Makynia

Boxou sorry disagree with you. Bakakis does have a lot to offer offensively. Go check highlights vs Egypt. He was best RB in Greece last year and has started this yr exactly same way. Runs his ass off all day. Exactly what we need on our NT. He should be starter hands down.

This is realistically who we have to choose from for our midfield Galanopoulos, Bouchalakis, Kourbelis, Zeca, Samaris, Pelkas, Fortounis and Mantalos oops I forgot Tziolis. Really hope he's done with picking him.

Apparently Tzavellas and Maniatis looking for a team. I guess this means that they will not be called up for the September games................Thank God!!! Now we only have to pray he doesn't call Tziolis his saviour and salad tosser!!!

Add Klonaridis to the mix for winger on the NT. He scored a beautiful goal today vs Celtic and is in excellent form. From what I know he was given his Greek passport and can be called up and play for the team. Call him up Skibbe!!!

George Laz, I always love your lineups. Hopefully Skibbe will read these boards and pay attention! Only two players I would change are Karnezis. I would go Pashalakis or Barkas hands down. Both are in form and Karnezis is not. Also Fortounis, I would not start him right now. I would go definitely Mantalos after his performance vs Gala or Pelkas. Fortounis has to win back his starting spot.

With Nations League just around the corner and the World Cup coming to an end we saw Croatia our playoff opponent finish 2nd and Belgium who was in our group finish 3rd. I believe Greece would have fared very well at the World Cup had we made it. We were very unfortunate to have had Manolas suspended and Donis injured for that match vs Croatia and a make shift lineup by Skibbe that was atrocious. I believe we could have gotten a result in Croatia had these two players been in our lineup. As qualifying for the Euro begins Skibbe better go with his best IN FORM players not guys that are not getting any playing time and I really hope he moves on from Tziolis and Tzavellas. We have much better and this Nations League is the perfect time for these guys to get minutes.

My starting lineup right now would be as follows Mitro Donis Pelkas Lazaros Samaris Zeca Staf Socrates Manolas Bakakis Pashalakis (sorry most in form goalie right now)

Tziolis tosses the coach's salad It's a prison thing. Lower inmates are forced to lick the assholes of the leading inmates, but they put salad dressing on it to hide the taste. Hence, tossing the salad. Only explanation for his infatuation with this guy Alphonse lol

AEKARA OMATHARA!!! I know it pains some people to see AEK back on top after being relegated only a few years ago. Those were some painful years. Now it's our time. First protathlima in 24 years!!! Now I know how HABS fans feel lol. A lot of Paoktzides bashing here and not sending congratulatory messages. It's OK we don't need your acknowledgement we know we are deservant champs. We lost two games in the protathlima, 1 in Champions League qualifying and 1 in the Greek Cup all year. I think that speaks for itself and all that mostly without Mandalos and Johansson. We truly played with our hearts and for the team. Well done boys. Now on to the Cup final. We shall see who the better team is. Remember we already beat you in the protathlima in case some of you suffer from selective amnesia. Makynia OUT!!!!!

Kastro what’s your point? That was our second 11 playing and our 3rd and 4th string goalies. Our coach was trying out our new players as well.

Georgelaz you make some great points and others not so great. I love your lineup except for Fetfa and Holebas. We know fully well that both those players will never be called up again while Skibbe is coach so there is no point penciling them as starters. I would go with a healthy Mantalos in his natural position at CAM and switch Retsos to LB and go Bakakis as RB. How can you say that Kourbelis and Koulouris were flops? They both came on in the 73rd minute. A player needs like 15 minutes just to get into the flow of the game. Let's rate them after they've started and played a full 90 a few times. I wouldn't say Toro is finished but he doesn't start at Bologna so definitely Bakakis should be the starter at RB right now. Donis is not overhyped just gets brain cramps when he approaches goal he can sort that out. Runs his ass off for the team and this is what we need. Everything else you said I agree with. Should have started Kourbelis in place of Samaris and give him a go for the full 90 as Samaris barely sees the field for Benefica.

Fortounis and Socrates were our worst players today. I forgive Socrates for his soft man marking but Fortounis hasn't done anything in a long while. I don't understand why he doesn't start Pelkas from the beginning and give the kid a go and see what the kid can do especially playing with Donis who in my opinion was the only one running his ass off out there today along with Zeca. What is the kid going to do when he comes on in the 77th minute? This guy Skibbe is starting to get on my nerves. Also he said he would try Koulouris and Limnios. Koulouris came on in the 73rd minute and Limnios didn't play! As another poster said earlier, he called three LB's, Lykogiannis, Stafylidis and Tzavellas and he starts Retsos at LB. This guy is a moron.

I watch our U17, U19 and U21 teams and they're always pressing and running their asses off. It's actually quite nice to watch especially when you have to watch Tziolis in our midfield on our men's NT literally crawling on the pitch. At least now with Donis and Karelis and to some extent even Giannotas when he has used him are running their asses of for their team. I wish we could have that energy from all of our players when they play for the Ethniki.

I think I have figured it out. I believe the Skibbe is consulting with our former coach Rehhagel on certain players and formations. Rehhagel was always using players out of position, most notably Torosidis as a LB, always calling up the same out of form and not getting any playing time players instead of transitioning new blood into the team. Using crazy formations like the game vs Argentina and our Skibbe I believe did consult with him for our away game with Croatia (what a disaster Maniatis at RB completely lost and Zeca on the RW when he should have been holding mid). There is no other explanation as to why he repeatedly calls up and plays Tziolis when we have so much better. Now I'm reading he might start vs Switzerland. What for???? To see what he can bring to the table? If I had to describe Tziolis his game it is similar to turning a jar of molasses upside down and watching it trickle out ever so slowly. One very knowledgeable guy in Greece told a friend of mine that he uses Tziolis to slow down the game. Yeah no kidding. More like bring it to a screeching halt. That's not the kind of soccer we want to play. Get rid of him already! I cannot watch this guy til Euro 2020. It's like Santos with Karagounis and Katsouranis all day all night and all the time. This is the perfect time to transition new blood into the team. Let Tziolis cheer them on the from the bench PLEASE!!!

Argy my fellow Montrealer, when you’re right, you’re right! I ordered it already from Agona. To MB’s!!! I expect a big win from our boys.

Apparently he's already signed by Olympiacos for the upcoming season who just beat out AEK to get him. So he's either going to play for Oly or be loaned out probably back to OFI who will probably be in Super League next year.

Skibbe has already said that he does not need to see Mitroglou, Manolas, Sokratis or Torosidis in these friendlies. No way he is calling any of them up for these two games. It will be Kpaps and Retsos at CB and Bakakis at RB. Karelis will definitely be our striker. Let's see what we can do vs two teams heading to the World Cup. Good measuring stick.

I read we are playing two in March vs Switzerland and Egypt and one vs Iran in June and EPO are looking for one more friendly before UEFA Nations league gets underway.

Actually Boxou Samaris has a total of 167 min in league play (4 appearances) and 106 min in champion's league play (2 appearances) for a total of 273 min total. Should not be starting for National Team especially not in a crucial game like we had vs Croatia.

Ausgreek Bang On! The only change I would make is Gianniotis from Atromitos on the bench instead of Kapino. Kapino not even playing at Oly no point to even have him on the bench. When he starts playing then he can be called up again. As far as starter goes it has to be Anestis, Karnezis getting no playing time.

Now there's some consolation Italy out of the World Cup!!!! I feel better already.

Just read apparently our Skibbe was showing the boys games from Croatia in Euro 2016! 17 months ago to prepare them for the first game! Players were shouting at Maniatis from the bench that Perisic is his man not Papadopoulos'!!! The team was definitely not prepared! Clueless and it showed. ADIAVASTOS! If this is true Skibbe must go. The coach doesn't play on the pitch but he definitely has to do his homework and prepare his team prior.

For the love of God NO TZIOLIS please!!!! Give us a fighting chance. We don't need someone to slow down the game we need to create and score goals!

I think Villafanez already got his Greek passport. Should be part of the team soon and will definitely give us more depth and run his ass off more than Tziolis and Samaris.

If Tziolis even plays in this game I say fire his ass! No way Zeca doesn't start was our best player yesterday and it should be Stafy over Tzavellas and Pelkas needs to start. The kid will run his ass off trust me.