General Chat

[ThrylosG7]

Mendrinos had had the talent and great stamina however he never kicked on he was loaned out to various clubs - who never really played him - then when he left us he never stayed at one club for more than one season ..at about 24 yrs old Oly realised that this guy will never reach his potential and wasnt prepared to increase his contract as much as he wanted ..so he left - since then he has been a Greek journeyman ...For me he is the poster boy for un realised potential... does just enough to get a contract to play in the A Ethniki but never put the work in to reach that next level

[Dean97]

That’s a shame.

Slightly changing the subject but after watching the replay of the Greece vs Bosnia match I thought to myself how good Mantalos is. He is underrated in my opinion. Wasn’t sold on him before but after watching his display against Bosnia he doesn’t get much credit. He has chemistry with every player and works well with anyone. It’s a shame that he’s had a few serious injuries. Imagine what type of player he would be now if it wasn’t for these injuries.

[Greekfreak]

That’s a shame.

Slightly changing the subject but after watching the replay of the Greece vs Bosnia match I thought to myself how good Mantalos is. He is underrated in my opinion. Wasn’t sold on him before but after watching his display against Bosnia he doesn’t get much credit. He has chemistry with every player and works well with anyone. It’s a shame that he’s had a few serious injuries. Imagine what type of player he would be now if it wasn’t for these injuries.

I love the guy. Humble, hardworking, and a talented attacking midfielder. His ball control is excellent, and if he was just a bit faster, his game would improve dramatically. The fact that he was with us through our slog in the amateur division and lasted this long is a testament to what a gem he was. I agree that injuries have been unkind to him but he still comes back each time.

[Amorgos]

Had another great game for AEK and has an assist plus 2 goals!

[Reaper]

Torres scored one of the best goals I have seen on Greek soil.

[Don Giovanni]

How did Niki Volos find this guy?

[Reaper]

How did Niki Volos find this guy?

They have a history of finding these types of players in that city. That is why when AEK spend time and money for a hack like Verde - if you are AEK - you have to fire someone and employ the guy who put together the Torres deal for Volos in his place.

[Don Giovanni]

In an interview with Le Monde, the president of one of Belgium's biggest clubs says they are seriously considering to create a new super league for Belgian and Dutch top flight clubs in order to close the gap with Europe's top five.

Furthermore, the European Clubs Association is looking to establish a new European super league of their own in place of the Champions League by 2024. It'll probably resemble a league format for much of the season and would finish in a play-off championship, as is common in American sports. A club could be relegated at the end of the season and the club that wins second division, or what's currently seen as the Europa League, would be promoted in their stead.

Greece has to undergo fundamental changes too. The times require it. Our league has gone from being inside the top 10 (at one stage the 6th best in Europe, the same year we won Euro 2004) and now ranks below that of Cyprus.

I do think we should reduce the number of teams further down to twelve (maybe ten) top flight clubs as is planned. For comparison sake, Croatia, Switzerland, and Scotland have ten clubs, while Ukraine, Austria, and Cyprus have twelve clubs in their respective top divisions.

I think we should abolish the lower divisions and the relegation system as we know them. We should have one professional league and another league for amateur and semi-professional clubs. All clubs in this league system should be allowed to compete for the Greek Cup. We should maybe consider ending the promotion and relegation system, adopting regional representation instead. We need to build stadiums outside of Athens and Thessaloniki, make them actually useful, and aim to host a World Cup on our own eventually.

[ThrylosG7]

Don Giovanni all good ideas . 10 is a bad number for Greece IMHO though - How many times would everyone play each other ?? if its 3 times - you will have the top teams having to play twice away from home and once at home which will cause more issues , twice is nowhere near enough games - - we have 10 teams here in Australia and people get sick of watching the same teams play each other 3 or 4 times in a season and then theres only 5 games each round. I think 14 teams is a good number - if you have too few games - and you have an average start theres not enough time to recover we are talking 12-18 points not being contested.The championship can be over in the first 5 or 6 weeks .. I think 14 is the ideal number maybe 12 in the 2nd division which can still be professional . However to be promoted we should have the German/French system where you have to also qualify economically . No way we host a World Cup we dont have enough big stadiums and we dont have a need for them either . I belive we should be focusing on clubs upgrading their stadiums and facilities - its far cheaper and will get rid of the local council ground look.

No doubt though this conversation needs to be had..and something innovative needs to be put in place. Its sad the we are making these discussions here on a forum and the GSL is twiddling its thumbs.

[Don Giovanni]

OK, maybe hosting a World Cup on our own it would be too much, especially with the planned 48-team extravaganza FIFA plan for 2026 and beyond, but it might be plausible to host a World Cup via a joint-bid--say a Greece, Egypt, and Italy bid. We could build stadiums designed to be expanded for the tournament and then reduced after the tournament.

I think given the problems with funding the second division this past season, it may not make sense to have more than one professional league level. If we do, then I agree with you that we need to reduce the number of teams, probably down to 12 as you said, for a professional second division.

Greek Cup could be given renewed relevance if we have fewer professional teams. It would be good for Greece to develop our football outside of the two main cities. A big problem with football on the whole is how concentrated success has become with one or two major clubs.

[ThrylosG7]

Again good points - especially about co hosting which is something that is being accepted more and more. Look at the Euro 2020 - its being hosted literally across all of Europe like 10 countries I think ?? As for the make up of the league there are many different ways to go - thankfully other countries have been guinea pigs and tried it - if the EPO were smart they would employ a research company to go out and get info and stats on different leagues to see what is working and not working . What fans like about say a 10 team league , what they dislike. Stats on player values with small leagues , gaps in quality between top and bottom, how promoted teams perform. Just go around to other smaller nations and just collect data . Of course what works in one country may not work in another - especially with Greeks .but at least go out and do some research.

[Amorgos]

It appears we are cursed.

Siovas suffers a severe bruise with hyperextensin in his left knee today... not sure how long he is out for

[Dean97]

It appears we are cursed.

Siovas suffers a severe bruise with hyperextensin in his left knee today... not sure how long he is out for

Yeah not good at all. Maybe it’s time for Manolas and Sokratis but our next games won’t be until March. That’s if we get a friendly or 2. Wouldn’t mind seeing Mavropanos and Retsos be given a shot together to see what they could do.

[Reaper]

If Mavropanos leaves arsenal and gets starts somewhere else it will be useful for him and the Greek NT.

Retsos is a must. The cold hard reality for me is that Retsos and Risvanis are better CB's than Stafylidis any day of the week.

We have enough decent CBs with Greek passports - it is just whether the EPO is willing to give them a shot.

[Amorgos]

Mavropanos is not an option until he leaves Arsenal and gets some playing time. Retsos really needs more game time also. Risvanis is good, from there may need to look at Sokratis or Manolas.