paokarag4

Yep bureaucracy in Greece can be like nails on a chalkboard, just painful. I recall reading that because Baldock's yiayia has passed away there were going to be some additional issues for him to get his passport. If he and EPO want it to happen it will, but we maybe waiting a while.

Nadal, Federer and a few other players choosing not to play due to COVID. Stefano has a really good draw and there's no reason he shouldn't reach the quarter finals at least. Anyway one game at a time, up next is Cressy.

Common sense seems to have prevailed and the league will start next weekend on the 11th-13th September. AEK-Olympiakos have been "drawn" to play each other in the first round, so that match has been postponed so they can play the Cup final and the rest of the league can get underway. Also it seems our request to play on the Friday night (11th) will be granted so we can have the maximum possible break before the Benfica game.

Van't Schip's excluding Fetfa follows the Sokratis/Manolas model. Their relationship appears fractured since Fetfa was late for a team meeting prior to the Italy game last year. Apparently Fetfa was offended in the next round of qualifiers (vs Armenia and Finland) when he wasn't given any playing time. I for one am 100% backing JVS and his handling of the squad, we can't afford to have these type of personalities around the squad. Self-entilted guys who demand playing time, it's toxic and rubs off on the rest of the team. Fetfatzidis is a good player, and has a role to play with the Ethniki but you don't have the right to dictate to the coach when you should play. This type of behaviour has brought us down in the past, as has been discussed already. It'll be interesting to see if he gets a call-up in future, but I won't be losing any sleep if he doesn't. You can read about it here https://www.novasports.gr/podosfairo/nations-league/article/1806708/gi-auto-den-klithike-o-fetfatzidis

One game suits us, it'll be tough but we showed the blue-print in the Besiktas game. Defend and hit on the counter we have the pace to cause problems. Also if we win we are playing Kransador in the play-offs, since Ukrainian and Russian teams have to be kept apart. UEFA will make that official tomorrow when they hold the "draw" for the play-off round.

Scans confirmed Rodrigo is out for 5-6 weeks so he'll miss the start of the league season as well as the next Champions league qualifier. Matos has gone to Brazil for "personal reasons" and isn't expected back until the 4th of September. Who knows what's going on there and if he'll even return but I'm worried about having to play the next qualifier with Limnios at right wing-back, he did not look comfortable on Wednesday especially defensively. https://www.paokfc.gr/nea/20200828-epistrofi-kai-douleia-gia-ti-sunexeia/

More reports today that we are awaiting an offer for Paschalakis, from Spain. No official offer yet, so who knows if this mysterious team will ever make an actual approach for him. French press also reporting we have knocked back a 3.5 million offer for Giannoulis from Marseille, we are holding out for at least 4.5 + a percentage of any potential future sale. https://www.sport24.gr/football/omades/Paok/gallika-mme-oxi-toy-paok-sth-marseig-gia-giannoulh.5745718.html

You're being very generous I reckon there bananas! Scrappy chances or individual moments of brilliance is all we were seeing for the most part. I agree with everything you said re JVS, the football he has us playing and his handling of Sokratis/Manolas. He's made us look like a modern football team with our play as well as chalking up a few wins after feeling out the squad. He's earned the respect of the players and most fans. Excited to see these 2 games next week.

Agreed

You mean in terms of him forcing a move this year? I don't follow you either I think we've kind of been talking about 2 different things and have walked in a bit of a circle ? I'm only on a few hours sleep from the game this morning so my cognitive abilities are down and they are quite poor when I'm on a good amount of sleep.

Because if he doesn't accept less somewhere then chances are he won't be playing football next year? He was never going to sign a new contract when his current deal is still running and he's on close to a million (I think) and no one not in Italy or anywhere else was going to give him a contract worth that much, why wouldn't he sit on it?

Agree to disagree (I feel like we've had this conversation before my beautiful boy) he is what he is, it's just in the big games the basics are even more important so he stands out a little more. I've always thought he's not a difference maker, especially in a game against a team that has parked the bus. If he leaves, PAOK won't fall apart but for the right price I think he has an important role to play. In terms of money, you're still thinking of the landscape pre-COVID. Plenty of teams are cutting their budgets and what you could have got 6 months ago you can't get now, be that transfer fee or as a wage.

According to this article Rota, Dioudis and Michalidis are going to be called up when JVS announces his squad sometime this week. Interested to see how Rota goes given our need for a right-back. Not surprising that Michalidis will be called up, given Van't Schip's obsession with finding a left footed center back. He's still raw but is showing potential and he is fantastic with the ball at his feet and more than capable of picking out teammates and sending them through.

Really? I thought he was very good once again in a big game and showed exactly what he can offer when we are playing a European match. He was a cool head with the ball, always making the right decision and playing the right pass. He showed his quality and you don't come across players like this everyday. Anyways I'm a long time out-spoken fan of Omar, he seems he could be sold given he only has one year left on his contract and he wants a return to Italy. But if he was willing to take a pay-cut (doubtful although in the post COVID footballing landscape who knows) then I would be keeping him, he is an important player to have for derbies and in Europe. I didn't think the game suited Schwab, it was very stretched and end to end. I feel he's the type of player that will thrive when we have possession and can build up. He was solid never the less and the ball he played out to Giannoulis for the 1-0 was brilliant.

It's a combination of prize money and a share in the market pool which is essentially money from TV rights. I think we are guaranteed just under 6 Million Euros and that could increase with prize money for wins/qualification from the group stage. I'm seeing different numbers bandied around, it seems to be between 5-7 Million Euros. Obviously if we manage to qualify for the Champions league we're in for a larger piece of the pie.

Surprising that Matos has been left out, could've offered something from the bench especially if we go into extra time with his aerial ability from set pieces. It makes me start to believe the reports that Limnios will start as a right wing-back. I don't think this is the game to experiment and play somebody in a brand new position. It is a huge game in terms of keeping our Champions league dream alive and also guaranteeing Europa League football. I wouldn't be doing it I'd be starting Rodrigo, who isn't great defensively but at least in a back 5 he can be more easily covered.

Greece are always late with the call-ups when compared to other nations, I'd say there's a good chance they are announced tomorrow. Although traditionally the squad has been revealed on a Friday, so it wouldn't shock me if we have to wait until the end of the week before they go public with the announcement.

Wernbloom is officially gone, he has been sold to Swedish club Goteborg. I'm not sure if we actually received any money from them or they covered part of the apozhimiosi that he wanted but either way he's gone and off our books. https://www.paokfc.gr/nea/20200820-sti-gketeborg-o-wernbloom/

Wernbloom is officially gone, he has been sold to Swedish club Goteborg. I'm not sure if we actually received any money from them or they covered part of the apozhimiosi that he wanted but either way he's gone and off our books.

Re-sign I assume means, we have a buy back option so basically if we make an offer they are obligated to sell the player back to us. I've read about it happening in the Premier league I recall Chelsea having a buy back option for Ake who had been sold to Bournemouth. The 2 teams had set a date and after that date the option expired.

Over the last few days he's been linked with a return to Serie A, with Napoli and Roma reportedly interested. https://www.sport24.gr/football/omades/Roma/endiaferon-kai-ths-roma-gia-papastathopoylo.5743190.html

He wasn't really given a proper chance. Barely started early in the season and was condemned to being on the bench/out of the squad a few months into the season. After his little blow up on social media he started getting minutes again and was actually solid and his set-pieces were worth half a goal a game. A little surprised they've let him go but I think this system Ferreira wants to play is less suited to wingers. That's why Limnios has been trialed as a right wing back, Jaba as a striker etc. If we do revert back to a 4-3-3 at some stage we still have 4 options. Jaba, Limnios, Tzolis and Warda. Although I wouldn't be playing Warda, he's been given plenty of chances and to me he isn't that great a player, not worth the hassle IMO.

I've thought all along that unless you can get someone head and shoulders better than Paschalakis he stays and is our starter. He is better than Zivkovic and we never really saw a lot of Rey (he's half way out the door anyway according to PAOK's media) Paschalakis makes mistakes, but he's capable of winning you a game. My issue is I don't think we're getting anyone to Greece who is going to be clearly better, it'll be a young kid coming for a lesser league or a more senior keeper that has probably ridden the bench at a mid-lower table team in a better league. It's an issue across the league, even Sa who most agree is the best keeper in Greece right now makes mistakes. He wasn't punished for them this season but I've seen multiple passages of play where he has mad pretty big blunders but the other team couldn't capitalize/defense covered him. Similar to Paschalakis in 18-19, even when he made errors he was rarely punished. My point is I think we have to live with mistakes in our keepers, remembering what league we play in. Pascha does have his flaws but when he's on he can be a wall and he's had massive games for us. His form stabilized in the play-offs, so unless it's an offer of 3-4 million I wouldn't be selling him.

It's a big year for Mavropanos at Stuttgart, needs to be a starter and keep himself fit. If he does that can easily see him starting for the Ethniki, there is no one player atm who has cemented their spot at center back for the NT. I can't see Sokratis/Manolas returning anytime soon so the spots really are up for grabs. Stafylidis is serviceable against weaker opposition but he's not a long time solution, plus he hardly played at club level over the last season. Hatzdiakos looked solid but is coming off a long term injury and is still a little unproven. Siovas is aging but has a role to play, especially with Sokrati and Manolas out. Retsos too has missed a lot of football through injury and then falling out of favour. Bottom line is there are spots up for grabs, it's on the certain players to perform at club level and make those spots their own.

Ivic is set to be appointed as Watford's new manager on a 2 year deal. They were relegated and will ply their trade in the Championship in the upcoming season. Huge opportunity for him hope he does well! https://www.bt.com/sport/news/2020/august/serbian-vladimir-ivic-close-to-being-named-watford-manager