pash

Twente's a pretty good team but was hoping for some stronger opponents at the beginning (regardless of how 'meaningless' these games are). I wonder if any of these will be played as 120-minute games like in previous years.

A picture is worth a thousand words, etc etc

Here's another rumor out of Portugal - though the player has a release clause of 6mm (and apparently there is competition for him): https://www.transfermarkt.us/vitor-carvalho/profil/spieler/553062 I'm not sure why we're linked with like 15 midfielders...even with Ozdoyev and Bianco departing (if they truly do), we'd still have four. Surely we're just one away from filling out that spot?

More rumors of price talk:

Another rumor: https://www.transfermarkt.us/miguel-merentiel/profil/spieler/481367 I'm guessing this may be if we don't lock down Giakoumakis. -edit- (i'm doing edits so i don't make 300 different posts per day) looks like we offered 2mm + some resale for Bianco, while our clause was 4mm. It was rejected.

Rumors that we now want Baba's countryman Kwasi Sibo, who is about to become a free agent. CM. https://www.transfermarkt.com/kwasi-sibo/profil/spieler/538006 Extraordinarily uninspiring choice, if true. -edit- apparently we are also trying to get Taison again, on a one year deal. Kostas Polykratis, a LB from the B team, may be transferred to Kifissia for a resale percentage

And an assist in their 0-3 win

He's a Jehovah's Witness?!

Greek players are mentally (and physically) weak. Just sayin

Guy's gonna end up streaming fortnite on YouTube

Some more rumors... Alexandros Kyziridis - the guy who plays for Hearts, recently capped for Greece. LW. https://www.transfermarkt.us/alexandros-kyziridis/profil/spieler/586538 https://inpaok.com/906607/o-paok-thelei-kyziridi/ Giakoumakis still in play, allegedly we're trying to do the same loan again. Sh!t or get off the pot, I say. https://inpaok.com/906632/anoikto-to-thema-giakoumaki-paok/ Apparently we're trying to retain Ozdoyev, for some reason. Typical of us. https://inpaok.com/906630/diastasi-apopseon-paok-ozntoef/ -edit- another one I just saw - Liel Abada, an Israeli player who plays for Charlotte FC in MLS. Formerly of Celtic. RW. https://www.transfermarkt.us/liel-abada/profil/spieler/519514

PAOK Today reporting about two minutes ago that Aritz Elustondo is imminently going to be acquired. -edit- rumored offer is 1.2mm per year for a two year contract. As usual the Internet jumped the gun on this actually being imminent (lol)

Also rumors that we might activate our clause for Bianco - I like that; I thought he was pretty decent.

As was the case last summer, they're saying we want Chatzidiakos again. Don't know how realistic that is considering he's been with Copenhagen for only a season. Though I'll note that last season didn't seem to go too well for them, as they ended up (barely) in the bottom half of the table. But, confusingly, still managed a conference league spot for this summer. https://www.transfermarkt.us/pantelis-hatzidiakos/profil/spieler/144244 Tbh I doubt he'd be too expensive. Age isn't terrible as well, and we obviously need a replacement for Kedziora (and I generally support actually having Greeks on the roster).

I'm definitely going to give him a chance. As our Viennese friend says up above, you only get a few types of managers coming to Greece. This one might end up in the Ferreira mold (but hopefully without getting fired after a meh run). I will say, his record is not amazing - but it seems that he was hired to keep teams from getting relegated and he apparently succeeded. The questions for me, are: can he cope with playing more games, assuming we make it to Europe and go deep in the cup (which we should) can he cope with the third world nature of Greece can he handle the pressure of not just trying to stay in a league, but win Two of his prior teams are, on paper, at least as "valuable" as ours. He isn't some second division flunky who has never had some quality to work with. But the mentality and expectations will be much higher. If he does well here, it will open up doors for him in the future. Also - I was not too pumped about the Pusic rumor, I must say. His record was not exactly fantastic even though he coached arguably the best team in that league, and I was afraid Savvidis would go for another stubborn older dude instead of someone with energy and new ideas. As far as the transfers are concerned...show me a team that is all set before the first training session. The market closes in like two months. They're hiring professionals. Calm down!

Delias is gone anyway. I'm reading that he switches the formation up a bit more than the 5-3-2 on transfermarkt implies. So who knows.

El Kaddour (who last played for SPAL - which got relegated to Serie D) - may be making his way back in a coaching debut. https://inpaok.com/906154/skepseis-gia-epistrofi-el-kantouri/ Probably a terrible idea, of course. But if it does happen, it probably means Vieirinha and Matos - neither of whom likely know what they're doing - will be dipping deep into the well of that original beautiful season.

Out with the old in with the new!!!!

Lisci, fearless leader! https://www.transfermarkt.com/alessio-lisci/profil/trainer/87289 Seems to like the 5-3-2. This would, funny enough, probably suit Chalov.

There are a few rumored names over the last day or so. Both are 32 years old and play in Spain. CB - Aritz Elustondo. Last played for Real Sociedad, and will be a free agent on the 30th: https://www.transfermarkt.us/aritz-elustondo/profil/spieler/229804 CM - Baptiste Santamaria. Currently plays for Valencia and has a contract through the 26/27 season: https://www.transfermarkt.us/baptiste-santamaria/profil/spieler/285323

I'm not really upset about Lucescu leaving; the thing with his style is that he seems best at coming in, making a few targeted transfers, and then crushing the league until the wheels fall off. Like our Austrian friend says, he will be back at some point to win another title. I am wondering if the shakeup throughout the administration was decided upon very late as well - perhaps an impetuous move by Savvidis after he finished stewing on our bad results. Whatever. Here are some rumored replacements: https://www.instagram.com/p/DZmvbvWsPVA/ (manager profiles for each below) https://www.transfermarkt.com/marino-pusic/profil/trainer/28942 https://www.transfermarkt.com/luis-castro/profil/trainer/69945 https://www.transfermarkt.com/benat-san-jose/profil/trainer/28835

This is great news; and with Lucescu gone there should be fewer obstacles to it. We need to get younger AND better defensively.

Saw that the Russkie was going to take a role as a "VP" (and I assume remain on the board). Interesting that she'd take a demotion.

He broke his own contract to return to Russia and now five months later he's linked to us? Bizarre.

Didn't he say like a week ago that he's staying? What a shock