Suggested Call Ups/Starting 11

[Dean97]

Interestingly I read some where Stafylidis started his career as a CM. Don’t know why he got moved to LB as he clearly isn’t a great defender. Decent passer and a great shot is all he has. I also don’t understand why he was chosen as captain since he is more of a liability...

Also Hatzidiakos started off as DM and AM also. He is also a good passer of the ball. I think he could also do well as a DM. But for now I’d leave him as a CB.

[Don Giovanni]

Retsos isn't playing at all since his loan move to Sheffield. He needs playing time. Mavropanos has gone on loan to Stuttgart, where he should earn regular playing time. Hatzidiakos looks to be getting back and has secured his future at AZ, so he'll be continuing his progress.

Personally, I would like to see Greece play a back three:

Stafylidis---Manolas?---Hatzidiakos

It has to be this way because there's no way Stafylidis can continue in the eleven otherwise. He can't start over Giannoulis, let alone Tsimikas. He's a third string left-back at best. And he's not a great defender. He's too timid and weak. He's like a deer in headlights when he's in a 1v1 situation with an attacker. He can't challenge for the ball in the air. Anytime he gets isolated he freezes up. Perhaps he can get away playing as an LCB in a 3-man/5-man defense, but he can't continue in the role demanded of him otherwise. And I don't even know if playing in this kind of system will do him any better because the truth is he's not good enough to be a dependable player in the back. He has to improve if he's to continue long term in that kind of role.

[Dean97]

Here is a blog from Hellas football in regards to making some changes for September...

https://hellasfooty.blogspot.com/202...eeded.html?m=1

[Dean97]

Hatzidiakos actually set up the 1st goal against Bosnia with his pass through the middle. Also interestingly Giannoulis created 2 of our goals in the last 3 games we played. I think Giannoulis could be vital for us even though Tsimikas is better. We are lucky to have these players in great form who are improving by the week at LB.

As things stand Stafylidis doesn’t deserve to be our LB. If Koutris didn’t get injured he would also be ahead of him. Also we have great CBs to choose from like Mavropanos, Siovas, Lampropoulos, Risvanis and Retsos (when in form.) So things don’t look good for the current Greek captain. He hasn’t played much also since the restart of the league.

Were going to have to find replacements for Hatzidiakos, Galanopoulos and Koutris in September. As they are injured. Mavropanos, Siopis/Vasiliadis and Kyriakopoulos is what I would go with for there replacements.

[Don Giovanni]

Another player in a good position in this graph is AZ Alkmaar player Pantelis Chatzidiakos. Though AZ have the best defensive record, their individual stats don’t stand out in any other data. However, Chatzidiakos likes to help his team progress up the pitch. The academy product has 1.91 progressive runs per 90, with 16.56 progressive passes, completing 78.2% of them.

He also just signed a deal that will see him through to 2024 at AZ.

[Dean97]

I haven't been watching of late. I saw Alexandropoulos though in the U-19s. Comfortable on the ball and keeping things simple. Coach donis preferred to play his son all year instead of him.

We have some kids coming through at pao. One kid forget his name, got plucked by atalanta i think.

Vagiannidis chose inter and i can't blame him. I think donis should've given him a lot more chances. He didn't necessarily have to play him at right back. He can play at right mid. Instead donis chose bouzoukis who doesn't have the legs for that position. I'm annoyed because with johanssen and apostolakis gone, there's an opening at right back. Donis going back to the middle east is a fitting end.

I'll be pissed if zagaritis doesn't get chances at left back. Insua left, chatzitheoridis may be out for a 2-3 months.

Interesting to see if we finally give athanasakopoulos a chance. Bouzoukis though you'd think will move centrally. We just signed Villafanez. We have carlitos who will either play in behind marcheda or take the Italian's spot.

We also signed a spanish winger from twente that came from barca's youth ranks so emmanouilidis will have to earn his playing time.

Yes, Alexandropoulos provides things that most of our midfielders don’t provide. He is comfortable on the ball and likes making runs through the middle. He is only 18. Van’t Schip is keeping an eye on him and he should be. Most of Panathinaikos academy players are highly talented and that has always been the case in the past. I think Panathinaikos has the best academy and youth players in all of Greece.

My brother tried out for Olympiakos u20s a long time ago and he was simply amazed with how good the youth players were at Panathinaikos.

Athanasakopoulos looks like he has high potential and he should be given more chances. He looks like he can offer something special. I like Emmanoulidis and Bouzoukis too.

I think Vagiannidis should’ve stayed. As you said there is an opening now at RB and he could’ve taken it. I’m not too sure what he’s going to do at Inter as he most likely won’t play for the 1st team, unless he impresses in training. He could’ve gotten a lot of 1st team experience with Panathinaikos at a decent level and if he stayed he would’ve most likely have gotten a call up to the men’s national team sooner rather than later. As we all know we can use someone else in that position.

[Val]

I haven't been watching of late. I saw Alexandropoulos though in the U-19s. Comfortable on the ball and keeping things simple. Coach donis preferred to play his son all year instead of him.

We have some kids coming through at pao. One kid forget his name, got plucked by atalanta i think.

Vagiannidis chose inter and i can't blame him. I think donis should've given him a lot more chances. He didn't necessarily have to play him at right back. He can play at right mid. Instead donis chose bouzoukis who doesn't have the legs for that position. I'm annoyed because with johanssen and apostolakis gone, there's an opening at right back. Donis going back to the middle east is a fitting end.

I'll be pissed if zagaritis doesn't get chances at left back. Insua left, chatzitheoridis may be out for a 2-3 months.

Interesting to see if we finally give athanasakopoulos a chance. Bouzoukis though you'd think will move centrally. We just signed Villafanez. We have carlitos who will either play in behind marcheda or take the Italian's spot.

We also signed a spanish winger from twente that came from barca's youth ranks so emmanouilidis will have to earn his playing time.

[Dean97]

This is from Hellas Football...

18 year old talent Sotiris Alexandropoulos from #Panathinaikos has caught John Van't Schip's attention

The Ethniki Omada boss has praised the young midfielder's dynamic style, character & non-stop runs in his last two games against Olympiakos and PAOK in the #SLGR Play-Offs

[Dean97]

Great article about Bakasetas.

https://hellasfooty.blogspot.com/202...ntral.html?m=1

[Dean97]

All we can hope for is to build on the last 4 games. We’ve have shown a new identity and have changed our style. We can thank JVS for that so far. I’m excited for the future as we have young talented Greeks coming through. I just hope we make the World Cup. By then hopefully most of our starting players have improved their game and hopefully some break through.

[Jsoul]

There is no hiding the fact that we will struggle against top quality teams as we don’t have the defence that we had in the previous years and we don’t line up the entire team behind our half of the field and just defend and hope for a draw. So yes we will give up a lot more chances and some these high end teams will capitalize on their chances but at least now we are not just a boring defending team with no offence, and our speed gives us the ability to press up the field and gives us a chance to be able to be competitive on both ends of the field..
We definitely don’t have that one or two stars that some of these big teams have that are game breakers so we need to work as a complete unit and have a complete team effort where every player buys into the same system which we are seeing some encouraging signs now with JVS. Some of our guys are still too young so we don’t know what role they will play for the NT but there are definitely some encouraging signs. The problem I see with a lot of the Greek players is inconsistency, they will have a great couple years and everyone will be so high on them and then they fade off again.
Regardless I’m excited to see if this team can build on its moment it carried from the last 4 games and continue to build and move forward and keep improving and getting good results that’s all we can ask for right now if I’m being realistic.

[Dean97]

Football is a team game and it’s going 100% effort from all our players to get the win. We can’t rely on one person. We haven’t got that kind of player. All we can hope for is that we play our best and most inform players every time. JVS has done that. He’s also change our style for the better. I understand your going to need quality against bigger teams but our only quality players are our CBs...

We did better with a different team in the 2nd game against Italy than the 1st. I agree that we are going to need bigger bodies in the box for set pieces, Pavlidis, Kourbelis and Hatzidiakos are the one that come to mind. If we replace Stafylidis for say Mavropanos then we have another good option in the box...

We can’t underestimate what Fountas has done, even in Austria. I can’t remember the last time a Greek ST has done this well abroad. He’s also got it all. Good technique, great passer and great finisher with speed. On the counter he can be very useful as he makes great runs. Even though most of our players that don’t play CL or EPL it doesn’t mean that we can’t succeed. Our players are still young and progressing and one day they might play CL but for now this team needs fresh blood and young blood.

[Don Giovanni]

Fountas is having the best season ever... in Austria. What can we expect of him against top quality opposition? Twice we played Italy and both times we looked very nonthreatening. Both times we played deep in our end in order to stay in the game. Realistically, if we are to beat a top team, it's going to take a big and powerful center-back (not a small guy like Fountas) to head a ball in from a well taken set-piece. Maybe we can catch them napping against the run of play. Beyond that, I don't think we have the quality to punish top teams, at least not at this time.

Van't Schip has turned around a sinking ship. He deserves credit. And the EPO do too for having placed their faith in him. I remember we almost hired Lucien Favre, who now coaches Dortmund, so I think the EPO made the decision to hire van't Schip with that missed chance in mind. We have a lot of players who are young and eager to prove their worth. They want to do our country proud. It's hard to say who among them will one day play and succeed in the EPL and/or UCL. Right now we have Vlahodimos and Manolas competing at a strong enough level and who are on track to remain elite players. All these other players will have to eventually take similar steps in their careers if Greece is going to be competitive at major finals.

[Dean97]

Well Fountas is having his best season ever. He can’t stop scoring and we know what Greece’s problem is and that’s scoring. Now with JVS as coach we have been playing better football without our so called stars. Who do you replace now in the starting line up? JVS really likes Pavlidis, and he is a decent striker. If we play Fountas on the wing than Mantalos would have to be benched, or you would play Mantalos as the CAM. Limnios deserves to start again. He is the only one that is capable of running at defenders and taking them on with skill and speed. But yet again so can Donis and Fetfatzidis but I think it’s best that they come off the bench as super subs.

Fortounis has to start more if he wants to play. He is coming back slowly. You can tell Manolas and Sokratis have attitude problems because they start week in and week out for their clubs and JVS keeps on saying that they need to have passion and they are going to have to want to come back. If you look at our recent line ups all of our players start for their clubs and are doing well. What puzzled me was that Stafylidis wasn’t starting or playing much at the time I think. I think he was coming off the bench for his club. But he was the player with less amount of minutes and was named captain. That seems a bit odd.

I just think we have to include Fountas in our starting line up. Maybe we play 2 up top...

[Don Giovanni]

I don't think anyone has convinced enough. Even someone like Manolas who should really be an undisputed starter might not even figure in van't Schip's plans if the two can't see eye-to-eye.

Fortounis is making cameos from the bench these days for OSFP. How can he start for Greece?

Without guys playing in top leagues or guys on the bench competing for a place at a top club, I don't think Greece will have what it takes to compete on the biggest stages. We need players at the highest levels to be serious competitors.

It's hard to predict how good some of the guys coming through will become. I think Pavlidis, Fountas, Donis, Limnios, Tsimikas, Retsos, Mavropanos, and Hatzidiakos have something to offer, but we can't set any expectations on the them yet--it's too early still. There are some other names I haven't mentioned who are making their way up who look like good options.