paokarag4

He hasn't been afraid to shoot and take on a few players that's for sure! I think he might be struggling with a concussion tbh let's see if he can play through it. I've been impressed with Schwab's passing ability he really can pick a pass

A couple of changes for tonight's game. -----------Zivkovic ---------Mihaj---Varela----Michailidis Biseswar--------------------------------Giannoulis --------------Esiti------Schwab Tzolis---------Swiderski-------A.Zivkovic Bench: Pasxa, Ingason, El Kaddouri, Perreira, Vrakas, Crespo, Koutsias, Pelkas, Ninua Interested to see how Andrija Zivkovic making his first start. I also like that Abel is giving Ingason, El Kaddouri and Pelkas a bit of a rest we have a big few weeks coming up 4 games in 14 or so days. I'd expect if we are a couple of goals up Perreira will be given some mins in order to give Giannoulis a bit of a rest, but let's see how the game plays out.

I agree from a club point of view a buy-out clause makes no sense. It's the players and or their managers that would push it IMO. Especially a Tzolis or Giannoulis who would have their eyes firmly set on a move abroad at some point, the buyout options doesn't allow the club to stop them leaving if it's met. I believe it's also used as a negotiating tool, "Ok I won't insist on a 500k a year salary, I'll take 400K but I want a buyout option inserted into my contract" Clubs don't tend to keep players against their will for the most part, but we've seen this past summer with Messi and Barca so it does happen.

We have made an instagram account guys. Those of you with Insta feel free to give us a follow! https://www.instagram.com/paok_talk/

The whole game has been uploaded on YouTube, not if it'll last but it's there now for anyone who wants to re-watch! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwSXDjOHGc4

With Leganes being relegated, Siovas has been sold to the newly promoted SD Huesca for 1 million Euros. So he'll remain in La Liga, he has signed a 2 year deal. https://www.sport24.gr/football/EllinesExoterikou/siovas-xryso-symvolaio-me-oyeska.5753170.html

What is going on there? You have definitely stumbled upon something there potentially, nice detective work!

Just listening to some radio and they had a Croatian journalist on, who said a few weeks ago we made an offer to Rijeka for their striker Antonio Colak for 2 million which was rejected. There are some whispers that we may return with a new and improved offer given the Akpom sale. Whoever we decide to go after I agree, we need to move quick. We are also moving to re-sign Giannoulis which is absolutely 1000% the right move, do not let another player get into the last year of their contract!!

Shakhov is being linked with a move to AEK

3 million isn't bad, again we need to keep in mind he was entering the final year of his contract. I believe we signed him for 1-1.5ish? So we've turned a profit and he's been a good player for us. I'm reading we're working on his replacement and we have someone lined up, I hope so because I would not feel confident heading into the the matches against Krasnador with Swiderski leading the line.

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!

Silly yellows too, Pelkas and Mixalidis ones were dumb fouls that they did not need to make. We need to get more dangerous on the counter in the 2nd half, we can't keep defending wave after wave of Benfica attacks. We need to give them something to think about defensively, Zivkovic to come on in the first 10-15.

Grimaldo is starting but is apparently coming off a long injury lay-off so hopefully he's a little rusty. I don't think Crespo will be expected to be overly attacking, we'll do most of our attacking down the left through Giannoulis. Since Matos is on the outs, Lyratzis was only recalled to the first team training sessions 2 weeks ago, Crespo was basically the only option left.

No surprises with the starting XI, Crespo starting at right wing back. Ζίβκοβιτς, Κρέσπο, Ίνγκασον, Βαρέλα, Μιχαηλίδης, Γιαννούλης, Ελ Καντουρί, Σβαμπ, Πέλκας, Τζόλης, Άκπομ. Στον πάγκο βρίσκονται οι: Πασχαλάκης, Μιχάι, Σβιντέρσκι, Α. Ζίβκοβιτς, Μπίσεσβαρ, Εσίτι, Νινούα.

Most likely over the weekend, with our time difference it's the easiest time for myself and @PaokCT to link up and do it.

@pash ah you're very close but no I'm from a little tiny region called the Burgenland, it does boarder with Gratz though so good guess! You have a keen ear for accents

That's my bad, I tend to get very loud and passionate when talking about PAOK. We'll be sure to fix to it going forward, apologies to anyone's ear-drums I may hurt?

Praise the lord that Akpom miss didn't come back to haunt us, I was doing the exact same thing as this kid when the camera showed him it's like I was looking in a mirror.

He has picked up where he left off last season, scoring 2 goals in the season opener Rapid won 4-1. They are also through to the 3rd qualifying round of the Champions league where they will play Gent this week.

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.