CROATIA MANAGER ZLATKO Dalic believes his side have been treated unfairly over the application of coronavirus rules at Euro 2020 ahead of their crucial clash against Scotland on Tuesday.
Scottish football chiefs announced on Monday that midfielder Billy Gilmour had tested positive for Covid-19 but no other players have been forced to self-isolate.
Croatia had planned to base themselves at St Andrews, on the east coast of Scotland, for the group stage, with two of their matches in Glasgow after their opener at Wembley, where they lost 1-0 to England.
However, they were forced into a late change of plans because Scottish government rules on close contacts would potentially have meant several players being forced to isolate in the event of a positive case in the squad.
The Scottish squad have not been subject to those rules as Gilmour’s positive case was detected at their Middlesbrough training camp in the north of England, where the protocols are different.
“They told us if one of us is positive, we all go into isolation,” a frustrated Dalic said at his pre-match press conference. “Nonetheless we are going to try our best.”
Dalic wished Gilmour well in his recovery and added that he hoped there was no further outbreak in the Scottish squad.
But he said his players had been put under pressure to play the game despite concerns over facing a side that had recently returned a positive case.
“I wish that no one else is positive, I don’t want this to expand,” added Dalic. “We are concerned, but unfortunately we have to play this match.”
Croatia, who have resorted to a training base at home, are further hampered by a lack of fans due to British restrictions on travel.
We are harmed because we are playing without our fans,” said Dalic. “With our fans we are way stronger. This is not really fair, we have to travel, stay in a bubble.”
Three years on from reaching the World Cup final, Croatia have looked a diminished force at Euro 2020.
A moment of magic from Ivan Perisic salvaged a 1-1 draw against the Czech Republic on Friday to keep their chances of reaching the last 16 alive.
Victory for either side at Hampden is likely to be enough to progress to the knockout stages as one of the four best third-placed sides, even if they do not sneak past England or the Czechs into the top two in the group.
“We haven’t been the real Croatia in the last two matches,” said Inter Milan’s Perisic.
“We have to improve way more and play way better. It’s not going to be easy but in the past when we had to, we were the real Croatia.
“Tomorrow I feel it is going to be all right for Croatia. It is nice Scotland also has to play an open game.”
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No they’d be terrible. As a Forest fan, I think the team have been, for the most part playing good attacking football and scoring goals. They’ve been inconsistent – a little soft at the back is all. Due to the influx of cash, the standard in the EFL is far more technically proficient and tactically sophisticated league (at the top end at least) than it was when O’Neill and Keane last managed this division. I’ve seen nothing in their recent work to suggest they have the tactical savvy to do a job for Forest. They certainly don’t have tne man-management skills to get the best out of the modern professional footballer.
@Fergal O’ Reilly: yes because they got to the last 16 of the euros and 90 mins from a World Cup without having a clue about tactics. Sick of people churning out this shpeel about o Neil and Keane.
@Lorcan Cunningham: there was a horrible amount of luck and just plain heart and fight by the players to get there though. When the adrenaline of the Euros died, then the will of the players did too. There’s nothing motivating about playing the same aimless football for the following two years when smaller countries with less talent become more proficient and confident.
@Lorcan Cunningham: Nah! You’ve cherrypicked one example of things working out – and there’s probably one or two other properly “impressive” displays e.g. Germany and Serbia. (But even then what exactly was their tactical master stroke? ) And anyway, the last 12-18 months have been abject – deplorable even – with ZERO semblance of a tactical game plan . And on top of that, you need to be even better man-managers in a club environment because of player/agent-power. The two lads are beyond abysmal in that department.
@Fergal O’ Reilly: last 12 months things crumbled due to injuries/retirements. The lads were at the helm for some memorable nights for Irish football over their tenure, nights that had been lacking for a decade. Get off the o Neill’s a dinosaur bandwagon lads it’s embarrassing.
@Fergal O’ Reilly: I don’t think anybody could disagree with you . O’Neill would be absolute disaster for Forest. In fact I think he would be a disaster for any team. If you want to watch dross week in week out, get Big Sam. At least you would have some chance of promotion
In the context of management, to mention Brian Clough and Martin O’Neill in the same sentence is sacrilegious. Brian Clough was one of the greatest football managers who ever lived. Martin O’Neill was at best a journeyman manager.
@Fergal O’ Reilly: The Big Sam thing was a joke by the way. You should also pray the don’t get Big Sam.
@Lorcan Cunningham: I’m not on the “dinosaur bandwagon” apropos of nothing (like I’d never bring it up for the sake of getting a dig in – that’d be puerile, and indeed embarrassing) …I only make the case for his lack of tactical nous in making the case against his being considered for the role
@CrabaRev: Ha! I get you! To be honest, we’ve almost been relegated for the past few seasons, been banned from the transfer market for FPA transgressions, had parts of the stadium closed off etc. I just think that being 4 points off a promotion spot in mid January isn’t a bad place to be, and this manager should have been given more time and resources.
@Lorcan Cunningham: Not as embarrassing as O’Neill himself. From his amazing lack of on-field tactics, to his total lack of regimented training sessions (no practicing of set piece defending?!) to his contemptuous attitude to the Irish media and Tony O’Donoghue in particular.
The man belongs in the dustbin of history, and should be let nowhere near any professional setup.
Let’s see what they can do when they can actually buy in players unlike international football. The ‘we haven’t got the footballers’ excuse would work here
He wasn’t fired!
“RUNNN FORREST RUNNN”
I’d like to see Keane work as a No. 2 for a manager who plays attacking football such as Brendan Rodgers or Roberto Martinez.
1. Karanka was not fired – he resigned, as per the club website.
2. In what parallel universe would either O’Neill or Keane be a good fit for Forest? A generation of Forest fans were brought up on free flowing passing football as practiced by Brian Clough. The younger ones want this to remain as the club ethos – we do not want to watch ‘$hit on a stick’ football with no real tactics as played by O’Neill sides. Clough once famously said “if god had wanted football to be played in the clouds, he’d have put grass up there”. O’Neill has never heeded his mentor’s coaching philosophy as a manager, somewhat ironic given that O’Neill was a cultured playmaker himself.
No, two coaches we definitely do not want to see employed at the City Ground are Martin O’Neill and Roy Keane.
@Colm O’Sullivan: I hope it’s neither of those two. I’ve a feeling it could be Jokanovic
Always liked O’Neill as a manager, gave Leicester a great belief when they were down and out! I don’t think he will be considered though…feel Marinakis will look for someone like Mark Hughes or David Moyes
That is ironic; good last line.
Daryl Murphy will end up there if Roy Keane goes there, Roy Keane and Daryl Murphy go together just as well as Harry Redknapp and Nico Kranjcar
@Eddie Dillon.: Daryl Murphy is already there.
@Eddie Dillon.: Ah jaysus Eddie