GREECE v. RUSSIA @ Euro 2008

[paxiotis7]

Still sad to see a go out that fast. Not a bad game by our team. At least there was effort. We were robbed on the offside. IF this was Italy getting ripped off, it would be all over the new, the media who be loving it and there would be contraversy. How in gods name did charesteras miss! :angry:

We were the better team and deserved the result. We really missed gekas' hot form. Had it been there our overall finishing would have been better.

[Clover22]

What the hell is this sh*t? This team has not performed up to its potential in this tournament because Otto didn't make the right calls! There's no organization in the midfield because you have no one THERE. We need a #10, an engine, someone who drives the team and feeds the strikers. It was totally disorganized and thats the coaches job! We never had a balanced team. Where were the wingers? What kind of result do you expect? And Stelios wants him to stay until 2010??? Hey Stelios, you and Otto should go take a hike in the black forest. WE NEED ANOTHER COACH. NOW.

[Clover22]

Having said that, guess what, we put a few things together and created chances. MOST importantly, we scored against Russia, a perfectly legitimate goal, and was called offside; is this a joke? WHY aren't more people complaining about this? I'd like to shove that flag up that linesmans ass, that scumbag deserves nothing else. What is going on here? Italy complained in 2002 and they had every right to. There wasn't even an opportunity to make a mistake like that because no one was anywhere near to being offside!! WAKE UP PEOPLE

[plato-ny]

Commenting on the Greece-Russia match, I have to say that Greece showed much more effort and spirit than in the Sweden match but I dont really think they played better than Russia. Despite Nikopolidis' dumb mistake, Russia had the better scoring chances and played the more attractive ball. Greece had a poor Euro and I feel that main reason is Otto.

The same coach that gave Greeks all over the world joy in 2004 was the same coach whose choice of formation of players sank Greece even before the tournament began. Before the Sweden match, Greece had played 2 friendlies against Armenia and Hungary. The same uninspired play that was displayed in the Sweden match was also displayed in those 2 friendlies and something which the Greek sports media has not picked up on.

The reason Rehhagel used a defensive system in 2004, and for qualifying for Euro 2004, was because he saw that Greece played well defensively and had no offense. Greece had 2 strikers in Charisteas and Vryzas, the former being an average striker and the other being a below-average striker. So, he had no choice but to use that system. Once that system shockingly put Greece ahead of Spain in qualifying, and even more so in winning Euro 2004, Rehhagel utilized it too much after Euro 2004 which produced dissapointing results in WC 2006 qualifying for everyone studied how Greece played and how predictable the system was.

Early in Euro 2008 qualifiyng, Greece used the same system, and the same players as well pretty much, in the wins in Moldova and Bosnia and at home against Norway. Once Turkey won in Greece, Otto started employing some new players and used a more "offensive system" which produced more attractive ball compared to the system before which produced wins in Turkey, a tie in Norway, where Greece was winning twice, and at home against Bosnia. In Euro 2004 qualifying, Greece scored 8 goals in 8 matches whereas in Euro 2008 qualifying, Greece scored 25 goals in 12 games, which is more than 100% the previous average number of goals they scored in Euro 2004 qualifying.

But, in the last 2 friendlies, and the Sweden and Russia friendlies, Rehhagel used the same defensive system that limits the offensive potentialities that this Greece team has unlike the previous 6 years. Gekas was the number one scorer in Germany 2 seasons ago with 20 goals in 31 matches and, this past season, scored 11 goals in 20 matches. Charisteas scored 6 goals in Germany and a few goals in UEFA Cup for Nurnberg. Amanatidis scored 11 goals in Germany this past season for Eintracht. Most of the players on the Greek NT, on this current squad, play abroad and have done relatively well but Rehagel does not trust Greece on offense and that will be a big problem in the future unless he changes the system.

Also, he will need to employ new players, particularily from Greece's U19 squad that made the final last season like Ninis, Greece's best player during that run and a playmaker, Mitroglou, who was tied for scoring the most goals in the tournament with 2 other players, and Papastathopoulos, who, along with Ninis, were voted amongst the Top 10 players of that tournament. So, now Greece has to prepare for changes but the big question is will Rehhagel change.