paokarag4

Allo boy, you Grik?

Giakoumakis is going to be called up for the first time in his career. He's 25 and formerly of AEK, this season playing in Holland with VVV-Venlo he has scored 8 goals ( 6 in the league and 2 in the cup) With Fountas probably out with a broken hand it's not really surprising that he's being called up to be another striking option. Can any of our AEK friends shed any light into what they think of him @Alphonse https://www.sport24.gr/football/ethniki-elladas-klithike-o-giakoymakis-apo-ton-fan-sip.9038905.html Bakakis also has tested positive to COVID so he will miss these games, JVS is going to have to do something at right back. I think he'll call up someone (potentially Kotsiaras he was spotted at an Asteras game last week) along with Rota.

You don't think he's lazy without the ball? There are a couple of coaches who would disagree with that statement. I'm well aware of his talent, and he is absolutely a required player for the NT I have never doubted that. I'm simply pointing out why he doesn't get starts for Club or Country, his attitude is poor. What you're saying about him is true, but it's what he's been told his whole footballing career. "You score the goals and let everyone else do the hard work" It's just not how football is played nowadays. Dropping his highlights doesn't show me anything I don't already know, I know what he's capable of when he's on. It's the other stuff he has issues with, the not so fun stuff that will never make a highlights reel. FWIW despite all I've said, he should start vs Moldova. In a game where we will have 70+% possession his lack of pressing won't be a major issue and he's exactly the type of player to crack open a game like that.

The reason he doesn't start for Olympiacos is the same reason he doesn't start for the Ethniki. He's lazy, doesn't move without the ball, doesn't press the opposition and he doesn't track. Regardless of your system that is simply a no-no in world football in 2020, unless you're Lionel Messi. I watched Zlatan overnight one of the biggest egos in football ever press Udinese and harass them when Milan didn't have the ball, at the ripe old age of 39.

WE HAD TO GET SOMEONE FROM GEORGIA TO SHOW US HOW IT'S DONE!

WHAT A STRIKE NINUA YOU LITTLE SUPERSTAR!!!!!!!!!!!

Our set pieces have been dreadful all season. We started really well this game has gone to sh!t, mistakes galore and not to mention the 5000 fouls that have stemmed any flow the game had

Yep he's been poor today, Augousto doesn't look like he's on the bench. I'd put Ninua on, Schwab is adding nothing and is on a yellow

Time for some subs, quite a few players are looking fatigued and we are making cheap mistakes . We don't have a whole lot on the bench in terms of attacking options. Bieseswar and Colak will probably come on.

This officiating has been appalling, all ball from Varela and he blows a foul

LOL is that a joke? He has a fist full of Wague's shirt for a year and it's a foul against us

Plenty of fouls and cards in this game, it's only taken 2 days for Pablo to implement his philosophy on this team?

Have another whisky and relax re

We look like a completely different team in attack, plenty of movement and we are creating plenty of chances.

Damn what a save, Varela probably should've scored

Fortounis was hooked off at half time as Olympiacos were struggling to open up Apollon, they eventually win 2-0 with 2 second half goals. He has now been left out of the squad travelling to Manchester for the Champions League clash with City. There doesn't appear to be any reports of an injury and Martins post-game said he was disappointed with the performance of some players in the first half of the Apollon game. Regardless of the reason he's been left out, it doesn't bode well for him starting with the Ethniki in the up coming games. I'm sure many here won't be thrilled either as JVS has more than enough to justify not starting him.

Being reported that Garcia will go with a 4-3-3 first up, with Schwab, El Kaddouri and Augousto in midfield. If that ends up being true, I like it. We only have to wait a few more hours to find out.

Ferreira farewelling some of the players. Still don't know where I sit on this decision, I need a little more time to process it. I do agree with Bananas, for the most part. I'll probably have made up my mind by the next episode of PAOKTALK

I change my shirt once every 2 years

I've read that Mavropanos is out until the new year, he's had surgery.

As a fan I'm happy he's staying, awesome we get to keep our captain (even if he won't officially have that title this year) and our heart and soul of the club. PAE has frustrated me with all their flip flopping this summer though, Matos wasn't in the coaches plans then he's a starter and one of the captains. We didn't want Mauricio then ended up offering him a contract. I know PAOK never closed the Vieirinha door, it was he who posted his farewell and said he wouldn't be returning but still. He's basically been sitting there for 2-3 months, it just wreaks of amateur hour the whole summer and our dealings with these 3 guys specifically.

Simply must win this game if we want qualify from the groups. Won't be easy as Olympiakos had a tricky time cracking open Omonia during the 1st leg of their Champions league play-off. Who partners Schwab in midfield? El-Kaddouri isn't fit and this is a match where we are going to have the bulk of possession and dominate the ball, so basically it's not a match where Esiti should start. I would assume Augusto isn't fit enough to start, but he maybe an option. Ninua is our only other option who maybe given the nod. Unless Ferreira has some tricks up his sleeve and he changes formation and we see 3 in midfield with Bieseswar as a dekari, although I think that's pretty unlikely.

Positive as always Pash?

That is not the case at all do you honestly think Martins and JVS haven't 'thought' to ask him to do it? I can guarantee you Fortounis has been told to press and track back once his team's lose the ball. Both Martins and JVS would've told him this countless times and I think it's the main reason he isn't a regular starter for either team. Which is crazy when you think about his talent and ability. Watch the best teams in the world, Liverpool, Bayern, Man City all players press the opposition and work hard without the ball, I don't think Fortounis is above doing the dirty work that players like Lewandowski, Mane and Bernardo Silva do week in week out. There are only a few players in world football who play for top level clubs who don't press and work hard without the ball, Messi is one of them. I'm not saying I agree with Bakasetas starting over Fortounis, I'm just saying I understand why he does it.

@Dean97 I think JVS can and should take some of the credit for how Limnios has developed and how he has played for the NT. I watched Limnios week in week out for PAOK and he plays far better for the NT than he generally did for PAOK (he did have his moments) I think JVS has given him a lot of confidence and has told him "You're the man, I believe in you and you have a massive part to play for the Greek National Team moving forward." You're gripes with his player selections are justified (some of them) but he has implemented a playing style that is sustainable and has allowed us to boss and dominate teams that we were previously struggling to retain possession against, let alone beat. For that he deserves credit. Mavropanos is injured again and out until the new year, he played once for Stuttgart before his body broke down again. Retsos played his first game overnight for Saint-Etienne and I'm fairly confident if he stays fit and plays the next couple of games he'll be called up for the November games. Masouras plays in Poland he won't get a look in, Poland's league is far worse than Greece where he has only played for teams battling relegation. Bakakis is the best right back we have currently and that's not good. Rota should've been given more playing time and if he's not trusted then he shouldn't be called up, simple. Siopis is another destroyer with limited ability on the ball like Zeca and Kourbelis, he won't solve our problems in midfield. Galanopoulos JVS has stated he rates, he's not playing with AEK atm since returning from injury and resolving a contract feud. It's all good and well to throw the names out there but there is legitimate reasons as to why 90% of the names you mentioned aren't selected. I don't think it's a conspiracy personally, but that's just me. Fortounis v Bakasetas is an interesting debate, I've maintained all along the NT would improve immensely from Fortounis and someone like Donis (who too has hardly played this season) buying into the system and pressing the opposition. As it stands those players don't do that, Baka and Mantalos do. So JVS sacrifices talent for guys who will allow us to play his way, you need a balance and this is probably the key thing on pitch that he needs to sort out.