Yugoslav Press Slams Santrac, Team
June 16, 1998 - 0:0
BELGRADE Yugoslav media slammed national manager Slobodan Santrac and his squad on Monday for their lackluster performance against Iran in a World Cup Group F match on Sunday. It went from weak, to weaker, to weakest, said the daily Politika. Sinisa Mihajlovic rescued the team, ran a headline in the daily, referring to the man who scored the winning goal from a free kick in the second half after 70 minutes of disappointing and disconnected play.
Mihajlovic, Our Love, Sportski Zurnal said in a huge front-page headline. For the umpteenth God sent down Sinisa Mihajlovic to show us that he holds the fate of our team in his left foot, but this is exactly what should worry us the most, said the daily. Nothing at all can be achieved without a full 90-minute collective effort, it added.
It would be a suicidal theory to keep pinning our hopes on Mihajlovic canceling all previous mistakes with a single kick, said the daily. It slammed team manager Slobodan Santrac for sticking to a tired team full of veteran players. The entire sporting public has long been demanding that Santrac show some courage and give a chance to youngsters Dejan Stankovic and Perica Ognjenovic, as well as Real Sociedad's Darko Kovacevic, who is in top form.
Throughout the first half the team played an endless and complelety outdated game full of short passes. In the second Stankovic brought harmony to three segments of the team which were in total collison in the first 45 minutes, said Sportski Zurnal. The daily also criticized veteran playmaker Dragan Stojkovic and welcomed his second-half replacement by Kovacevic. Stojkovic must look for simpler and quicker solutions, it said.
It was slow, complicated and bloodless until Stojkovic, Branko Brnovic and Savo Milosevic were replaced, the daily Sport said. Kovacevic, Stankovic and Ognjenovic brought in speed, briskness and also some connective tissue, it added. Disappointed fans heaved a huge sigh of relief when the referee blew the final whistle. We could only play better against Germany next Sunday, said one. After all, we couldn't possibly play any worse.
(Reuter)
Mihajlovic, Our Love, Sportski Zurnal said in a huge front-page headline. For the umpteenth God sent down Sinisa Mihajlovic to show us that he holds the fate of our team in his left foot, but this is exactly what should worry us the most, said the daily. Nothing at all can be achieved without a full 90-minute collective effort, it added.
It would be a suicidal theory to keep pinning our hopes on Mihajlovic canceling all previous mistakes with a single kick, said the daily. It slammed team manager Slobodan Santrac for sticking to a tired team full of veteran players. The entire sporting public has long been demanding that Santrac show some courage and give a chance to youngsters Dejan Stankovic and Perica Ognjenovic, as well as Real Sociedad's Darko Kovacevic, who is in top form.
Throughout the first half the team played an endless and complelety outdated game full of short passes. In the second Stankovic brought harmony to three segments of the team which were in total collison in the first 45 minutes, said Sportski Zurnal. The daily also criticized veteran playmaker Dragan Stojkovic and welcomed his second-half replacement by Kovacevic. Stojkovic must look for simpler and quicker solutions, it said.
It was slow, complicated and bloodless until Stojkovic, Branko Brnovic and Savo Milosevic were replaced, the daily Sport said. Kovacevic, Stankovic and Ognjenovic brought in speed, briskness and also some connective tissue, it added. Disappointed fans heaved a huge sigh of relief when the referee blew the final whistle. We could only play better against Germany next Sunday, said one. After all, we couldn't possibly play any worse.
(Reuter)