Super League Games

[Kallithea]

Half time 0-0

[Reaper]

1-1

Was a poor game again. We are weak in front of goal all season and Martins has not remedied that.

[Amorgos]

Should Manos get more of a go?

[Reaper]

Should Manos get more of a go?

Imo yes, Martins however disagrees. Played Lazaros as a striker a few games ago instead of Manos. Today he played Omar, a fullback, as a winger to avoid playing Fetfa.

[Kallithea]

Manos is ok but he needs more superleague experience and he's not ready for us yet. He's certainly not good enough to be starting for us and leading the line.

Martins 'avoids' playing Fetfa simply because Fetfa isn't good enough! There's no bias here, he's the worst of our available wingers and I'm including Vrousaj and Pardo. He'll end up at a mid-level team come January or he'll go to the second division French or German markets like Vlachodimos.

[Reaper]

Manos is ok but he needs more superleague experience and he's not ready for us yet. He's certainly not good enough to be starting for us and leading the line.

Martins 'avoids' playing Fetfa simply because Fetfa isn't good enough! There's no bias here, he's the worst of our available wingers and I'm including Vrousaj and Pardo. He'll end up at a mid-level team come January or he'll go to the second division French or German markets like Vlachodimos.

Disagree. Think Fetfa is far better as a winger than Omar who was played as a winger vs Xanthi. Same with Pardo. When a manager starts playing players out of position to keep squad players on the bench.. you know we are in trouble. He played Lazaros as a striker too instead of Manos. Manos needs 2 or 3 starts in a row to see whether he is good enough. He saved our bacon in the Cup - def deserved more confidence from the coach than he has been shown thus far.

Fetfa is finished at Olympiacos since he missed the easy goal against PAO. However - Martins is nearing the door to sadly. As stated - he has not figured out how to make us score goals and we have the highest budget in the league. His time is approaching. His adoration of Podence has not been helpful either.

[Kallithea]

Didn't he start Lazaros (and Fortounis*) up front in the Europa games? He can't do much if the only two strikers registered (Manos wasn't registered) were either injured or recovering from injury.
Fetfatzidis is finished because he cannot do anything correctly. He cannot dribble, he cannot cross and he definitely cannot finish. You know that when you're playing in the Middle East in what should be prime of your career, you really should be looking at your own ability. Let's be realistic, he's crap, he should never have been brought back, and he's not frozen out because he missed a sitter in one match.
Pardo hasn't impressed any of the half dozen or so managers that we've had since he arrived. Again, that speaks more about Pardo than it does Martins.

I don't think Martins is done here, he's been dealt a particularly crap hand with getting a brand new team and most of those players coming in on free transfers. He's never going to be able to dislodge PAOK when they have an established team used to playing together.

[Reaper]

Well I think in most cases, you have to look at logic and reality. Let's take it 1 by 1.

Didn't he start Lazaros (and Fetfatzidis) up front in the Europa games? He can't do much if the only two strikers registered (Manos wasn't registered) were either injured or recovering from injury.

Manos was not even entered on the Europa Squad list. Not even on the B list for emergencies - but the household name of Alexandros Voilis was - as an striker.. This was bad shit by Martins.. bad shit.. especially as we subsequently ran out of strikers. However even when we have strikers - Martins still puts out a team without even one striker! Like vs Betis where he started Fortounis as striker and left Guerrero on the bench! Bad shit...

Fetfatzidis is finished because he cannot do anything correctly. He cannot dribble, he cannot cross and he definitely cannot finish. You know that when you're playing in the Middle East in what should be prime of your career, you really should be looking at your own ability. Let's be realistic, he's crap, he should never have been brought back, and he's not frozen out because he missed a sitter in one match.

He actually had some excellent games for us - like the one vs Milan where he was one of our best players - in fact one of the best players on the pitch. I am a mod of the biggest Olympiacos facebook fan page online. The minute he missed the PAO goal, he was hated. Must have been around 20 topics attacking him and 1000sof posts and before that miss? Not one this current season. Up until that point of him missing the goal - he was backed. That is how it works in Greece. Kapino's shit attempt to save those goals vs AEK too? He was gone too.. It is very common in Greece. As for his form in general - I think he has psychological problems and is playing far below his level. Will be curious to see where he ends up. Hopefully somewhere in Spain.

Pardo hasn't impressed any of the half dozen or so managers that we've had since he arrived. Again, that speaks more about Pardo than it does Martins.

Again - reality may beg to differ. It is common in Europe for players to be told to leave in the off season and find a new club. Pardo couldn't or didn't want to. Since then he has be frozen out. Of course he would have done better than Omar as a winger vs Xanthi - as Fetfa would have. That is on Martins I am afraid. Again, as for Pardo himself - he is a serviceable winger at the very least - Omar isn't and was crap vs xanthi. Martins should have seen this before hand.

I don't think Martins is done here, he's been dealt a particularly crap hand with getting a brand new team and most of those players coming in on free transfers. He's never going to be able to dislodge PAOK when they have an established team used to playing together.

It is not about the players he has - but how he uses them. It was clear whatever you say - 1/ He has the biggest budget in Greece and 2/ We have trouble scoring.

His only job is therefore is to get us scoring and his answer has been a constant rotation of players plus Podence. It hasn't worked.. We are third - 8 points behind PAOK (and in reality.. 10 points, as PAOK were docked 2 points pre-season) and his time is drawing to a close as a result. I actually backed him until he started playing payers out of position to accommodate club politics.

[Kallithea]

Manos cannot be registered on list B, he's too old - Voilis can. Lazaros had played as a striker before so it's not that great a leap to expect him to play in that position when we're desperate.
Anyway, we'll have to agree to disagree. IMO Fetfatzidis is crap and will be replaced, we'll hopefully get a good striker in January and then maybe, just maybe we'll start scoring and winning matches.

Ps. We also had the biggest budget in Greece last season, that worked out well....

[Reaper]

Manos cannot be registered on list B, he's too old - Voilis can. Lazaros had played as a striker before so it's not that great a leap to expect him to play in that position when we're desperate.
Anyway, we'll have to agree to disagree. IMO Fetfatzidis is crap and will be replaced, we'll hopefully get a good striker in January and then maybe, just maybe we'll start scoring and winning matches.

Ps. We also had the biggest budget in Greece last season, that worked out well....

Well, when a team with the biggest budget (by far) fails - coaches get sacked. Happens in every nation. Martins' failure is on borrowed time. His constant rotation has also damaged the team imo. Also his belief in Vukovic, Podence and Bouxa.

I rate Fetfa, but I think he has to find himself again and I think he is already gone (not even in the squad last game).

As for Lazaros or Fortounis as striker - I don't see it. But again, that is down to Martins, he can play anyone wherever he pleases as coach. Seeing as we have trouble scoring - I would suggest playing at least one pure striker per game - not no striker and then get desperate and bring on Manos the last 15 to try and get a vital goal. Anyways, we will have to see how this all evolves. I think he has second guessed himself too much.

I hope we get a Michel figure again some day. However more likely is Canadi..

[Kallithea]

Good win and a good performance last night. Fetfatzidis even scored to open his account this season!

[ThrylosG7]

Totally dominated Larissa...4-0 new signing Masouras played very well..direct ..confident....he reminded me of when Torosidis first signed with us...as in he looked like he had been playing with us for years....and not out of his depth at all...lets hope he is the real deal..

[ThrylosG7]

Another dominant display...Lazaros..coming back into form at the right time 4-0 over Panionios

[Reaper]

PAOK vs OSFP - the big one.

Lineup:

[Don Giovanni]

Bad loss to PAOK. This win really boosts their title hopes.

Koutris is too timid and was lucky not to concede a penalty, but lucky for him this referee was never going to award anyone a penalty unless it was a truly stupid challenge. PAOK identified Koutris as a weak link and won the game by taking advantage of him. Once they went 2-0 up, it was game set and match. Martins is as much to blame as Koutris for this failure. He needs to cut the angle better and be bolder in facing down opponents.

Lazaros was allowed too much influence over OSFP's game. He's not very smart on the ball. He can rifle shots, but even then Vierinha showed him how it's done. He's not as good as he thinks he is. He needs to stop trying to be a superstar and help his team take real command of the game.

Fortounis, I like him, but he's a softy. He shows none of the desire needed to command his teammates to his will, Lazaros being the case in point. There was one positive moment where he lead a counter and played it out wide, then the ensuing cross that came back in was played low. He's not one to slid in for it unless his socks are pulled up to his waist. And he's not strong in the air. Has this guy ever heard of powerlifts? Is he afraid to pick up a cut or bruise on his legs? He needs to leave Greece and go somewhere that'll teach him to toughen up. He should have been itching to throw himself at the ball for an easy goal, but he chickened out and again showed no real desire to take command.

OSFP have poor options up front to challenge for balls in the air. Martins clearly put Hassan in for this reason, but again OSFP has signed another worthless foreigner picked out by a manager who may or may not last until the summer.

PAOK are trash. Other than Vierinha, there's no one on that team with any real quality. They bungled the ball into the net for the second goal like total amateurs. Not a single one of the others can head or shoot the ball. Lousy touches all around. They only had some decent crosses in them, but against real defenders they would never get the majority of those balls in. If they go into the UCL with this team next season they will be an embarrassment to Greeks everywhere, not just Thessaloniki. The only reason OSFP got on the scoreboard is because Paschalakis might as well be a stick of butter. They better learn their lesson by shipping him out first thing in the summer.