The Balkan nation's football pundits and media criticised Dalic for patchy performances and what they saw as ill-judged tinkering with the squad throughout the campaign, which the 2018 World Cup runners-up exited earlier than they had hoped. But the only thing on my mind now is qualifying for next year's World Cup in Qatar, and a big game against Russia on September 1 is just around the corner. We made some simple mistakes which you can’t afford against the likes of Spain because they will punish you. Dalic remained cautious about whether 35-year old captain Luka Modric and several other senior players will carry on. "We need to sit down with cool heads very soon and figure out what the best course of action is."
