Tachtsidis

[Amorgos]

I didn’t see Zeca play as a CAM midfielder vs Bosnia...

[Dean97]

Mantalos has regressed a lot. He's not good enough technically and he's slowed down a bit physically. The fury in his play is now gone. He still hustles hard and feeds off the creativity of others. For me, he's now more of a CM than an AM. Compared to guys like Fortounis and Tachtsidis, he's a level beneath them now.

Tachtsidis could be playing in the Series A next season. Lecce are now third in the table and trailing only a couple of points behind Palermo and Brescia. If they keep up at their current rate, they'll gain promotion.

I believe we'll need him when we play Italy. And I felt it was a huge mistake to play Bouchalakis at CM and Zeca at CAM against Bosnia. Should be Zeca at CM and Tachtsidis at CAM.

I know you’ve advocated for Tachtsidis at CAM for a while now but don’t you think his slowness and mobility will affect his play especially in that position, or no? You’ve stated why he suits the role but is the team going to really benefit with him playing there?

[Don Giovanni]

I didn’t see Zeca play as a CAM midfielder vs Bosnia...

After Greece conceded the first goal, Anastasiadis began to encourage his players to move higher. We were playing too deep and inviting the Bosnian to score again, which they did. The Bosnians were playing exceptionally well in the first 20 minutes and Greece was getting steamrolled. By the 30th minute, with Greece down 2-0, Bosnia began to play more conservatively and Greece was allowed control of the game. We were at this point desperate to score.

Kourbelis had by then stepped out of the defense. He was no longer a CB like at the start of the match when the game was still at a more manageable scoreline. We were now taking more risks. He still tended to stay deep in the midfield, which enabled him to slip into the defense when necessary. Koutris and Bakakis began to take up more advanced positions on the wings due to our desperation to grab a goal and because Bosnia was allowing us to take command of the game. In a sense, Greece was playing 2 and a half defenders now instead of 3 defenders, while Koutris and Bakakis began to play like wingers instead of wing-backs.

With Kourbelis shifted out of defense and now in the midfield, and with Fortounis dropping deep to collect possession, this freed up one of CMs who would now be allowed to hold a position higher up, often times in place of Fortounis. Prior to then, the CMs would occasionally press higher, but they wouldn't stay up.

Zeca was time and again attacking space in the opposition area, something the other central midfielders didn't do.

In fact, when Donis fluffed a free header (one of the best chances in the first half), it was Zeca who made a run to the near post and thus drew the defenders away from Donis to free him up. Bouchalakis and Samaris didn't make runs like Zeca did.

That doesn't mean Zeca played strictly as an attacking midfielder. Late in the first half, when Bosnia retook control of the game, with Bakakis out of position and playing basically as a winger, Zeca raced back to clear a dangerous cross in the Greek 6 yard box. He denied Bosnia a sure goal.

Once Masouras was on for Bouchalakis, we had a proper CAM/winger on the pitch and we would see Zeca take on more of a role on the right of the midfield. Koutris also dropped back more to play as a third defender when Greece was out of possession.

That said, the team was very fluid. They were playing total football. This team was nothing like the static teams under Rehhagel towards the end of his reign.

[Don Giovanni]

I know you’ve advocated for Tachtsidis at CAM for a while now but don’t you think his slowness and mobility will affect his play especially in that position, or no? You’ve stated why he suits the role but is the team going to really benefit with him playing there?

It's the same idea to how we played Katsouranis at CAM against Nigeria and Romania. That's how I see it.

[Don Giovanni]

With 6 games left, Lecce are in second place and in prime position to win direct promotion to Series A. He's been in good form for them. The other day, he came off the bench and played an influential role to tip the balance of the game, helping to create two goals to secure a 3-1 win over Cosenza.

[Don Giovanni]

They suffered a very unlucky loss today. The goalie made a clumsy foul outside his area that led to his dismissal. Lecce had the better chances and were dominant, despite being a man down. Tachtsidis looked good on the ball.

[Dean97]

That’s positive news regarding Tachtsidis. Hopefully he starts performing on a regular basis.

[Don Giovanni]

His side won again, 4-1 against Carpi. They look to be in excellent form. He's playing well and pulling the strings for Lecce, but I feel he has more to offer if he was allowed more license to get into scoring positions, something that would be afforded to him if he played as a trequartista instead of as a regista. Nevertheless, Lecce tend to dominate and control matches with him running the show in the deeper role. That said I think he's too nonchalant on the defensive end of the pitch. He needs to do more to put players at least under pressure. He needs to show more urgency and alertness.

[Don Giovanni]

He played the full 90 minutes ad they won 2-1 over Perugia.

They have a massive game next Sunday against 1st place Brescia. Lecce need to win to keep from being leapfrogged by Palermo and to draw level on points with Brescia. They do that and we'll see our boy in the Series A next season.

[Don Giovanni]

Lecce are now joint top of the table in Series B, while third place Palermo dropped points. All Lecce need is one more win from their remaining two games and Tachtsidis will be in the Series A next season.

Highlights here:

Brescia had a player sent off and Lecce made a tactical change towards the 80th minute replacing Tachtsidis for a forward. The move paid off within minutes as substitute scored the goal that decided the game.

[Dean97]

Even if Tachtsidis was to play in the Serie A and get chosen for Greece we will see him in the same position as a 6 and not a 10 and we all know how that will turn out. Unless I’m missing something and he has improved in the 6 role.

[Amorgos]

Let’s hope he stays at Lecce also lol he is quite the journey man

[Don Giovanni]

I think with Samaris in the middle, Tachtsidis will never work. One or the other will play in that 6 role, not both like we saw under Ranieri. What did work was when Tachtsidis played more a CAM/CM and Samaris more as a CDM/CB.

I think with Lecce, Tactsidis is stuck in that role, but for Greece he needs to lobby for that CAM role. The big challenge for Greece is having players who can press and chase opponents, but offer some level of quality on the ball. Of the players we have, Tachtsidis marks those boxes. Guys like Mantalos, Pelkas, and Bouchalakis are probably the only other alternatives at this point in time, but I just don't think they play with the same level of quality as the former. Tachtsidis is a bigger, stronger, and more technically gifted player.

[Dean97]

I think with Samaris in the middle, Tachtsidis will never work. One or the other will play in that 6 role, not both like we saw under Ranieri. What did work was when Tachtsidis played more a CAM/CM and Samaris more as a CDM/CB.

I think with Lecce, Tactsidis is stuck in that role, but for Greece he needs to lobby for that CAM role. The big challenge for Greece is having players who can press and chase opponents, but offer some level of quality on the ball. Of the players we have, Tachtsidis marks those boxes. Guys like Mantalos, Pelkas, and Bouchalakis are probably the only other alternatives at this point in time, but I just don't think they play with the same level of quality as the former. Tachtsidis is a bigger, stronger, and more technically gifted player.

I remember the game against Hungary in 2015 where Tachtsidis was playing as the CM/CAM and was man of the match. Samaris was playing as the deep CDM and it worked out perfectly. In that game Tachtsidis scored and assisted. Not only that he was nearly all over the pitch. But he was playing a more attacking role in midfield that benefited everyone. I’d like to see him player higher up again for Greece.

[Don Giovanni]

He was suspended for his team's most recent game in which they lost 2-1 away to Padova.

He's back Saturday, May 11th in their final league match against Spezia. A win guarantees promotion. Palermo have an extra game in hand and could pip them if they win both matches and should Lecce drop any further points.