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3-0 isn't impossible but it might be the biggest miracle since Euro 2004 κάνουμε προσευχή

A part of me thinks the same thing but then I realize I'm thinking with my heart and not my head... The reality is we haven't scored more then 2 goals against anyone except Gibraltar, We couldn't even score more then 2 against Cyprus or Estonia, and we couldn't score more then 1 goal against Bosnia but now all of a sudden we think Greece will get 3 goals against a top 20 team in the world?? Croatia's defence is not great but it's better then everyone defence that was in our group excluding Belgium.. part of me starts to think maybe we can do it but the reality is this team is not able to as we win games 1-0 and 2-1... Skibbe really f....d our chances and he crumbled with the absence of Manolas and Toro and he completely got out coached...

Karnezis: 31 minuets of EPL game time all season. Stafylidis: Not a single league match all season. Maniatis: Sporadic appearance for mid table Turkish club side. Tziolis: Sporadic appearance for a Saudi side in relegation. Greece’s biggest match in three years & they all start.

Something like this: Karnezis Kpaps Mano Sokrati Toro Tachtsidis Zeca Stafylidis Fortounis Mitroglou. Pelkas/Lazaros Please God help us win 3-0.

Guys I have a feeling something is going to happen. With Torosidis and Manolas back in defence, we might have a chance making it to Russia. I don't want to say much more but if we bring all three of Sokratis, Manolas and Papadopoulos on the pitch and pick one of them to mark Mandzukic and Zeca to mark Modric we should bang in those goals. Tachtsidis, Pelkas and Lazaros must start with Torosidis and Stafylidis as the attacking wing backs. Mitroglou and Fortounis should be the strikers. With this I believe we can get the 3-0 at home.

Nothing to lose. Get to 2-0 and things get interesting

our best possible lineup is imo 1 5-1-3-1 Mitro Fetfa/Laz Fort/Mant Donis Zeca Holebas Torosidis Sokratis Kpaps Manolas Karnezis from that lineup we're missing 4 of the 11. With a nation as top heavy as us you can't afford to be leaving out 35% of the best players. i think we can play balla if we field the RIGHT players. skibbe had a defeatist attitude going into zagreb. remember how our midfield hummed for the first time ever when we fielded pelka/mantalos/kone/fortounis/tachtsi?

RS, i'm tired of the "we played well but lost" mentality....YOU DID NOT PLAY WELL, YOU LOST .... U KEEP SAYING NO CHANCE TO GO THROUGH...thats easy to say....but the fact is there is a chance, though its a big thing to ask THIS team to do, there is achance...why play the game then? if you fancy yourself to be a good team, shut up, put on your big boy shorts, and go win that game 3-0, 4-1, 5-2 or whatever it takes to get it done. good teams WIN --- they dont "play well but lose". as i said, I predict (because I dont see anyone here making predictions - and u saying we wont make it is not a prediction its the safe thing to say) i predict tommorows game will have alot of surprises. as i said before, if betting sports was that easy we would all be millionaires. so long as skibbe does the right thing, and the team plays their "A" game. you dont think a quick goal wont rattle them? then we have some momentum and grab another? its 2-0 with 45 to play...you dont think thats possible? then what? 45 minutes to score another goal? if u think this is impossible then you are seriously mistaken...... based on last game it SEEMS unlikely, but remember we HANDED them three gifts....3.....even with that crap lineup we could have kept is much closer without those three gifts....three mistakes that unfortunately all happened in one game.

ειναι ευκολο να κρίνουμε λάθη εκ του αποτελέσματος φίλε @gsots . Το οτι ο Ταχτσίδης θα έπερνε κόκκινη το είδαμε όλοι. Το κράξαμε όλοι αλλά δεν ήταν κάτι που μπορείς να πείς "α λαθος του προπονητη τον μ@λ@κ@ τον κράτησε στο γήπεδο". Την π@π@ρ!@ του καρνέζη τι να πεις στον Σκίμπε? Ο καρνέζης δεν έκατσε βασικός στα 9 ματς? Είναι και λίγο αξιοκρατικό να κάτσει πάλι αυτός. Σε φόρμα ο ανέστης αλλά δεν παίζει σε ομάδα που έχει το Back-pass καραμελίτσα. Ο Καρνέζης σε πόσα μάτς το έχει ζήσει? Να πιέζουνε οι αντίπαλοι και απλά να βλέπουμε Κεντρο/Αμυνα να του δινει συνεχεια πάσες πίσω. Ο μανιάτης δεξι μπάκ είναι το μόνο σοβαρό λάθος που δίνω στον Σκίμπε για το βράδυ της πέμπτης και εν τέλη έκρινε το αποτέλεσμα. Ας έβαζε τον Λυκογιάννη με αντίθετο πόδι ποσο χειρότερος θα ήταν? Έχει το ύψος να κοντράρει τον περισιτς στον αέρα και την φρεσκάδα και την δίψα για αναγνώριση να τον κυνηγάει. Τα υπόλοιπα δεν μου λένε τίποτα για τον Σκίμπε. Τον τζιόλη κανένας προπονητής δεν τον προτίμησε πιστεύω. Αλλά σε αυτό το θέμα μάλλον τα χέρια του ήταν δεμένα. Το ότι απο 3 "τελικούς" προπονητές δέχτηκε μόνο ο Σκίμπε να έρθει και οι αλλοι 2 όχι , επειδή ήθελαν δικό τους προπονητικό τίμ ενώ η ΕΠΟ επέβαλλε τον Τσάνα εμένα κάτι μου λέει ότι αυτές οι γελείες κλήσεις και χρησεις, που ητανε και κλήσεις Σαντος, και κλήσεις Ρανιέρι και κλήσεις Μαρκαριαν δεν γίνεται να γυάλισε σε όλους ο Τζιόλης. Εαν έχουν μερικοί παίκτες αξιοπρέπεια πρέπει αυριο ανεξαρτήτου αποτελέσματος, γιατι να προκριθούμε δεν υπάρχει περίπτωση -το θέμα είναι η εμφάνιση και ίσως ενα αποτελεσμα ψυχολογιας- θα πρέπει λοιπον αυριο να ανακοινώσουν την απόσυρση τους από την εθνική. Προσωπική μου άποψη είναι Τζιολης-Μανιάτης. Ο τζαβέλλας έχει κάνει και καλά μάτς. Μην κρίνουμε μόνο απο το τελευταίο. Δυστηχώς όμως εκτος απο αυτους σε ηλικία έχει φτάσει και ο Τοροσίδης προς αποχώρηση. Το σύγχρονο ποδόσφαιρο είναι πλεον ξεκάθαρα θέμα γρήγορων παικτών στα άκρα και ο Τοροσίδης ναι μεν καλύτερος απο οτι αλλο εχουμε αλλα έχει περάσει η εποχή του. Τωρα οσο για τους μικροτερους σχετικα σε ηλικια Διαμαντακος Βελλιος Οικονομου που δεν εχουνε δωσει καποια ιδιαιτερη βοηθεια νομίζω και εκεί θα πρέπει έστω στα φιλικά που νομιζω ειναι το Nations League Που είπατε, να κληθούν κάποιοι αλλοι ανερχόμενοι παίκτες έστω να μεινει μια εντύπωση στους προπονητές. Εαν ο Σκιμπε φύγει πιστεύω θα δουμε Παλι Χολεμπα για κανα χρονο ακομα και Σιοβα στην Εθνικη.

Tactician??? I wouldn't trust this guy to pick his nose at this point lol Throwing a bunch of defensive minded guys on the field isn't tactical. It would be like saying Otto was tactical when he tossed on 8 defensive players against Argentina. Ill toss out some things and you guys tell me if these seem like the ideas of a coach with great sense and tactics. Maniatis: doesn't play for his club much. Isn't in game form. Has played almost exclusively as cdm because his crossing and dribbling aren't very good, but he works hard. But Skibbe thinks its a good idea to toss him at rb to protect the flank... Tsiolis: plays in SA cause he stinks and no one wants him (not like Fetfa who went cause they pay him a s#!t ton). Doesn't play consistently, so isn't in form. Can't make that critical pass. Plays in 1 of the most critical positions for us for possession and distribution yet fails miserably consistently at both. Tzavellas: plays as a cb for a mid table team. Consistently stifles our left side on offense by offering little support on the attack, always looks to pass back when he has room going forward. Stinks defensively as well. Aside from that goal against Bosnia (embarrassing that we were even losing to them) has shown me nothing that he has cemented that position. Stafylidis: I don't mind him, but he's not playing for his club right now, so to ask him to play LW and track back and forth to cover numbnuts Tzavellas is insane. He's obviously not in game shape, so of course he's gonna look like s%$#! and make mental errors doing that much running. And let's not forget this same stupid coach played staf as a cm lol Samaris: again, I like him, but he's not playing much either, so to start him at cdm in this game was always going to be tough. That game against Belgium away, anyone could see that Tachtsidis was gonna eat a 2nd yellow, especially once we were up and you knew we'd have to really tighten up. He should have been subbed off... But nope, too logical, I guess God's gift to our nt bakashitas wasn't wormed up yet lol K let's look at the beginning of the 2nd half. It definitely made sense to remove maniatis, but if Retsos was the replacement, then he should have just started cause that was a f-ing colossal waste of a sub. But ok, maybe he's thinking we hold them, maybe get a lucky corner and pull one back. But then we go down 4-1 and he's picking butterflies on the bench for what seemed like another 15-20 mins before he was forced into a sub cause Samaris went down. And instead of bringing on a winger to inject some speed down the side, on comes Tachtsidis to continue with the failed formation and tactics. We don't just sit and whine about him when we lose and praise him when we win. We praised him early in the campaign cause he seemed very competent. But he doesn't seem competent now and hasn't for a while. Maniatis off, Zeca to rb and laz on to rm should have been the first move to start 2nd half. See how that went for a few mins, then make the next sub accordingly. Samaris off for pelkas could have been next and play an upside down triangle 1cdm Tsiolis and 2 am pelkas and Fortounis behind Mitro. And then depending on the situation when staf needs to come off, either Retsos on (Retsos to rb and Zeca to lm or laz to lm and Zeca to rm) or Gianniotas on.

j, it can happen very easily. now, WILL it happen - ......... i think many people on this thread and all over r gonna be in for a big surprise.... we always make thing difficult..... we got them just where we want them, we just needed a little motivation....thats all ....lol

This coach is a f#*king goof, I've been saying it for a few months now. That line up we started against cro didn't surprise me at all, cause we knew he was gonna play chicken s#!t soccer against them. But his subs when we were down 3-1 just floored me. "maniatis off, Retsos on" why? To defend the lead we don't have? Might as well have put Zeca at rb and put Laz or Gianniotas on. Then Samaris goes down, and instead of putting Zeca THERE... Nope bring on another defender. And bakasetas?? Might as well bring on vryzas or kapetanos. That line up nullified our wing play completely, we had nothing down the right side, and barely anything on the left cause he had stafylidis doing double duty. There wasn't a single momentum shift all game. Croatia never had to worry and really track back, cause we would take the ball from themand hand it right back. Mitroglou and Fortounis were literally left out to dry, with no one to support them and make runs and help create space... You know, logical normal things that happen during a soccer match in order to create chances. Honestly it's almost better we don't make the world cup, cause can you imagine seeing theses bone headed line ups on the world stage?? I'd lose my f&#king mind!

ffs is tziolis fcvking up skibbe? this is crazy, why is he even considering starting him and mpakasetas who i like tbh, when there's lazaros and kourmpelis around?

We will not even have a shot in hell if Skibbe plays Tziolis at midfiled and Bak on the wing. Sibbe has given up on the win he is jut trying to save his ass and have a respectable outcome, he will not go all out for the win he will play a defence style an will be happy with a low scoring draw or 1-0 win.. He will not take the chance of getting blown out and he ill play defensive for sure.. You will see by his line up and formation tomorrow mark my words at this point he's only thinking of his job knowing another blowout and he has no chance at returning.. Plus I think the stadium will not be a packed house anymore...

I won’t. Prijo is saving his goals for the WC. Earning him a transfer to a good club, giving us a mega fee and leaving us in the preseason with a gap .......

Kilkistan rules!

I will be honest unless we will win 3-0 or more to get us through. I don't want to win this game 1-0 ,2-0, 2-1 because it will tear my heart out thinking if only we we could have come home with 0-0. that will be the hardest to stomach.

It's a brain game. If we score fast and they panic anything can happen. But by anything I mean 95% of chances on a result that does not allow us to qualify (example them scoring after us or us not scoring 3) and maybe 5% chances that everything goes as we d love it. To be honest though. Croatia is a team either too high or too low. 2 days ago everything went as they'd love and want it. Maybe a bad appearance in the beginning of the match sends them in troubles, but as previously mentioned, we re thinking with our heart because we don't wanna believe the inevitable.

skibe threw the players under the bus..... every coach i ever played for at a significant level ALWAYS accpeted the ultimate responsibility when our teams lost. "Im the coach and its my job to make sure players have the best chance to succeed" stuff like that.....and when we won they would say "its not me, its the players that deserve all the credit, they did it on the field/court etc. etc." i run through walls for coaches like that. but in true greek mentality fashion when a coach says " imade no mistakes" when we all know skibbe played guys out of position and in the 2nd half when it was obvious after 45 minutes the lineup he chose needed changes he laid an egg" well then I think to myself "a kai g*****! m#$%!" or something poetically similar u CANT blame your players ----- u lose their respect and as we all know, in greece the graveyard for soccer coaches, that can be fatal...

so obvious. Zeca on the wing is wasted. he should have man marked modric and taken him out the game. Zeca is wasted on the wings. He's not creative nor a goal scorer. He's an engine and can man mark like a dog on meat.

Mate I know they say never lose hope and it has been done before to come back from a 3 goal deficit but in all honestly our fa are a mess! How can players without a club and players who ride the bench week in and week out get a spot in this team! Corruption is this country's worst enemy its bitten us in every sector

If Tziolis even plays in this game I say fire his ass! No way Zeca doesn't start was our best player yesterday and it should be Stafy over Tzavellas and Pelkas needs to start. The kid will run his ass off trust me.

Paokara I agree with you given the players he has at his disposal and considering form I would go with that exact same lineup. I would go Pelkas, this kid runs his ass off all game as well just like Zeca and personally I would start Anestis at keeper. He kept two clean sheets vs AC Milan and was man of the match in Italy. He is far more in form than Karnezis. I believe for some reason Greece can get this done. I think the players are downplaying any comeback but they will come out and give it their best on Sunday.

Just finished watching the Swe/itly game I also watched the NI game, boys no team looked as pathetic as us and every team gave there selves a decent chance in there next game... As bad as we are and as bad as we've been to give up for goals against in the most important game in two years is hard to swallow and doesn't make sense... I know some of you don't want to hear this but majority of blame had to fall on Skibe and not doing enough homework to know Maniatis will get rapped in that position, Staf has played a total of 20 min in that position all year so to start him there didn't make sense, And Tziolis with his extreme slowness will not be able to fit in with a fast team.. All of these mistakes fall on Skibbe as the players were set up to fail the minute that line was announced.. You can say it's on the players all you want and of course some of it is but when you ask guys to play somewhere they're not comfortable or against a superior team you are shooting yourselves in the foot. This one goes to Skibbe for me..

We are just lucky that the tournaments have grown and include more teams! A euro with 24 is not a bad thing after all! A World Cup with 48 teams in the future will mean no playoffs for Europe

Yes its completely ruined my mood and I cant believe what happened... I still think even though we gifted them two goals Skibbe made a huge mistake with the line up he choose.. Even worse when we were down 3-1 the only change he made was brining Retsos in which should have started over maniatis in the first place.. how he does not bring in the starter for Aek that has played so well this year in Lazaros is mind blowing or even some speed in pelkas to try and get another goal.. His brilliant brain brought in Baka instead.. This lose is on the players but Skibbe needs to take some serious blame in this one but his comments after the game when asked by reporters if he made a mistake was "I don't think i made any mistakes today" are you serious buddy?? take responsibility for your actions you know you f.. up

Perfect penalty, he dove the right way, there was no stopping it. On the first goal watford conceded he had a bad case of greek keeper come over him as he charged out of the box to a ball he was never gonna reach and got rounded and Everton made it 2-1. Holebas should have dealt with the ball but Karnezi had no right coming that far off his line when he had a defender between him and the ball.