Former Croatia Star Šimunić Warns: 'Without Aggressiveness, We'll Always Have Problems'

Former Croatian national team player Josip Šimunić expressed concern over the team's performance in the World Cup, particularly highlighting a lack of aggressiveness in matches against England and Panama. He stated that the team's play was far from expectations, especially during the first half against Panama, which he described as "very, very bad."

Šimunić emphasized that while the team showed better form in the second half against Panama due to increased intensity, a consistent lack of aggressiveness will always create problems. He noted that Panama is a tricky opponent, and Croatia seems to always face a difficult path. He anticipates the match against Ghana might be easier because their style of play suits Croatia better.

He stressed that the team's focus must be on their own performance, asserting that when they play at their best, the opponent becomes less significant. Despite acknowledging the quality of opponents with players in strong leagues, Šimunić believes Croatia possesses superior, top-tier players. He also highlighted the importance of goalkeeper Livaković's current form.

Discussing tactical changes, Šimunić admitted the team is still finding its way, mentioning the initial use of a three-defender system that didn't function effectively. He believes the coach, who observes training daily, made the decision with good intentions. Šimunić concluded that while the team has the ability and quality, the arrangement and aggressiveness were initially lacking. He pointed out that injuries to key players like Luka and Joško have affected the team, and it's natural for players to experience a dip in form after playing intensely for one or two matches.

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Sposobnost i kvalitetu imamo, ali raspored i agresivnost nisu bili dobri. Kad smo to popravili odigrali smo jako dobro u obje utakmice. Sad to treba raditi kroz cijelu utakmicu 96-97 minuta, a ne samo djelomično tijekom susreta.