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That is a big part of the issue, we do not have an abundance of options in central midfield and the players that do play there are limited in one way or another. Kourbelis, Zeca, Siopis are all pure defensive mids who aren't great with the ball but are pretty solid at the defensive stuff (especially Siopis and Zeca) Bouchalakis lack of pace wouldn't necessarily be a problem if he made quick decisions but he doesn't. He wants time and space on the ball something not often afforded in modern football with so much pressing going on. His control is also hit and miss, at least a few times a game the ball will bounce off him and the opposition will win the ball back and launch a counter when half our team is up the pitch. Galanopoulos is the one who has a key role to play but injuries have completely taken over his career in the last 2 years. Disappointing for him and a big blow for the Ethniki. Alexandropoulos is still young and isn't a nailed on starter for PAO but he is an option, not sure he's the answer at least not at this stage. The buck starts and ends with our talent pool, it's limited. We can bicker on here about who should start over who but the reality is apart from a few (mainly defenders) we don't have many midfielders/attackers who are above Super league quality. And those who are have limitations which hinders them when they play at a higher level.

I think that u19 generation back then that consisted of Bakasetas, Bouchalakis, Stafylidis and Kourbelis have to be dropped out of the team. We haven’t gotten anywhere with these guys and you could say they cost us qualification. They are all in there late 20’s now. For me it’s simple, play your best and most skilful players. I don’t care where you play. This team have players playing in Greece, Turkey and some in Germany. Still can’t get the job done. To ignore skillful players like Fetfa is absurd. I don’t care if it’s just friendlies your supposed to put away teams like Montenegro and Romania comfortably. Some of our players are injury prone like Retsos, Fortounis and Galanopoulos. These guys are better than what we have playing right now and when they are fit should automatically be in the side. Mantalos and Pelkas are very inconsistent and Bakasetas is just completely useless. We can just get by with Mantalos and Pelkas but I still think we need even better. We should look at possibly bringing Ninis back. If Kyriakos Papadopoulos (who I think is still good enough for this team) can come back and play for Greece while playing in Croatia then Ninis should be given another go. He’s injury prone just like Kyriakos Papadopoulos, so it’s hard to rely on them but when fit put them in they have quality. I can’t think of a better players at the moment. I would like this team to consist of players in the age range of 18-27 with a few exceptions. Get rid of that core I mentioned that play currently and play your best players. Media and EPO make it hard for that to happen as there seem to be too much politics and corruption going on especially with caps. Sokratis and Manolas should come back for the better of the team. Mavropanos is great and has a big future but I don’t think Hatzidiakos, Goutas and other young CBs are ready to take Greece to a major tournament. What we actually need is ti have everyone playing and fit but that isn’t always the case. My team if everyone is fit: Vlachodimos Baldock Manolas Mavropanos Tsimikas Alexandropoulos Galanopoulos Fetfatzidis Fortounis Tzolis Giakoumakis subs: Fountas, Siopis, Retsos, Masouras, Sokratis, Ninis, Tzolakis, Douvikas, Pavlidis, Limnios, Dioudis, Giannoulis, Kourfalidis, K.Papadopoulos Apparently Baldock is very close to getting his citizenship. https://www.sport24.gr/football/mpalntok-gia-ethniki-ellados-eimai-mia-evdomada-makria-apo-tin-dieythetisi-ton-leptomereion.9581444.html?utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=eb&utm_source=Facebook#Echobox=1648839167

That game also gave us a taste of our future all-time best LB, Leveque.

Giannoulis finished the whole game as Norwich played in their defensive half almost the entire game. Regardless, they earned a 0-0 draw against Brighton, which is big as they have been struggling to keep clean sheets this whole season. Tziolis came on with 10 min left and looked dangerous but he can only show so much when he gets 10 min and the team is playing all out defense lol. Regardless, it is exciting that 2 Greek players played in a premier league game today, even if it is for the worse team in the league.

As the midfield is the 'engine room' so to speak, Ethniki needs to have mids that are certainly firing, particularly in the 23-28 years age group. Zeca is 33, Fetfatzidis 31, Ninis 31, Mantalos 30, Fortounis 29, Kourbelis 28, Pelkas 28, Siopis 27, Galanopoulos 24, Kourfalidis 19 and Alexandropoulos 18. There are not too many consistent performers at 18-19 that play for club teams, let alone National teams. It mainly shows a lack of depth that Alexandropoulos and Koufalidis are with the seniors atm. Great potential though definitely. It looks like Kourbelis DM, Galanopoulos (disappointingly very injury prone) CM, and Bakasetas, Pelkas or Fortounis as AM. I chose Alexandropoulos at CM because Gala is injured and he might be the next best option there. I've changed my mind about having chosen Mantalos above. I feel that era of Ninis, Fetfa, Siovas, and Sokratis is slightly bygone. Mantalos is just over the other side, he is not in great form either. I still hope Manolas can do the business in future. Can be abit older as CB's and GK'rs. Bouchalakis and Zeca do not impose themselves in matches, not dangerous enough to sit and play 60-80 matches for the team, like former mids that played over a hundred matches, 40 too many, for Katsouranis and 70 too many for Tziolis. Poyet needs to look at early-mid twenties players to expose to international matches for the next campaign, for all positions, take a chance even. Alexandropoulos is playing well and perhaps Kourfalidis could get more opportunities now that they both have had some kind of national team exposure as reward for good form so, may as well keep them going for now 'But,' I'm expecting the eventual drop off in consistency levels, also due to lack of experience at national team level. Generally, very young players, like Donis, Tzolis and maybe even Retsos come in, get banged up with injuries and go back out just as quick. Guys like Limnios and Koulouris found being consistent difficult. They may have absorbed the pressure abit, they are mid twenties now. Rushing most young players hardly ever works long term.

Tzolis will be good for us for years. Norwich are a bunch of idiots especially manager Dean Smith he never plays the guy? If Fortounis can stay healthy and we can have him for the full Euro campaign we will see a huge improvement. I’m worried about Pavlidis he lights it up in Holland and lately for the Ethniki he doesn’t produce and he just looks lost. In the two friendlies his movement was non existent & he couldn’t hold up the ball many occasions. If he is given more time in the starting eleven & doesn’t produce with us in the NL then Poyet should drop him.