Mateo Kovacic

[simplyared]

His performance the other night against Newcastle was the best I've seen from a midfielder in a long time. Realize the opposition wasn't the strongest but even so an exceptional player. Must be a managers dream to have a player like him in your squad. He's Croatian, tuff as nails (as most of them are), and absolutely bosses the centre of the park. As well as being hard he's creative, he can beat his man and also play the decisive pass. If he could get a goal or two he'd be worldclass (maybe he already is). Tuchel can't praise him enough apparently. Says he'd turn up in the middle of the night on the training ground if he was asked to. Key man for Tuchel and is going to play a massive part in Chelsea's claim on top 4. Which I'm sure they will acheive.
Stick him in our midfield and it would be a huge upgrade, no doubt about that!
.

 

[Theafonis]

I’m a huge fan of his. He doesn’t score goals and his finishing is shocking but he’s a classic roaming playmaker who gets things moving in midfield and moves the ball forward. His dribbling from deep is something that’s been crucial ever since Hazard left.

 

[ThomasEmil]

I’d rather have lingard

 

[simplyared]

I’d rather have lingard

Pisstake!

 

[BlahRules]

I still don't know why we never tried to get him from Madrid. Worst part is Chelsea had the chance to loan him first to see if he is worth the hype before signing him.

 

[mu4c_20le]

I always thought he was average to garbage and that they only signed him because of the impending transfer ban.

 

[Dancfc]

I still don't know why we never tried to get him from Madrid. Worst part is Chelsea had the chance to loan him first to see if he is worth the hype before signing him.

Iirc you did but he didn't want to play under Mou.

 

[Theafonis]

I always thought he was average to garbage and that they only signed him because of the impending transfer ban.

His first season under Sarri, he was a bit underwhelming. Sarri tried to use him as an 8.

 

[Dan_F]

I rate him. I think the whole of the Chelsea midfield suffered a bit with the different managers wanting different things from them.

 

[Amadaeus]

Loves his style, Moussa Dembele of spurs in past and N’Dombele under Pochettino is very similiar. Midfielders that can carry the ball from midfield, has great balance And strength and are good against the press are vital asset to the team.

 

[Pagh Wraith]

Might be my favourite player in the league. He's brilliant and very easy on the eye which may cause me to be a little biased. Same with Grealish or Hazard, you just love to watch players like that. But he also had the highest progressive distance covered, the most progressive passes and the highest dribble success rate of any player in the league last season.

His scouting report for the last 365 days shows what a fantastic player he is in position: Mateo Kovačić Scouting Report | FBref.com

 

[Demyanenko_square_jaw]

I was put onto him as one to watch when he moved to inter by a Croatian friend and i understand there was a loy of hype around him from earlyon, but i lost interest not long after the Chelsea move. His dribbling talent and that he could potentially be a very strong tactical asset in the right setup was clear, however his creativity and passing range/choices were limited and he just seemed to have a real lack of gravitas in his playing style. So even though he had plenty of years to improve, i couldn't be bothered anymore.

In retrospect Real Madrid was the wrong move for him. If he's adding some authority and vision to his passing game he could become really good, so i might check him out again.

 

[WeePat]

He doesn't get many goals and assists but quite literally everything else about his game is so good. I don't know if the stats back it up but it seems like Tuchel has reduced his easy sideways passes and increased his forward progressive passes by quite a bit.

His style was always very elegant and easy on the eye, and I will always love his game, no matter what, but this current version of him is just *chef's kiss*

 

[Judas]

I rated him before he went to Chelsea, and he had a very very slow start, but starting to look like a proper player now.

 

[duffer]

 

[izec]

was always a fantastic talent. Showed it in patches, but Tuchel may bring out the best in him on a consistent basis. Curious to see what he does with Gilmour as well

 

[Rozay]

I was literally obsessed with him when he was at Inter, and hoped we signed him from Real too. The sort of midfielder needed at top level teams. While everyone fixated on stats alone - ball retention, circulation and press resistance in the middle of the park is what separates top teams from the lesser ones.

In recent years the teams that have caused upsets against us have never even gotten near enough to lay a glove on City. As Neville says ‘sustaining attacks’ is crucial - and players like Kovacic help massively with this.

 

[Powderfinger]

Very good player but the praise in this thread is a bit over the top to me. He is an elite dribbler and ball carrier, but I've never seen him as anything special as a passer or defender - these aren't weaknesses but they aren't really strengths either vis-a-vis other CMs playing for big clubs - and his final third contributions are negligible. I think Tuchel has him in the best possible tactical setup - one of two double sixes alongside a passer, and protected by three CBs behind - that really allows him to play to his strengths. I don't think Lampard used him as well and I'm not sure, used in that way, he is really a major positive contributor, despite being quite easy on the eye. Last year Chelsea averaged more points in matches he didn't start than in matches he started. This year under Lampard they got 9 points from the 10 matches he started and 14 points from the 8 that he didn't. That sample is still fairly small but overall I think it speaks to the notion that he can be a very good player when used right, but not so talented that he is an asset in every system.

 

[jakko]

Kovacic getting love on the Redcafe, you love to see it. Beautiful player, He brings the defensive quality along with the dribbling ability of a number 10.

 

[UweBein]

I still don't know why we never tried to get him from Madrid. Worst part is Chelsea had the chance to loan him first to see if he is worth the hype before signing him.

He was not that good back then. It's not like Chelsea got the finished article.
Clearly, he made a step or two at Chelsea, which is a nice development since most of the loan players do not show that kind of improvement.

 

[UweBein]

I always thought he was average to garbage and that they only signed him because of the impending transfer ban.

That could be still the case. I don't think he was that convicing from the start.

 

[lawliet354]

For me he's the type of player that our midfield desperately need, someone who's comfortable receiving the ball from deep and press-resistant. Still a bit too inconsistent for me decision-making wise, especially his final ball, but I really enjoy watching him plays.

 

[Kostov]

Kovacic is brilliant, wish we went for him when he moved from Real.

 

[bakalhau]

This guy is on 4 Champions League now

First time he played in a CL final today.

 

[Lay]

He played well in the few minutes he had today too. I never can gauge how good he is though.

 

[thepolice123]

He has a bit of that Pogba condrumum that he is not very good in a double pivot.

 

[FootballHQ]

He has a bit of that Pogba condrumum that he is not very good in a double pivot.

Yep just one game but thought him and Jorginho in the pivot was poor last week.

As with everyone else Kante makes them all look twice as good when he's fit and firing.

 

[RedDevilCanuck]

Absolute class. Another dominant display against Liverpool. I wish we could make these type of signings.

He can intercept a pass, calmly control, then pick out a dangerous pass like clockwork.

 

[DWelbz19]

He can play with the football. Sounds stupid to say but in an era of either specialists no.6s or box to box athletes there aren’t many midfielders around like Kovacic.

 

[RedDevilCanuck]

He can play with the football. Sounds stupid to say but in an era of either specialists no.6s or box to box athletes there aren’t many midfielders around like Kovacic.

Very true. I think he is one of the best midfielders in the league.

But most people will just look at tackles and chances created to judge a midfielder. There is so much more to that position.

 

[el_loco_bielsa]

He’s very similar to what wijnaldum used to do for us in midfield. Take the ball, shield it, escape the press, progress the ball from one box to the other, then allow the specialists at the other end to take it.

All top teams need a player like that in midfield. The style is similar to veratti, modric, moussa dembele, dortmund era gundogan.

A very fine player, and instrumental for a top team in the modern high press era where midfield is always congested and you need a player who can break out of it to find the swathes of available space beyond.

 

[WeePat]

He's been one of our most important players for a couple of years now. Feel really privileged to have him, Kante and Jorginho alternating with each other in midfield.

Stylistically he's my kind of midfielder. Love watching him.

 

[Jim Beam]

He had a strange career. From a brilliant dribbler at his early age, to more b2b defensive role where he had a duty to contain Messi in El Classico and done brilliantly to this matured one he showed at Chelsea.

Wonderful player and just entering his peak.

 

[Righteous Steps]

Was far better than Kante today.

 

[FrankDrebin]

Wasn't he close to joining Liverpool at one point ?

 

[Liver_bird]

Wasn't he close to joining Liverpool at one point ?

Not entirely sure, but I remember there was rumours we were in for him when he was at inter. Brilliant talent, even if he did get away with a lot of fouls today.

 

[Dumbstar]

Not entirely sure, but I remember there was rumours we were in for him when he was at inter. Brilliant talent, even if he did get away with a lot of fouls today.

Because of their ability on the ball, Kovacic and Fabinho do get away with a lot of stuff. I love watching both players, so intelligent and skillful.

 

[Klopper76]

Such a good player. Huge fan of his.

 

[Rozay]

Refreshing midfielder that people have struggled to get immediately due to the G+A era we live in.

What I’d give for a central midfielder that can get the ball anywhere on the pitch and keep it under pressure. Keeps the team flowing so well, and frankly - it’s just fecking great to watch too. He doesn’t spray the ball like Jorginho, but he has a great engine and glides with the ball. I wanted us to sign him so badly while at Inter and Real.

 

[roonster09]

Refreshing midfielder that people have struggled to get immediately due to the G+A era we live in.

It has nothing to do with G+A. People rated so many players who barely scored or assisted. People rate Modric as the best CM in the last 5-6 years, same with Kroos too, Thiago, Kimmich, Jorginho, Fernandinho, Fabinho, Kante, Casemiro, Busquets, Alonso and many others were rated highly and they barely scored or assisted (or even at top 5-10 when it comes to chances created). They were all rated highly as they were part of winning teams and started almost all the time.

He wasn't rated as one of the best as he wasn't regular at any of his previous clubs. He was underwhelming at Inter in the little chances he got, he was a sub player at Madrid and at Chelsea he started around 21, 23, 21, 12 league games. That's not a lot.

Right or wrong, starting almost all games and winning makes the player highly rated.