Ellada2004

Is Jovanovich leaving? Ange would be my choice of your list, looking back EPO should have hired him back when they hired JVS. I have said I would like a big name manager such as a Klopp or Mancini no nonsense managers that know what it takes to succeed. Over the last few years we have seen EPO hire Skibbe, Anastastiadis, JVS, Poyet and Jovanovich an average group though I thought Jovanovich would get us to the world cup if not at least the playoff round. EPO needs to spend money to make money, bring in a high quality manager who has won a Champions league or Europa league at club level or a Euro at NT level like a Mancini.

Great points Dean, I said that EPO should just go all in for Klopp or a coach of that standard someone who has won a champions league or major international trophy like a Mancini for example. It will cost $ but the ROI will be greater if coach gets Greece back to the Euros. If we do not land a big name no nonsense coach I feel it will be hard to qualify for Euros as we will most likely have a tough draw given our ranking. Jovanovich did an incredible job initially in NL winning in England were hardly anyone wins competitive matches. We should have topped that group if not for giving up 3 goals in the reverse fixture and Greece would have had a playoff spot now. Greece were handed a dream draw getting Denmark from all the pot 1 juggernauts and Scotland who we have outclassed in NL. Still Jovanovich whom I like as a manager completely messed up our chances in that home match vs Denmark. Had we at least got a draw there it would have given us momentum going into the crucial October matches but he screwed up big time with the starting lineup and his subs at HT were baffling taking of Karetsas when we where chasing a goal? After this match we know what happened as the team had huge meltdowns in Scotland and Denmark. I agree with you about our defense but why did Jovanovich not fix this after the Denmark match. Koulerakis was one of our worst players. Hopefully we get our defending back to what we are use to giving up 12 goals against!

I agree with you that he did bring in the youth but he did not utilize them well. Why is Kourbelis starting? He was the worst player on the pitch at home vs Denmark dribbling around our box and cost us a goal. He was not in game shape coming from the Saudi league and Jovanovich starts him in a match of this magnitude! Bakasetas, Masouras, Manatalos, Kourbelis and Siopis cant be part of the team going forward. I thank them for their efforts for the NT but during their tenure Greece have qualified for ZERO major tournaments. Mantalos who first appeared at Euro 2016 qualifier vs Romania under Ranieri has failed to get us to a World Cup or Euro and he has only had a few great matches that I can recall like the NL match a few years ago vs Kosovo. Its time for a fresh start! This last campaign was a major failure that none of us saw coming.

What an absolute disgraceful way to end this miserable campaign. Why did Jovanovich start Mantalos and Masouras as another member here posted did they win us a Euro and deserve a big send off? Karetsas can never be left out of the starting lineup when available end of story! Jovanovich as much as I like and respect him has to just leave the job it was a shambles of a campaign, not qualifying directly from this group and an average but very lucky Scotland team is in the World Cup that just says it all. Finishing with 7pts and being eliminated with two matchdays remaining is a total disgrace!

what a fing joke! 0-0 at HT. Jovanovich starting Mantalos and Masouras he ruined our world cup dream!

one clear chance missed by Masouras

WHAT the F*** is with this lineup!! Scotland winning what a blown campaign!!!

Great points, yes I can see Bakasetas sticking around through to the Euro 2028 qualifiers unless we bring in a top tier coach who will call the shots 100% with regards to player selections. I always said Jovanovich is a good manager and I like him personally but he made to many errors that cost us like starting Kourbelis in the match in Athens vs Denmark. Its not all Kourbelis fault but he had barely played at club level in the Saudi league. That match started our downturn and Greece could not bounce back. Jovanovich did not learn from his mistake and started him again at Scotland in the key match of qualifying to keep our chance at a playoff spot and we lost. Even yesterday why did he start him again and Bakesetas in a match that we could experiment and see some younger players? His subs were not helpful and his in game management was questionable especially when Greece went up 3 goals and then Scotland started to take the match to us as our midfield players were exhausted. I heard Jovanovich may leave on his own? I think for the NT to make a major tournament we need a top tier manager who has won trophies at the International or Champions League for example someone like an Ancelotti or a Klopp. Greece are now going to miss yet another tournament and we are seeing the likes of Albania, Wales, Ireland, North Ireland, Scotland, Norway and even the frigin Skops qualifying for the Euros or World Cup its completely unacceptable especially this cycle given all this talent we have at our disposal! I still cant believe how Jovanovich managed to F*** up this opportunity being placed in a group with Denmark, Scotland and Belarus and we were knocked out of contention with two matches left as well. Unacceptable!

Greece got the win. Electric attacking play that we have not ever seen before from the Ethniki. Karetsas will be one of the worlds great footballers for years to come. Our defending is a total disgrace I cant recall us giving up these many goals in a campaign. Greece we F***ed ourselves with stupid personal and tactical decisions over this campaign. First place could have been ours. Denmark was a dream draw from pot 1 as I have said here many times and we saw that today as they tied Belarus at home. We pissed away those two matches with the Danes along with the match at Scotland where Greece should have got a draw if not for our defensive lapses. Totally sucks that we failed to make a third World Cup in a row.

Ya bro I just heard this on radio! Argggghh

I so so love the Ethniki but this really sucks to watch this match today after what happened in the last international window. We are playing our second last qualifier vs Scotland and Greece are already eliminated! A team we should have disposed of and had second place for ourselves. This is the most disappointing campaign since the 2016 Euros. I don't want to see Kourbelis, Bakasetas and Mantalos again on the pitch for the NT. Megali Dropi!

Greece fall eight spots to #48.

Great points, I have said I liked the hiring of Jovanovich a lot as I had a feeling he would incorporate the younger players into the squad. The major problem with him is that he stuck with Kourbelis and others who have no business being on the team. Kourbelis hardly had any playing time in the Saudi league and he automatically starts him vs Denmark? He was so poor that match and the Danes just exploited us. Why did he mess with the winning lineup when we destroyed Scotland 3-0 in NL? If he has the right lineup in that match Greece beat Scotland comfortably and we are still in the running for 2nd place. Too not be in the playoffs is a major failure and to be eliminated with two match days left is a total disaster! Your right our attacking play is great but defensively we were exposed and gave up 9 goals in the last 3 matches something that you would never see from the NT of old.

Its a disaster! Here in Canada gonna have to listen to all the build up without our beloved Ethniki. A lot of these minnow footballing nations with no history will be here, including Canada and USA lol... I was so looking forward to going to the matches in Toronto if we were playing there or NYC. Just so ANNOYED! This is our longest tournament drought equaling the Euro 1980 to World Cup 1994. I have a feeling it will be longer. I really do not have much confidence in seeing us make Euro 2028 especially after Greece got this draw. We managed to f up the greatest draw possible getting Denmark the weakest pot 1 team and Scotland from pot 2 and we made a total mess of it. Qualification done after match day 4? Even Poyet got us to the playoff in the Euros and we finished a respectable 3rd behind giants France and Holland and competed until the very last match day. This is very similar to the Euro 2016 qualification debacle that was intitally over seen by Ranieri that tool. Now Greece are playing in A league of the NL its going to be tough to say the least to get a back up ticket for the Euro 2028 playoffs. Just PISSED!!

Its so frustrating that we have all this talent and its wasted for what to keep playing Kourbelis a guy who plays in the Saudi League and his never really done much for the NT. Also Masouras should not be on the team anymore he cant convert golden chances as we saw in Scotland. Bakasetas cant be a part of the team going forward he has given us some good matches over the last few years but we have better options. Its like the powers that be do not want us to qualify for a major tournament. The most talented roster in a relatively easy group and we are already eliminated with 2 match days remaining! SHAME!! It was a dream draw to get Denmark from pot 1 instead of Portugal and Scotland who are now where near us in talent. Last Euro draw we competed until the last match day in a group with France and Holland were Greece got a draw vs France!! This will go down as one of the biggest disasters ever! Looking around the other groups fing Kosovo, Albania, Skopia are all in a playoff spots at the moment. We may (hopefully not) see these teams at the world cup along with other world beaters like canada, USA, Uzbekistan and might Surinam. What f***ing joke. There needs to be MAJOR changes or the same thing will keep happening!!

What a disgusting f***ing match! Greece were given a f***ing dream draw and our campaign is toast just pathetic mistakes in the last 3 matches from goal keeper, defenders and midfielders. The coach who I personally like has to resign. His starting lineups and tactics were a disaster. It is unacceptable not for Denmark but for Scotland to have 10pts and Greece 3 points! Greece have the most talent ever in attack for sure but we got way closer to qualifying for the 2018 World Cup (playoffs) with Tziolis and other much less talented players that many of us here criticized at length.

Thank YOU!!

Scotland are total s%$#!

Crappy Scotland sneaks out a 2-1 win over Belarus. Watched the game Belarus had a goal overturned for a questionable foul on the buildup on McTominay, at the time it would have made the score 1-1, total BS. For us to lose to a poor Scottish side and after leading the match is unforgiveable.

Good points I am not putting all the blame on the coach as we have defensive issues in the old days under Rehagel and Santos and with the backs we had Greece would never lose that match. Our defending has been questionable to say the least but we have Kourbelis vs Denmark dribbling near our box and giving away the ball that leads to a goal. Then he gets the start again in Scotland? Why? what has he done for Greece? I remember him giving away a needless penalty in Finland in 2020 European qualifier and that cost us the match. How is he being selected when he plays in the Saudi league? It makes no sense and I am a PAO fan..

Its still crazy that Greece can actually top the group. We should have won that match vs Scotland and we would have been in a great position to get 2nd place at the very least, total domination and we get nothing from it. Who knows if Jovanovich gets the lineup right and we defend like Greek teams of old then we can win this match. If Greece can win in England they can win here. Our problem is we are giving up way to many silly goals. Scotland had no chances in open play there goals came of set pieces and our defense could not clear our lines. The third goal was a stupid mistake from Tzolakis two in the last two matches. No Tzolakis for this match and no Kourbelis and no Masouras very simple!

We managed to f up they greatest draw in years! Jovanovich who I really like has managed to mess up the last two matches.

I just heard on sport fm that since England will qualify it goes to the team with the higher FIFA ranking another thing that screws us!

Can we get in playoff via Nations League?

SPOT ON!! Jovanovich F***ed us too with his lineup again! I said it before the match started to my Greek pals, what is he thinking!!