The good and bad from Wales

We came, we saw, we took an important point. Serbia played Wales to a hard fought 1-1 draw in Cardiff on Saturday night and extended its unbeaten streak to eight matches. Neither side created many chances but the match was still very eventful and interesting. Serbia sits 2nd in the group after four matches and is still in good position to finish in one of the top two spots. Here are the good and bad things that we saw vs Wales.

THE GOOD

Nikola Maksimovic 

Slavoljub Muslin has been searching for the perfect player to man the centre of Serbia's three man backline and he might have finally found him in Nikola Maksimovic. The Napoli defender was superb vs Wales, making no errors and wining almost all of his duels. His performance was something that we did not see from Jagos Vukovic or Stefan Mitrovic who played in the role before him. Maksimovic showed that he can be counted on and hopefully he will continue to impress because having a consistent backline is very important to the success of the side, 

Much better defending 

Serbia's defending has been poor in the first three qualifying matches; giving up way too many chances and making silly errors. Things looked a lot better vs Wales. Apart from the Bale goal (which was a gift) they only created two other real scoring chances on the night and didn't really threaten too much. The set piece defending was also very good and resulted in zero nervous moments after Welsh corners. Branislav Ivanovic was very good while Ivan Obradovic and Antonio Rukavina also put in fairly solid defensive performances. The play of our defence will decide if we qualify or not. 

Nemanja Matic

Matic returned from his three match suspension with a fantastic performance that cemented just how crucial he is to the side. The Chelsea man was a rock vs Wales and brought some much needed stability and calmness to Serbia's midfield and defence. The difference he makes is undeniable and when he's in this type of form we are a totally different team. He fits perfectly into Muslin's system since Chelsea plays in the same formation under Conte. Welcome back Nemanja !!!

Heroic Tadic

Dusan Tadic is already beloved by Serbian fans but their love for him reached another level after what happened on Saturday. Tadic took a boot to the face and suffered a broken nose but quickly returned to the pitch and played sixty minutes with his nose broken. This is the type of heart and commitment that Serbian fans have been wanting to see from our players for years. We've had some sides in recent years that weren't too interested in giving 100%  but Tadic and his teammates are clearly giving their all for the national team and that's all we can ask for. 

Mitro's still on fire

It's been a long time since Serbia has had a reliable and consistent striker but it seems like Aleksandar Mitrovic is starting to turn into one. He had one chance vs Wales and took it superbly to give Serbia a huge point. Mitrovic is in fantastic form for both club and country, His confidence is at an all-time high and when you look at his age you realize that the sky is the limit for him. Mitrovic is on the right path, if he keeps maturing and improving we will have a monster for many years to come. 

THE BAD

Matija Nastasic 

Nastasic was at fault for Wales' goal when he basically gave the ball to Robson-Kanu instead of clearing it to safety. Needless mental errors like that simply cannot happen. He also had a few other poor moments during the match, For some reason Nastasic did not seem to play with much confidence or aggression. I still have faith in him and want him to remain in the lineup but he has to bounce back and forget what happened in Cardiff, 

Poor delivery 

Serbia got into plenty of good position vs Wales but the final ball was just not there, Rukavina, Obradovic, Tadic and Kostic all had good runs and got into space but their crosses and passes were poor and easily handled by the Welsh for most of the night. Aleksandar Mitrovic had one ball reach him in the box and he put it in the back of the net. The delivery has to be a lot better when you have a striker that is in hot form like Mitrovic. Wales deserves a lot of credit for our lack of delivery as they did a great job of disrupting our play and stopping our attacks with fouls and strong challenges. 

Filip Kostic  

Kostic has been very solid for Serbia in these qualifiers and has been a constant danger to opposing defenses but he was not effective vs Wales. Kostic wasted a lot of good opportunities with poor passes and poor decision making. He needs to be much sharper because a lot of Serbia's attack does depend on him, The current chaos at his club Hamburger SV is definitely contributing to his play but he has to fight through that and play like he is capable of playing. 

Stojkovic 7

Ivanovic 8 Maksimovic 8,5 Nastasic 6

Rukavina 7 Milivojevic 7.5 Matic 8,5 Obradovic 7

Tadic 7.5 Mitrovic 7.5 Kostic 6.5 

Subs

Katai 6

Gudelj N/A 

The good and bad vs Austria

Hi friends, Serbia beat Austria 3-2 on Sunday night and it feels damn good. It's so strange waking up after a big match and feeling joy in your heart because Serbia actually won. It's been a long time since Serbia has won a important qualifying match (over 5 years to be exact) so we should all enjoy this rare feeling and wait peacefully for the clash vs Wales in November. Here is the good and bad vs Austria.

THE GOOD


The godlike creature named Dusan Tadic 
Dusan Tadic returned to the national team in May after former Serbia manager Radovan Curcic left him off the squad for months because he wasn't good enough (If you're wondering Curcic is still unemployed, I have no idea why). Since Tadic's return and Slavoljub Muslin's hiring Serbia's attack has been reborn. Tadic has played fantastic and his performance vs Austria was a masterpiece. He assisted Serbia's first two goals and scored a beautiful winner late in the 2nd half.  He is undoubtedly the leader of this team and if he keeps this level of play he can carry Serbia to Russia. Tadic is a joy to watch and is simply dominant on the pitch right now. Thank you Dusan!

The central midfield, finally 
Serbia's central midfield has been ineffective in recent games so Slavoljub Muslin decided to change things up a little by replacing Nemanja Gudelj in the starting lineup with Ljubomir Fejsa. The move payed off and things looked much better vs Austria as Fejsa and Luka Milivojevic meshed very well. Both worked very hard, won tackles and played intelligent passes. The duo won't be together for long though as Nemanja Matic will be back from suspension for Wales. Muslin will have to decide which one of the two will work best alongside Matic.

Mitro's on fire
Well. well. well, look who's joined the party. Aleksandar Mitrovic's struggles for the national team have been well documented but he finally came good vs Austria. Mitrovic scored two well taken goals, ran his tail off, held the ball up well and fought bard all night, This was one of his best performances in a Serbia shirt and should do wonders for his confidence. He was far from perfect (missed a few great chances and looked tired in the 2nd half) but it was a encouraging display and hopefully he can translate this into more success.

A big win
This is a very important victory for Serbia but it's also our first competitive victory against a strong side since we beat Germany at the 2010 World Cup (unless you count Albania as a strong side which I don't). Yes it;s been that long. Those that don't consider Austria a strong side should note that this was their first defeat in their last thirteen qualifying matches, that stat speaks for itself. This victory puts Serbia on top of Group D and gives our players a huge confidence boost heading into another big match vs Wales next month,

Continuity 
Slavoljub Muslin has undoubtedly brought a plan and a system to the national team and that's something that Serbia has lacked for many years. This team and his tactics are still a work in progress but you can see what he's trying to do and the players know what their roles are unlike during previous regimes. He also hasn't switched the entire lineup and formation every other match which is a nice change. Muslin has brought Serbia much needed stability and most importantly results, These players are basically the same ones from previous failed campaigns, Muslin is the only difference. So far so good but it's a long road to Russia.

THE BAD

That defending 
Oh boy that was hard to watch. Serbia's defence was very bad vs Austria and made it a extremely stressful evening for all Serbian fans. There were many nervous moments and we made some big errors that resulted in goals or good scoring chances for Austria. Some of these errors were individual ones and some of them were due to bad positioning. It's also worth mentioning that Austria's 2nd goal was clearly offside and should not have counted. There is clearly tons of work for Muslin to do on the defensive end. He needs to find a way to shore up Serbia's  defending because I don't  think our hearts can handle watching another defensive display like the one vs Austria.

Stefan Mitrovic
I don't like to single out players and I could have included this in the previous heading but Mitrovic's performance was so poor that I think it warrants special mention. Stefan Mitrovic was Serbia's worst defender vs Austria which is saying something since Ivanovic and Nastasic also played poorly. He assisted Austria's first goal with a poor clearance and looked very unsure and nervous every single time the ball came near his feet. He won a good amount of aerial battles but not enough to make up for his mistakes. Mitrovic can't start vs Wales, Muslin has to look at other CB options.

Kolarov's yellow 
Well that was unnecessary. Aleksandar Kolarov received a stupid yellow card late in the match for time wasting and will miss the match vs Wales since he also received a yellow card vs Moldova. Just as we finally get Nemanja Matic back we lose another one of our key players. It's very unfortunate as Kolarov is Serbia's best left back and always a dangerous attacker for us. Filip Mladenovic will take his place in the lineup. He played well vs Ireland in September and hopefully he'll be able to duplicate that performance vs Wales because we'll need it.

Stojkovic 7.5
Ivanovic 5.5 Mitrovic 5 Nastasic 5.5
Rukavina 6 Milivojevic 7.5 Fejsa 7.5 Kolarov 7
Tadic 9 Mitrovic 8 Kostic 7.5
Subs
Katai 6.5
Gudelj 6
Maksimovic N/A

The good and bad from Moldova

Serbia comfortably beat Moldova 3-0 in a must win 2018 World Cup Qualifying match today. Here are some good and bad things from this encounter. 

THE GOOD

Dusan ****in Tadic
Dusan Tadic had maybe his best game in a Serbua shirt today. He scored a goal, added two assists and provided at least three more great passes that his teammates should have finished. He was the best player on the pitch by a mile and his creativity in Muslin's system has given new life to Serbia's once impotent attack. Serbia can score against anyone when Tadic is playing like this.

Kostic-Katai-Tadic
Andrija Pavlovic was subbed off at halftime and replaced by winger Aleksandar Katai who came in and played as a false 9. Katai and Tadic often switched positions and combined with Kostic to create all sorts of problems for the Moldovan's. The skill, creativity and dynamism of this front three was very easy to see and adds a dangerous element to the side. Unfortunately Katai missed two great chances but it  was clear that Tadic and Kostic combine a lot better with him than with traditional strikers like Mitrovic and Pavlovic. 

Three points and a clean sheet ?!?!?
If you've been following Serbia for the last six years you know how difficult it has been for us to get three points and keep the ball out of the net against anyone. Serbia has a knack for dropping points to small sides like Moldova and these away trips usually turn into nightmares. We also have a talent for giving up very stupid goals. That was not the case today as we put in a very professional performance that allows the players to sleep easy until Austria on Sunday. 

Confidence
This group of players has experienced a lot of failure and faced so much criticism for their poor performances. Mentally they've taken a pounding so a easy victory like this will definitely give them some confidence and bring back their belief in themselves.  Obviously we shouldn't get too excited about a win over a side that we are classes above but this is something positive and positivity is rare when it comes to the Serbian national team in recent years.

THE BAD

The backline 
Serbia might not have conceded against Moldova but the centre back trio of Ivanovic, Nastasic and Vukovic was not as convincing as we wanted them to be against a side of Moldova's quality. Moldova created a couple good chances and got into quite a few dangerous positions. Our defenders just didn't do a good enough job of shutting them down and that will definitely need to improve against a much better Austrian side on Sunday. There's still more work to do but hopefully it gets better as they get more comfortable with each other and the new system. 

Slow starts 
Just like in the match vs Ireland last month, Serbia struggled out of the gate today and was outplayed in the first 15 minutes of the match. The players seem so tense and nervous at the start of games and this added stress that they put on themselves affects their play and is often costly. Early goals are huge and we can't afford to concede them. Hopefully this win will make the players relax a little bit and come into the next match more prepared and with cooler heads. 

Set pieces 
This is something that I was really paying close attention to after the struggles we had against Ireland's set pieces. Today was not much better and a side with more quality would have probably punished us. Moldova almost scored from their first corner and on their next two corners our defenders cleared the ball to the top of the box where a Moldovan was alone waiting for it. Fortunately their shots missed badly in both of those situations but Muslin really needs to secure this part of our game for the rest of the qualifiers.

Central midfield, again
Muslin decided to start Luka Milivojevic and Nemanja Gudelj in central midfield again after their uninspiring performances vs Ireland. Today was much of the same. The duo was unable to control the middle and Moldova crossed into Serbia's half without much trouble for a good portion of the match. Their passing was also poor and they just don't mix well with Serbia's wingers. I'm not sure who Muslin will go with on Sunday but Nemanja Matic can't come back soon enough.

Stojkovic 7
Ivanovic 7 Nastasic 6.5 Vukovic 6.5
Rukavina 7 Milivojevic 6 Gudelj 6 Kolarov 7
Tadic 9 Pavlovic 6 Kostic 8
Subs
Katai 7
Tosic 6
S. Mitrovic 6.5

The next obstacles on the road to Russia

Serbia will take on Moldova and Austria this week in two crucial 2018 World Cup Qualifiers. Serbia will be looking to rebound after a disappointing 2-2 home draw vs Ireland that would have been a victory if not for the ridiculous chances Serbia missed, Here are a couple of things that we learned from last month's Ireland match.

Predrag Rajkovic needs more time
Rajkovic made his first competitive start in goal for Serbia and he looked like he wasn't yet ready to take the job from longtime starting keeper Vladimir Stojkovic. The youngster was not at fault for either of the goals and made a few good saves but he looked unsecure in goal and his needless over dribbling and mistimed clearances made for a nervous evening. Rajkovic is clearly very talented and will one day be Serbia's #1 but he needs more time to mature and gain experience.

Defend the damn set pieces
This has been a problem for a while now, the positioning on set pieces is not good and Serbia continuously get's punished for it. Both of Ireland's goals came after a set piece, the first was due to a failed clearance by Aleksandar Mitrovic and the second from a free header. Our players need to show more discipline and concentration in these situations. Muslin has to find a way to fix this issue or teams will continue to expose the weakness.

The misses, oh god the misses
Have you lost all of your hair yet? Its the same story every match with Serbia's finishing so this is nothing new but some of the misses vs Ireland were truly mind numbing. Mitrovic alone in front of the keeper, Pavlovic off the bar, Ivanovic's miss from 5 yards out. It hurts to remember them. The finishing has to improve or good sides will continue to punish us for our misses.

Need much more from central midfield 
Nemanja Matic's suspension has left a big hole in Serbia's central midfield and Slavoljub Muslin has decided to fill it with Luka Milivojevic and Nemanja Gudelj. The duo was very underwhelming vs Ireland, both were pretty invisible and their distribution was poor. To make things worse Milivojevic committed a dumb foul that led to Ireland's first goal while Gudelj lost his man on Ireland's second goal. We will see if Muslin sticks with them or changes it up for Moldova on Thursday.

Mitro where art thou?
Aleksandar Mitrovic was simply awful vs Ireland. It was one of his worst performances for the national team and Serbia's attack looked a lot better once he was subbed off. This was his first match in two months so that probably contributed to his performance but this isn't just about one match. Mitrovic has to play better and put away his chances (like the sitter he missed at the end of the first half) if Serbia want's to qualify for the World Cup. We need Mitro to be on fire.

Tadic and Kostic = nightmares for defenders 
Dusan Tadic and Filip Kostic were a terror for the Irish defenders all night long. The two wingers were fantastic and made everything happen for Serbia's attack, Tadic scored and assisted a goal while Kostic scored a goal and fixed a penalty. The continued good form of these two dynamic players will be huge for Serbia's World Cup hopes.

On to Moldova and Austria

The match in Moldova this Thursday is a must win for Serbia. Moldova is the weakest side in the group and getting six points from them is imperative. Anything less is unacceptable. Moldova will sit back and try to defend like they did vs Wales last month. Serbia will create plenty of chances against them and the key will be our ability to put those chances away. Serbia has struggled against "minnows' before and losses to Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Estonia and Macedonia in previous qualifying campaigns illustrate that point. Our players have to go into this match fully focused and with the right mindset. The familiar "this one will be easy" attitude has to change because we haven't earned the right to be cocky.

Austria visits Belgrade on Sunday in what will be a extremely tough match for Serbia. The Austrians are a very talented side and probably the favourites to win this group. Serbia is the underdog in this encounter and it will take a very good performance to beat the experienced and well organized Austrians. Serbia's defenders will have to put in a disciplined and composed performance because a side like Austria will punish us for any lapses in concentration.  This match will set the tone for the qualifiers in my opinion, a result here for either team will send a message to the rest of the group and put the winner in a good position to finish in the top two.

Expected lineup:
Stojkovic
Ivanovic-Nastasic-Vukovic
Rukavina-Fejsa-Milivojevic-Kolarov
Tadic-Kostic
Mitrovic

Serbs Across Europe Roundup

This was not a very productive weekend for our players across the continent. Dusan Tadic was the only Serbian national team player to score while all three of the strikers on Slavoljub Muslin's squad for Moldova and Austria failed to score for yet another week.

ENGLAND

Nemanja Matic and Branislav Ivanovic both played the full 90 minutes in Chelsea's 3-0 loss to Arsenal. Neither played very well especially Ivanovic who continues to struggle as Chelsea's right back.

Aleksandar Kolarov played the entire match in Manchester City's 3-1 win over Swansea. He has had a superb start to the season in his new centre back position.

Dusan Tadic played 80 minutes and scored a goal in Southampton's 3-0 victory over West Ham. He had a fantastic performance and has been the best Serbian player in Europe so far this season.

Vladimir Stojkovic started in goal in Nottigham Forest's 2-1 loss to Sheffield Wednesday.

Aleksandar Mitrovic came on as a substitute in the 80th minute in Newcastle's 1-1 draw with Aston Villa. Unfortunately it seems like he has fallen out of favour with manager Rafa Benitez.

GERMANY

Filip Mladenovic came on in the 84th minute while Milos Jojic was a unused substitute in Koln's 1-1 draw vs Leipzig.

Aleksandar Ignjovski played the full 90 minutes for Freiburg in their 3-1 loss to Borussia Dortmund. Neven Subotic did not play.

FIlip Kostic came on in the 67th minute in HSV's 1-0 loss to Bayern Munich.

Gojko Kacar played the full 90 minutes in Augsburg\s 1-0 victory over Darmstadt.

Mijat Gacinovic was a unused substitute in Eintracht Frankfurt's 3-3 draw with Hertha BSC.
Slobodan Medojevic did not make the squad.

Milos Veljkovic started at centre back and played the full 90 minutes  for Werder Bremen in their 2-1 win over Wolfsburg. This was his first start of the season and he played well which is great news,

Matija Nastasic played the full match for Schalke in their 2-1 loss to Hoffenheim. Nastasic is still trying to find his form after being out for so long with a injury.

SPAIN

Zdravko Kuzmanovic started and played 59 minutes for Malaga in their 1-0 loss to Real Betis. Darko Brasanac came on as a sub in the 64th minute for Betis.

Nemanja Radoja played the full match in Celta Vigo's 2-0 win over Espanyol. He seems to have secured a starting spot this season and should get his first call up to the senior national team.

Antonio Rukavina was a unused substitute in Villarreal's 3-1 win over Osasuna. Goran Causic did not make the squad for Osasuna.

Aleksandar Katai was a unused substitute while Nenad Krsticic came on in the 87th minute in Alaves' 3-1 victory over Granada.

ITALY

Filip Djuricic was a unused substitute in Sampdoria's 2-1 loss to Cagliari.

Aleksandar Pesic did not make the squad for Atalanta in their 3-1 win over Crotone.

Slobodan Rajkovic is out injured and did not play in Palermo's 1-0 loss to Juventus.

Nikola Maksimovic was a unused substitute for Napoli in their 2-0 win over Chievo. He continues to not get any playing time after his much publicized move from Torino. Ivan Radovanovic played the full 90 minutes for Chievo.

Adem Ljajic and Sasa Lukic were unused substitutes in Torino's 3-1 win vs Roma.

Darko Lazovic did not leave the bench for Genoa in their 1-1 draw vs Pescara.

Sergej Milinkovic-Savic played the entire match for Lazio in their 2-0 win over Empoli while Filip Djordjevic was a unused substitute and Dusan Basta was out due to a calf injury. Uros Cosic came on in the 33rd minute for Empoli.

Nenad Tomovic played the full 90 minutes for Fiorentina in his usual right back spot as they drew AC Milan 0-0.

FRANCE

Pavle Ninkov did not make the squad for Toulouse in their 2-0 win over PSG.

Milan Gajic remained on the bench in Bordeaux's 0-0 draw vs Caen.

Milan Bisevac played 90 minites in Metz's 1-0 win over Montpellier.

Denis Petric was a unused substitute for Angers vs Monaco.

NETHERLANDS

Nemanja Gudelj was given a rest for Ajax and didn't play vs Zwolle.

Danilo Pantic came on as a substitute in the 58th minute for Excelsiot in their 3-1 loss to PSV.

PORTUGAL

Lazar Markovic came on in the 73rd minute for Sporting in their 4-2 win over Estoril. Lazar is struggling but hopefully he will improve with more playing time. Radosav Petrovic did not make the squad for Sporting.

Ljubomir Fejsa played his usual 90 minutes for Benfica in their 2-0 win over Chaves. Andrija Zivkovic and Luka Jovic did not make the squad. Nemanja Petrovic was a unused substitute for Chaves.

Nikola Stojiljkovic and Lazar Rosic both played the full match for Braga in their 2-1 win over Vitoria.

BELGIUM

Uros Spajic started at right back for Anderlecht and played the full match in their 2-1 loss to Westerlo. Nemanja Miletic played the entire match at centre back for Westerlo.

Filip Markovic and Luka Stojanovic played the full 90 minutes for Mouscron vs Club Brugge. Nikola Gulan came on in the 81st minute while Fejsal Mulic did not make the squad.

Marko Miric came on in the 27th minute for Lokeren in their 1-1 draw vs Waasland-Bereven.

Aleksandar Bjelica played the full match at left back while Dalibor Veselinovic came on in the 60th minute for Mechelen in their 3-2 loss to Zulte Waregem.

Stefan Mitrovic played 90 minutes for Gent in their 2-1 win over Sint-Trudense.

Bojan Nastic came on in the 40th minute for Genk in their 4-1 loss to Kortrijk.

RUSSIA

Zoran Tosic played 75 minutes and recorded a assist in CSKA Moscow's 1-1 draw vs Krasnodar.

Nemanja Pejcinovic played the entire match while Petar Skuletic was a unused substitute in Lokomotiv Moscow's 1-0 loss to Rostov.

Radovan Pankov remained on the bench while Dominik Dinga was not in the squad for Ural in their 1-0 win over Orenburg.

Darko Lazic played the entire 90 minutes in Anzhi's 2-2 draw vs Zenit.

Aleksandar Miljkovic played 90 minutes for Amkar Perm in their 0-0 draw vs Ktylya Sovetov.

REST OF EUROPE 

Predrag Rajkovic played the full 90 minutes in Maccabi's 5-0 win over Hapoel..

Andrija Pavlovic started and played until the 67th minute for Copenhagen in their 2-0 win over AGF. Aleksandar Jovanovic was in goal for AGF.

Nemanja Maksimovic started and played the full match for Astana in their 1-0 victroy over Ordabasty.

Nemanja Antonov started at left back and played the full match for Grasshoppers in their 2-1 win over Vaduz.

Jagos Vukovic played the entire match for Konyaspor in their 1-0 loss to Trabzonspor.

Dusko Tosic played all 90 minutes for Besiktas in their 2-2 draw with Galatasaray.

Luka Milivojevic started and played the whole match in Olympiacos' 1-0 loss to AEL.

Vanja Milinkovic-Savic and Milos Krasic started and played all 90 minutes for Lechia Gdansk in their 2-1 victory over Ruch Chorzow.

Aleksandar Sedlar played 90 minutes in Piast Gliwice\s 1-1 draw vs Slask Wroclaw.

The road to Russia begins

Serbia kicks off 2018 World Cup qualifying on Monday evening vs Ireland in Belgrade and I have no expectations. It's very difficult to feel confident after three consecutive unsuccessful qualifying campaigns and endless disappointment. However, it's also difficult to look at Serbia's squad side by side beside Ireland\s and not see the clear advantage that we have in quality.  That little dilemma is what long suffering Serbian football fans have been wrestling with for years. Why can't we beat teams with less talent than ours? 

In many ways the Irish national team is the polar opposite of Serbia. They don't have many players playing for big clubs but they play together as a team, work hard and leave everything on the pitch for their nation. On the other end, Serbia has players at well respected clubs across Europe but they can never gel as a team and rarely show the same type of fire that the Irish show on the pitch. Ireland has continuity, they have a system and they know how they want to play. That's why they made it out of the group stages at Euro 2016 while we haven't even qualified for a European Championship since 2000. We need to adopt the qualities that they have and mold them together with our talent. Only then will we see consistent results and return to major tournaments on a regular basis. 

This will be Slavoljub Muslin's first competitive game in charge of Serbia. During the three friendlies in May and June, Muslin implemented a new system and showed that he has a clear vision of how he wants Serbia to play. His 3-4-2-1 formation looked very good in the friendly matches vs Israel, Cyprus and Russia. Serbia created plenty of chances while remaining organized defensively but now it's time for the real test. Monday is not a friendly, the intensity will be raised to a whole different level and the team will have to prove that they can play in that system when it matters. 

Muslin is faced with quite a few issues heading into this match. He won't be able to rely on Serbia's midfield rock Nemanja Matic who is suspended for the first three matches. He also can't count on one of Serbia's main attacking weapons Aleksandar Kolarov who is also suspended. Those are two very troubling absences, particularly Matic who brings shape to Serbia's lineup and holds the midfield together. There is no doubt that Muslin has spent many sleepless nights pondering which duo to insert into the central midfield instead of Matic. 

Another major concern for Muslin  is the lack of playing time and match fitness that many Serbian players are dealing with right now. Most European leagues have just started their seasons and the majority of our players are either sitting on the bench  or not playing a full 90 minutes. Serbia's top striker Aleksandar Mitrovic hasn't even seen the pitch yet due to suspension and injury while starting  goalkeeper Vladimir Stojkovic only found a new club last week.  This is only going to compound Muslin's problems and make it even more difficult to choose the starting XI.

Serbia usually does well against British/Irish sides and their style of play. The main reason behind this is  that we have big, strong players that are good in the air and can neutralize the long balls. We tend to struggle against sides that run at us with a lot of pace and keep the ball on the ground and British/Irish sides aren't exactly known for that type of play. The cautious and physical play that they're known for plays to our strengths. In recent years we have played in qualifying groups with Wales (won home and away), Scotland (drew away, won at home) and Northern Ireland (won home and away). Hopefully that trend continues. 

  I think that Monday's game will most likely end in a draw or a tight Serbian victory. It will be a very hard fought match and the key will be defending set pieces and not getting caught on the counter. Ireland is very dangerous and hard to break down so we can't afford to miss our chances. At this point I am not interested in how we play. If we bunker up like Greece during Euro 2004 and squeeze out a ugly 1-0 win I will be ecstatic. Results are the only thing that matters, playing pretty football is great but if we lose it means nothing. Wins and losses are the only thing that is going to determine if Serbia goes to Russia or freezes to death somewhere in Siberia while trying to get there. 

Lineup prediction:

Rajkovic, Ivanovic, Mitrovic, Rajkovic, Mladenovic, Rukavina,Fejsa, Maksimovic, Kostic, Tadic, Pavlovic.   

Muslin announces squad for Cyprus, Israel and Russia friendlies.

Goalkeepers: Vladimir Stojković (Maccabi Haifa, Israel), Predrag Rajković (Maccabi Tel Aviv, Israel), Damir Kahriman (Crvena Zvezda), Aleksandar Jovanović (Radnički Niš).

Defenders: Antonio Rukavina (Villarreal, Spain), Milan Rodić (Krylia Sovetov, Russia), Aleksandar Kolarov(Machester City, England), Filip Mladenović (Koln, Germany), Slobodan Rajković (Darmstadt, Germany), Matija Nastasić(Schalke, Germany), Nemanja Milunović (BATE Borisov, Belarus), Uroš Spajić (Toulousem France), Branislav Ivanović (Chelsea, England),Nikola Maksimović (Torino, Italy).

Midfielders:: Luka Milivojević (Olympiacos, Greece) Saša Zdjelar (Olympiacos, Greece), Nemanja Gudelj (Ajax, Holland),Nemanja Matić (Chelsea, England), LJubomir Fejsa (Benfica, Portugal), Marko Grujić (Crvena Zvezda), Sergej Milinković-Savić (Lazio, Italy), Dušan Tadić (Southampton, England), Adem LJajić (Inter, Italy), Nemanja Maksimović (Astana, Kazakhstan).

Attackers: Zoran Tošić (CSKA Moscow, Russia), Lazar Marković (Fenerbache, Turkey), Andrija Živković(Partizan), Filip Kostić (Stuttgart, Germany), Nemanja Mihajlović (Partizan), Aleksandar Mitrović(Newcastle, England), Nikola Stojiljković (Braga, Portugal) i Andrija Pavlović (Čukarički).

Here we go again

It's time once again for the annual tradition know as the "Serbian National Team Fresh Start". That's right buckle up, here we go again on another "rebuild". Radovan Curcic has been relieved of his duties as national team manager and The Serbian Football Association (FSS)  has started the search for Serbia's 6th manager since 2011. That number almost seems too ridiculous to be true but sadly it is. You would be hard pressed to find another national team in the world that has more turnover and less continuity than Serbia.

Radovan Curcic is a very quiet and pleasant man but it was clear from the begging that he did not possess the experience, quality or authority to be a senior national team manager of a country that has ambitions of qualifying for a major tournament. The highlight of Curcic's club coaching career was leading FK Javor Ivanjica to a mid-table finish in the Serbian Superliga. His other major managerial achievement came when his very defensive counter attacking tactics took Serbia U21 to the 2015 European U21 Championships; which he does deserves credit for. Curcic's resume speaks for itself but I don't want to criticize him too much because it's not his fault that he was hired to do a job that he wasn't qualified for. That blame falls squarely on the shoulders of the Serbian FA, who  continue to mismanage the national team.

 Firing Curcic is the right decision but it's hard to feel confident about the next hire when you look at FSS's history of incompetence and terrible decision making. In a shocking turn of events FSS has for once, not fired a manager right before the start of a qualifying campaign so the new bench boss will actually have four months and four friendly matches to build a team for the start of World Cup qualifying in September. On the other hand this also gives FSS enough time to fire the new manager so who the hell knows what will  happen before the Qualifiers start.

The main name being mentioned as Curcic's replacement is 62 year old Slavoljub Muslin. He is well respected in Serbia and last coached Belgian side Standard Liege for a brief period in 2015. Muslin is very experience and has managed in Serbia, Russia, France, Belgium and Ukraine among others. He would certainly bring more knowledge and authority than Curcic but he's bounced from club to club and hasn't really had a lot of success in his career. Serbian media are reporting that his hiring is all but official so we may soon find out if he's the man that can save this sinking ship.

Another name being mentioned is former national team and Serbian football legend Dragan Stojkovic. The beloved "Piksi" has had a successful coaching career in Japan and is currently the manager of Chinese side Guangzhou R&F. He would be a great choice and the Serbian public would love to see him at the helm of the national team but Stojkovic does not have a good relationship with the leadership of FSS (and who can blame him) so it's doubtful that he would want to work for them. He also had bad experiences as Serbian FA and Red Star Belgrade president in the mid 2000's and many speculate that he doesn't want to return to Serbia as a result.

The final name is a familiar one. FSS would love to bring back former Serbia manager Sinisa Mihajlovic but he looks set to take over Lazio and it's highly unlikely that they can lure him away from Serie A millions. Mihajlovic led the national team from 2012-2013 and just when he seemed to have Serbia on the right path he bolted for a job at Sampdoria despite pleas from FSS for him to stay.

Whoever the new manager ends up being will have a lot of work ahead of him. Serbia is coming off the worst qualifying campaign in the countries history and there are many serious issues that need fixing. The atmosphere in the squad is terrible, the fans have no faith in the national team, the players have shown very little discipline or desire and the heads of FSS are absolutely clueless. The talent is there but so many other things are not. The odds are heavily stacked against anyone who decides to take on this task. If the new manager does end up being Slavoljub Muslim, I wish him all the luck in the world because he will undoubtedly need it.

Serbian national team 2016, will something good finally happen?

A new year is here and that means that it’s time for yet another rebuild for the Serbian national team. Manager Radovan Curcic will attempt to pick up the pieces after a disastrous Euro 2016 qualifying campaign. The last campaign was the worst in Serbia’s history and saw the team finish in 4th place with just 4 points from 8 matches. To top that off Serbia ended 2015 with a embarrassing 4-1 friendly loss to the Czech Republic.

It’s time to put all of that ugliness in the past and focus on the future as Serbia’s first matches of 2016 are a little more than a month away. Serbia will play friendly matches vs Poland and Estonia on March 23rd and 28th. These will be the national teams first tuneups before World Cup qualifying kicks off in September so it will be important to start things off with some positive results.

This is my list of the 23 players that currently deserve a spot on the national team and should be included in Curcic’s squad for the Poland and Estonia friendlies.

Goalkeepers

Vladimir Stojkovic: The reliable Stojkovic is having a solid season for Maccabi Haifa and is still Serbia’s best option at goalkeeper. If it wasn’t for his saves Serbia’s Euro 2016 qualifying campaign would have been even worse.

Predrag Rajkovic: Rajkovic has had some ups and downs in his first season for Maccabi Tel Aviv but he’s shown flashes of brilliance and will be Stojkovic’s eventual replacement in goal.

Marko Dmitrovic: Dmitrovic is playing very well for Spanish Segunda side Alcorcon and is showing himself to be a capable young goalkeeper.

Left Backs

Aleksandar Kolarov: The undisputed starting left back for Serbia. Can be inconsistent but he’s always dangerous and currently irreplaceable.

Filip Mladenovic: Played very well for BATE Borisov and is off to a good start with 1.FC Koln in the Bundesliga.

Centre Backs

Branislav Ivanovic: It’s time to shift Serbia’s captain to centre back. Hes been a rock at right back for years but he’s lost some of his speed and will do better in the centre. There has been a lot of inconstancy at the CB position for Serbia and Bane will help fix that problem.

Nikola Maksimovic: He is back and starting for Torino after a long injury absence. He was playing great before the injury and will hopefully return to that form soon.

Slobodan Rajkovic: Rajkovic has always been a enigma but when he stays healthy he plays well. He is putting in solid performances for Bundesliga side Darmstadt.

Milan Bisevac: Experienced, professional  and reliable. The new Lazio player can be a big help to some of the youngsters in the squad.

Right Backs

Dusan Basta: The versatile Basta has not been getting called up by Curcic lately but he is very solid and deserves a spot on the squad.

Nenad Tomovic: He has struggled at times for Serbia and doesn’t add much in attack but he plays regularly for Fiorentina and is a good defender.

Midfielders

Nemanja Matic: The leader of Serbia’s midfield and a undisputed starter. He’s not having the best season for Chelsea but who is really?

Adem Ljajic: Adem played really well for the national team in 2015 and is Serbia’s most creative player. He is having a solid year for Inter Milan.

Dusan Tadic: Up and down performances for Serbia lately but the Southampton man can always deliver a deadly ball and is a good option on the wing.

Zoran Tosic: He can be wasteful and selfish at times but Tosic creates a lot of problems for defences with his speed. Still performs at a good level for CSKA Moscow.

Filip Kostic: Kostic is playing very well for Stuttgart and is always a threat with his speed and crossing ability.

Andrija Zivkovic: Zivkovic won’t be playing any football until the summer after Partizan threw him off the team when he refused to sign a new contract. Despite the disgusting mistreatment from his club Andrija is still a hell of a talent and the future of Serbian football. Hopefully FSS shows him some support at this difficult time and call him up to national team actions. He’s earned it after leading Serbia to U20 World Cup glory.

Marko Grujic: The new Liverpool signing has been a colossal monster for Crvena Zvezda and deserves to get a shot with the senior national team especially considering our struggles in midfield.

Lazar Markovic: Markovic had a rough 2015 but he’s shown some signs of life for Fenerbache and is slowly working his way back to his Benfica form.

Nemanja Gudelj: Gudelj is having a good first season for Dutch giants Ajax and is always a decent option as a defensive midfielder.

Sergej Milinkovic-Savic: Sergej has had some good and bad moments since his big money move to Lazio but he’s shown that hes a big talent and should be integrated into the senior national team.

Strikers

Aleksandar Mitrovic: Mitrovic really struggled in the last qualifying campaign.  He’s had a up and down first season for Newcastle which is normal for a young striker moving to a big league for the first time. He has a lot to work on but is still Serbia’s top option at striker.

Nikola Stojiljkovic: Stojiljkovic is having a very good season for Braga and is more than deserving of getting his first call up to the national team.

Uros Djurdjevic: Djurdjevic had a great start to the season for Palermo but suffered a bad injury that sidelined him for a few months. He is now back healthy and scoring goals again.

Still out with serious injuries: Matija Nastasic and Ivan Obradovic.

My starting XI:

The light at the end of the tunnel

The last 15 years have been tumultuous when it comes to Serbian football. Since crashing out in the quarterfinals of Euro 2000 (after a 6-1 drubbing at the hands of Holland), the national team has failed to qualify for five of the next seven major tournaments. Thanks to a disastrous Euro 2016 qualifying campaign that number will soon rise to six missed major tournaments out of the last eight. By the time Euro 2020 rolls around it will be 20 years since Serbia has competed at the Continental Championship. This is simply tragic; Serbia has always had talented players playing in top clubs across Europe but they have continuously failed to produce results at the national level.

For years Serbian football fans have been tortured by underachieving, underperforming, and dysfunctional teams. A lot of the blame for that falls on the Serbian Football Association (FSS) and its boss Tomislav Karadzic. Under Karadzic’s leadership there is no vision or continuity, and the FSS hires and fires managers on an almost yearly basis. In only the last five years Serbia has had five different managers. The FSS also faces never-ending corruption allegations from fans, media, former players, and football clubs across the country. Thanks to the FSS’s terrible leadership, there is a poisonous atmosphere around the Serbian national team that helps contribute to a disorganized team that plays as individuals rather than as a team.

Thankfully, that type of atmosphere does not exist within the Serbian U20 national team.Led by charismatic, up-and-coming manager Veljko Paunovic, the team went on an unprecedented run and inspired the nation en-route to winning the 2015 U20 World Cup in New Zealand. This was the greatest achievement in the history of Serbian football and a glimmer of hope that long suffering Serbian football fans have been badly waiting for.

The Young Eagles were extremely well organized in defense and were dynamic in attack, causing their opponents all sorts of problems with their crisp passing and penetrating build up play. They played with great tenacity, fought for every, ball, and showed amazing resilience by winning four straight 120 minute games. The nation of Serbia had football fever for two weeks, and the euphoria still exists today after massive celebrations in Belgrade welcomed the champions home.

This generation of Serbian footballers is bursting with talent. Golden Glove winner and Serbian goalkeeper Predrag Rajkovic routinely made great saves all tournament and showed why he is considered one of the best young prospects in Europe. Speedy winger Andrija Zivkovic showcased his wide array of skills and emerged as Serbia’s best player and one of the most exciting players at the World Cup. Nemanja Maksimovic was an enormous presence in midfield and showed amazing composure throughout the tournament. These three players stood out and are ready to suit up for the senior national team immediately while players like Milos Veljkovic, Srdjan Babic, Stanisa Mandic, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Sasa Zdjelar, and Nemanja Antonov aren’t far behind.

There was a lot of individual talent in the team, but that is not why Serbia won the World Cup. They won because they played as a team and never gave up or lost composure.The man responsible for Serbia’s glory was Veljko Paunovic. The former FK Partizan, Atletico Madrid, and Getafe forward is a rare breed when it comes to Serbian coaches.

While the majority of Serbian managers are still stuck in the 1980’s and play an ultra-defensive style with little creativity or fresh ideas, Paunovic is the complete opposite. He utilizes modern technology to gather every bit of information that can be helpful to his players. He is also a football fanatic that is extremely dedicated to his craft and is always willing to learn new things and try new ideas. Paunovic has an amazing relationship with his players and communicates with them year round. He is a fantastic motivator and his teams always have a great atmosphere around them. Paunovic is the most talented Serbian manager to come around in a long time, and the FSS has to do everything in their power to keep him involved in the program. He is vital to the future success of Serbian football.

There have been talented Serbian youth teams in the past but never ones like this generation. Serbia are the 2013 European U19 Champions and the 2015 U20 World Cup champions. We have never seen a Serbian football team that has this mentality: play as a unit, never give up, remain composed, and play with incredible heart and effort. This is the golden generation and Serbian fans should be excited. Now it’s on the players to continue on this path and keep working hard so that this success can be translated to the senior national team. This generation is different and has what it takes to propel Serbia into a footballing powerhouse. For the sake of Serbian football fans everywhere, I hope that I’m right.