Original 21

It's the first derby of the season, it's a huge game for both teams as we are coming off a tie against Iraklis, and Olympiakos coming off of a loss against Larissa. We can not afford to lose this game if we want to be contenders all season long. Unfortunately, it looks like Almeida will not be playing in this game as it's Wednesday and he's still doing therapy on his back. There's a chance he could make an appearance as a substitute if he practices Thursday and Friday. He's having this nagging injury because we waited too long to bring him in, if he had a full pre-season worth of training he would not have this issue I think. Mantalos got a special protective mask and has practiced fully all week, so he will 100% be a starter. Anyways, Ketsbaia hasn't tested on a lineup for this game yet, but I would go with: Anestis, Galo, Lescott, Chygrinski, Didac, Simoes, Johanson, Christodoulopoulos, Mantalos, Patito, and Bakasetas. With those four creative players in attack, we should have no problem creating some chances to score. It sucks that Almeida is hurt because I really think he would have done a lot of damage with Patito, Lazaros, and Mantalos feeding him the ball and because Olympiakos' center backs are not good. I know pretty much everyone is sick of Didac because he's garbage in attack, but Diaz hasn't played a game yet and throwing him in for his debut in a derby is a bad idea. The key for us will be getting the ball into the box, we hardly got the ball into the box against Iraklis and that's something Ketsbaia needs to work on. Defensively, Lescott and Simoes are getting very close to 100% if they haven't already so we should see a solid defensive performance, no more silly chances because of amateur mistakes like we saw last year in Karaiskaki. Another key component is that they are playing APOEL in Europa League on Thursday, they will be tired and we need to take advantage of that with our speed on the wings with Lazaros, and Patito.

With a half way decent striker we would have won this game and been in first place, it's that simple, we can't breakdown any defenses without a strikers. If we had someone like Djebour to be a backup for Almeida with a full pre season it would have been perfect. Anyways, we have a real problem creating chances, I've read many reports all season long that Ketsbaia does not work on attacking tactics in training, IF this is true, this HAS to change. Our players look lost in the final third, and all our goals have came from the individual skills of the players... It's still early but a few changes have to be made before we fall out of the title race.

Classic AEK today. Some things never change.

Olympiakos lost to Larissa! Must win tomorrow!

PAOK dropped points too... It will be a classic AEK move to drop points in the game tomorrow... Please don't repeat history...

Fuhrer Goodell must be fuming after the Patriots 3-0 start with our backups and third strings. I feel bad for the rest of the league when Brady comes back, when Gronk is 100%, when Ninkovich comes back, and when Hightower becomes 100%. If we can stay healthy I expect nothing less than a 5th Super Bowl trophy, and the Lombardi Trophy to be renamed as the Belichick Trophy.

And why not? He just had surgery yesterday and the doctors said that he probably won't be able to play for 15-20 days even with a mask. When a player is legitimately injured like Mantalos is, it should be up to the club if he can play for the ethniki or not. The club pays his salary and has a lot more invested in him than the ethniki does, why should he have to play for the ethniki when he's not 100% ready?

Timour tested out: Anestis Bakakis Chygrinski Lescott Didac Johanson Simoes Vargas Bakasetas Patito and Pekhart Logical choices for the most part, this squad should be able to easily defeat Iraklis at home. I agree with Timour, we shouldn't start Lazaros so that we don't rush him back in too soon. The worst thing we can do is start him when he's not 100% ready, he gets hurt, and we go into Karaiskaki without both Mantalos and Lazaros. As for Lescott, some people will correctly point out that he's not at 100% yet and Kolovetsios would play just as well as him, however, it is vital that he gets playing time to get to 100% and to build chemistry with Chygrisnki. I would like nothing more than to have those two in perfect sync holding down our defense in Karaiskaki next week. It would have been great to have Mantalos Patito Lazaros and Almeida all play together and be ready for the Olympiakos game, but we had some bad luck. Bakasetas coming in for Mantalos is not much of a drop off in ability, but we lose our captain. Almeida is fit to play and would have played if we didn't have the Olympiakos game coming up. He's being rested for obvious reasons. Pekhart gets a chance to prove himself, something Aravidis probably would have gotten if he was not stupid and post his complaints on facebook.

Bravo Bakaseta! I still think taking out Patito was one of the dumbest substitutions Ketsbaia could have made in a close game. A player with that skill and that was playing that well doesn't get taken out in a close game.

Ketsbaia with some very questionable subs today

My link got cut what happened to Almeida!?????

Goallllllll

Lazaro pulled his muscle in training last week I believe, he should be ready for the game next weekend. Let him get 100% healed this week, next week play him like 30 minutes to get into rythm, and then unleash him against Olympiakos in two weeks.

With Simoes and Lazaros back in we will see the most dangerous and complete starting 11 in the league. It's all up to Ketsbaia, he has the tools to win a title, he needs to have us in the race.

Με μια μεγάλη απουσία θα αγωνιστεί η ΑΕΚ στην πρεμιέρα της κόντρα στην Ξάνθη. Ο Λάζαρος Χριστοδουλόπουλος έμεινε εκτός μάχης και ως εκ τούτου ο Κετσπάγια κάνει τα σχέδιά του χωρίς τον Έλληνα διεθνή για το ματς της Κυριακής. Στη σημερινή προπόνηση ο Κετσπάγια χώρισε τους παίκτες του σε «βασικούς» αμυντικούς και «βασικούς» επιθετικούς δείχνοντας κάποιες από τις σκέψεις του. Εφόσον ο Λάζαρος ήταν υγιής θα ξεκινούσε τον αγώνα της Κυριακής, τώρα τη θέση του θα πάρει ο Βάργκας με τον Πατίτο να την διεκδικεί. Έτσι εκτός απροόπτου η ΑΕΚ κόντρα στην Ξάνθη και σύμφωνα με τα όσα έδειξε σήμερα ο Κετσπάγια θα «κατέβει» με τον Ανέστη στο τέρμα, τους Γκάλο, Ντίντακ, Τσιγκρίνσκι – Λέσκοτ στην άμυνα, τους Σιμόες – Γιόχανσον αμυντικά χαφ και στην τριπλέτα πίσω τον από φουνταριστό Αλμέιδα θα ξεκινήσουν οι Μπακασέτας, Μάνταλος και Βάργκας ή Πατίτο. This is the likely starting lineup, I'm surprised Lescott is ready to start already. I would like to see Patito get the start so we can at least have one real winger in the game because Bakasetas is not a winger.

Pay special attention to the numbers.

That goal right there shows why Mantalos should be starting every game from here on out. Gianniotas too. They actually put in effort to win the ball and get to the rebound and score.

Apart from the hole at CM, am I the only one that thinks that this is our most complete roster since the 2007-2008 season? Other than CM we have a backup at every position that'a almost as good as the starter. Maybe another Striker too would have been nice but we can't write off Aravidis and Bakasetas, I think each of them can get 10 goals if given the chance. We should be in the race this year, it's all on Ketsbaia, we have a complete squad, if he can't keep us in the race then the blames solely on him. As for our competitors, I think PAO will drop points early on until they find chemistry. Olympiakos, if we play on a level playing field this year, will also drop points early on until Cardozo and Fortounis find chemistry. Chemistry will also be a problem for us because Patito, mantalos, Lazaros, and Almeida have never played together yet. But I think with our ridiculous height advantages and our great defense we won't drop a ton of points early on. I honestly think PAOK is in the best chance to win it this year, if they had a half way decent center forward they would have a lethal squad, I think Ivic is a great coach.

^Both are true. Temur loves Galanopoulos, and Mantalos can play the number 8 if really necessary and then Bakasetas plays as a number 10. Temur also likes Labropoulos at the number 6. We still have 10 days to sign free agents, some names available still are Raul Meireles, Tziolis, Simao (played for Panathinaikos, released by Levante today.) I want us to sign another quality central mid assuming that they have a pre season under their belts, If we sign someone and they won't be ready until November then what's the point.

Lescotts contract is only for 350,000 euros a year plus bonuses if we win the league or make Europe or win the cup, according to Spor fm. So there goes the theory that he's only here for the money.

We'll see what happens with Lescott, I think he will do a lot of good for the team, especially for Kolovetsios learning from Chygrinsky and Lescott. Kolovetsios is talented but he needs an experienced player next to him at all times, in every friendly his performance would drop significantly when Chygrinsky wasn't next to him. As for Scocco I don't know if I trust my source on this one, the source told me that he would only be signed if we get a CM first. We are going to have trouble unlocking defenses so Scocco would be very useful, and I don't think he will pull the prima Donna bullshit on this team because we have a serious management at the top and he will be paid.

We are gonna make a last minute push for Zuculini, and I heard a rumor about signing Scocco on deadline Gia na trelathoune oloi... Obviously I'd love to have both come in, but Zuculini is wayyyyyyy more important.

Lescott coming to Athens to take a medical and sign a two year deal.

Lazaros signed officially. Welcome.

Lescott will do fine in the Super League, it's a much easier league than the EPL obviously and the players he had around him at Villa were pure garbage. Ketsbaia wanted a left footed CB, and we got one. Complete the signings of Lazaros and Lescott, and then a quality CM and we are in a good position to compete for the title.