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By Archil.
(MateoKovačić- Real Madrid)
Mateo Kovačić - An evolution of a Rough Diamond who suits himself to every midfield role. The playmaker has always been the primary attraction in football; the one that draws the crowds and in essence captures all that we love about the beautiful game. Through the decades, playmakers have graced the fields displaying their passing, decision making, tactical intelligence, movement and composure. Rivelino in the 1970’s, Michel Platini in the 1980’s, Zinedine Zidane in the late 90’s, early 00's and many more names of this generation.
With every new day, Football gets re-invented. There are evolvements of many new concepts to the beautiful game, Some find a way and an opportunity to revolutionize the game, while the others look promising from the outset but are nothing but a blip. Same applies to footballers. There are so many examples of players who just couldn't adapt to the losing of pace, or adjusting to the new systems or recovering from injuries, and now are in the books of "What could have been...."
It is the most painful thing to see a young gem grow in front of your eyes only to get shadowed by many unforeseen conditions that just ruin the career of a talented and exceptional future star. Not just for the players in their growing stages but this also happens with players who are past their prime. They can no longer adjust to their one-dimensional side of the game and can never keep the same level of influence to their game.
Versatility is the fluid landscape of modern football. The ability to perform while rotating between multiple different positions increases the worth of the individual to the team, it is the signal of multi-faceted talent. In this sense, versatility is a gift, though for some it is also a curse. Gift for those who get more time and exposure to top level football which helps a player grow through every difficult situation and also helps him mature as an individual which is also a key element for overall development of a sportsmen. Curse for them who for a majority part of their career can't find a break into the team because of this versatility that makes them more of a great squad player. They are crushed under the manager's vision for the team which hurts their development period. Managing great talents is not a one way process which includes the player working towards his overall development, but it includes the coach, the staff, the club which help find the crucial elements mandatory for rising of a rough diamond. "Managing the talents, is at the heart of the leadership challenge in any organization. Key to this are the crucial elements of the talent cycle- Recruitment, onboarding, development and succession- that apply to the players"- Carlo Ancelotti
(Mateo Kovacic- Dinamo)
In a country of above 4 million population, there was Mateo Kovacic. Not the first nor the last, a 16-year old Mateo dubbed as the "Crotian Messi", when you look back at the rise of this Crotian international, you really can't find out a lot of points on the wrong side of his growth. Still 23, he already has 39 appearences for his national side. An experience to play in 3 european countries, also glittered with trophies, also crucial performances and recognitions on the big stage.
Kovacic was born and raised in Austria, where he was a "wunderkind" at Lask Linz side. When he was 13, several clubs made it clear they were interested in him, including Juventus, Bayern and Ajax, but his family opted for their homeland so Kovačić joined Dinamo Zagreb, the country’s most successful and popular club. At the age of 17, he was named as the youngest captain in the club’s history. A 17-year old midfielder with no physical power, he would go and dribble past 3 or 4 opponents before someone could stop his run by fouling him, what was the option otherwise. His passing was sublime, his football IQ was unquestionable and he was already capable to take on the Europe's best.
No respect, no fear – he would just take the ball and go around his opponents like they were cones and murder them on the football field, in the football game. It was a suprise when the national team manager at the time, Slaven Bilić, didn’t select him in his squad for the 2012 Euro, but it wasn’t something that would affect him or his fans. This is a player who could entertain fans and produce spectacle at such a young age, as Kovačić does, no one does better. He was recognized as one of best (Golden boy award) in the world by Italian Tuttosport magazine only to be defeated by his current teammate Isco. He would again lose the award in 2013 to Paul Pogba but this time in Italy with Inter Milan after the dreams of Dinamo Zagreb broke of retaining him and building football around the sensation. Croatian ‘Il Professore’.
(Mateo Kovacic- Inter)
Internazionale were the first heavyweight to purchase him for a mere 13 million euros. It didn’t take long before the Italians realized what kind of diamond they’d purchased for pennies. His debut came 2 weeks after that, and his first real impact was a great assist for Palacio in the Europa league fixture against Cluj. His importance was raising on a weekly basis as he was making the most out of the opportunities that came his way. Given the no. 10 jersey of the legendary Wesley Sniejder, he had the high hopes to deliver. Andrea Strammacioni soon made him first-team regular placing him in the heart of the midfield, in a role that was something like "Regista", as Italians like to call it. Regista is a player that dictates the play of the game. What Pirlo was doing at Juventus with his incredibly accurate long balls, Kovacic was doing by taking the ball and penetrating through opposition’s lines, making them shift again and again. His run against Juventus across the pitch leaving 5 defenders behind is probably one of the most memorable moment of his career at Inter. “The player has talents that could make him even better than me. He is an incredibly serious professional for someone his age. Kovačić is a complete player. He is not a born regista but he is playing there now. He is a complete talent that can still grow – he has incredible potential.”- Ex-Milan legend, Zvonimir Boban At Inter though there was lack of clarity in the club's vision to success. In 2 years at the club, Kovacic saw him working with 3 coaches, Andrea Stramaccioni, Walter Mazzarri and Roberto Mancini. There were a few things about Mateo Kovacic that were very well known and proven in his stay at Inter. He was an extremely gifted and a young bright footballer with a potential that knows no bounds. However, these two points were overshadowed by another, very significant factor being, understanding his true best position. "Trequartista or Regista? I like all the midfield roles." -Mateo Kovacic. Kovačić had been regarded as next great No. 10. A classic playmaker with amazing attacking threat, but at the same time he has the immense potential in the centre, behind the striker or on the flanks or as a defensive midfielder. The 19 year old started off as an attacking midfielder, but had been transformed his game with Inter, playing like a Regista. Also being tried to fit in the defensive role, from 4-3-1-2 to 4-3-3 to 4-2-3-1, under Mancini he kept swinging from the No. 10 to the centre to the in front of the centre halves and then back to bench. Perhaps his inconsistency to some extent could be forced on the undefinite style of playing which started erroding his confidence, which clearly looked as he was not adaptive enough to the Calcio Italiano. "Italian football is very difficult, there’s not a lot of space like in England or Spain but you learn different things such as how to defend and tactics, which are very important.”- Mateo Kovacic With young players it is very different then the others. For young players, their has to be a systematic methods to improve their limitations, to improve their understanding of the game and their roles in different systems with each system given enough time to get used too. Kovacic didnot get this opportunity with his coach. Talented and God gifted players are great decision makers. They know when to pass, when to shoot, when to defend and when to attack all for the benefit of the team. But here the very important segment is that the manager must convince the player to put this talent into the right direction for the better service of the team, this is how a player continues to develop. The flexibility just wasn't there for Kovacic to appreciate. The next Modric...
(Mateo Kovacic & Luka Modric- Real Madrid)
Kovacic was settling, becoming a starter and the Nerazurri just like Zagreb, wanted to build around the midfield starlet but due to FIFA’s Financial Fair Play rules, the club was forced to sell Kovacic to Real Madrid in the summer of 2015 for €30 million. The sale of Mateo Kovacic was a big crack. He was expected to play the role of Regista and, as such, his departure would leave behind a vacancy at the base of Inter’s midfield diamond. But for Real Madrid it was yet another great future signing. There has been a shift in the recruitment policy at Real Madrid over recent years, gone are the galacticos years (Just a matter of time), where the club relied on average products from the cantera to supplement a first team squad populated by the most high profile players on the planet. Whilst the Cantera has been much more productive with the likes of Nacho, Lucas Vazquez, Borja Mayoral and Marcos Llorente coming through and recruiting Jesus Vallejo from Real Zaragoza, Theo Hernandez from Atletico Madrid, Marco Asensio from Real Mallorca Isco from Malaga and Ceballos from Real Betis, there has been a definite shift towards the signing of young players with genuine potential from around Spain and Europe in general. Kovacic only 23 years old looks a great prospect with the highly efficient from the bench and adding to the star studded bench. With Real Madrid so far, already excellent in possession whether passing or dribbling the ball forward, Kovacic appears to have added an extra string to his game as he becomes more proficient in the defensive phase. Tactical analysis- Style, Strengths, Vision.
Style of football-
Kovacic's experience to all roles in the midfield has been his USP. Started his career as a no. 10, a classic playmaker, he has shown immense potential to play anywhere in the midfield, in the centre, behind the striker or on the flanks. The youngster enjoys dropping deep to get the ball and then drive forward with pace, as he links with the other attackers. At Real Madrid, finding it difficult to get playing time he was used in the defensive role where he had lesser experience at the previous clubs, and he didnot fail. Towards the end of last season there were definite signs that Kovacic could be fielded as a Casemiro replacement, as Zidane intelligently rotated his squad and we saw Kovacic appear more often in the first team and he was excellent whether counter pressing the opposition or tracking back in order to regain possession of the ball.
Strenght to Regain Possession-
Kovacic's strenghts are not just on the ball or dribbling through the defenders. His positional sense is absolutely great. Always looking around himself the positioning of other players on the field and adjusts to it in the build up or on the breaks. Always attentive of whats happening around him, he is not one of the very great ball winners but gets clean tackles, analyses the spaces and tries regaining the ball.
In this video against Espanyol, you can see him deep in the own half analysing the spaces and as soon as he realises the oppositions pass is not great he moves forward to win the ball back. Great positional sense which doesn't only allow cutting passing lanes but also helps regain the ball. As soon as he regains the ball, doesn't hold the ball long before making the pass setting the forward free for a counter.
Strength with the Ball-
(Image via- Squawka)
The maturity and poise he shows at such a young age, He can give long balls to teammates as well. In 2013-14 season with Inter, he had a pass completion rate of almost 91%. Against Chievo, he had a pass completion of 93%. 78 passes out of 84.
His ability to see a pass and then picking it out so accurately is exceptional and is only going to get better with time.
Vision in the final third-
Being excellent when dribbling the ball through the final third of the pitch Kovacic also displays excellent awareness and vision with the ability to time through balls for his forward players in the 6 yard area. Not a long ball specialist, he likes to keep carrying the ball and combine with the forward line players with quick one touch passes. Master of dribbling, in the central areas of the field his ability to beat a man one on one and break the lines can be crucial in creating space for the attackers. His clever movements with the ball allows him to set free and drift away from the pressure which allows him to pass the ball breaking the lines and finding spaces in the oppositions penalty area.
Against Granada here, leaving his markers well behind, he pushes forward, as soon as he sees the defender out of his position, he further drifts wide and finds the space between the lines. He anticipated the movements of the defender correctly and creates a one on one for the finisher.
This allows Kovacic to play and create more in the centre of the pitch than wings. Teams having spread markers on the wings for Real Madrid, Kovacic's passing from the middle forces teams to defend compactly which sets free the wingers to accelerate and deliver better crosses.
Against Totenham Hotspur, Real Madrid were lacking the force of Mateo Kovacic who could create chances from the centre forcing them to defend compactly and allow Marcelo and kroos to link up on the left. The importance of Kovacic can also be felt as with his presence, Modric could have balanced things on the right forcing Totenham to mark on the left, in the right and in the centre. Having almost neglected the right hand side, they jammed the left and centre having more bodies in to win the ball back, counter and push Real madrid on the backfoot. Kovacic's presence could have allowed Real Madrid to use the extra midfielder option to win the midfield battle and create more chances evenly all over the pitch forcing Totenham players to spread all over the pitch leaving more spaces to exploit.
Look at the spaces he's able to find on four occasions. He is quick, makes it look simple and his 24x7 job.
Trequartista to Regista
Playmaking has been evolutionised in many forms today. Nowadays orchestrating the play happens deep in the own half with the game producing more and more technically gifted defenders and goalkeepers. Not anymore like the gone days when in the no. 10's or the trequartista's from centre of the park connecting the midfield with the attack and provided all the creativity for their respective teams. To a large extent then, playmakers had always been given a free role in central midfield or behind the strikers. As football was more counter-attacking the No.10's demanded pacy wingers and Centre forwards to use the spaces between the defenses and to collect long balls.
Football has become tighter, more tactical and has seen more pressing. Marking the traditional no. 10 has neautralized the effects and more football formations have evolved and thus we have had the emergence of the Regista. Nowadays playmakers orchestrate play from deep picking up the ball from the centre backs and initiating play while still involved during all stages of the build-up. Xavi, Pirlo, Alonso, Ricardo Montolivo, Toni Kroos and Marco Verratti are some of the modern day Registas who have become masters of this re-invented role of football.
Quite ironically, in a game that has become so complicated with False nine’s, inverted wingers, counter-pressing and integrate formations, it has been their simplicity which has allowed them to stand above the rest.
“Playing Football is simple, but playing simple football is difficult.”
Andrea Pirlo -the epitome of the Regista, in his own words says that while in the early years of his struggle, he started to change his style to adapt to the demands of his new managers. In many ways, when Pirlo started his career, he was unrecognizable from the legend that we know today. He was first utilized in an attacking role, with a view to using his technical ability to unlock defenses with his range of passing and intelligent play. His physical limitations left him struggling to justify a starting spot at times, but a mixture of circumstance and coaching acumen did provide some light. He then became the most prominent member of his team. Same happened with Toni Kroos. Regarded as the best midfielder today, his journey to football started as a traditional no. 10. Just like Pirlo got his break with Ac milan, Toni Kroos under Carlo Ancelotti became the player who would pick the ball from the deep and orchestrate.
Kovacic has also had the same growth in his career. A fascinating No. 10 who adapted to his coaches demands with every different style has made him re-invent into every position for proving himself.
The general presence of a Regista in the line-up creates an imbalance in the tactical setup of a team. Registas are given a moderate amount of defensive responsibilities and do require effective defensive positioning. They are not expected to defend, they are not expected to tackle, but they must track back when required. Kovacic certainly adds much more to his defensive duties which makes him a much more complete player.
Alot of people might not agree with Kovacic playing the Regista role, but football is very unpredictable. We never know what stands in the future. The two former clubs where Kovacic played, he was technically the best midfielder. One who could sit deep orchestrate, control the tempo of the game. At Real Madrid so far, he has not been given any responsibility to define his talent but only used so far to fill the spots necesarilly when required, and this thus happen with young players in a team where you find players with such quality.
Technique, Vision, Range, Precision, Inventive, Intelligence - A blend of the Regista' s. Kovacic has it all. He has been a versatile player holding strings where ever necessary (Which isn't the way for Regista' s, but surely a way forward). He needs a manager to make everything revolve around him, trust his abilities. He would be the focal point of any team. He is the Game Changer.
Yet to have a breakthrough season, Mateo Kovacic's success at Real Madrid only depends on which manager in the future shows the trust that Carlo Ancelotti showed in Kroos, or Pirlo. He can become a manager's dream. He is not a Defensive midfielder nor is he a Deep Lying Playmaker, he is more than that. A type of player that Real Madrid have been lacking to watch after Redondo left the club, a player as good at defensively as attacking. At Real Madrid with the huge squad availibility and the Galacticos policy, Kovacic may well be the next Redondo. He doesn't have the engine to match every grass on the pitch, but is a Package of everything. A manager's success is as important a part in any young player as his own strenghts and intelligence on the pitch. The vision of the manager, the trust that Capello showed in Redondo or Ancelotti in Pirlo.
Mateo Kovacic has too much of abilities to sit on the bench. At 23, he is still to make his breakthrough into the Real Madrid eleven. Yet finding himself in the mix of his real position, he keeps impressing everyone with his real USP. He has the capabilities to bring the next evolution to the Maestro or he could be the next greatest Box to Box midfielder or any other midfield role. His future widely depends upon what he is looked upon as by the manager, or where he is fitted in to close down the gaps of midfield fluidity. A dictator or a free role central midfielder. Kovacic is on the positive side of his tactical study and age. His midfield dynamism and technical growth will only make him a better player and hopefully a master of his art. Positively, he will be finding himself in his prime around the World Cup of 2022 and the Euros of 2024. No one knows what lies ahead, but the expectations are very high from a player who has another 10-15 years to look forward to and enjoy.