MATEO KOVAČIĆ

By Rudra Patel

This article will put the football player Mateo Kovačić under a thorough analysis to truly ascertain how good he really is. Keep in mind, there will inevitability be an element of subjectivity on my part, that I will try my best to suppress.

WHO IS HE?

Mateo Kovačić is the young Croatian who has boasting a great all-round prowess that has particularly attracted Chelsea. After completing his one year loan deal from Real Madrid, Chelsea took him on permanently for £40.2 million. He has caught the eye of many TV pundits and fans.

TRANSITIONS

In recent performances, he has shone for Chelsea under the management of Frank Lampard, acting as an excellent player in transitions like Jorginho. In transitions from defence to attack, Mateo Kovačić has been making key dribbles and passes to help link Chelsea’s attack to its defence. One example of Mateo Kovačić being willing to drive from Chelsea’s half with the ball cam against West Ham last season in which he received the ball from a centre back on the edge of his own area, then turned and ran past 2-3 more opponents and played the ball off to the oncoming Willian midway through the West Ham half. Mateo Kovačić also comes in handy when Lampard’s men are caught out in the attack when committing too many player forward as he can stop the opposition forward in their tracks with Kant-esque tackles acting as an anchor.

DEFENCE

The Croat has also given the Bleus some defensive stability without Kanté as Jorginho, however capable he is, does not seem to want to go into 50/50 challenges as much as a defensive midfielder should, especially one who moved Kanté out of his position. Yet, Kovačić does have a 70% tackle rate and has 61 50/50 challenges and 178 defensive duels.

ATTACK

Kovačić has a high attacking influence at Chelsea with Lampard giving him the freedom to run in between the lines to help Chelsea attack rather than telling him to sit in front of the defence with Jorginho. He runs extremely well with the ball with excellent passing capabilities, which help Kovačić drive Chelsea forward into attacking positions.

WEAKNESSES

Kovačić’s incredible technical ability means that he could beat most players with two or three touches. Perhaps the best way to stop him is to block or mark him with a capable defensive midfielder like Fernandinho, Rodri, Fabinho or Wilfred Ndidi.

CONCLUSION

Altogether, Mateo Kovačić is an extremely capable midfielder who can adapt to different styles of attacking and defence. One thing that especially caught people’s eye is his attitude, always giving his all, regardless of whether they are five points up or five points down. He has an excellent ‘never say die’ attitude.