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Sokratis is undoubtedly a leader. He's vocal, plays his heart out, and rarely makes a misstep. He's a model player and someone who sets the standard for everyone else. And he's always looking to improve or get better. After the 1-1 draw to Belgium when Lukaku had him beat for strength to tie things up, it seemed apparent to him that he would need to bulk up for the EPL, where he would once again be matched up against Lukaku. In Arsenal's recent win over United, Sokratis had no problems taking Lukaku on. Hopefully Sokratis gets others, Fortounis in particular, to follow his example.
I hope God tells Anastasiadis to adopt three men at the back and to have players who will chase and hustle almost everywhere else on the pitch. That's the key for Greece. Chances will come because of the pressure we exert. The problem is having a Samaris sitting back and meekly passing the ball. That's where we will run into problems. He can't control games. He can't do what Karagounis did to Costa Rica. There was a time where he could counter and he could bring energy and pace to a game to help set the sort of tone he did against Ivory Coast, when he scored. That was five years ago, when he had something to offer that was more proactive, but not now.
When we play an opponent who sit back and park the bus, like Liechtenstein basically, we're going to need a high line, but this time we'll need someone with a bit more quality on the ball in the middle of the park. I'd like to see Mantalos start for the Liechtenstein match with Zeca coming on late to close out a win. I can live with Samaris in the eleven, but I'd still prefer him at CB.
As far as creativity goes, there isn't a whole lot to work with here. Our best bet is Donis winning a set-piece in a dangerous area or forcing a corner, Fortounis delivering the set-piece, and Sokratis or Mitroglou getting on the end of it.
It would have been nice to have had a Fetfatzidis to throw in the mix towards the last 20 minutes. His dribbling ability is second to none in Greece. He can unsettle teams, but to do that he needs to get back into the sort of form and shape he had before his car accident. Donis strikes me as something of a threat. He can draw defenders, unsettle them with his pace and skill to a certain extent; however, he's not a great goal threat. Masouras strikes me as a back-up to Donis and he's more of a goal threat. He's still raw and we can't really place too many expectations on him. I'm not expecting great things from him, but if he can work his tail off and play with real determination, he might make something of himself. Mantalos no longer adds any flavor to matches, but he's got more quality on the ball than Bouchalakis or Zeca. Mitroglou is off form and low on confidence, he's a ghost of his former self. Bakasetas, we can forget about him. He's just not good enough. Tachtsidis is much like Donis, he has quality on the ball, but he's lacking end product. I think if he's given more free rein in an ACM role, he could realize more of his potential. I'd be willing to drop Mitroglou (or even Fortounis) to accommodate that.
I hope God tells Anastasiadis to adopt three men at the back and to have players who will chase and hustle almost everywhere else on the pitch. That's the key for Greece. Chances will come because of the pressure we exert. The problem is having a Samaris sitting back and meekly passing the ball. That's where we will run into problems. He can't control games. He can't do what Karagounis did to Costa Rica. There was a time where he could counter and he could bring energy and pace to a game to help set the sort of tone he did against Ivory Coast, when he scored. That was five years ago, when he had something to offer that was more proactive, but not now.
When we play an opponent who sit back and park the bus, like Liechtenstein basically, we're going to need a high line, but this time we'll need someone with a bit more quality on the ball in the middle of the park. I'd like to see Mantalos start for the Liechtenstein match with Zeca coming on late to close out a win. I can live with Samaris in the eleven, but I'd still prefer him at CB.
As far as creativity goes, there isn't a whole lot to work with here. Our best bet is Donis winning a set-piece in a dangerous area or forcing a corner, Fortounis delivering the set-piece, and Sokratis or Mitroglou getting on the end of it.
It would have been nice to have had a Fetfatzidis to throw in the mix towards the last 20 minutes. His dribbling ability is second to none in Greece. He can unsettle teams, but to do that he needs to get back into the sort of form and shape he had before his car accident. Donis strikes me as something of a threat. He can draw defenders, unsettle them with his pace and skill to a certain extent; however, he's not a great goal threat. Masouras strikes me as a back-up to Donis and he's more of a goal threat. He's still raw and we can't really place too many expectations on him. I'm not expecting great things from him, but if he can work his tail off and play with real determination, he might make something of himself. Mantalos no longer adds any flavor to matches, but he's got more quality on the ball than Bouchalakis or Zeca. Mitroglou is off form and low on confidence, he's a ghost of his former self. Bakasetas, we can forget about him. He's just not good enough. Tachtsidis is much like Donis, he has quality on the ball, but he's lacking end product. I think if he's given more free rein in an ACM role, he could realize more of his potential. I'd be willing to drop Mitroglou (or even Fortounis) to accommodate that.
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