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  • #61
    AEK should have beat them last season, good luck

    Comment


    • #62
      don't know much about them....just a bunch of unpronounceable Slav names.....
      they always seem to have a decent team.

      Ukrainian league doesn't recommence from winter break until late February...this may give us the edge..

      Comment


      • #63
        We should be beating these guys over 2 legs...to not even make a EL semi final by any Greek team in the last 10-15 years is ridiculous...

        On a side note RED SHERIFF where is your avatar eh ??? Your lack of commitment is concerning...

        Comment


        • #64
          trying to work out how to do it?

          Comment


          • #65
            Originally posted by RED SHERIFF View Post
            trying to work out how to do it?
            PM me the image you want file.

            Comment


            • #66
              Well that is us done for another season, bad way to go out. Podence was garbage today.

              Comment


              • #67
                A little unlucky today. Dynamo played deep and absorbed what OSFP threw at them before catching a break with a goal against the run of play. I always felt OSFP would need two today in order to at least stand a chance. The biggest problem is glaringly obvious: the lack of a quality striker. Hassan isn't good enough. Pure and simple.

                Fortounis again out at 70 minutes. Probably OSFP's most gifted/creative option, and their losing him when they need him most. He needs to toughen up. I thought he did well for as much as he lasted and this time he did show command. His distribution, movement, and passing were very good. And he did show some strength passing defenders and staying on his feet, but he's no Karapialis. He also tried to win a penalty twice, once after a great run but he couldn't protect the ball with his skinny leg and block the defender's leg in the tackle to force a penalty claim (a specialty of Salah's), and then later on the second attempt he made a really poor dive for which he ought to have been cautioned. He can make all the difference if he simply gets tougher and stronger. His lack of pace, which I don't think he can do anything about, and strength, which he can improve upon, are not necessarily a problem, but he has to make up for that with his passing. I feel his passing is sometime too safe when he really needs to be more risky with his longer balls. If there's two or three players up the pitch, it's not the end of the world if you lose possession. Those kinds of passes would do a lot more to put defenses under pressure and it seems to be something Ninis and Tachtsidis understood better than any other Greek have in this generation (as too previously Samaras). Because of his lack of pace, he needs to attempt more longer, lower passes, which are harder for the keeper and other defenders to track than balls that are lofted for everyone to see. I would prefer if he were bolder in his passing once in a while rather than picking safer options as often as he does. It seems he saves his trickiness for short distance passes played quickly and intricately, where he usually gives away possession (when 4-5 players are committed forward), but if you're going to be late to the party, he's going to have to learn to play it from distance.

                Podence I agree was very poor. Once Dynamo had two defenders in his way, he was hitting a brick wall and OSFP were disposed. His phenomenal first touch and assist against AEK on Sunday was nowhere to be found today. He looked lost and had little confidence.

                I thought Masouras did well. He was nervous and misplaced a few passes, but he pulled off a very good attempt at goal and almost had a superb assist had Hassan made a better finish. I'm not convinced of his talents, but Martins was bold to play him and was nearly rewarded for it with two near goals, enough to secure OSFP passage to the next round. I'd prefer this than letting him rot on the bench so Gil Dias, who I think is fantastic, can play and contribute more or less the same. I'm happy they're at least trying to develop players, even though I don't particularly rate this one.

                The referee didn't manage the match well. Cisse was a little lucky not to have been red carded, but the yellow I thought was fair. He did well, as did Meriah. Both are big, fast defenders and I think OSFP needs to keep them. With Sa in goal, they have a good foundation at the back. OSFP have a lot of good pieces in their puzzle, but the big one that is missing is a very good striker.
                Last edited by Don Giovanni; 02-21-2019, 11:22 PM.

                Comment


                • #68
                  To make matters worse, Greece is now ranked 14th behind the Czechs in UEFA coefficient standings. We may even go further behind Croatia to 15th if Dinamo Zagreb get any more points. That's still enough to keep 2 teams competing for UCL in the qualifying rounds, but if we drop to 16th we will only 1 team competing for a place in the UCL. This is what happens when you don't invest in producing Greek players (in particular) and coaches to professional levels.

                  Comment


                  • #69
                    Originally posted by Don Giovanni View Post
                    A little unlucky today. Dynamo played deep and absorbed what OSFP threw at them before catching a break with a goal against the run of play. I always felt OSFP would need two today in order to at least stand a chance. The biggest problem is glaringly obvious: the lack of a quality striker. Hassan isn't good enough. Pure and simple.

                    Fortounis again out at 70 minutes. Probably OSFP's most gifted/creative option, and their losing him when they need him most. He needs to toughen up. I thought he did well for as much as he lasted and this time he did show command. His distribution, movement, and passing were very good. And he did show some strength passing defenders and staying on his feet, but he's no Karapialis. He also tried to win a penalty twice, once after a great run but he couldn't protect the ball with his skinny leg and block the defender's leg in the tackle to force a penalty claim (a specialty of Salah's), and then later on the second attempt he made a really poor dive for which he ought to have been cautioned. He can make all the difference if he simply gets tougher and stronger. His lack of pace, which I don't think he can do anything about, and strength, which he can improve upon, are not necessarily a problem, but he has to make up for that with his passing. I feel his passing is sometime too safe when he really needs to be more risky with his longer balls. If there's two or three players up the pitch, it's not the end of the world if you lose possession. Those kinds of passes would do a lot more to put defenses under pressure and it seems to be something Ninis and Tachtsidis understood better than any other Greek have in this generation (as too previously Samaras). Because of his lack of pace, he needs to attempt more longer, lower passes, which are harder for the keeper and other defenders to track than balls that are lofted for everyone to see. I would prefer if he were bolder in his passing once in a while rather than picking safer options as often as he does. It seems he saves his trickiness for short distance passes played quickly and intricately, where he usually gives away possession (when 4-5 players are committed forward), but if you're going to be late to the party, he's going to have to learn to play it from distance.

                    Podence I agree was very poor. Once Dynamo had two defenders in his way, he was hitting a brick wall and OSFP were disposed. His phenomenal first touch and assist against AEK on Sunday was nowhere to be found today. He looked lost and had little confidence.

                    I thought Masouras did well. He was nervous and misplaced a few passes, but he pulled off a very good attempt at goal and almost had a superb assist had Hassan made a better finish. I'm not convinced of his talents, but Martins was bold to play him and was nearly rewarded for it with two near goals, enough to secure OSFP passage to the next round. I'd prefer this than letting him rot on the bench so Gil Dias, who I think is fantastic, can play and contribute more or less the same. I'm happy they're at least trying to develop players, even though I don't particularly rate this one.

                    The referee didn't manage the match well. Cisse was a little lucky not to have been red carded, but the yellow I thought was fair. He did well, as did Meriah. Both are big, fast defenders and I think OSFP needs to keep them. With Sa in goal, they have a good foundation at the back. OSFP have a lot of good pieces in their puzzle, but the big one that is missing is a very good striker.
                    I completely agree with what you said about Fortounis. He has to toughen up and get stronger. We will see a better player for it. He needs to make risker passes otherwise he won’t be as effective. This wasn’t a good result as everyone expected better from Olympiakos.

                    I also agree with you about Ninis and Tachtsidis. They were more courageous with their passing. I actually believe that the reason why we didn’t get much out of Pelkas for the national team is because he was starting week in and week out for PAOK and he got bunrned out. His style of play which is relentlessly pressing the backline and the fact that he played 90 minutes in every match over stressed him and psychologically was out of it. I believe he could be Greece’s main CAM because Pelkas and Fortounis are at the same level but Pelkas is tougher and a more faster player and with further improvement can overtake Fortounis.

                    Comment


                    • Don Giovanni
                      Don Giovanni commented
                      Editing a comment
                      Pelkas I still think has something to prove against a quality opponent, but I agree that Pelkas has more of the workmanlike/grunt-like qualities than Fortounis. I'd like to see them go abroad. I think this summer is as good a time as ever for Pelkas or Fortounis to head out and try their luck at a higher level.

                  • #70
                    Some excellent points Don Giovanni.

                    I will add I agree that Fortounis needs the gym - he may even get a little faster if he works out properly. He definitely needs more muscle.

                    Podence lost the ball over 15 times. No team can afford to have a player like that in a last 32 Europa league game second leg. He was a disaster. Gil Dias at least stops and thinks at times. Podence reminds me of a rabbit going ballistic in a field.

                    I think the essential problem was we were missing a killer up front. There are also some problems I think with positioning. We didn't seem to get the second ball much. Our middle seems too flat and too predictable. Nakto was constantly telling the attack and midfield to get closer together. At times first half I felt like Bouxa was miles away from the attack. For me he should have pushed up more and let the two cbs handle the distribution from the back. We were playing the offside trap anyway, don't need effectively 3 CBs.

                    Finally I think the ref was a little biased towards his slavic brethren. I don't think slavs should be able to ref games involving fellow slav teams just as I think a Cypriot or turkish ref last night would have been inappropriate too. Buyalskiy in the second minute of the game went through the back of Guilherme with both feet meters from the slovakian referee. Could have been a career ending tackle. Was yellow at the minimum - a red at the maximum. The ref did nothing. I would have wanted Olympiacos players at that stage to surround the ref complaining. Dynamo were setting a precedent and this tackle should have caused huge outrage among the olympiacos players. Instead no one said anything.

                    All in all I think Kiev were better. And financially - they are worth a little more too.




                    Comment


                    • #71
                      Originally posted by Don Giovanni View Post
                      To make matters worse, Greece is now ranked 14th behind the Czechs in UEFA coefficient standings. We may even go further behind Croatia to 15th if Dinamo Zagreb get any more points. That's still enough to keep 2 teams competing for UCL in the qualifying rounds, but if we drop to 16th we will only 1 team competing for a place in the UCL. This is what happens when you don't invest in producing Greek players (in particular) and coaches to professional levels.
                      Hopefully Benfica thrash them.

                      Your summation of the problem is accurate.

                      There is a little hope though. AEK get their new stadium this year - the fans will be meters from the players. Shit ones will get booed and good ones cheered. There will be a meritocracy like at Olympiacos. At the OAKA - most AEK/PAO fans dont even know what is going on in a game. AEK has very good training facilities and soon a very good stadium. So AEK and Olympiacos will both hopefully produce some better players in the coming years. There will hopefully be more professionalism. Better stadia and better training facilities bring better players. If PAOK rebuild the Toumba, the league will rise again a level. It is a very slow process but there is a little bit of light here.

                      As for Greek coaches - they have to travel abroad more. They are far far too xenophobic when it comes to working abroad. Tsiolis, Makis Xavos, Eleftheropoulos etc should have all coached abroad by now.

                      Comment


                      • #72
                        We got Arsenal.

                        Anyone know if we can re-select our official European squad?

                        Comment


                        • #73
                          I don't think so, I think we are allowed 3 changes though. Get Soudani in!

                          Comment


                          • #74
                            ps. Arsenal are tough but they can be done. We played well in the CL with the exception of the 2nd game so I'm hopeful that this tie can be won

                            Comment


                            • #75
                              It looks like Arsenal are not in line for a decent manager too so hopefully they are in similar form to know and OSFP can do some damage.

                              Normally an EPL team is the worst possible outcome for a Greek team but if you ever got Arsenal, now is the time.

                              Comment


                              • Kallithea
                                Kallithea commented
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