Hajduk Disappoints Again at Poljud
Only one point in the first two rounds, frustration in the stands, and criticism of the Board. Upcoming clashes with Lokomotiva and Osijek will test the team's true worth.
Only one point in the first two rounds, frustration in the stands, and criticism of the Board. Upcoming clashes with Lokomotiva and Osijek will test the team's true worth.
Hajduk suffered another painful disappointment at Poljud on Sunday evening. After a convincing 5-0 victory in Lithuania against Žalgiris, a draw with Istra 1961 followed, exposing the team's deep-seated problems. The Puljani once again proved to be the black cat for the Split side, and the single point earned in the first two league rounds brought back bad memories from the summer of 2021 when the Whites last started this poorly.
Last season ended with a staggering 18-point deficit behind Dinamo, and the current squad is incomparably weaker than the one that started with four wins back then. Two good matches—the first at Poljud against Pafos and the rout in Lithuania—will hardly change the assessment of this team's true strength. Istra fully deserved their point, even though it came in the dying moments, making the result even more shocking.
There will be much talk about referee Mateo Erceg's decisions, but the Whites actually came away lucky to have secured a point. The match against the Puljani was not just another slip-up in a series but a serious indicator of the problems keeping the team in the mediocrity zone of the domestic league. The visitors protested twice, demanding penalties, and pundits Gordon Schildenfeld and Hrvoje Vejić on the Studio SHNL show had no doubt that Istra was wronged. The first incident occurred in the 63rd minute when Toni Silić, after losing the ball, made contact with an Istra player, but referee Erceg and the VAR room remained silent. Far more controversy was sparked by a duel in the 90th minute when Alec Van Hoorenbeeck elbowed Hamza Jaganjac in the head. Schildenfeld was clear: "I don't know what needed to be looked at; the referee made no call. It's a clear penalty, a strike without the ball. In the end, neither player gets anything from it; he elbowed him." Vejić added: "An elbow strike, definitely. It can't be a clearer penalty. The guy goes with his elbow straight into the chin, hitting him with great force. I don't see why VAR didn't intervene."
Discontent from the stands escalated into harsh words directed at the players, but more tellingly, at the club's Board. The north stand made their voices heard in a way that had been long awaited, signaling turbulent days ahead for the club.
Coach Garcia has long been under scrutiny, due to his handling of Livaja and numerous other decisions he makes on the pitch. For now, he's doing things his way, but fan patience is wearing thin. Similar mediocrity in the standings occurred just before Livaja's return to Hajduk five years ago, and it's telling that a similar situation could arise now, especially as Livaja himself is going through his own ordeal.
Hajduk now faces league matches against Lokomotiva and Osijek, both of whom have opened the season in brilliant fashion with two wins and excellent performances on the pitch. The answer to whether this Hajduk is truly an average HNL team will come at the end of this month when the Split side plays those two matches.
In Split, in keeping with the temperatures, hot days are certainly ahead. The only question is how much patience everyone involved will have left.
