paokarag4

No chance pash, we are fools if we do. Tzolis was sold for 11 million, Konstantelias is a level above in terms of both output and his potential ceiling.

For us, sell to the highest bidder. Kid is a talent and has the ability to play in a top 5 league for 10 years if he wants it. Remember he is still only 20. He is having a good season for a club that is competing for a league title and is having a good run in Europe. 20 million should be attainable, can't see the club letting him go for 15 but I might be wrong. For the player himself, England now isn't the right move IMO. I think history has shown in order to succeed in England, Greek players need to go a little later in their career when they are more mature as players. Obviously every individual case is different, but if I was Konstantelias I'd be pushing for a move to either Germany or Italy first up. Develop there for a few more years and then take the step to the EPL as a more seasoned professional. In saying all that I think he should stay until the end of the season and move on in the summer(if he is to be sold). He is a key part of the team and as mentioned, we are in the mix for plenty of trophies as it stands.

I think Tzimas will rotate through the starting XI with Samatta gone, agree with you pash maybe it will only end be being 20-30 minute cameos off the bench but still some solid minutes for him. I think Despodov can play as a striker too (think I've read he has done so for his old club and occasionally for Bulgarian NT) so he may also come into calculations.

Just another example of a Greek club knee-jerk reacting to a couple of results. Awful management from PAO. On the other hand it bodes well for us that 2 of our competitors are having an unstable few weeks and changing managers heading into the new year.

After about 2 months as the starting left back (due to Andy Robertson's injury), Tsimikas has broken his collarbone in an unlucky incident where he was shoved into his own coach and landed awkwardly on his collarbone. He will be out for a while, early reports are at least 3 months which would put him in big doubt for the playoff against Kazakhstan and any potential subsequent playoff final.

Great win, dominate performance. Murg really has been a revelation and giving us quality minutes when covering Taison. Special mention to Despodov, appears to be finding his feet a goal and 3 assists is a brilliant game regardless of opponent!

He has definitely overtaken Nasberg as the back-up to Koulierakis as the left-sided center back. It seems Lucescu doesn't want to overload Koulierakis and he rotates him quite regularly, so Michalidis will continue to get a good amount of game-time in the 2nd half of the season.

Always a tough game in Tripoli, and they have been in solid form lately and find themselves 6th. Far from the game you want Taison and Zivkovic missing. Opportunity for Konstantelias to really take over and run the game with those 2 out. Will be a tough one that's for sure.

I don't think they can stop European competitions, they don't have that jurisdiction. It would be domestic football. As we know that won't solve anything and really how many match days were left this year, 2-3?

I think only group E would have been better than the draw we got. In saying that Turkey and Czechs won't be easy by any stretch but you would say we are relatively evenly matched, at least on paper. Portugal breezed through qualifying, but I don't know I have a feeling they aren't going to smash the group and will drop points. Remember, 4 of the 6 best placed third placed sides will also qualify for the round of 16! We have a way to go until worrying about that though. Let's get to March with all our key players fit and in form.

Seems Baba won't be fit for this game, as of yesterday he was still training individually. Reports saying he is in a race against time to be fit for Frankfurt in a weeks time. I believe Zivkovic is suspended for this game, can't remember if anyone else is set to miss to card accumulation.

Yep it's confirmed. We will take on Kazakhstan on the 21st of March at OPAP Arena. The other semi is Georgia v Luxembourg.

I agree on your first point, those cases as well as other across the world are clearly the player seeing an opportunity to play international football and potentially go to a major tournament. While a bit of a joke, until FIFA alter their rules this will continue to happen. The 2nd point here I strongly disagree with. A national team should demonstrate a nations' ability to produce footballers. While of course there is room for players who are ethnically from that nation but have grown up somewhere else I disagree with what a national team should be. Messi almost played for Spain, because he had been there from 13. Again wouldn't be the first time that happened. It is also very rare that it happens so I don't think it's a pandemic or anything to fret about. Clubs don't go about signing youth players in the hope of strengthening their NT, they care about number one, themselves. As you said Athens, we have to agree to disagree. Nothing wrong with that mate!?

Our playoff path continues to take shape, with Luxembourg confirming their place in the play-offs with a huge 4-1 win over Bosnia-Herzegovina. We may face them in the final or even the semi (if Kazakhstan manage to qualify directly) On paper they look like tough match-up, they have multiple players who ply their trade in the Bundesliga. Plus a few who play in Turkey and Russia. They have 14 points in qualifying with 2 of their 3 losses coming to Portugal (heavy 6 and 9-0 losses). As it stands the playoff picture for League C looks like this: Georgia v Luxembourg Greece v Kazakhstan Winners playoff for a spot at Euro 2024. As noted earlier Kazakhstan may directly qualify meaning we play Luxembourg, and Georgia would face Azerbaijan (most likely)

Nationality isn't as simple as "play where you're roots are from" Legally I'm Australian, but both my parents are Greek. Therefore my "blood" is Greek. Who should I have played for? (if I actually could have controlled a ball) There are people who have lived in other countries for generations and don't feel or have any connection to their ethnic backgrounds. Why should they be forced to play for their "motherland" just because their great great grandparents were born there. Similarly, some people are super connected to their backgrounds and feel more connected to that nation then the country they live in. In Narey's case, he is a product of German football. He was born and grew up there, went to school there, learnt to play football there etc. No issue with him playing for Germany if he was good enough. No issue with him playing for Togo either.

It should be noted, Aberdeen is saying the abuse came from a section of the fans not one of our players. PAOK is denying it happened.

Fortounis was asked the other day post the game v Asteras if he'd consider a return to the NT. He said that his time with the Ethniki is over and he won't be back. IMO the only thing that may sway him is if we qualify for the Euros and he and Poyet break bread. Even then, it is dependent on Poyet asking for him to return. It seems very very unlikely. And if you take Fortounis at face value, it is 0% chance of happening.

Not the best result but the point was enough to qualify and keep us on top of the group. Not much changes in regards to topping the group, we go to Frankfurt playing for 2 results. A win guarantees us top spot, while a draw would mean we have to beat Helsinki at Toumba on the last matchday. Was impressed by Konstantelias long range passing, I knew he was capable of playing a pass but hadn't really seen his long range passing. He and Taison our best players.

Squad announced for this game and the qualifier v France. 32 players called-up, you have to figure due the friendly he'll be giving plenty of minutes to a range of players. Vagiannidis from Panathinaikos called-up at right back. Despite the large number of players called-up still no room for Douvikas. Αθανασιάδης, Πασχαλάκης, Διούδης, Βλαχοδήμος, Γούτας, Χατζηδιάκος, Κουλιεράκης, Μαυροπάνος, Ρέτσος, Τζαβέλλας, Μπάλντοκ, Γιαννούλης, Ρότα, Σάλιακας, Τσιμίκας, Βαγιαννίδης, Αλεξανδρόπουλος, Μπακασέτας, Μπουχαλάκης, Γαλανόπουλος, Κουρμπέλης, Μάνταλος, Παπανικολάου, Σιώπης, Χατζηγιοβάνης, Κωνσταντέλιας, Μασούρας, Πέλκας, Φούντας, Γιακουμάκης, Ιωαννίδης, Παυλίδης. Breakdown by position GK (4): Vlachodimos, Paschalakis, Dioudis and Athansiadis. RB (4): Saliakas, Rota, Baldock, Vagiannidis CB (6): Goutas, Chatzidiakos, Mavropanos, Koulierakis, Retsos, Tzavellas LB (2): Tsimikas, Giannoulis CM (8): Alexandropoulos, Bouchalakis, Galanopoulos, Kourbelis, Siopis, Papanikolaou, Mantalos, Bakasetas. Wingers (5): Chatzigiovannis, Konstantelias, Masouras, Pelkas, Fountas Strikers (3): Giakoumakis, Pavlidis, Ioannidis.

No Samatta (fever) or Vieirinha travelling for the game. It will be one of Sastre/Kedizora at right back and Thomas up top. Whatever hopes we have of competing for the title this year, this game has massive implications. A loss and we'll be 8 points behind PAO. Yes only 10 games in but it's less than ideal. I'm just looking for am improved performance on last weeks awful showing where the team lost without giving a yelp. I think we'll see a response even if the result doesn't go our way in the end.

It no doubt is, if we come through the play-offs there is no way he would turn down an extension and the chance to lead us to the Euros. If we don't qualify he may leave, but zero chance if we clinch qualification in March.

What a comeback! Huge victory for our European campaign, it means beating Aberdeen in Toumba in 2 weeks time and a draw in Germany will guarantee us top spot and a passage into the final 16! A draw v Frankfurt will be enough to make the final match against HJK(assuming we beat the Scots in a fortnight) a dead-rubber, given we will maintain our 3 point lead over them and also own the H2H tiebreaker. Great fight from the boys to play it out, on a night where we had an average 2nd half we found a way to come away with the 3 points. Team is looking good right now, massive 2 derbies coming up. If Konstantelias is able to improve his finishing he will be a star. Consistency is clearly his biggest challenge atm but his finishing may hold him back in his career. He has all the tools to be quality player, just needs to keep working. Great game from him tonight, created plenty and was by far our biggest attacking threat.

Yeah he loves to talk sh!t all game and act tough. Been like that his whole career but I feel like he has gotten worse with age.

Rocket of a header! Need a 2nd and even a third, because I don't have great confidence in our rotated defense keeping a clean sheet.

Good post, agree with most of this! All the pens are there (even the third that wasn't given probably was). On Bakasetas I do agree that he has struggled against the bigger footballing nations but tbf they are games where as you note our whole midfield has been overrun. The fact that he can boss games against mid-lower ranked teams is important, as in recent qualifying campaigns that is where we have blown our chances. Konstantelias clearly had a role to play in this game, as you note how is the ball supposed to get to the 3 strikers waiting in the box with Bouchalakis and Siopis in midfield. I feel like we are living another version of when Fetfa was playing for the Ethniki, when we would need a goal and various managers would refuse to throw him on?