The Montenegrin national team players who started the match against Kosovo in Pristina on October 14 (defeat 2:0) in the qualifiers for the European Championship, and who are playing abroad, played only 335 minutes for their clubs last weekend.
On October 14, ten players from abroad were in the first line-up of coach Faruk Hadžibegić at the "Fadilj Vokri" stadium, plus Darko Bulatović, Sutjeska's left back, who played the entire Telekom 1. CFL match against Rudar on Sunday.
So, 10 players who were starters in Kosovo played an average of 33,5 minutes last weekend for their clubs, even six of whom did not play any minutes. The players who performed did not record any specific performance, in the form of a goal or an assist.
Goalkeeper Danijel Petković, who was replaced in Pristina due to an injury in the 15th minute, recovered, but only to be on the bench of French Angers when visiting Montpellier.
Right back Adam Marušić didn't play a single minute for Lazio when visiting Fiorentina, stopper Dušan Lagator watched the defeat of Russian Sochi by Rostov from the bench, and only Marko Simić improved the minutes played by defensive players - he was on the field for 90 minutes in the final of the Cup of Uzbekistan and won the trophy with Pahtakor.
The defensive part of the midfield recorded only 45 minutes - Nikola Vukčević was not even on the Levante bench against Espanyol (no mention of injury, I guess it's about saving), while Aleksandar Šćekić played for Partizan in the second half against Spartak.
Nebojša Kosović (injury) did not play for Kairat last weekend either, Aleksandar Boljević played 20 minutes for Standard against Club Bruža, while Vladimir Jovović (Jablonec) and Stefan Mugoša (Inčon), along with the already mentioned Simić, were the only players with full minutes .
The players who entered the game from the bench in the previous match of the Montenegrin selection did not recover from the bulletin either - only one of the three played 60 minutes for his club. It is Fatos Bećiraj. Marko Janković was not even on the SPAL bench, while the regular round of the Bulgarian championship was not even played last weekend, so goalkeeper Milan Mijatović didn't even have a chance to register minutes in Levski's goal.
These, to put it mildly, devastating numbers, reveal the current state of Montenegrin national football. All the pains and problems that in the past years followed the younger representative categories, the domestic league and our clubs when they appear in European competitions, in this qualifying cycle were also transferred to the senior selection.
"Brave Falcons" have won three points in the seven qualifying matches for the European Championship so far. They recorded three draws - against Kosovo at home, and Bulgaria in Sofia and Podgorica. They lost twice to the Czech Republic, once to England and Kosovo.
However, the most difficult match on paper follows - against England at "Wembley" on November 14.
With which footballers will our national team try to avoid a heavy defeat, against one of the strongest European selections, in one of the most famous European stadiums, against a team that will celebrate an unreal jubilee (1.000th game in history), and also play a match in whose victory brings a mathematical placement on the EP?
What is worst of all, the players who missed the October matches due to injuries will hardly be ready for London - Stefan Savić, Žarko Tomašević and Marko Bakić will need some time to recover, Marko Vešović is still out, while Kosović is new on the injured list. Stevan Jovetić has been gone for a long time...
Football players who did not play against Kosovo (Deni Hočko, Vukan Savićević, Sead Hakšabanović) played in their clubs last weekend, but will it be enough to oppose the powerful and motivated English team against a respectable team?
There is little reason for optimism - our selection plays an insignificant on paper, but in essence very dangerous match next month in the London temple of football.
Sterling-Kane-Rashford: A blood-curdling trio
Five times the Montenegrin national team has played against England so far, they recorded three legendary draws (0:0 at Wembley, 1:1 and 2:2 in Podgorica), but also experienced two convincing defeats (4:1 in London, 5:1 under Gorica).
England and Montenegro - the oldest and one of the youngest national teams in the world - cannot be compared in any way, it is a feat that the "falcons" even resisted Proud Albion three times in the past nine years for five matches, but the impression is that the difference between the two teams has never been so big - astronomical, as it is before the sixth match between them next month.
All the problems that accompany the Montenegrin national team lately become even more pronounced when you look at the form in which the English national team and its players are.
In the last match, Albion beat Bulgaria in Sofia with 6:0 - it could have been 10:0, if only Gareth Southgate's team had been a little more precise in the end.
The form in which the English forwards are in is frightening. Rahim Sterling scored six goals in the last four matches for Manchester City and the national team.
Harry Kane recovered from his injury and returned to goalscoring form - in the last five matches he scored five goals for Tottenham and the national team.
Marcus Rashford has enormous potential and is playing brilliantly - in the last three matches he scored three goals, against Bulgaria, Liverpool and Norwich (for Manchester United and the national team). These are football players, among others, who will attack the decimated Montenegro in two weeks.
Bonus video:
