Suggested Call Ups/Starting 11

[Nikod]

Just saw some highlights of Gentsoglou... very good passer of the ball. Can also find the striker, which is something our current CMs are not able to do. Fairly strong, good at 1v1 just like you said. I don’t think he is the answer though. It’s a team sport, 1 man won’t save us. We need quicker CMs who can take players on aswell. He can’t do that. I think he is better than Samaris in terms of vision. Probably the same as Taxi but only slightly faster and way better defensively.

Androutsos is the type of CDM/CM we need. But with more vision and technical ability. If Androutsos improves on these aspects
than we have our CM. The problem is he isn’t playing.

Gentsoglou is a name I have not heard in several years...

[Don Giovanni]

In remaining qualifiers, Van't Schip has to try and identify 15 senior players who he can really rely on as key regular call-ups. Even if their form suffers he will need to give them some leeway. For example, someone like Mitroglou should bare minimum be on the team. These must be players competing at the higher levels or who have past experience at those levels. Maybe we get the odd domestic player, like Salpingidis did in the past, who out of sheer determination can force his way among the starters, but we have to look towards the foreign-based players in the top leagues with greater favor first. Van't Schip has to build a proper sense among the players that they're a group, in this together, and he has to give the majority of the team the sense that there is merit to his selections.

He can't stick to favorites in the way Rehhagel did without merit. Charisteas and Seitaridis, for example, had no business starting for Greece at the World Cup in 2010. They were in woeful form and clearly they were physically past their best. Likewise now, Mitroglou has no business starting for Greece. Players on form should start ahead of those out of form, but these key players still need to be part of the squad. There's no denying Mitroglou has a place in this squad.

Our greatest strength is clearly at CB. Our weakness is clearly on the wings. The team has to be shaped accordingly. We have to cater to our strengths and minimize our weaknesses. In my view, that means playing a back three or back five. We can't afford to play a back four with Stafylidis, Tsimikas or Koutris at LB and Bakakis at RB. A back five we can get away with them there, but for Greece, a team that likely can't afford to concede any goals for a lack of firepower up front, then we need to keep things tight and secure at the back, even if it's overkill.

We have to abandon the tactic of players like Samaras and Salpingidis wide. This tactic is killing any semblance of an offense. Guys like Masouras or Kolovos need to be dropped for a proper defender and we need to rely on fewer forwards in the shape of the likes of Donis who are playing at a higher level week in, week out. Frankly, I think our CBs are bigger scoring threats than our forwards anyways.

In the middle, we need a Basinas type. Tachtsidis and Bouchalakis are the only two players to fit that bill. Perhaps Androutsos in the future. We need that kind of player in the middle to help connect the dots and make triangles. It was missing under Anastasiadis, but Van't Schip seems to have understood it.

[Dean97]

In terms of being set with 15 senior players first you have to consider Sokratis out of the team. We have to start building for the future. Our current group - most of them are not playing up to standards for 5 years. We need our players to bond. That’s why I think we should start building for the future. I think Sokratis will retire from Greece after this campaign and Torosidis will retire altogether after this season. 2 spots will be available. I don’t know how Manolas is going to take it. If he loves Greece so much and wants the best for the team he will stay. He is also very needed. If he dosent care he should leave, it’s simple. Maybe the likes of Mavropanos and Hatzidiakos can step up and take places. Retsos too.

Kourbelis cost us the Euros plain and simple. No need to be doing things like that. Kolovos I think had a bad game or maybe he isn’t all that good to begin with. Also the header could’ve been a fluke but I’m still grateful for it. Masouras is good and is useable. Can become even better with time - just like at Olympiakos. Pelkas is more useable in the middle as a CAM or CM. That’s it for him. He can’t do the job on the wing.

Pavlidis and Vrousai are great players and we’re both very close in scoring against Finland. They need to be considered going forward. Torosidis is ageing and Sokratis will retire. Mitroglou can be used but only off the bench just like you said. Fortounis, Donis and Fetfatzidis are all needed for our attack. Just like I said stated before we haven’t got quality at FB and CM. If we did that would’ve provided the difference.

[Dean97]

In terms of Bouchalakis and Tachtsidis they are both the same. Both left footed, both tall, both good in the air, both slow, both equal at passing, both average. If Tachtsidis wants a permanent spot in the team he has to start playing like he did against Hungary in the last match in 2016. He scored, assisted and was man of the match. Since then he hasn’t been effective for both club and country.

[Don Giovanni]

We cannot afford to drop our most experienced players. Tachtsidis plays in Italy, that's the difference. He doesn't play against Lamia and Panetolikos, he plays against Inter Milan and Juventus. There's a big difference in intensity that Tachtsidis faces every week compared to what Bouchalakis has to face. We have to build around players who are experienced and can compete at higher levels. That includes Sokratis.

Pavlidis and Vrousai need to play for the u21 team, not the senior team. Tsimikas and Koulouris came through it and so must they. Only truly exceptional players should be graduated early, like Retsos and right now it's the right decision to let Retsos continue at that level until World Cup qualifying beings now that the Euro campaign is over.

[Reaper]

Two assists today and flawless in defence and attack. Huge heart - huge running - huge positivism. Koutris easily - for me - the best Greek LB playing football today.

Hope Van Shit nails this guy in as our main LB.

[Amorgos]

Twice the player Tsimikas is, and has to be our main LB going forward, I am sure he would have provided an assist or two vs Liechtenstein tbh

[Don Giovanni]

Niki Volos will not survive the drop this season. And frankly, even if he had done it against Panathinaikos, the truth is the Greek league simply isn't good enough to measure a player's worth. We'll have to see how he does against Tottenham first. He does well in that game, even if OSFP lose (which is likely), then he will make a strong case for himself to play for Greece.

[Dean97]

Niki Volos will not survive the drop this season. And frankly, even if he had done it against Panathinaikos, the truth is the Greek league simply isn't good enough to measure a player's worth. We'll have to see how he does against Tottenham first. He does well in that game, even if OSFP lose (which is likely), then he will make a strong case for himself to play for Greece.

I have to agree with you on that. I don’t think I can watch a full 90 minutes of GSL games. Even Olympiakos vs Panathinaikos would be unbearable at times.

[Don Giovanni]

I'm not even sure a match between Panathinaikos and Olympiacos would last the 90 minutes. The last time they played the match was abandoned.

[Don Giovanni]

Willem II lost today 4-1, but Pavlidis grabbed another goal. He's our most in-form striker and he's a burgeoning talent with future prospects. I do like his attributes: tall, fast, and technically good with the ball. He looks to be a better version of Charisteas, but Charisteas boasted a confidence and self-belief that Pavlidis may not yet possess or may never acquire with Greece. The question is, do we keep him in the senior side or do we let him play at a more appropriate level with the u21s, who still need him? Do we build our attack around his talents?

I didn't think he was what we needed coming off the bench against Finland and Liechtenstein. We needed Mitroglou off the bench. That said, Koulouris had two starts and in the end didn't do enough with them. I can't fault Koulouris for the lacks of service, but things won't get any better for him against Italy, they'll just get more difficult. Mitroglou still lacks fitness and is far from being PSV's starting choice. He's very much a bench option for club and country at this point. Other names--like Vellios, Manos, among others--are worth consideration, but I still feel they have more to do before earning a chance to play for Greece again.

Pavlidis is still very inexperienced, but he might be a good option for us against Italy. His pace and ability to finish inside the area could prove the difference on the counter. Finland and Liechtenstein didn't afford us space behind their defense, but Italy will play higher and there will be a lot of space for someone like Pavlidis to run into. His height means he could offer an aerial threat or at least someone who can challenge for long balls in the air, but the Italians should have him beat for the most part. I can't really say he's ready for this opportunity, the time doesn't seem ripe for him yet, but with a coach like Van't Schip to guide him, it might work. Even if he doesn't score, his ability to threaten and press the opposition might be enough until we can sub on Mitroglou in the late stages of the game.

[Amorgos]

Interesting thoughts Don... I think Koulouris is in not bad shape tbh and they are both in good form.

I really think JVS should look at a 3-5-2 personally and look to utilise Koulouris & Pavlidis up front as they would compliment each other very well imo.

Our big three at the back, Fetfa and Mantalos In there with Zeca and Galanopoulos, Koutris in the left wing, kati ginete me afto imo

[Dean97]

We have to start getting the younger guys ready for the Senior team. Players like Pavlidis, Vrousai and Bouzoukis should be in the team and worked with. We have a good coach in terms of getting the younger guys to pull through and make something happen with them. This coach has mainly been coaching and assisting youth sides in Holland which the academies are known to be very good. I hope JVS can guide Pavlidis so he can translate his club form over to the NT.

[Don Giovanni]

I'm thinking we should go to 4-3-2-1 and use an old Santos/Valverde tactic of playing a DM in an AM role. I wouldn't mind playing Samaris in a higher role. I was thinking something like this:

Barkas
Retsos---Manolas---Sokratis---LB
Zeca---Tachtsidis---Kourbelis
Samaris---Donis
ST

It may be too early to bring Retsos back in. He didn't feature for Leverkusen in their 4-0 loss to Dortmund, but he could soon find his way back into the eleven with performances like that. In the worse case scenario, will be forced to play Sokratis at RB and Siovas in the middle. Bakakis can't start for Greece. Eventually we would need to bring on Torosidis as a sub.

Left-back would probably be Koutris. Pavlidis at striker for me. If both do well, they should continue against Bosnia, otherwise I'd go Stafylidis and Koulouris for Bosnia, and send Pavlidis back to the U21 team.

[Dean97]

https://www.agonasport.com/agonaspor...-to-the-future

Looks like Samaris, Torosidis and Stafylidis won’t be part of the team going forward according to this article. (I can imagine Reaper with a smile on his face about Stafylidis being off the team lol)

I like the way you explain your line ups Don but Im tired of Samaris. Tachtsidis needs to have different role. We shouldn’t forget that Masouras has been playing solidly and is one of the few bright spots on this team. Also Fetfatzidis is the creative spark of this team. They both need to start.

I agree with you that Mitroglou should be a bench option from now on.