- From replacing Angus Gunn to Derby heroics, Kovacevic is a true game changer.
- The “Mad Vlad” era brings eccentric saves and risky distribution to Carrow Road.
- Is Norwich’s Serbian maverick the most polarizing player of the season so far?
I swear I was going to write this before his heroics against Derby County! However, here is my case for Vladan Kovacevic as player of the season.
Big shoes
The circumstances under which Kovacevic came to the club had me worried. Angus Gunn had been a solid performer for Norwich City, and this was a key position.
To top it off we had four goalkeepers coming in. How was this going to work?
Two types
Broadly speaking I’d say there are two types of goalkeeper, more to do with mentality as opposed to how they stop shots, distribution and so forth.
There are your stoic, solid goalkeepers. They are the likes of Joe Hart or Jordan Pickford who you can largely depend to perform but their skills have a ceiling that may not fit all playing styles.
Then there are the mad lads. Fabian Barthez would be an example. A keeper who is unpredictable but at the same time is great to watch.
Occasionally you get game changers like Peter Schmicheal or Manuel Neuer who are game changers that provide inspiration for the keepers that follow them.
Mad Vlad
Vladan Kovacevic definitely fits in the “mad lad” category. He is eccentric, sometimes pops up in weird positions and has an almost cartoonish zaniness about him.
This is personally one reason why I like him but I can also totally understand why this may put some people off who want someone a bit more solid.
But what we saw against Derby was the reason why I want him as our number one- he has produces massive saves every game and his distribution is part of Norwich City’s flowing style.
Honourable mention
Daniel Grimshaw hasn’t had that much game time so it’s hard to make a comparison.
That being said when he had a difficult game Phillipe Clement was quick to say he has injury issues which suggests there is more to come from him.
Contender
So would I pick Vlad for player of the season?
He’s an exciting player to watch and a big part of the team. However, he is a divisive figure and ultimately, there are some other big candidates that could and should win, so probably not.
But what do you think? Is Vladan Kovacevic your number one? Or are you still worried about the fact he is a maverick renegade? Let us know.
