Ellada2004

Η ενδεκάδα της Εθνικής (3-4-1-2): Βλαχοδήμος - Χατζηδιάκος, Γούτας, Τζαβέλλας - Ανδρούτσος, Μπουχαλάκης, Μάνταλος, Τσιμίκας - Πέλκας - Μασούρας, Δουβίκας

For sure we should have came out and took the game to Georgia and we had the chance to finish off Kosovo but JVS sat back in the 2nd half and invited Kosovo to get the equalizer which they did. 1st game of the qualification at Spain a game we were expected to get beaten Greece defended admirably and got a result job well done a huge bonus point only problem is we come back and draw at home vs Georgia and throw away 2pts The other day as you said we needed a win vs Spain our World Cup comes down to this and JVS could have had us more on the front foot but it looked like he was going for a draw and when we went down by a BS penalty he did not want us to attack and keep the ball at our feet. It looked like he just wanted to keep the score line respectable. Why did he sub off Masouras? He made a great run and fired in a beautiful goal that was ruled offside he is one of our most in form players and he gets pulled? Just baffling..

For sure its extremely difficult in Europe the hardest region to make the World Cup, this is not CONCACAF as you said only 13 spots for so many top countries in world football. Europe needs to have more spots at the World Cup take a few away from some of the other associations.

I get what your saying. I wanted them more for this campaign they could have helped the team and guide the younger guys through a tough qualification campaign. Looking forward for Euro 2024 qualification Manolas at 30 years old can still help us on the pitch and he has the experience of playing at a World Cup & in big CL matches with Roma.

J1078 I hear you on the point that JVS has integrated more youth into the squad and that is one of the best things he has done. We have been thin at striker since Mitroglou & Gekas were on the NT but why did he not call up Giakoumakis & Fountas recently to try and solve our scoring woes. JVS in the beginning of his tenure did bring an up tempo and attacking style which was amazing to see us play but against Georgia he had the team sit back and they dictated the play. Also as I mentioned before in Kosovo with a 1 nil lead instead of going to kill of the match he takes of Douvikas (who looked baffled himself) and he plays scared and they hit us with a equalizer that we all could see coming the whole 2nd half. That game we should have put away.

Good points.. Those 4 points we dropped to those two countries are sticking out like a sore thumb now as Greece would still have a chance going into the final match of qualifying. I can live with Spain beating us they are a top 3 team in World football. Also can JVS if he stays on please start playing our best 11 and players in their natural positions. Not so hard? Even the team I play on our coach does not play players out of place for crying out loud! When we have Fortounis available he does not play him in the #10 role. Instead JVS gives it to Bakasetas and he does not have the technical ability or vision to play that position plain and simple. I thought after the NL he would have seen his faults but he keeps going back to his old ways. I hold nothing personal against him he seems like a decent guy but as other posters have said its about qualifying for tournaments. That use to be the standard for the Ethniki.

Siovas is done as long as JVS is their he said so on a TV interview last year. As for the other two players Manolas said in an interview that someone posted on this site that after his last appearance in the 2020 Euro qualifiers that JVS called him and said that he wanted to call up the younger players and give them playing time and that he would call him down the road but that never materialized. With JVS at the helm Manolas and Siovas will not be invited back to the NT which is a shame as we could have used them especially during this campaign along with Sokratis. As for Sokratis at 33 its a shame that he will most likely never play for the Ethniki again and that his time with the NT ended as it did.

J1078 I hear you. JVS had to know that in a group with Spain & Sweden that it was not going to be easy to get in the top 2 places and that he would have to come up with great game plans and the right player callups in order to succeed. He did well in getting Greece the draw in Spain which was a huge bonus point of the start but he followed it up with the home debacle vs Georgia (who are getting better) We got a fortunate OG and should have put the game away but he has Mavrias at RB who got smoked on the goal by the Georgian winger. Cost us a huge 2pts and again Greece blew a late lead in Kosovo up at half time. JVS should have gone out and put Kosovo away but what does he do he takes off Douvikas arguably our best player and goal scorer and we sit back and eat a late goal. Another 2pts gone! Greece could have at the very least been coming into yesterdays matchday with 13pts and we would still have a great chance at 2nd spot as Spain at home will most likely defeat Sweden and if we beat Kosovo (which we should do) then we would have leaped over the Swedes. You said it too it came down to getting max points vs those 2 countries. I believe Greece should have even got a draw in Sweden we were all over them but unlucky we could not finish in the early going but in the second half he made some stupid changes and had we had some of the banned CBs I believe we get a result there. His in game management and player selections ultimately cost us and its really hard to accept we will miss another World Cup..

No off course not for me if Donis is willing to come then I take him. At this point I prefer a good Greek coach who can deal with all the players & the majority of the Greek media think he would be best as he has coached their before too. I If it’s not possible to bring in Donis or another good foreign coach then I would say give JVS a 1 year contract through the NL which kicks off in June

Listened to JVS interview and a few times he kept bringing up the point that the team is young and has a bright future with Vlacho, Tzolis, and Douvikas. That is all well and good but you need to have some experienced players in the mix too like a Manolas & Sokratis to help guide these youngsters and help them in these qualification campaigns were you are going to face top level countries with star players like Spain & Sweden can throw out. Manolas & Sokratis would have been useful in this case as these guys have been playing at top clubs in their careers and in CL football. Which players that JVS fielded yesterday can say the same thing?

I agree with your take since we will finish behind them it should go to us. I believe Wales & Austria are in line for the 2 NL playoff spots.

J1078 I hear you on constantly changing coaches that it doesn’t help us. JVS has had 2 years now he started of well and I liked how he had the team playing in the Euro qualifiers even the way we played in a loss at Italy the eventual European champions. Since then in the NL and Wcup qualifying there have been to many puzzling moves and lack lustre performances aside from what Alphonse stated with the couple half’s Greece outplayed Sweden. I was listening to Gate 7 podcast (listen if you get a chance too) & Kostas from Greece said JVS is a good coach to have if you want to have if you are a club looking to avoid relegation just picking up enough results vs crappy teams to keep a float. Another good point he brought up was when JVS took over the Ethniki he had a plethora of CBs too choose from and now we are so thin in that department due to him banning our 3 best CBs for what? This ultimately cost us qualification in the draws vs Georgia & especially Kosovo as well in Sweden in conceding stupid goals. Tzavellas stepped up admirably this whole campaign I must say but had we had those missing guys our point total would be higher and I think we keep more than 1 clean sheet. I think if Donis is available EPO should hire him as he can work with the players currently in the squad and others who JVS has abandoned. Bottom line is I don’t trust JVS for Euro qualification I could see him continuing with his stubborn ways, crazy player selections etc..and we can’t miss yet another tournament. It’s been way too long a wait.. Anyways that’s my opinion..

I agree with you Tzavellas has been very good for us this campaign. Had JVS had a Manolas or Siovas for the Sweden match or the Kosovo match were we gave up a silly goal in injury time, we would have been fine, that's the problem. JVS is not the worse coach out there but he could not win a relatively easy NL group too give us a possible back up plan for a wcup playoff and then he failed to beat Georgia & Kosovo which ruined or chances for 2nd spot and a shot at the playoffs. EPO need to get a coach that will make sure the most in form players are on the NT and a coach that will not throw out players over stupid pettiness.

He tried but he failed. JVS did better than coach Ange but he could not even get us into the playoff even Skibbe achieved that. What is troubling is that he has left out players that should have been here. I just do not trust him to lead us for the Euros where we possibly could get handed a tougher group and if that's the case I cant see him succeeding. Remember he could not even top a group with Slovenia, Moldova and Kosovo in the NL!

Greece should have had 2nd in this group, Sweden were very fortunate to beat us last game out. JVS has to take most of the blame we had a lead vs Georgia and tied and a lead in Kosovo into extra time were we conceded a silly goal a game were instead of going to kill the game off JVS played scared. Its soooooooo gutting to miss another major tournament! I do not trust JVS to lead us into Euro 2024 qualifying. I don't trust him with his tactics and player selections that will cost us points again vs countries we should be beating. JVS should go Project Qatar failed, but EPO will keep him on

Douvikas has to come on and Tzolis

I could not see anything in that penalty? Spain are dominating but FIFA want to make sure Spain don’t miss a World Cup.

BS penalty!!

TBH we did not deserve the win vs Georgia but we were up a goal in the 75th minute. Had we got those wins and at least a draw last game vs Sweden then 1st place would have been attainable.

Sweden have a +7 GD that they built by blasting Kosovo twice.. Sweden were totally outclassed by Georgia. Away from home they have only 1 win in the last seven and that was at Kosovo. It sucks that Greece could not get that early goal in Sweden, it would have changed the match and we would have been in a great position!

Lindeloff and the Sweden back line are a totall mess!

Goal Georgia 2 nil the wonder kid again

I wanted Douvikas to start this game

Georgia are playing well and are tough at home. I said here that they always seem to get results at end of qualification. Sweden are fortunate they beat us last time out. Let’s hope we can pull out a win!

If this result holds up then Sweden will have to go all out vs Spain which we need then to do and get a result in Seville.