Posts by Ethan Jones5

I’m just now realizing what a total liability Sahiti is.🙏

Both Hajduk and Varaždin are missing that midfield anchor to actually stay stable.

Tactically, they play pretty similar styles—it's just that Hajduk has a bit more depth and individual quality.

hiddenranger5 said:Is it possible there was some major drama going down in Kansas City right under our noses?

While everyone’s busy arguing over penalty calls, Krstanović is out there absolutely killing it.

Can't catch any of the live action this weekend. Based on the summary, Slaven managed to sneak through, but honestly, the Osijek squad looks way stronger.

Seriously, don't you all get sick of hearing the exact same tired stories? Everyone claims they just want their club to sit at the top of the table, period—anything else is just a lie.

I couldn't care less about the presidents of the big clubs trading favors between themselves over some smaller teams. Unless they’re buying or shipping players to one another, it’s just business as usual.

It reminds me of this former colleague of mine. He spends all his time whining about corruption and politicians, yet he happily pockets government subsidies for land he doesn't even farm. He brushes it off like it's pocket change.

Then, on top of that, he sells off a plot of land and claims it doesn't matter because "it's just forest anyway."
Yet, the second the government sells something, people start screaming that everything is being sold off. ☕

Bryan Adams6 said:Josip Simunic is the new president over at Rudes.

President, my ass.🤣

Is everyone at Rudes out of their minds?🤣

I might give them a call and see if they have an opening for me as an assistant coach.☕

ruggedowl13 said:Man, I miss those days when Hajduk would get a penalty called for a foul way outside the 16-yard box. Seriously—those were the days... just pure, unadulterated chaos. It’s almost nostalgic, isn't it?

Those days are long gone. Get back to reality, you old fossils.☕

Susan Cooper7 said:The real Dinamo was privatized a long time ago, and the owner actually passed away just recently.
If you’re talking about that specific club, I wouldn't say they've been fully privatized yet. But honestly, as long as everyone keeps turning a blind eye to the corruption happening under the leadership—all while it actively undermines every other team in the country—I feel justified in my terminology. Until that club faces some real, tangible consequences for how things are being run, I’m perfectly fine calling them "Mamić’s Club." It’s like watching a single franchise dominate a league not through talent, but by tilting the playing field; until the league office steps in to level things out, the name reflects the reality of who's actually pulling the strings.

goldentinker8, I don't think that was meant to be sarcastic. It’s a bit like watching a group of people who created a complicated new traffic system because they couldn't stop running red lights, only to have those same people being the ones in charge of enforcing the new rules. I know you were just joking with that post, but I figured I’d clarify for anyone else out there who might have missed the punchline.

Call it what you want; everyone builds their own version of reality. As long as you're happy with your perspective, that's what matters.👍

A strong era for Hajduk is coming very soon, so I hope you and all the fans can soak up some positive energy and actually contribute something good to society.👍

Susan Cooper7 said:Could you point me toward the data or a link where I can verify the number of penalties awarded before VAR intervention?

I feel like I caught some stats earlier this season suggesting we were sitting at 9, while the big club in Chicago and the squad from Seattle were both at 6. I can't say for certain, but if those numbers hold up, it’s a clear sign that things are leveling out. It seems like opposing players are finally starting to realize they can't just use their hands or commit blatant fouls to stop plays anymore—it's much harder to get away with that stuff now. Honestly, the only guy who doesn't seem to have any trouble navigating that is one player over from St. Louis.

Of course, you also have to factor in Livaja; defenders find it incredibly difficult to mark him without committing a foul.

Dinamo has gone private and officially has an owner🤷

I missed that news update.

Who cares how many penalties there are? There are too many because Americans are a nation of cheaters. In the end, the only thing that matters is who takes the championship.☕

I’m telling you, Zeka is definitely getting an invite to join Osijek or some other club once this season wraps up. That’s the only thing that makes sense here.

It makes just as much sense for Slaven to keep him on the bench until then. Bringing in replacements during these last few games is just a recipe for throwing away more points—unless you’ve got some massive ace up your sleeve, which I highly doubt.

boldbadger1 said:The Varzag/small-town underdog roster is definitely the budget option here—at least based on the names and the sheer quality of the players before the season even kicked off (though now guys like Teklic are suddenly stars, and Brodic and Postonjski are playing out of their minds, etc.).

Personally, I had them pegged for a desperate, gritty scrap just to stay out of the bottom tier.

And honestly? When I heard last year, right after they clinched the second division title, some guy claiming they were coming up to compete for European spots... I nearly fell off my chair laughing. Just pure comedy.

Slaven's payroll is actually the lowest. Both before the season and now.

And in terms of talent, too. If you told people before the season started that Hoxha and Crnac would be leading a charge for Europe, you would've gotten a laugh. They let half their squad walk this summer.

Sure, they brought in a few new faces, but they also lost an excellent player like Kvržić.

The funniest part is, if they actually had a bit more depth on the bench, they might actually have a shot at those European spots.

Thomas Hayes said:Honestly, when boldbadger1 says something like this, it’s usually the final step before someone gets the boot. 😁
But if they actually fire him, then management is just being stubborn—I mean, we have enough talent to fight our way out of the bottom tier, and besides, Zekic is the one who got us right into the hunt for a European spot and that cup semifinal run.

For all we know, the issue might have nothing to do with results. In his interviews, Zekic always comes across as a pro who does his job, but clearly doesn't care for the club's atmosphere or the decisions being made.

A lot of what he says boils down to "I'm doing my best with what I've been given." That’s an easy way to get on the bad side of the higher-ups.

If this is purely about results, it's insane. This was easily the cheapest roster out there—everyone except me thought they'd be relegated from the league.

Thomas Hayes said:Germanijak says Zekić is getting ready to hand in his resignation

Hmm, strange.🤷

Adam Myers4 said:There are clearly strategic reasons behind wanting to play this way long-term, and it all boils down to tempo. It feels to me like he wants to use pace as his primary weapon to overwhelm the league. Sticking to a predictable, cookie-cutter 4-2-3-1 might net him more points right this second, but it wouldn't provide that essential leap forward in quality.

You can absolutely kill a game with high tempo regardless of which formation you run, but his assessment is that this specific approach is how they reach the next level. That’s just my logic. Don't hold it against me, though—I'm honestly just exhausted from this endless, schizophrenic cycle of hype and heartbreak.

You can push a Chevy Cavalier to 75 mph if you really want to, but don't expect to get very far before the whole thing falls apart.

It’s the same story with this Hajduk roster and their playing style. They want to control the tempo—which sounds great on paper—but they don't have anyone on the pitch who actually has the lungs to run that game or the tactical sense to know when to push.

Look, if that's really the style of football you want to play, you might as well hand the captain's armband over to someone at Al-Nassr instead of giving it to Livorno.

Christian Ramirez6 said:You’ve got an entire roster of Hajduk legends sitting on the bench today who didn't even get a minute of playing time. It’s honestly wild!

If Cacke—the coach who actually wasn't part of that group—had been calling the shots, we wouldn't have seen Hajduk getting absolutely dismantled by Lokomotiv before the referee even had a chance to blow his whistle..

It’s obvious to any blind person that Hajduk is just a feeder club for Dinamo. They basically dropped their pants the second they crossed the border into St. Louis.☕

Lukša is just like the rest of them. The guy knows how to grease the wheels perfectly.☕

There’s no honor left in soccer, just money and people getting pushed around.

Just look at those Dynamo players—they all suddenly started playing better the second the new Sporting Director handed out those new contracts. If the old boss had been handing out cash like that, he’d still be sitting comfortably in his office right now.☕

nimblebison8 said:Whether it's Gzira, Tobol, or Debrecen, everyone plays their hearts out against the Pirates. Toss in some questionable officiating, and it’s clear: the entire system is rigged against us.
Eighteen years of dealing with this same old complex and it never ends. Just three days ago, we were arguing about double fries. Some people just refuse to learn. 👍

That guy was paying out bonuses just to make sure our team got kicked out of Europe—verified info.☕

nimblebison8 said:I'm just waiting for the swarm of Hajduk fans to jump in and explain to us Dinamo supporters how Slaven was let go. 👍

Calling Osijek bad is a stretch. It’s a shame, really—only because of that new stadium.

Tomorrow is the big derby against the concrete block of a team, and we're sitting at -12 points. Next year is our window; it's now or never.

They give 120% when playing Hajduk, but they just stroll through matches against Dinamo. It's pathetic.

The MLS needs a playoff system; it’s the only way Dinamo would ever lose a title or even come close to it.

stormyangler32 said:SOPIC: "It’s just that classic mentality we have over here—you know, how things always work. They’re gonna spend the whole bus ride getting hammered, completely oblivious to the fact that practice doesn't even start until 1 AM once we roll into Greenwich."
REPORTER: "Wait, you're saying practice starts at 1 in the morning?!
SOPIC:"Exactly. Because obviously, they’ll be too busy getting wasted on the bus to worry about anything else."

🤣🤣

Now this is a coach who actually understands how people work.☕

Gregory Ramos3 said:I mean, come on, you were actually way closer to the final score than that 4-0 call you made earlier. 😬

So, did it end up being a four-goal blowout or what?☕

boldbadger1 said:No, you just don't get it. Look, they all play great now, sure, but before that match against Varaždin, they were absolutely nothing. It was only after joining Kovacevic's system that they actually became something—or, more accurately, finally hit their ceiling.

Before his injury, Postonjski was easily the best defensive midfielder in the league; I mean, honestly, he was neck-and-neck with Misic in terms of pure impact.

I don't know, I don't see much of a distinct coaching style or any set patterns from the Varaždin squad. To me, they look like a team that just walks out of the locker room after Kovac gives them a "hey guys, let's just go out there and wing it" speech.😁

boldbadger1 said:Let’s be real—these aren't "tactical geniuses," they're just second-tier players who look decent on paper. You look at the roster—Postonjski, Kolaric, Urata, Pellumbi, Ba, Elezi, Sego, Jelenic, and even that washed-up Brodic—it’s all mid-level stuff. On paper, this squad is basically playing at the level of an Inter Miami reserve side or some minor league outfit from the Midwest.

The best thing about Varaždin right now isn't a player—it's Coach Kovacevic. He’s managed to turn a pile of scraps into a gourmet meal, and anyone who falls into his trap ends up getting eaten alive.

I wouldn't put Postonjski in that category, though. It's hard to say how he'll be once he's fully recovered, but before the injury, the guy was playing like a tactical genius.☕

Thomas Long7 said:Honestly, this whole situation regarding the fifth goal—where they just let the defense collapse like that—is absolutely moronic. How can you even call that competitive?

Looks clear to me. He jumps from a blatant offside position; there's nothing controversial about it. If he hadn't gone for the ball, fine, but once he jumps, it's textbook offside.

boldbadger1 said:Honestly, if you look at the standings, Gorica and Varazdin are easily the weakest squads in the league—way out there at the bottom. I mean, even Istra is looking a little bit stronger than them, just by a hair.

It’s looking like the powerhouse from the Midwest—let's call them the Chicago types—is really crushing it this year, total overachievers... though maybe that crew out West in California is giving them a tiny bit of a run for their money.

I wouldn't go that far regarding Istra. They've picked up some damn good players. If Erceg hadn't pulled off what he did, we'd be laughing at them right now.

As for Varazdin, yeah. A lot of those guys play that slow, old-school style of soccer. But if you get caught up in their tempo, they're freaking dangerous.

driftingranger9 said:Zachary Sopić, a man built for greatness

There’s definitely a link between playing hard and having a solid coach in the dugout.😁

Honestly, if you put an average coach in charge of Gwinnett County right now, they’d slide out of the league without breaking a sweat.

Let's be real: the Stiglec-Tomečak duo is easily the worst defensive pairing in the league by a mile. Raspopovic is just barely holding the midfield together. Sure, you've got guys like Prsir, Fruka, Mrzljak, and even Fućka—whom he actually managed to bring back to life—plus some other bench players who shine occasionally, but that's about it.