pash

We're rusty as hell. I also think a big problem here is that we play to the level of our opponents. I don't think we'll be as bad vs Malmo (whose final score against a much worse team was only slightly better than what we saw today). But playing to the level of our opponents leads to us having heart attacks every year. Zero chance Tissoudali and Chalov will be available for the next game, but I wonder if Lucescu will try them vs Malmo. Also: Camara actually looked all right, in my opinion.

Only 2.2 million?? Wow, that's even less than I thought. Good job by (presumably) Maria G. Saw some sites now saying that Chalov might be around the 25th, which is code for "in three weeks."

Different year, same old story. They will progress, only question is if they will find a rhythm beginning with next week's game. AEK is performing as poorly against an even worse opponent right now, btw.

I believe Murg's garbage pass is what lead to that goal. Perhaps Konstantelias needs a few minutes. -edit- because i can't spell names

Predictions that we might hear something about Tissoudali by EOD today... Player has also started following the club on instagram 😉

This is all the more reason not to wet ourselves at the idea of playing them. Malmo played a bad team, and beat them. We are about to play a slightly less bad team, and we probably will have a similar result. Then we will crush Malmo.

^hell yeah Anyway, here's the list that was called up for this game: Κοτάρσκι, Τσιφτσής, Βιεϊρίνια, Σάστρε, Όττο, Κεντζιόρα, Εκόνγκ, Θυμιάνης, Κουλιεράκης, Μιχαηλίδης, Ράφα Σοάρες, Μπάμπα, Τσιγγάρας, Καμαρά, Σβαμπ, Οζντόεφ, Μουργκ, Κωνσταντέλιας, Τάισον, Α.Ζίβκοβιτς, Ντεσπόντοφ, Μπράντον, Σαμάτα No shocks there. But aren't we supposed to have a third goalkeeper for these? Or am I making that up.

Seeing that instead of a sale, we may be loaning Quagliata to Central Cordoba in Argentina, with a purchase option. Let's just say that judging by what I see of that team, we will definitely not be cracking a seven-figure deal here. Unless it's denominated in Argentine Pesos.

If he can't even make the list for this game, then I can't imagine we'll try to reclaim him. I would agree. The "False 9 Show" on youtube just dropped a prediction that Lucescu will try to keep Samatta. However.... : https://inpaok.com/828607/vrike-ton-anti-tisountali-i-gandi/ Last I read, they were asking for about 4mm for him, while we were trying to get him for 3. Stay tuned!

This one is kind of unlikely IMO but apparently the Russians are saying we are (or were) interested in Vanja Drkusic: https://www.transfermarkt.us/vanja-drkusic/profil/spieler/371856 I still expect us to get at least one CB, but it would depend on getting rid of Ekong and (hopefully) Nasberg.

We got this. It was inevitable to draw the Nordics, I guess. Hopefully by then we will be ready.

Razvan Marin has signed a new contract with Cagliari, so I guess that one's off the table. All the more reason to sign Misic NOW

With 16k sold, at the absolute cheapest price I see, that's around 2.7mm. But that's gate 4, which certainly cannot hold 16,000 people. I'm guessing the value is closer to the 6-7mm range, so basically enough to cover our new Russki striker. Does the team release the actual breakdown, I wonder?

Looks like Chalov may be a done deal. Expected in Greece around the 24th. Tissoudali also plays left wing, btw, so this may be the guy that can both rotate with Taison and give us more options up front (perhaps we'll start seeing more 4-4-2s?)...

Much more clear, thank you! So funny enough, Egnatia could end up playing against Borac again in a month or two hahaha

Exactly what we need: yet another right winger hahaha

So basically: Loss vs Borac - Europa League third qualifying round Loss in 3rd Round - Europa League Play Off Loss in CL Play Off - Europa League's League Stage Wikipedia's making my head spin, but it seems more clearly spelled out on Kassiesa.net. Only question is, if you wash out of the EL third qualifying round (as someone who starts in the Champions League), do you get bounced down to Conference League play off round? And same for if you lose in the Europa League Play Off round, do you go right to League Stage of Conference League? In other words, can you theoretically drop down two leagues? Seems kind of cheap if so - it would basically mean a guarantee of Europe if you lose your first and third ties, right?

PAOK Today, everyone's favorite podcast that actually updates, saying on twitter that striker Tarik Tissoudali is on our list. You all may remember him from earlier rumors. I am now thinking that they're literally just rehashing old rumors because they have no idea who the team is actually going for. Anyway, on the off chance that there's something to this - here's his profile and a vid: https://www.transfermarkt.us/tarik-tissoudali/profil/spieler/245228

So last year their league started like, multiple months late...this year a full month early??

I don't have a problem with that. Every little bit we can extract from that team, will help us. Genoa ended the season in 8th, it looks like? They will have no use for him until late summer anyway. Really, my only concern here is that Kotarski will actively play worse just to hasten the departure. Btw I am not sure I buy the Chalov stories, but still no word either way. I am wondering if one of our two new strikers will be a loan, though. -edit- actually I guess Genoa ended the season in 11th place. Point still stands, though. Also, entirely possible that if we somehow keep him through all the qualifiers, that the team will be able to tempt him with a bigger contract in addition to the Champions League participation.

I don't think I even bothered to post about it a few weeks ago since public statements were made that we weren't interested, but now the rumors are picking up again that we're making a move for Fedor Chalov of CSKA: https://www.transfermarkt.us/fedor-chalov/profil/spieler/287183 In fact, InPAOK says we're moving on two strikers at the same time, in order to fill both slots with Samatta's soon-to-come move. I know basically nothing about Chalov but he is a fantastic age has scores a lot of goals. His buy-out clause, according to sport24, is only three million. I don't know how that works with the sanctions against Russia, but this feels like a no-brainer. Here is a highlights reel that seems to be mostly poached goals:

Agreed. We can beat them, but they're the scariest of this team. Would be happy to avoid the Bulgarians too

I included this list on my predicted lineup post in the game thread, but maybe this belongs here instead. No Quagliata or Nasberg. Tsaousis is out too, but he probably was going to be sold or loaned anyway (and Lyratzis also is surely gone soon). Λίστα Α Μπάμπα, Τάισον, Καμαρά, Όττο, Ντεσπόντοφ, Εκόνγκ, Κεντζιόρα, Κωνσταντέλιας, Κοτάρσκι, Κουλιεράκης, Μιχαηλίδης, Μουργκ, Οζντόεφ, Σαμάτα, Σάστρε , Σβαμπ, Ράφα Σοάρες, Ταλιχμανίδης, Μπράντον, Θυμιάνης, Τσιφτσής, Τσιγγάρας, Βιεϊρίνια, Α.Ζίβκοβιτς . Λίστα Β Φίλων, Γκούμας, Κωττάς, Μοναστηρλής , Ρούμιαντσεβ, Σμυρλής, Τασιούρας.

It's becoming real! Here's the list: Λίστα Α Μπάμπα, Τάισον, Καμαρά, Όττο, Ντεσπόντοφ, Εκόνγκ, Κεντζιόρα, Κωνσταντέλιας, Κοτάρσκι, Κουλιεράκης, Μιχαηλίδης, Μουργκ, Οζντόεφ, Σαμάτα, Σάστρε , Σβαμπ, Ράφα Σοάρες, Ταλιχμανίδης, Μπράντον, Θυμιάνης, Τσιφτσής, Τσιγγάρας, Βιεϊρίνια, Α.Ζίβκοβιτς . Λίστα Β Φίλων, Γκούμας, Κωττάς, Μοναστηρλής , Ρούμιαντσεβ, Σμυρλής, Τασιούρας. Here's my first prediction of a lineup for the year: --Kotarski-- --Sastre--Ekong--Koulierakis--Baba-- --Schwab--Ozdoyev-- --Despodov--Murg--Taison-- --Brandon Thomas-- I'm basing this more or less on who looked fit in training. Konstantelias lost a lot of time at the beginning, which is why I gave Murg the nod there. Similarly, Kamara does not look ready. Otto also lost time, and even when he played he didn't look as good as Sastre. Hopefully we put this to bed in the first match.

I'm very happy with both bits of news. Let Olympiakos spend their money, let us get someone who's better than Meite. Remember last season when the consensus was that Meite was good by Super League standards? And that he'd be caught out when playing against good European competition? THIS is why I don't care that we didn't re-sign him. If we want to take a step up, we need a BETTER option there.