Dean97

What changes will be made for this game? Will there be changes? It has to be something like this: Karnezis Torosidis Manolas Sokratis Tzavellas Tachtsidis Samaris Donis Fortounis Stafylidis Mitroglou With a few changes like Zeca, Mantalos and maybe Bouchalakis. There is no one that can replace Mitroglou. I think Donis needs to start. Even though some people say he has no end product, he needs to be involved his speed, dribbling and attacking style can create goals for Fortounis, Mitroglou or even Stafylidis with his powerful shots. With Tachtsidis in the team we will have the advantage because of his passes. Our fullbacks are getting old but can still or should do the job against Cyprus.

I guess your right. Pelkas and Mystakidis are not playing regularly and will probably not again this season with the signings PAOK have made. Also they are easily the future of the team based by the players they are and the high potential.

Cyprus will do their best especially with a new coach aswell.

Yeah I checked it's not there it will probably be out 5 days before. The Greek League is not in it but AEK are back.

Btw @georgelaz when do the full FIFA 18 ratings come out. I want to know what all the Greek player ratings are. Also AEK are back which is good.

You have 12 in the line up. If Skibbe doesn't play Tachtsidis we are gone. Karelis is a good bench option. While Stafylidis on the left is a good idea. I don't know though but Donis played well on the left, I hope he can do the same on the right.

Retsos, Donis, Katranis, Androutsos, Galanopoulos, Siampanis, Limnios, Manthatis, Evangelou, Nikolaou etc. How hard are these players willing to work to make a name for themselves. The first 2 look like they will soon prosper. With the others needing to work for everything. Ninis and Fetfatzidis have been big disappointments. Let's see if players like Fortounis, Mantalos, Tachtsidis, Karelis and Stafylidis can lead the younger crop like the way Sokratis, Torosidis, Karnezis and Mitroglou are right now. Lykogiannis, Bouchalakis and Pelkas still have time to break in this team.

Maniatis can provide something from the bench. Tziolis, Diamantakos and Vellios don't need to be there.

I am thankful for where we are and what Skibbe has done. We are looking like a team again. I didn't say I want Skibbe out. But can you please tell me what Tziolis did so good in both matches. I'll wait... When you have a player like Tachtsidis tall, strong, good at long passing and has the best vision in the team. If you have him out of the team your creating more problems for yourself. Samaris could have easily done Tziolis job and better. Then you can have Tachtsidis spraying better passes forward. Also the reason why we we didn't do well was because of the coaches we had and they players were not playing as a team, which there was no unity. When you say that Tachtsidis is no Katsouranis I don't know what you mean? What would have Katsouranis done different in the games Tachtsidis played? You are right Zeca has helped a lot. Our problem is and always will be is our strikers. Without Mitroglou what are we going to do. Unless we have decent wingers who can cross the ball and a number 10 that can't stop running and making chances for himself and teammates. Donis created chances not only for the team but for himself. Tzavellas was the only one who could cross a decent ball and look what happened we scored. Overall if Skibbe can not start Tziolis more and improve his subs we will take that next level. Also I do remember those days with the midfield we had. The last time we won with Tziolis in the team was 2013. That's saying something. Last thing remember when Tziolis came on against Belgium away we copped a goal from poor marking by Sokratis. Is that a coincidence?

I agree we need 2 wins next nothing else if Bosnia can lose to Belgium we should be fine. There's other talented players like Lamprou and Limnios who can get called up but players like Pelkas, Lazaros and Androutsos should be first to be called up. Also Tachtsidis and Gianniotas who are currently in the team should be given more game time instead of Tziolis and Bakasetas. Will Skibbe now see that Vellios, Diamantakos and Tziolis are not good enough? Also if you don't want to call up Fetfatzidis then don't call up Tziolis. Simple. There are more worthy players out there. Bouchalakis and Kourbelis might have to impress and lift their game even more so that Tziolis is not even considered. I have to say that our crosses are very poor. Tzavellas and Stafylidis can hit a good a cross. Maniatis can't and Retsos can't.

I was just about to post that haha. The thing is subs don't make much sense. More so his call ups make no sense. Does anyone know why exactly Fetfatzidis doesn't get called up? Imagine him coming on and linking up with Fortounis and Donis. Androutsos should have been called up. Tziolis should not play again if he does it's a crime. Pelkas, Lazaros and even Androutsos should be considered for the wide options... I don't want to see Mantalos on the wing again. What Skibbe should was call up Pelkas or even play Gianniotas right midfield and have Zeca as the right back. Zeca did well at right wing. Also inform players like Masouras, Galanopoulos and Bakakis need to be looked at. The biggest mistake Skibbe did was not play Tachtsidis.

I dont mind a 3-5-2 but we've been playing 4-2-3-1 so we should stick to it and most importantly play Donis on the wing. You think Stafylidis can be integrated on the wing? Lykogiannis looks promising aswell as Koutris from Olympiakos. Also Tzavellas has that position now and has become very reliable.

My opinion of Skibbe hasn't changed since after the first couple of games he was in charge. It is good that he is setting out our team to its strength. Play defence and counter. He called up Zeca because he is an energetic, hardworking player. Also because Maniatis is getting older. The problem I have with him is that he is calling up players that shouldn't be there. Diamantakos, Vellios, and some others. He needs to understand Mantalos can't play on the wing. Fortounis looks lazy at times. Donis needs to stay on the wing even though he did excellent and was man of the match for me. I just hope we win the next 2 games and things go in our favour for us because we didn't deserve to lose today and the match when we played them away 1-1.

It looks like he is winding down, although I still think he can contribute to the national team because of the player he is.

Maybe Lazaros or Pelkas can fill that right wing spot. Bakasetas has more of a role in this team, more than Vellios and Diamantakos. Maybe Skibbe might call one of them up and call-up a more deserving player eg. Fetfatzidis, Pelkas and Lazaros.

I thought Maniatis did fine. Tziolis is Tziolis. His slowness kills the team and wobbles around looking like he will fall all the time. Samaris did fine aswell. Bakasetas and Vellios are not good enough to play against teams like Belgium. Tzavellas looks very reliable. I also think Karnezis can do better. He did well in the last minute. Zeca ran all day and so did Maniatis. We have no strikers apart from Mitroglou. Karelis has been injured for a while. I also think we played well. We always show up against the better teams, I just don't know why we can beat the lesser teams.

Yeah but we could end up worst 2nd place

I agree 100%. Though I do think Mantalos should be in the team but not starting. It looks like Donis will take his position.

We played well today. Unfortunately Tziolis played. Donis played well and worked hard. He was exhausted after the 70th. Fortounis is good I don't understand why he should sit out he is the best attacking midfielder we have. Also Stafylidis should be considered as a left winger.

Donis playing really well. Fortounis doing alright. Stafylidis hit the post. Tziolis and Maniatis are not good enough.

Bakasetas is more of a hungry player. That's my opinion. Vellios tried his best but couldn't do anything. Diamantakos got 10 minutes and he is nothing better than Vellios. Bakasetas also can shoot very well.

I guess your right. Bakasetas would be a better option. Donis aswell. We also got to play our best players possible or else it will be a massacre.

I just want to say Skibbe is thinking of starting Diamantakos.

I also want to add that I've been following the national team passionately since the world cup of 2010. All these years I've been hoping and defending this team. I've been hoping for stars to emerge and to play good football. Most importantly I've been hoping to win. I've been defending the team from critics, saying this team plays boring, the team is too old, Greece is not that good. I've been saying that Greece play with heart and passion and do whatever it takes to win. Which was happening. I am a passionate follower because I am proud Greek and passionate football fan. I am on the verge of not caring about this football team because I've waited too long and put my energy in this team, where they cannot beat the Faroes, Belarus and score a goal against Estonia. I can say I've experienced the team in the good and the bad. But now I'm starting to question why put so much effort In a team that doesn't have the same high amount of passion as I do. If I was playing for Greece it would be a huge, HUGE honour for me as I would relish each chance to wear the Greek shirt and play like my life is on the line and stop at nothing for a victory. The Greek people have been through a lot all these generations in the past and still are battling issues, but through all this we as Greeks have come out on top like true Spartans by battling everyone who wants to takes us down, but with a Greek heart we always rise on top and we never give up. So with all that being said what will these current players do in order to win against Belgium. What will these players sacrifice to make us Greeks proud again. All I'm saying is what I want this team to do. If they can't then we don't deserve to be at the World Cup. I applaud Skibbe for helping us get back up from the mess that happened in 2015/2016 but if he can't realise that Tziolis, Diamantakos, Vellios and Bakasetas are not doing there job then he should get the sack. All I want this team to do is play like the country existence is on the line and stop at nothing to win.

I agree about Mantalos. He is too obvious and looks like he can't do anything. Our best attackers were Donis and Fortounis. We needed Tachtsidis in this match. I saw him getting ready to come on and I was thinking yes we will score or we will win somehow. Then Bakasetas comes on and I'm hoping he would do something. I'm sick of hoping with this team. It's time to play the inform GOOD players or else I'll stop watching. This is frustrating, imagine hoping for the national team to do well and score goals, but to than see them in a full 90 minute game and not score against Estonia. I believe we have good players. Or maybe is it that I want to believe we have good players. Fetfatzidis to me is a very good special player. Fortounis is another one. Donis has proven to be a starter. Tachtsidis is a class midfielder at times. Papadopoulos could easily do Tziolis job. But I am starting to think am I living in a false sense of reality thinking that these players are actually good or am I over doing it by thinking they are better than what they actually are. To me yesterday Mantalos was piss poor. I could see Fortounis getting frustrated with him and Vellios. I'm on the verge of saying I've had enough of this team. We either get inform TALENTED players or we play with guts and run our assess off and drop until we can't go anymore. If we get one of the two I'm happy if we don't get any at all I'm finished with the team.