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I think its really easy to figure out why we aren’t playing well and the coaches have trouble picking the right team. For some reason most of our players are more inform for club, but when they come and play for Greece they forget how to play. Players like Pavlidis, Limnios, Pelkas, Mantalos etc. players like Bakasetas and Bouchalakis are useless and I’ll explain why. You have to look at the clubs these players play for. Pavlidis has better players around him at club level and that is why he can score goals. Same goes for Giakoumakis. For Greece they have Bakasetas and Bouchalakis trying to provide for them and yet these 2 can’t get the basics right, such as passing and controlling the ball. Limnios is another, he has no one capable to play together and therefore is left on his own to make things happen. Fortounis at times for Greece had to do double duty and drop in deep in midfield to collect the ball and create a play, when the number 8 should be doing that instead. We have to stop playing 2 defensive midfielders. Especially against teams worse than us and level with us. We haven’t got top quality DMs like other nations. Most of them are destroyers like Siopis we haven’t got a deep playing playmaker that can pull the string in deep positions. We haven’t got an 8 of top quality that can do the job defensively and get forward well. The only one number 8 we have is Alexandropoulos and he’s got it all. We need to give him games. If your not going to use him then we’ll have to play a CAM like Pelkas or Mantalos deeper in midfield who can help the team going forward. One defensive midfielder like Siopis can cover defensively. We also need to play out and out wingers. Pick any 2 from Limnios, Tzolis, Chatzigiovannis and Masouras. Then play Fortounis at CAM and you’ll have a more functional attack and the goals will come. Against better opposition 2 DMs will be needed as we haven’t got top quality midfielders who can do everything that’s needed.

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.

VS MATCHUP: Olympique Marseille – PAOK Thessaloniki FC COMPETITION: Europa Conference League – Quartefinal – Leg 1 DATE: 07-April-2022 TIME: 22:00 EEST (19:00 UTC, 14:00 CDT, 05:00 AEST next day) CITY/STADIUM: Marseille – Orange Velodrome (65,421) REFEREES: Szymon Marciniak - Pawel Sokolnicki, Tomasz Listkiewicz (Poland) TELEVISION: COSMOTE Sport (Greece), Cytavision Sports (Cyprus), Stan Sports (Australia), Paramount+, TUDN.com (USA) PAOK’s History against teams from France in European Competitions 2014-2015: PAOK FC – EA Guingamp 1:2 – (22. Athanasiadis) - Att: 12,101 – Europa League (Group Stage – Round 6) 2014-2015: EA Guingamp – PAOK FC 2:0 – Att: 8,783 – Europa League (Group Stage – Round 2) 2005-2006: PAOK FC – Stade Rennais FC 5:1 – (3. Own goal, 37. Christodoulopoulos, 79. Giasemis, 82. Salpiggidis, 89. Giasemis) – Att: 1,012 – UEFA Cup (Group Stage – Round 4) 1992-1993: PAOK FC – Paris Saint-Germain 0:3ff – Att: 26,500 – UEFA Cup (Round 1 – Leg 2) Paris St. Germain wonthe game 3:0 on forfeit after the game at Toumba was abandoned in the 45th minute when PAOK fans stormed the field. The score at that time was 2:0 for PSG. As a result, UEFA banned PAOK for 2 years from any European competition that the team would qualify for. 1992-1993: Paris Saint-Germain – PAOK FC 2:0 – Att: 17,000 – UEFA Cup (Round 1 – Leg 1)) 1982-1983: FC ochaux Montbeliard – PAOK FC 2:1 aet – (95. C. Dimopoulos) – Att: 17,000 – UEFA Cup (Round 1 – Leg 2) 1982-1983: PAOK FC – FC Sochaux Montbeliard 1:0 – (78. C. Dimopoulos) - Att: 30,000 – UEFA Cup (Round 1 – Leg 1) 1973-1974: PAOK FC – Olympique Lyon 4:0 – (25. Paridis, 61. Paridis, 37. Alsanidis (p), 80. Sarafis) - Att: 30,416 – Cup Winners Cup (Round 2 – Leg 2) 1973-1974: Olympique Lyon– PAOK FC 3:3 – (44. Aslanidis, 50. Terzanidis, 81. Sarafis) – Att: 26,500 – Cup Winners Cup (Round 2 – Leg 1) GAMES: 9 WINS: 3 TIES: 1 LOSSES: 5 1982-1983: PAOK – Sochaux: 1982-1983: PSG - PAOK: 1982-1983: PAOK - PSG: 2005-2006: PAOK – Stade Rennais: 2014-2015: EA Guingamp – PAOK:

Polish crew for this one, with Szymon Marciniak being the main ref. He called the PAOK - Aris 2:2 game in 2021.

Good for Giannoulis. Tzolis only getting only 10mins with Norwich is unbelievable those stupid eglesi managers are idiots.

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.

What a great away day that was in Guingamp. We played terrible (no surprises there) and deserved to lose but it was a fantastic singing battle with their supporters. Hopefully the players just enjoy this one and turn up.

I had a chance to watch the King Otto documentary. What an amazing way to re-live the dream run of 2004.