Clover22 Posted January 22, 2010 Share Posted January 22, 2010 I'm very dissapointed about Pliatsikas; thats one less midfielder. The worst thing for us since he hasn't been calling enough mids. S HIT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clover22 Posted January 27, 2010 Share Posted January 27, 2010 And here's the answer to our left wing problem: Xristodoulopoulos. He's getting better and better and Nioplias is playing him regularly. So we COULD have Xristo on the left, Kara and Kats in the middle (or Toro) and Ninis on the right...Samaras and Gekas up front. Thats a pretty damn good line up. Maybe I'm being a little unrealistic though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Euro2004 Posted January 27, 2010 Share Posted January 27, 2010 And here's the answer to our left wing problem: Xristodoulopoulos. He's getting better and better and Nioplias is playing him regularly. So we COULD have Xristo on the left, Kara and Kats in the middle (or Toro) and Ninis on the right...Samaras and Gekas up front. Thats a pretty damn good line up. Maybe I'm being a little unrealistic though! Christo is crap for PAO so i doubt he'd be any better for Greece. Also Kara and Kats in the middle would simply be too slow at international level. The fact is we need 5 in the middle just to compete athletically. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drakos13 Posted January 28, 2010 Share Posted January 28, 2010 lazaros is not the answer.... Though, if he plays like he has the last 2 games the rest of the season, I'd be open to seeing him on the squad ---- we don't have many players like him, he'd bring some depth. We really only have no attacking minded midfielders or wingers.. Ninis, Karagkounis then who??? Were lacking some flair in the midfield. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clover22 Posted January 29, 2010 Share Posted January 29, 2010 Christo is crap for PAO so i doubt he'd be any better for Greece. Also Kara and Kats in the middle would simply be too slow at international level. The fact is we need 5 in the middle just to compete athletically. Why do you think he's crap? Did you watch him against Aris? Was he crap there? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Euro2004 Posted January 29, 2010 Share Posted January 29, 2010 Why do you think he's crap? Did you watch him against Aris? Was he crap there? No he had a great game. Does that make him class? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Euro2004 Posted January 29, 2010 Share Posted January 29, 2010 Chalkias sets Greek hopes low Greece goalkeeper Kostas Chalkias is taking a downbeat view over his side's chances of posing a serious threat at the World Cup, claiming that their participation is success enough. Chalkias praised the resilience of his country for their performances in recent years but he remains unconvinced that Greece can offer up a threat to the established order in South Africa. "It's a huge tribute to Greece that we now stand 13th in the FIFA rankings, while a few years ago we were 61st,'' he said. "But we can't make any predictions on how far we can go in the tournament. For us, just our participation might be considered a success. Chalkias praised the way that coach Otto Rehhagel has led them on to the world stage in recent years but, after their Euro 2004 win, maintains that qualification from the group stage this summer would be a ''huge success''. "We have qualified for three out of the last four big competitions we were playing in [Euro 2004, Euro 2008, World Cup 2010] and that's something truly amazing and of course, winning Euro 2004 is something that still seems unbelievable,'' he said. "What we want to do in the World Cup is show that we are ready to give our best in order to at least qualify from the group stage. That alone will be a huge success." http://soccernet.espn.go.com/world-cup/sto...5739?ver=global Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clover22 Posted January 29, 2010 Share Posted January 29, 2010 No he had a great game. Does that make him class? Well class or not, he hasn't hit peak form yet and we don't have the time. Otto should have concentrated on breaking in midfield players 2 years ago but that didn't happen. So now we have to take what we have available to us now. Its either that or nothing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clover22 Posted January 29, 2010 Share Posted January 29, 2010 Chalkias sets Greek hopes low Greece goalkeeper Kostas Chalkias is taking a downbeat view over his side's chances of posing a serious threat at the World Cup, claiming that their participation is success enough. Chalkias praised the resilience of his country for their performances in recent years but he remains unconvinced that Greece can offer up a threat to the established order in South Africa. "It's a huge tribute to Greece that we now stand 13th in the FIFA rankings, while a few years ago we were 61st,'' he said. "But we can't make any predictions on how far we can go in the tournament. For us, just our participation might be considered a success. Chalkias praised the way that coach Otto Rehhagel has led them on to the world stage in recent years but, after their Euro 2004 win, maintains that qualification from the group stage this summer would be a ''huge success''. "We have qualified for three out of the last four big competitions we were playing in [Euro 2004, Euro 2008, World Cup 2010] and that's something truly amazing and of course, winning Euro 2004 is something that still seems unbelievable,'' he said. "What we want to do in the World Cup is show that we are ready to give our best in order to at least qualify from the group stage. That alone will be a huge success." http://soccernet.espn.go.com/world-cup/sto...5739?ver=global The title of this article is silly. Where does he say anything about setting Greek hopes low? "We can't make any predictions on how far we can go" there's nothing downbeat about that; its just realistic. One game at a time! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mangas21 Posted January 30, 2010 Share Posted January 30, 2010 as long as the players have this type of attitude, greece will never take the next step up in class. this is a losers mentality - aw shucks/gee wilikers we just happy to qualify....... at this level attitude, imposing your will on the opposition counts for alot...if you are :just happy to be there, you wont be there very long"...... i sick of hearing these type of concilliatory, neutral comments.......for once cant we hear "its a tough group, but if we play to our abilites there is no reason we cant go far....or " we are a good solid team and other teams need to fear us, respect our game because if they dont they will go home early"....... this is not arrogance, its confidence while still respecting the other team..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Euro2004 Posted January 30, 2010 Share Posted January 30, 2010 To be honest we simply don't have the squad to aim for anything more mangas21. Our aim is to get out of the group, anything more than that would be superb. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mangas21 Posted January 31, 2010 Share Posted January 31, 2010 euro, i think by now you have realized that i have no dillusions about what we are.....but at some point, if we are to continue the upward trend to more global respectability, we cant go around giving interviews like that one.....ok i understand low key, respectful, etc etc etc. but listen to interviews of players from bigger clubs...they are not "just happy to be there"..... u c its rooted deeply in the mentality of the greek soccer player-you thjink the grrek basketball team is "just happy to be there"? true they are more competitive on the world stage, but it was not always that way. with wins comes confidence, with confidence more success, and then steps backward are not as damaging.... look, i dont say greece should be the favorite to win every tournament they qualify for - that would be silly. But, for gods sake, stop with the "we are glad to be here" attitide. You are good. You made it to the elite level. You dont get there unless you re good. So start believing it, and playing like it. At this level there is a very fine line between advancing and going home. I insist, as i always have, that the mental appraoch you bring and the will and confidence you bring, make a big difference, especially in a such a physical sport where YOU CAN impose your will on the game. You cant do that if you just "happy to be there".....unless this changes it will be the same old inconsistent greek soccer team remember, the 4 minute mile was unattainable for over 80 years. The year roger bannister finally broke the four minute mile , 4 OTHER guys did it shortly there after....what happened? athletes got better over night? no.....it baecme possible, it became real and runners now could start the effort knowing they can do it..... dont underestimate the power of the mind, positive thinking, confidence and "heart".......there are htings you can measure with a stop watch....and things you cant..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Euro2004 Posted January 31, 2010 Share Posted January 31, 2010 I agree with you 100%, but I also believe that confidence is a private thing. The last thing we want is: "we can make the last 4" or "there are no limits to our abilities" or even "WE WILL WIN IT!", and they we go out without a point again. Let them say what they want in interviews, the only way to win respect is in the tournament itself. Besides, before Euro 2004 the players were saying they were happy to be there but before Euro 2008 we were saying "we're good enough to get out of the group", etc. Let's just see how they react on the pitch but confidence is a private thing. There are many introverts that are confident (Sampras) and many that claim to be confident but aren't (numerous hot chicks i know with big insecurities) :P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mangas21 Posted January 31, 2010 Share Posted January 31, 2010 hot chicks with insecurities is what we want - jajajajaja- otherwise i have no shot jajjajjajaja........ anyway, i think we are saying the same thing but coming at it from different angles...i concur, as almost always, with your comments....yes, prove it on the pitch, absolutely - thats how you get respect ultimately.....but the greek mentality of "hit and run" & "pointing the finger" will never change....when u approach things (sports, finance, banking, international relations, etc) with such a short sided mentality invariably you come up short....(just look at their economy) you may think its unrealted, but its not....the same individual mentality who run things in that sphere, also bleeds into other sectors... it boils down to accountability, responsibility and confidence- if my words create expectations, then i better be ready to face the criticism and howling form the press, commentators, etc. etc....so its better that a greek player set teh bar very low - "we are happy to be here" - classic case of underpromise and hopefully over deliver....if they lay an egg, then its not like they were predicting anything different....i agree that predicitng we are gonna win it is worse...and i dont imply that....not even brazil says those things...but we are a good team. on the cusp on beiong a very good team, and at times, we can look unbeatable....and of course at times we look like san marino....point is these guys need to beleive they are good, and that its the other team that needs to fear them.....they still talk like its 20 years ago where they felt they did not belong on the same field with elite teams....thats what i hear in their words, their interviews, and - im sure you se this - its how they play.......tight, nervous, not to lose...... otto has shown them they can compete with anyone, and they have tasted success.. its time to build on that by bieng confident and playing that way...i still thing they have an inferiority complex - still - and that comes from feeling you dont deserve to view yourself as a good team.... going from 65 in the world to 20 is much easier than going from 13 to 8 or 7.....lik a skier....going from buffooon to intermediate takes a year.....going form intermediate to expert takes 15 years......the incremental improvements are rthe hardest....thats where they are now....they made the big jump....now small details seperate each step up in class....IT CANT HAPPEN if they will always be "happy to be here"......if u dont think you have a chance to win every game, then you dont deserve to be in the world cup or any other tournament becuase there are other teams that do, and they will rip your head off if you are not ready to compete..... from far away this is the perception i have...and yes confidence is a private individual matter, but its a team game.....thats the beauty of it....the sum of the parts is greate rthan the individual pieces....take that greek pride that runs waaay tooo high in so many other aspects of life and turn it around onto the pitch...thats the most confusong thing about it...it seems they turn that down when ot comes to soccer..... go back and i could argue that the greek team had more "individual QUANTIFIABLE" talent 15 or 20 years ago.....but they did nothing on the world stage....what changed? attitude, cohesiveness, belief......all QUALATATIVE elements - perhaps ottos biggest and most significant accomplishment.....but tis time to start repsecting the opponent a little LESS and start believing in the teams abilty a little MORE..... why not this: "we are a good team. if we play like we are capable, then other teams need to fear us. we make no predictions, but we expect a lot foem oursleves and we go into every game expecting to win..." caffiene has worn off....thanks for indulging me.....by the way you oing to SA? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jarvis1981 Posted February 1, 2010 Share Posted February 1, 2010 as long as the players have this type of attitude, greece will never take the next step up in class. this is a losers mentality - aw shucks/gee wilikers we just happy to qualify....... at this level attitude, imposing your will on the opposition counts for alot...if you are :just happy to be there, you wont be there very long"...... i sick of hearing these type of concilliatory, neutral comments.......for once cant we hear "its a tough group, but if we play to our abilites there is no reason we cant go far....or " we are a good solid team and other teams need to fear us, respect our game because if they dont they will go home early"....... this is not arrogance, its confidence while still respecting the other team..... Chalkias should be left off the team with that sort of attitude.Imagine if this guy was running the country!! Reporter: Hey Prime Minister Chalkias....can you get your financial deficit in order by the year 2012? PM Chalkias : You should be satisfied that we acknowledge our dire financial status but you really don't expect us to do anything about it now that we are in the mess we're in. Reporter: So what are you doing next? PM Chalkias: I might catch a movie....any suggestions? (ok .....a cheap shot on my part here but Chalkias still should be sent a message for that type of comment). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mangas21 Posted February 1, 2010 Share Posted February 1, 2010 jarvis, you a tough man....jajajjaaj dont think he deserves to be cut form the team (unless you think there are better goalies)...its just that he still has remnants of that inferiority complex i referred to earlier....u think korea is "just happy to be there"? ok back in their first world cup i can understand more that mentality of being in awe of the powerhouse teams that you only rea about in the newspaper - but even then nigeria was only an virtual upstart themselves, and bulgaria, well..... but now, the tem has tasted success, many play overseas, etc etc..this attitude has to stop.... compare that with a guy - i will never forget this - named pursanidis, who after a loss to a bunch of inbred sheep hearders (albania) in a first qualifier (i think) said with the type of arrogance that warranted throwing him fff the team "why shouldn't we lose to albanioa?"..........!@%##%()$@#$%^&^%^^)!!!!!!! if you read any literature of psycology and particularly sports psycology and performance enhancement the evidence is clear. the mental side of athletics is huge...and the collective psyche of a group is even more fascinating form an academic persepctive....they have actually measured higher levels of testostrone etc in teams and players that are playing in front of their home crowd - if can imagine the implcations - an extrsa little burst of speed, a quicker response time to an off theball move, a bit more stamina to chase dowon the play - there is the difference between 0-0 and maybe 3-0...... cheers.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XXX-18T Posted February 5, 2010 Share Posted February 5, 2010 I have been notified from Fifa that my application for tickets was successful. I have tickets to: Greece v Argentina Greece v Nigeria Due to me and the wife not being able to go im going to sell these so if anyone wants them i am happy to sell them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Genome Posted February 5, 2010 Share Posted February 5, 2010 Due to me and the wife not being able to go im going to sell these so if anyone wants them i am happy to sell them.Sad to hear you can't go ... could you give me the exact dates of those games (I'm too lazy to look it up atm) and how much are you asking for them? If you don't want to discuss this on the forum, send me a PM :D. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueStriker Posted February 8, 2010 Share Posted February 8, 2010 Good news for our group, Nigerian head coach is fired. Coach fired Although I don't like the possibility of Guus Hiddink taking over (not sure how realistic this is), it's still good news, given that whoever takes over will only have 4 months to prepare. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Euro2004 Posted February 8, 2010 Share Posted February 8, 2010 Good news for our group, Nigerian head coach is fired. Coach fired Although I don't like the possibility of Guus Hiddink taking over (not sure how realistic this is), it's still good news, given that whoever takes over will only have 4 months to prepare. It's bad news he's been sacked. They weren't playing well but his sacking signals a fresh start. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clover22 Posted February 8, 2010 Share Posted February 8, 2010 Good, let them be fresh and ready so we can kick their asses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharpos Posted February 27, 2010 Share Posted February 27, 2010 Former Swedish coach Lars Lagerbäck is now confirmed to take over the Nigerian team. I'm a bit worried about this actually. Do we see a new Otto in the makings perhaps? He got the job up against some stiff competition, due to having good knowledge about Nigierian football and answers to some of the team's problems Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Genome Posted April 16, 2010 Share Posted April 16, 2010 Angelos Basinas would reject a national team return if invited Angelos Basinas (center) will not join Giorgos Karagounis (left) and the other Greek internationals for another game on the national team as he feels he cannot contribute to it anymore, having been left off the squad for more than a year. Portsmouth midfielder and Euro 2004 winner Angelos Basinas says he does not know why he has been left off the national soccer team for over a year now and suggests that, at this point, it would not be right for him to return. In an interview with a Greek radio station yesterday, two days after Portsmouth, with Basinas on the bench, shocked Tottenham to make into the FA Cup Final in England, the former Panathinaikos, AEK and Mallorca defensive midfielder also said that Greek soccer lost out on the chance to improve after the Euro 2004 triumph. Asked why he is no longer on the national team, he said: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lazarus Posted May 3, 2010 Share Posted May 3, 2010 Rehhagel picks first 9: Fanis Gekas (Hertha BSC), Pantelis Kapetanos (Steaua Bucureşti), Sotiris Kyrgiakos (Liverpool), Vangelis Moras (Bologna), Socratis Papastathopoulos (Genoa), Christos Patsatzoglou (AC Omonia), Giorgos Samaras (Celtic), Alexandros Tziolis (Siena) and Angelos Charisteas (Nuremberg). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OFI-mtl Posted May 4, 2010 Share Posted May 4, 2010 Rehhagel picks first 9: Fanis Gekas (Hertha BSC), Pantelis Kapetanos (Steaua Bucureşti), Sotiris Kyrgiakos (Liverpool), Vangelis Moras (Bologna), Socratis Papastathopoulos (Genoa), Christos Patsatzoglou (AC Omonia), Giorgos Samaras (Celtic), Alexandros Tziolis (Siena) and Angelos Charisteas (Nuremberg). Each association that qualifies for the final competition shall send FIFA alist of 35 players (showing the full last name(s), all fi rst names, popular name, place and date of birth, passport number, club and country of the club, height, weight, number of caps won, number of goals scored) whom it has called up in accordance with the relevant provisions of Annex 1 of the FIFA Regulations for the Status and Transfer of Players. The provisional list of 35 players must be sent to FIFA at least 30 days prior to the kick-off of the opening match. 2. The lists of 35 players will be published by the FIFA general secretariat. 3. Each association will then be required to provide FIFA with a final list of no more than 23 players (three of whom shall be goalkeepers). This final list is not limited to the players on the provisional list. The association must send this final list to FIFA prior to the kick-off of the opening match in accordance with the deadline stipulated in the relevant FIFA circular. So 9 down 26 to go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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