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Euro 2020 Group J - Italy vs Greece (12 Oct. 2019, Stadio Olimpico, Rome)


ausgreek

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Didn't watch the game but saw extended highlights. That performance was ten fold better than anything we've dished up over the last 18 months. Great defense, working together was great to see like the Greece of old. We weren't stunning in attack yet the 2 best chances fell to us with Limnios and Kolouris, needless to say Bakasetas should've done better with his sliced attempt. Games like this you need to take those chances, on another day we are 0-1 or maybe even 0-2 up and it's a completely different game. 

2 further things I liked we showed there is life without Sokrati and Manolas. The sun rose and we played well against a superior opponent. I like what Van't Schip is doing, he needs to be backed, this is a rebuild it's not going to happen over night. There is enough there to work with, we have talent what we need is discipline and correct tactics installed. Today was a step in the right direction, let the man work for a while, constantly changing managers isn't going to solve anything. 

One final thing I'll say is that traditionally these matches suit us better, as in giving up possession, sitting and countering. I feel we still have work to do to be able to comfortably beat the Liechtenstein's, Armenia's of the world. Our attackers work better when they have space we know we aren't a team that can move the ball around unlock a defense. 

Never the less I'm quite encouraged by that performance and hopeful we back it up against Bosnia and maybe pinch a result. 

Edited by paokarag4
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2 hours ago, Ellada2004 said:

Dean I think he will sit him out. Overall Greece were much better today and gave the Italians a difficult time in Rome. I was afraid we would see a repeat of the first fixture with them especially with a revamped lineup. 

I definitely think Van’t Schip should stay on for at least 2 years. He needs to restructure this team. I am much happier with Greece’s performance. We were so organised defensively and stood to the plan. Limnios was great today. Donis and Limnios are great to have in this side. I just want Donis to be a bit less selfish. Donis speed and Limnios speed is definitely needed in this team. 

Bakasetas doesn’t deserve to play ever again. He showed determination but didn’t execute and most time killed our momentum going forward. He is not good enough for this level. 

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Masouras didn't play because he was suspended.  Koulouris hustles but lacks that final quality.  Limnios impressed.  The formation and the formation was great, we played very well as a group and a million times better than the 1st leg with better defenders in Sok/Manolas.  I would remove Bakasetas and replace with Fefta.  Donis for Koulouris.  Tsimakis for Staf, Retsos for Bakakis, Use Masouras/Pavlidis/Varsouj off the bench.  My biggest question is why Vlacho didn't start.  Paschalakis wasn't even called and he comes in and starts.  Didn't make sense at all.

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2 hours ago, AchillesHeel said:

I think this was a step in the right direction....plenty of positives in a match we could have won with better finishing and netminding.

A few  notes on the game:

Greece needs a stable goalie who doesn't give up weak goals (ex: Karnezis)....Paschalakis and Barkas are both prone to boneheaded plays and although Vlachodimos is also, but I think to a lesser degree. When the defense is on like yesterday the opposition gets few clear chances so the goalie has to be able to focus on not committing mistakes and stopping the stoppable chances.

Siovas did very well this time around but I think Hatzidiakos can step in and offer more quality overall, probably more than Sokratis or Manolas....fast, good in the air and with the ball at his feet I was really impressed with his play yesterday and I think he's a keeper.

Zeca and Kourbelis did well together yesterday and Bouchalakis was ok until the handball....can't be doing things like that at this level.

Bakasetas is really just too slow to be of any worth to the NT. I honestly believe that if Mantalos started in his place we would have done much better going forward rather than having Bakasetas kill every counter with his lack of speed....was never able to get into position to do anything worthwhile and skied the only chance he had.

Fetfa was dropped for disciplinary reason because he was late getting to a team meeting and if that was the case I agree with it totally....f^c# him if he can't make the effort to be on time. It's selfish and disrespectful which I think is the reason that, despite his talent, he has never been able to cut it at most clubs.

Koulouris isn't cut out for the NT yet....if you're gonna poach you better bag most of your chances and he doesn't do it at this level....so start Donis or Pavlidis for the next game as they will at least make runs off the ball and also be able to hold up the ball.

I don't know why all the hate for Staf and Bakakis. Tsimikas is injured and Koutris has barely played this season at Oly and we don't seem to have many options at RB...but neither play did anything wrong from what I remember and both played well defensively, as directed by Schip to hang back.

The lines played very close and compacted (at some point players were running into each other) and although you could tell the players weren't use to playing this way, it proved to be very effective against a much stronger Italian side. There was a lot more support between players and it should be the way to go tactically against better opposition.

The NT looked more like a team than they have in along time....I can honestly say that with this setup and with Donis, Pavlidis, Limnios starting upfront and taking Bakasetas out of the equation we might actually get some decent results sooner rather than later....as long as we have stable goalkeeping.

Good points the team looked more cohesive in this match than we've seen in years. I agree Vlachodimos should be starting, especially since the EPO went after him so hard. Paschalakis made some good saves but the 2nd goal was stoppable. 

Bakasetas made some good challenges but going forward he ruins our attack and ballooned a great chance. Anyone else in his spot would have made a big difference. No more call ups please JVS

Donis has great pace and skill on the ball he must start no questions asked. Koulouris had to score that sitter, I don't know if he is cut out to play for the NT. I am willing to give him a few more games to prove his worth. 

Stafylidis was impressive for me made life hard for Chiesa and was making smart plays with the ball. If Greece play with the same enthusiasm and togetherness vs Bosnia and switch out Bakasetas we should get a good result. 

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Honestly fellas, with regards to certain criticisms: a reputable website has different opinions of this match to some  posters on here. 

Paschalakis  did not save that 2nd goal cause it took a diflection off Giannoulis. That was way too harsh to expect that to be saved, I saw it too;

Bakasetas was described as being a constant threat, much better than in the past and playing up front;

Zeca was easily the best player for Ethniki,  and that his value to the Ethniki cannot be overestimated. He along with Kourbelis and Bouchalakis, afforded Italy hardly any space to work with;

Bouchalakis set up Koulouris for a goal which he should of scored; 

Hatzidiakos was very composed and at this rate will play alot more for the Ethniki omada;

Siovas was complimented for giving the oponents hardly any space as well;

Staf was solid as skipper; Bakakis had constant raids down his end but was handling them well;

Limnios was excellent, as was Donis , both with their speed;

We got dicked by a stupid penalty and an fluke of a deflection after that, by a superior team.

Ethniki have alot to work with and the coaching staff provided them with good tight structure. Greece played like a good team. Fetfa didn't play cause he was late for a team meeting or training;

I would start Donis, Mantalos and Pavlidis for Bakasetas, Koulouris and Bouchalakis against Bosnia Hertz.

 

 

 

 

Edited by ausgreek
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One thing about Van't Schip is to expect the unexpected. To start Paschalakis after not selecting him in the original team squad was a strange one. I would have liked to know the thought behind that one.

Another surprise was Bakasetas in the no. 10 position for the first time. While he did not score, his pass to Limnios was brilliant, he was involved in all our three scoring opportunities. Also, in the first half he covered a lot of ground as all players were behind the ball when defending, which was a tactic.

I had a feeling after the Armenia loss that team selections would get interesting and it has. Interesting to see what qualities this coach rates, and how the team performs in the next 3 matches. From what I can tell, egoism, arrogance and lack of discipline are attributes that are not going to get you in this team. 

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This might be a really stupid question and I know we don’t deserve to qualify anyways but what happens if Finland and Hungary automatically qualify for the euros as it stands right now they are in position to do so, does this mean we get into a playoff for the nations league to try and get into the euros?

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3 hours ago, kbxk508 said:

One thing about Van't Schip is to expect the unexpected. To start Paschalakis after not selecting him in the original team squad was a strange one. I would have liked to know the thought behind that one.

According to reports he was picked over Vlachodimos because during practices he was enthusiastic and fully concentrated on the task at hand, while Vlachodimos was not. 

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23 minutes ago, Blackhawk said:

According to reports he was picked over Vlachodimos because during practices he was enthusiastic and fully concentrated on the task at hand, while Vlachodimos was not. 

Good. We don’t need any egos on this team. I applaud the coach for doing so. Vlacho is very over rated anyway. 

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5 hours ago, kbxk508 said:

So the real reason Vlachodimos wasn't picked in the Italy match was due to a rib injury, which will keep him out of the Bosia match. Meaning our no. 1 and no. 2 goalies are both out injured.

https://www.sport24.gr/football/ellada/ethniki_elladas/ethnikh-elladas-skeftetai-allages-o-fan-sip.5618012.html

This is consistent with our no. 1 and no. 2 in every other position being left out or injured. This is truly Greece's C-team at best. Some of the players being fielded today by Van't Ship would objectively be 5th or 6th in the depth chart in their position. 

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22 hours ago, Jimmyp said:

Good. We don’t need any egos on this team. I applaud the coach for doing so. Vlacho is very over rated anyway. 

It's time to stop blaming egos and painting every who plays on a big club as problematic. 

When a team is losing, it is natural that the more established players of better quality get frustrated with at ones unable to keep up. After a while, that frustration boils over into ego and bad vibes around the team. Our NT failed because of the lack of quality in most positions, bad tactics and player selection. The sentiment that followed was to be expected. 

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11 minutes ago, Argy said:

This is consistent with our no. 1 and no. 2 in every other position being left our or injured. This is truly Greece's C-team at best. 

This was the main reason why we didn't qualify. All these injuries and the worst being Fortounis out for the final six qualifying matches which ruined our hopes. 

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2 minutes ago, Ellada2004 said:

This was the main reason why we didn't qualify. All these injuries and the worst being Fortounis out for the final six qualifying matches which ruined our hopes. 

Agreed. All this mess stemmed from injuries to Fortounis and to a lesser extent Donis. That coupled with stubborn selections and poor tactics, it all went downhill fast.

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35 minutes ago, Argy said:

Agreed. All this mess stemmed from injuries to Fortounis and to a lesser extent Donis. That coupled with stubborn selections and poor tactics, it all went downhill fast.

Our team aside from Italy has way more high end talent and we are sitting in 5th place similar to the Euro 2016 debacle. 

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1 minute ago, Ellada2004 said:

Our team aside from Italy has way more high end talent and we are sitting in 5th place similar to the Euro 2016 debacle. 

Injuries hurt us, and player selections/starting lineups crippled us. 

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6 hours ago, Argy said:

It's time to stop blaming egos and painting every who plays on a big club as problematic. 

When a team is losing, it is natural that the more established players of better quality get frustrated with at ones unable to keep up. After a while, that frustration boils over into ego and bad vibes around the team. Our NT failed because of the lack of quality in most positions, bad tactics and player selection. The sentiment that followed was to be expected. 

 
Keep them off the team if that's the case. They should be leaders not getting frustrated and having tantrums over their teammates inabilities.

The Ethniki hasn't played with so much hunger and desire for years, who was missing? The superstars, if that is truly their attitude then that's fine they don't have to play. Very encouraging signs moving forward over the last 2 games. If sokratis and manolas want to return with the right attitude then it will be a bonus otherwise we move on as a team and continue to build. 

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On 10/13/2019 at 2:36 AM, Blackhawk said:

ESPN+ or TUDNXtra if you are in the US.

https://www.facebook.com/Greeksoccerontv/

Ethniki do not have better players. Tnis was our A +B+C team all in one. Only Fortounis needs to be thete based on form. Ethniki were embarrassing with them CB's in the team, as was the culture.

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5 hours ago, paokarag4 said:

 
Keep them off the team if that's the case. They should be leaders not getting frustrated and having tantrums over their teammates inabilities.

The Ethniki hasn't played with so much hunger and desire for years, who was missing? The superstars, if that is truly their attitude then that's fine they don't have to play. Very encouraging signs moving forward over the last 2 games. If sokratis and manolas want to return with the right attitude then it will be a bonus otherwise we move on as a team and continue to build. 

Work rate, style, ambition were stupendous, but I do not think this form is sustainable without an injection of talent. Sokratis, Manolas, Fortounis back in the squad and Fetfa back in the starting XI. 

I'd play a similar lineup as today vs Armenia and if they display the same form, insert the the 2 CBs vs Finland. 

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20 hours ago, AchillesHeel said:

I think Schippper is implementing a system were the sum of all parts perform much better than the individual components so I don't think any one player will be getting a free pass onto the pitch based on talent or reputation. While I don't care much for Bakasetas, there is no way Fortounis can provide the work rate or determination the latter has shown the last 2 games which had been missing from the NT...of course Fortounis will probably get a shot if he proves to Schipski that he has changed his mind set and is fit enough play within his system. The main problem with the current set up is finishing so I would give Mitroglou a go up front at some point if he is also able to handle the new system.

I don’t think Mitroglou or Fortounis can handle this new system in my opinion. They would be great options off the bench. Pavlidis works more because he has the fitness. Mantalos and Bakasetas work harder than Fortounis. Fortounis though has quality about him. Wouldn’t be smart to leave him out completely. Will probably used the way Tsiartas was used. Come on the field to make a difference if needed. 

 Pavlidis and Koulouris are the future so having Mitroglou wouldn’t make no sense.

We should be building towards the future as much as possible. I think with Bakasetas determination he will be included again. I believe the Bosnia game was Bakasetas best game he has ever played for the NT.

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