paokarag4

I think with the $ we have made through qualifying for the Europa league group stage, the NOVA deal and the Limnios sale we won't be selling Giannoulis on the cheap. Part of the problem is letting players enter the final year of their contract, they need to be renewed well before that. Giannoulis has 2 years left on his deal if we don't sell him this season (I hope we don't, he's extremely important especially given the 5-2-3 we've been playing) then we need to be working on that contract and sign him up. Even if we intend to sell him next year it just puts us in a better bargaining position and we can get top dollar for him. Whether he wants to sign or not is another issue, I'm sure he has every intention of making the move to a better league. He may choose not to re-sign, so as to force the club's hand in selling him this year or next. We don't know that Limnios wasn't offered a renewal and choose to refuse it and hence he was sold.

Ahhhh I should've known better than to doubt you my golden pash. Janko apparently received another offer and has curved us. It's happened to me all too often in my personal life.... but I digress

Is that an Instagram rumour? Can't seem to find anything, last I heard he was arriving in Thessaloniki today for a medical and to sign.

Hehe it's funny because they have the same name https://twitter.com/PAOK_FC/status/1303345403794948096

For sure! This is really going to derail a lot of teams across the world, international breaks aren't ideal for clubs at the best of times let alone in the middle of a pandemic. Mbappe also tested positive while away with the French NT. If every-time we have NT games our international players are having to isolate upon return it's going to hit us hard. Having a Friday night game this week isn't ideal. Hopefully Giannoulis, Tzolis, Paschalakis, Ingason and Michailidis get their test results today and they can train tomorrow. But to your point there are plenty of examples of false negatives/positives.

For those who think Limnios is being sold on the cheap, just read that his contract was set to expire at the end of this season so we weren't in a strong bargaining position. Even if he was contracted beyond this season and COVID hadn't financially hit football I think the most we could've squeezed out of him would've been 6-7 million maybe.

Siovas has taken to Instagram to clarify what he said, saying he wasn't trying to undermine the manager or what he's built with the Ethniki. He says he was simply expressing his opinion. FWIW I don't think JVS took any offence but I guess we'll see next month when the call-ups are announced. https://www.sport24.gr/football/ellada/ethniki_elladas/dieykrinistikh-dhlwsh-siova-den-hthela-na-paremvw-sto-ergo-toy-proponhth.5749278.html

Wow where did that come from! Nothing official yet but seems like the offer from Koln has been made. It's a good move for Limnios for sure, I think he's reached his ceiling in Greece. He is an honest hard working footballer who has pace to burn and can be dangerous if he's given space. I don't think he was going to get any better playing with us. In terms of the price, it is what it is I'm not expecting more than 3-4 million. He has limitations as a player no one was going to drop 10 million on him.

Another full 90 for Limnios and Giannoulis in the Ethniki's 2-1 win over Kosovo. Limnios scored the first goal and Giannoulis set up the second. Giannoulis slipped and looked to hurt his groin in the 1st half, he carried on and played out the game but hopefully there's no lingering issues and he's good to go.

Reading the headline, it seems like he's trying to get his parea in Sokratis and Manolas (I think they are Koubari) back into the team. Reading the whole thing it seems innocent enough and not a lot of malice behind it. At least that's what I took from it: "Δεν θέλω να αναφερθώ σε ονόματα, ξέρουμε ποιοι είναι οι καλύτεροι. Κι αυτοί άργησαν να ξεκινήσουν προετοιμασία, μην νομίζετε ότι δεν είναι εδώ γιατί δεν τους θέλει ο προπονητής. Να έρθουν να βοηθήσουν τα νέα παιδιά κι εγώ αυτό κάνω, παίζω δεν παίζω. Κι εγώ όταν ήρθα στην Εθνική πιτσιρικάς το 2014 στην Βραζιλία, με είχαν αγκαλιάσει οι έμπειροι. Αυτό κάνω κι εγώ τώρα. Οι άλλοι έμπειροι παίκτες θα δώσουν και μεγαλύτερη ώθηση στην ομάδα. Ξέρουν τι πρέπει να κάνουν, η Ομοσπονδία ξέρει. Ο Μανωλάς είναι ο καλύτερος Έλληνας ποδοσφαιριστής, ξέρει τι πρέπει να κάνει. Ο Σβάρνας έπαιξε καλά, κι εγώ με τον Σβάρνα δεν είχαμε και την καλύτερη χημεία. Όταν έχεις έναν καλό παίκτη είναι καλύτερο. Και ο Σβάρνας που έχει μέλλον αν έχει δίπλα του τον Μανωλά θα είναι καλύτερα για τον ίδιο".

Zivkovic has touched down in Thessaloniki, looks like he'll sign either today or tomorrow. Apparently he's only signing a 2 year deal, so clearly he's trying to just jump start his career and doesn't plan on being around too long. I don't mind that, but if he does indeed sign only for 2 years and he ends up being a very good player we'll either lose him for nothing or very cheap given his contract is so short. Don't get me wrong if we get 2 good years out of him it'll be great but a small thing like contract length is important as we try to grow as a club. In comparison Olympiakos signed Podence on a 5 year deal hence the massive price they got for him.

According to Novasports there will be a few changes but not many: Barkas, Bakakis, Svarnas, Siovas, Giannoulis, Bouchalakis, Kourbelis, Masouras, Bakasetas, Limnios, Pavlidis. Apparently Fortounis and Tzolis are sneaky chances to play and replace one or two of the above. https://www.novasports.gr/podosfairo/nations-league/article/1809875/ethniki-ellados-gia-ti-niki-stin-pristina Based on JVS tenure so far, in a few hours the starting XI will be leaked and we'll know quite a few hours before kickoff.

His numbers look good, but if we are to believe everything we've been told so far this off-season we aren't buying any players unless we sell someone, only signing free agents as happened. On paper he looks like a good fit, seems to be a better scorer than our current 2 up front, on paper at least. Always difficult to judge a player when he's coming from a 2nd division but doesn't mean by any means he wouldn't excel in Greece

He indeed lost in a 5th set tie-break. Disappointing result for him particularly considering his lead in the 4th set. Big opportunity missed to make a slam quarters or even semis.

Come on my little American Pie, you don't mean that ?

Pelkas and El Kaddouri have been left out of the squad travelling to Athens, it appears to be just precautionary. Lot's of youngsters in the squad and Mihojevic is in the squad as well! I didn't even realise he was training with the team. Αναλυτικά οι 18 παίκτες που θα έχει στη διάθεσή του ο Αμπέλ Φερέιρα είναι οι: Ζίβκοβιτς, Ρέι, Βαρέλα, Μιχόγεβιτς, Κρέσπο, Παναγιώτου, Κουλιεράκης, Ζαμπά, Λύρατζης, Μπίσεσβαρ, Τάχατος, Νινούα, Εσίτι, Σβαμπ, Βρακάς, Σβιντέρσκι, Άκπομ, και Κούτσιας. Matos has returned from Brazil and has been tested for COVID, if he is all clear hopefully he's back in full training on Sunday/Monday, we are going to need him even if it's off the bench in the coming weeks.

One thing that's clear is that Fortounis is not the type of player JVS wants to start. He's lazy and will not press one tenth as much as what Bakasetas and Mandalos do. In saying that I do think in games like last night off the bench he can be really damaging, 10-15 mins against a fatigued defense he will run rings around them and create 2-3 good chances. But it's obvious the pressing and harassing our whole team was doing, especially at the start of the 2nd half is something Fortounis can't or won't do. Bakasetas/Mandalos/Limnios and Pavlidis (and others) were all working overtime when we didn't have the ball to win it back and it worked the Slovenians couldn't get out of their half for large chunks of the 2nd half. The issue was when we won the ball we lacked quality, which is where Fortounis comes into play. There needs to be a balance but if guys like Fortounis/Donis can buy into this mentality we will improve 20-30% in attack. Until they do I think they will be restricted to cameo appearances off the bench and I understand why JVS goes with these harder workers even if they are less talented. Martins agrees with this view IMO, it's why Fortounis never regained his starting spot after his injury for Olympiako. He was damaging off the bench though. But you can't overlook your best players completely, last night Fortounis should've come off the bench it was clear we were lacking quality in the final third.

Don't speak politics with our American friends file, culturally they are very different compared to us Australian-Greeks. No offense to any American PAOK posters in here, y'all are alritteee

He was left out of the squad because he was sick apparently and given the current climate they left him at the hotel. JVS said he expects him to train today and be available for the Kosovo match. I don't think he would've played regardless, JVS seemed keen to reward the players that had served him well in the previous 4 games. Interesting to see if he gets the start on Sunday.

Multiple media outlets reporting our team will be the following: --------------Barkas----------- Bakakis----Svranas------Siovas------Giannoulis ------------Kourbelis-----Zeca Limnios------Bakasetas-----------Mantalos -------------Pavlidis----------- Keep in mind ever since JVS took over these leaked teams that seem to get out a few hours before kick off seem to end up being spot on, so there's clearly a rat inside the camp but I guess it's not a huge deal. If this lineup is indeed the one I'm happy to see no Stafylidis given his lack of playtime. A little surprised to see Giannoulis over Tsimikas although I'm not shocked, Van't Schip has stated multiple times he wants this team to have continuity and develop chemistry. Giannoulis started our last 2 games (even though it was 10 months ago) so JVS seems like he wants to stick with what's worked for him. 7 of these guys started our last 2 matches against Finland and Armenia. https://www.sport24.gr/football/ellada/ethniki_elladas/ethnikh-elladas-me-svarna-vasiko-kai-4-2-3-1-kontra-sth-slovenia.5748007.html

I'm available and pretty cheap too

Lots of new faces as the Ethniki has touched down in Slovenia for our first match in 10 months!!

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.