Chasing Mateo

When Mateo Kovacic arrived was one if those day in January when winter shows his strenght. He was just something more than a teenager but few days before Snejder had been sold and the t-shirt number ten was given to this young boy from Croatia. He had good reviews from international critics and he was considered a potential future champion. In those four months he played in every position in the midfield and he wasn't bad but he was helpes by two facts: Stramaccioni relied on him and that Inter had a really poor quality that he managed to stand up.

When Mazzari arrived sonething changed for Kovacic. Mazzarri didn't have/didn't want big quality in the middle and thought to transform Kova into a copy of Hamsik. After one year and half this experiment was abandoned because Kovacic has a different game style and because of the sacking of Mazzarri. Since the arrival of Mancini, a trainer that loves high talented players with good quality, everyone thought it could be a new beginning for him but Mancini has suddenly started to play with the 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-1-2 or 4-3-3.

Kovacic has become confused and with the arrival of Brozovic and Shaqiri and the growth of Guarin hr has lost the touch with the field.

Chasing Kovacic, where is he?

I guess he has five big problems: once he will fix them up he'll be a top player.

1) The shoot skill

A player like him should score at least 10 goals a year but for scoring so much he should shoots at list 4 or 5 times more, but Kovacic shoots just once or twice every two matches.

He should be trained on this.

2) His role on the pitch

Which is his role? As Pirlo? As Iniesta? As Pogba or Marchisio? Nobody knows, neither him. His trainer should fond a role for him and insists on it. Having a clear role helps in practising on it.

3) His style with the ball

I guess he should pass the ball as soon as possible, he shoul avoiding to dribble 10 opponent every time he touches the ball.

He reminds me the first Zanetti when he use to dribble many opponents without think of them.

4) The number 10 on the t-shirt

That number is too heavy for him. Matthaeus, Ronaldo, Snejder, for example, wore that tshirt but Kovacic isn't so soccerable mature. I guess choicing a new number could be really useful for him.
5) The personality
What is the difference between a player as Cristiano Ronaldo and another one with a huge talent that lose himself in some minor leagues? His determination and his willing. Cristiano Ronaldo wanted to become a top player since his youth and he has worked hardly on this task, day by day. A lose game? It doesn't matter, every fall is the start for a new growth. The incident is only a step, it isn't the end. Does Mateo have the right personality to become a top player?

I really hope he will figure them out as soon as possible because he can become a top player somewhere else. We can wait for him, of course, but we can't wait him forever. He has 10 matches to show us he has got the top player's skin, otherwise we can say hi to him on next summer.

©Inter.it