Dean97

Yeah I don’t know why we don’t play someone with creativity further back. It’s like our coaches don’t have faith in putting them there thinking that we would get beaten easily in the midfield. Why not give it a chance? Pelkas or Fortounis can play deeper and the other can play behind the striker. Fetfa gets too much criticism in my opinion. We need to give him a chance also. I have no doubt Donis would be a massive difference when he plays. He will only get better and better.

@Ellada2004 and @J1078 you both bring up good points. What I am starting realise though is that we weren’t happy with Tziolis and Tzavellas and now they are gone. Which is good. We are now complaining (myself included) that Mantalos and Bakasetas are crap. Whose next after them? I’m not saying anyone is wrong but it looks we keep targeting certain players for our downfall. In my opinion they are not wingers and shouldn’t play there. But I know so many other CAMs that can do the job on the wing that are not Greek. It’s better to have natural wingers, ofcourse. I definitely agree that we need to have Donis fully fit. I believe he adds something that most of our players aren’t able to do. His pace is a big advantage for us. His grit and determination is one of the best in the team if not the best. I was hoping that Tachtsidis would be that CDM that pulls the strings and dictates the play in the middle. But he hasn’t lived up to it. In his best form he has incredible vision and passing. He has always been slow. I just don’t know what has happened to him the last couple of years. Everyone would like to have that Modric or Xavi type player but we haven’t got that. We are better off having CDM that hangs back (Kourbelis) with a runner next to him like Pelkas or someone with a bit of creativity going forward. Your not going to get anywhere with playing 2 holding players that don’t know how to dictate play. We really haven’t got that one superstar that can do things for us in attack. Our attack is very bad and I mean that. I really believe without Manolas and Sokratis we would really have it tough. These 2 are really our saving grace. Mitroglou could be another but is useless at times. This team needs to connect and bond as a team and care about each other and have the same determination. I am actually now hoping we get the good teams in the Euro qualification because against better teams we show up. Against weaker teams we don’t. Look at the Belgium games for example.

Apparently Juventus want to buy Manalos buyout clause which is around €36m in either January or next summer.

Funny thing is we have never smashed minnow teams. We just scrape through. I’m talking about back then. Now we either just scrape through or lose. I don’t think there was a lack of passion or effort. They were all trying in the nations league. I hate to think that our players are garbage. I really do. But it could be a reality. I’m not just talking about Bakasetas. Other players like Fortounis aswell. Even Sokratis. Other teams look like they play more fluid. We look like we are lost and panic. Also afraid to make a mistake. Thats why we need players who have balls. The players have to these qualities in order to represent their country. 1. Talent. You have to be able to make a pass. Hold possession well. Control the ball. Have some skills. Mostly the basics. Some of our players struggle with this. 2. Passion/Drive/Love. Our players have to want to play for their country and be excited about that. Also have the drive to play your best game and also have ambitions. They have to really and deeply love their country and be passionate about it. Be like I’m doing this for my country and I will got to war with my fellow brothers. They have to love and be proud of their country. 3. Team spirit. Our players should have each other’s back. They should be working for each other and helping as much as possible. Like a war but in football. Give encouragement to each other which then gives your players the confidence. Start being good friends, throw out the club mentality because when you are playing for your country that’s when it should all count. 4. Confidence/Courage. These go hand in hand. Just like before when I was talking about having the balls to do things. They have to have the belief and courage in the game. Especially when your playing for your country. Take chances. Believe you are the best and show it. Make that long pass, don’t think twice. Shoot when you are supposed to and so on and so on. 5. Lastly work ethics/Taking action. We need our players moving. Can’t be static and wait for things to happen. Move, run, tackle, sweat, yell and show leadership. We are lacking real commanding leader. This is a problem. But if our players can lead by example as 1 and take responsibility then we should look dominant and dangerous. These are the qualities that our players need to have. If they don’t have most then they shouldn’t be called up. They are all really equally important. In my opinion we need work in all aspects. It looks like they are trying but it’s not enough. The confidence and courage is not there at all. Also some player are not that talented. Not all have the same drive and passion aswell. I don’t really care if someone is playing in Israel (Ninis) or if someone is playing in Portugal (Samaris). If your the right person for the job then you should be in. That’s why I put talent at no.1.

He looks way better on the wing than Mantalos or Bakasetas. He would give us something different because he is a natural winger. I dont know why Siopis hasnt been given a chance yet. He looks better when passing the ball forward and dosent stop covering ground. Zeca looks like he has declined a bit. Kourbelis not giving enough going forward. Decent defensively but dosent offer an extra spark going forward. Galanopoulos is like Siopis. Id take one of them. They are both similar in style and stature. Back then we had Samaras and Salpinigids who were not natural wingers and were mainly strikers. They still did the job on the wing during our more successful period. We have plenty of wingers in the u21s. - Lamprou - Chatzigiovanis - Limnios - Manthatis - Also we have Donis and Fetfatzidis. Lazaros can be in the mix. So there is no excuse that we dont have wingers. There is no need to have Pelkas and Mantalos their. There not doing the job. Bakasetas is completely useless unfortunately. Upfront and CM is our biggest problem. If we can get someone to breakout in these positions we are set. Vlachodimos Torosidis Manolas Sokratis Koutris Galanopoulos Bouzoukis Limnios Fetfatzidis Chatzigiovannis Donis We need to move on from Mitroglou. Very inconsistent... Maybe Donis can take over in that spot. While we push for Lazaros or Chatzigiovanis on the right. I want to see 2 different players in the CMs. Galanopoulos is a strong candidate. Hasnt been given a proper chance yet and is young. Samaris, Kourbelis, Zeca, Taxi and Bouchalakis are not the answer moving forward. they cant create enough for us and are technically limited. SO, Galanopoulos should be tested as a 6. With another up and coming player. Bouzoukis can play that role as an 8. Fetfa at 10. He would of destroyed Estonia's backline with his trickery and vision. His shooting abilities are questionable but would give us something different to our attack. This team needs replacements from midfield to striker. This would mean the team would be going througa rebuiding phase. You want massive changes this is we should start. As fas as the EPO go i dont care. Start playing different players all the time its the only way to find out this team true potential. Instead of keeping the same old and not getting anywhere. Fortounis is talented for sure but for now he should be on the bench. Pelkas too. At least the younger generation will give you all they have rather than having complacency like most of our players.

Masouras showed promising signs. Should be ahead of Bakasetas and Mantalos on th wing.

Yeah I know. I find them more accurate with there passes going forward than Zeca and Kourbelis though. What we really need is someone with a strong presence there. Who that person is I don’t know. I’m in for a massive clear out of the team. Start picking the most deserving and most talent and go from their.

Yeah true. I believe he wouldn’t look out of place. It’s just his career choices and choices in general that have put him where he is. When in full fitness he would be more beneficial to the team.

What’s the best stream to watch the 2nd leg?

Your saying nothing but the truth @Alphonse. The club form and iq disappears for some reason.

Yeah I agree. Sokratis shouldn’t of said something like that. It’s not that he can do any better, he is the defender I think he was indirectly talking about our midfield and attacking players. Can they do any better? I like Samaris but he doesn’t like to shoot which is an issue. I’ve singled him out because he plays with a confidence in our midfield and is sharp. He is also technically better with the ball I believe. Unlike the others. I liked the combination of him and Taxi and I would have liked to see this be given more of a chance. I d play Samaris as the 6 and Bouzoukis as the 8. Fortounis can stay for now. Then the wide attacking players should Donis and either Chatzigiovannis or Fetfa. Up front I want to see Karelis. This would be different, fresh and more importantly unpredictable. I think the reason the Karagounis and Katsouranis era were successful was because the attack back then were unpredictable. The wide attackers would run down the line sprinting for example Samaras and Salpingidis. Mantalos and Pelkas wouldn’t do this for some reason. They are not that slow either. Another example would be when Salpingidis would set up Mitroglou’s goal in the match against Romania to qualify for the wc. The team now looks like they are afraid to make a mistake. Then they would start shooting instead of passing and then pass instead of shooting. We need players with balls, hunger and talent.

We shouldn’t be making fun of our own player. Do you think he wanted to end up like this? I agree with @nasl his passing and skill were way ahead than any other Greek player apart from Fetfa. Ninis might be playing at the lowest level but that shouldn’t mean he is our worst player. If anything we should be backing him with any chance we get. I don’t like hearing sarcastic remarks about him. It’s not like Fortounis, Pelkas or Mantalos are proving to be any better for the national team.

Yeah I don’t know what has to be done now. You’d think the loss to faores and Luxembourg over the years would somehow motivate the team to be better but now this trend of losing to 2 star teams continue. Whats the next plan now. It’s starting to get frustrating with losing to these teams over and over again. It’s disappointing. Im still optimistic but how can you be with this trend going and not knowing when it will stop. Against better teams we play better and show up. We just have to hope big changes happen. Otherwise we will be seeing the same thing.

Regardless of who get in our group, can our players perform? Sokratis said in an interview where he doesn’t believe in the team. He said that he doesn’t if they can do any better. Also when we had Katsouranis and Karagounis in last 4 years of their careers we still made tournaments even though they were slow in our midfield. How can this current generation be so bad. I don’t know what the problem is anymore. I know Bakasetas slows down everything and is crap, but we can’t be losing to Estonia. Our attack is garbage. Samaras, Salpingidis and Gekas are proving to be way better than the likes of Mantalos, Pelkas and Mitroglou. Fortounis is one player that can sort of do something but he can’t be the only one.

I’d go with this 23 in the future... Vlachodimos, Barkas, Gianniotis, Torosidis, Retsos, Manolas, Sokratis, Siovas, Koutris, Tsimikas, Kourbelis, Samaris, Zeca, Galanopoulos, Pelkas, Fortounis, Chatzigiovannis, Bouzoukis, Fetfatzidis, Mitroglou, Masouras, Karelis, Donis... I like playing with wingers. I’d have no more than 3DMs. Kourbelis can also play CB. We have a problem at RB so Retsos and Torosidis will do for now. This team looks shaken up with good experience and talented youth. Bouzoukis should be looked at for that CM role. He is better than Bakasetas. I picked Mitroglou even though I didn’t want him. We really have no one else in that position.

I agree with your Samaris comment. He does bring this sharpness and his passes are accurate. More accurate than Kourbelis and Zeca. He should be in the 11. I’d play Galanopoulos next to him. The only thing is I don’t think he is the answer. Bouchalakis is too slow. He should be on the bench at least. Mantalos and Bakasetas have done nothing for us. I’d rather Mantalos though. Pelkas you could do something with but hasn’t performed. I don’t think Lazaros is the answer either. Fetfatzidis id like to see. I don’t think these 2 will be in the team. I’d be ok if Angelos calls up Chatzigiovannis and Donis instead. Last point is that Karelis should be ahead of Mitroglou for now. I see something more with him and he is younger let Mitroglou sit on the bench.

I have to disagree. It’s early days. I put more blame on the players. Estonia is a really bad team. Our b or c team should easily beat them. The coach is also to blame but, hopefully now he has seen what he has seen and analysed what he has to do next time. He also needs to find a way to make this team gel. Maybe change the system. I mostly believe the player selections are root to the problem. It’s been like that for a while.

I hope Bakasetas is not in the long term plans...

That’s probably what he meant. He needs to realise that Pelkas and Mantalos can’t do the job on the wing.

I don’t know what to think about this. Was he saying that he would like to play players out of position? His reply seems very unclear to me. Im not sure but it seems like he wasn’t answering the question. Seems like he tried to spin it without giving a clear answer.

Fantastic post. I agree with everything you said as I said those things in my previous comment above. It’s time to change things up top...

I know about Manolas but why are the rest missing out?

Bakasetas has no place in the team. He is slow and is clueless. I once thought he was a decent player at Panionios. I now don’t think much of him. He just doesn’t do it for the national team. With Mantalos, it’s been proven time and time again that this guy is not the same player that he once was before his injuries. He also proved that he can’t play on the wing. He is not a winger. Pelkas is the same. I have said many times for Pelkas to play on the wing and he has proved he can’t do it there. Its all obvious now. How many more chances do these guys deserve? Just because they have a significant role in their respective teams it doesn’t mean that they get chance after chance in the national team. It hasn’t worked so look at other options... I hope Anastasiadis is going for Donis and Chatzigiovanis at least for the wings in the future. I don’t think he will ever call up Fetfatzidis and Lazaros just because of the age factor. I think he has the mentality of out with the old and in with the new. The new age of Greek footballers such as Bouzoukis, Chatzigiovannis and so on. I predict that he wants to build towards the future. That’s why we have seen Koutris and Vlachodimos get their debuts respectively. Siovas I think is the exception. I like him but I think his pace is a bit of a concern. As long as he can position himself properly and consistently we should be fine. He did well I thought against Finland. Also Sokratis has got the pace to cover if need be.

We haven’t even tried something different for our front 4. We shouldn’t dismiss that we can’t open other defences when firstly we haven’t played to upfront and secondly we don’t play natural wingers. Donis is essential to this team even though his end product is not that good. If we can first play with natural wingers then we can put someone who has great vision like Bouzoukis for example. At least we should something else apart from having Pelkas and Mantalos on the wings. I also can believe Bakasetas is still in our plans. The media must love him.

I agree. The formation is fine it’s just who you put in that formation is what counts.