardi and Ishak Belfodil, a new era has dawned at the Nerazzurri. But perhaps the leader of the new-look Inter comes in the form of a 19 year old. Mateo Kovacic has been the shining light in an otherwise dark season for Inter.

In the January transfer window, Inter made the decision to offload two of its strongest attacking midfielders. Wesley Sneijder and Philippe Coutinho would jump ship in search of the first-team football opportunities they were deprived under Stramaccioni.

The bold decision to bring in a virtually unknown 18-year-old prospect from Croatia to fill their sizable boots was seen as a risk at a time when Inter were in desperate search for guarantees. Even more startling was the fact that Inter were ready to cough up a high sum of ai??i??13m for a relatively unknown talent. Yet the burden of the price tag and the inevitable expectations that came with it wouldn’t faze Kovacic.

When you think of players who have made the successful transition from “trequartista” to “regista”, you think of Andrea Pirlo and more recently Marco Verratti; Kovacic now looks to follow suit. Having started off his career in the hole or often deployed on the as an attacking midfielder while at Dinamo Zagreb, Kovacic has settled in a deeper role.

But what is remarkable about Kovacic is the ease with which he has made the transition to a notoriously tactical Italian league. Heai??i??s fitted into a new team, a new system and a new country like casing on a sausage. In a struggling side, surrounded by players losing form without hesitation and with an air of perpetual uncertainty, Kovacic has been consistently impressive and impressively consistent. It didn’t take him too long to become the talk of the town.

Dribbling

Now hereai??i??s his forte. Dribbling is an art form, a skill that you are gifted with and one that Kovacic is certainly learning to master. Time and again Kovacic sets off on these mazy little dribbles from midfield and when in full flight, the only way to stop him is illegally. The midfielder doesn’t have to look too far to take dribbling lessons from with his captain, Javier Zanetti, famed for his mini bursts. Zanetti, nicknamed, “Il Trattore” after his wayward runs with the ball stuck to his feet, will surely have a word of advice to pass on to Kovacic as far as dribbling is concerned. According to whoscored.com, Kovacic is second only to Diego of Wolfsburg in the successful dribbling department from last season, a testament to his precocious talent.

Score: 8/10

Passing

One of the demands of a regista remains his ability to control and dictate the flow and tempo of the game from a deep position, something that Kovacic has proved himself capable of doing. Setting off attacks, spraying passes, whether it be short or long, are all the boxes that he ticks. Heai??i??s coupled intelligence in possession with the knack to pick out the right pass to provide Inter with just the right play-maker they’ve needed and lacked in front of the defense. What also has come to the fore is his composure on the ball, something that even veterans over 30 years of age sometimes lack.

Score: 7.5/10

Tackling

When a player makes the conversion from a trequartista to a regista, you cannot expect him to dish out perfectly timed tackles. Kovacic has been reluctant to dive into ball winning challenges, a side of the game that still needs development. Defensively, he may find himself as the screen in front of his defense, hence regaining possession or stopping up counter-attacks remains a big part of the job description. This perhaps can be outlined as a weakness in his inventory. A good sense of anticipation and the ability to remain one step ahead of his opponents can only develop through the best teacher of them all: experience.

Score: 6/10

What Lies Ahead

New Inter manager Walter Mazzarri noted, ai???Mateo has similar potential (to Hamsik) and I hope that if we can make the right adjustments ai??i?? for example when attacking and getting shots in on goal ai??i?? he can become very similar to Marek. I have great belief in the boy. He’s very young and he’s got plenty of room for improvement. He always listens and is very determined.ai???

Clear indications that Kovacic has the backing of the new manager, and after his performances last term, you can understand why Mazzarri would put his faith in the young Croat. The former Sampdoria manager has identified Kovacicai??i??s talent and aims to nurture it in similar fashion to the beast he created in the form of Marek Hamsik. This, of course, would take time and adjustment to a role with diverse demands, to which Kovacic has got himself accustomed to in his short spell at Inter.

Mateo Kovacic remains Inter and Croatian Footballai??i??s greatest hope. He is brimming with quality and talent that Mazzarri will look to tap. But more importantly perhaps, he has the right attitude and personality to help him hone his prodigious gifts. His compatriot, Zvonimir Boban, lavished praise on him and he even claimed he can go on to become better than the former Milan man.

If you go by the performances Kovacic has racked up, the potential is at an almost frightening level. Expect his respective club and national outfits to build their future around him and, over time, to scale new heights and become one of the finest midfielders in European football.

Tags: inter Mateo Kovacic

Mateo Kovacic ai??i?? Scouting The Inter And Croatia Starlet

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