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A word or two about Niko Kranjčar from Croatia


DPrso

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Hello everyone,

Greetings from a Ranger's fan from Croatia. I just wan't to share a word or two about Niko Kranjčar with you becouse I've been following his career ever sine he played at u-17 level.

Huge talent, Captain of Dinamo Zagreb at the age of 18, one step from a big transfer to Ac Mailand but...Dinamo had bad season when he was 19 and the president have decided to cut back player wages for 30 %. Kranjčar stood up in front of the players and refuse to take all the blame on the players. He asked that everyone at the club get punishment for the bad result( coaches and board). He was immidietly put on the transfer list and eventually sold to the Dinamo Zagreb's main rival Hajduk Split. More than 15 000 Hajduk's fans waited him on the arrival to Split cheering his name. He just cried, was thankful for support but he stated that he will allways be Dinamo Zagreb fan but he will utmost to give his best for Hajduk Split and...what a player he was playing for Hajduk Split, giving his best in every match and eventually winning a Croatian championship...Then he make a move to Portsmouth...

About his playing style and his natural position.

Niko has always looked lazy on the field even at his best. Not like he was not doing hard on training, he was always training hard, even stayed extra hours trying to improve his shoot and passing abilities and his fitness level. So it's not problem with his work ethic, problem is in his genetic predisposition...

But his passing range, shoot, technical skills and vision are great. So almost all of his previous coaches have adjusted the match tactics to him. 

He has never played in DM role( only couple of months in QPR becouse of the injuries of other players). He was always best in Atacking midfielder centre role or in left midfielder role. In Hajduk Split, Portsmouth and  Tottenham and Croatian national team he was playing that left midfielder role..and we was doing really well. That catch was that he always had a fast left fullback behind his back, so that left back had watched his back when he was in possesion of the ball. Best example: Tottenham Hotspur 2009/10. Kranjcar was starting left midfielder and Gareth Bale was behind his back on left back role. Kranjčar scored 9 goals and pick up 8 assists that season and Totteham have secured championship league slot at the and of the season. 

So what I really want to say, Mark Warburton is playin' Kranjcar on wrong position, especially with his current level of fitness ( I would say hi is on 75-80 %) and from my point of view his tactic  doesn't suites a lot of other players. 

 

 

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He's played further up the field in our last two games and has been more effective, grabbed a good goal vs Partick Thislte as well. I think it's quite obvious to everyone he's more suited as an attacking-midfielder, he makes things happen

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13 minutes ago, andy500 said:

He's been our man of the match two games in a row and Warburton had protected him massively before then. Nice insight, but don't think saying Warburton is making him look shit is fair.

Part of me thinks warburton asked him to be abit deeper to get his fitness levels up. Who knows? Maybe he's ready for a start against the shite and actually show the peados who is the most gifted in Scotland 

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It'd be a dick move to not play him on Sunday. 

He was running up and down the pitch at parkhead like a Stuart McCall type player and that's not what he is, our only bit of quality that game came from him and the cross he put in for Miller. 

He'll benefit from having two young midfielders in behind him like Holt/Halliday. It'll give him more freedom to pick out passes and use that wand of a right foot 

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7 minutes ago, Gaz52 said:

It'd be a dick move to not play him on Sunday. 

He was running up and down the pitch at parkhead like a Stuart McCall type player and that's not what he is, our only bit of quality that game came from him and the cross he put in for Miller. 

He'll benefit from having two young midfielders in behind him like Holt/Halliday. It'll give him more freedom to pick out passes and use that wand of a right foot 

Hope your right!!

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14 minutes ago, barrymorrison1 said:

Looks like it.

mate of mine was on FB earlier saying he's working in his house today, and that he was hobbling about on crutches.

Find out tomorrow I guess.

Hope not, an injury requiring crutches would surely have been public by now.

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5 hours ago, Gaz52 said:

It'd be a dick move to not play him on Sunday. 

He was running up and down the pitch at parkhead like a Stuart McCall type player and that's not what he is, our only bit of quality that game came from him and the cross he put in for Miller. 

He'll benefit from having two young midfielders in behind him like Holt/Halliday. It'll give him more freedom to pick out passes and use that wand of a right foot 

 
 

He was knackered after ten minutes last game against them and his arms moved faster than his legs when running we cannot afford to carry passengers in this game.

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