Serbia-Greece

[Euro2004]

We look abysmal!

[Genome]

Some very nice combinations from our squad!

Btw how could he even rape "Ninis" to "Ninjis"?

[pao123]

if we want to play through the middle we need to try and stretch their back line a bit to create spaces between the cbs...

[Crazy]

Samaras is doing some nice moves for a few seconds but he almost always messes up at the end.....i have to give him credit for the effort tho..

[Crazy]

Hey guys,did you see that,4 of our players actually pressuring over the center of the pitch instead of all 11 waiting back??I like that.

[Euro2004]

Personally I think Samaras has been terrible. Everytime he gets the ball he's trying to run at Vidic and is getting owned! Pass the ball! We've had free men so many times and he's decided to do it himself.

Genome I was just telling my friend that i dont understand how anyone get get "Ninis" wrong!

[Genome]

Personally I think Samaras has been terrible. Everytime he gets the ball he's trying to run at Vidic and is getting owned! Pass the ball! We've had free men so many times and he's decided to do it himself.

Genome I was just telling my friend that i dont understand how anyone get get "Ninis" wrong!

Agreed and ... agreed! :tup:

[Crazy]

Nice little chance by Greece and a shot from Ninis but it went a few meters on the right.

[Euro2004]

Glad you agree Genome. Did you see that move where for once he played a pass to Salpi instead of running with the ball, in turn Salpi played a lovely one touch through-ball and Ninis had a cross-shot go wide. Nice and simple! Why complicate things?

[Genome]

Glad you agree Genome. Did you see that move where for once he played a pass to Salpi instead of running with the ball, in turn Salpi played a lovely one touch through-ball and Ninis had a cross-shot go wide. Nice and simple! Why complicate things?

Yes saw it. I've never had anything against the guy but this game he's not contributing. I like the one touch stuff we show at times during this game. Very nice. Offensively though not a world of difference from what we're used to. It's always that final pass or ball that's lacking.

0-1 SALPINGIDIS ! ! ! (Here it is :D)

[Crazy]

GOALARA,Torosidis with the great long pass and a great header by Salpigidis....

[pao123]

nice little play...simple goal...

[Euro2004]

What a goal! Unbelievable cross and a great reactions by Salpi.

I have to disagree though Genome, i think things are very different and so far i'm a little nervous about it. We've looked very poor at the back. Santos has given in to pressure and gone from once extreme to to other by trying to play an attacking 4-4-2 diamond formation. We can't defend and aren't good enough to play such an open style. I want Otto's formations (either 4-3-3, 3-5-2 or 3-4-3 depending on the opposition) BUT with the right players! Not a completely over-haul of everything. Of course it's still early days and i've always said a coach needs at least 2 years to make the team his own but i remain concerned.

Spyropoulos seriously needs to work on defending when players are running at him. Off the top of my head i could name loads of incidents where that has caused his team to lose the game. Today he got too square on again and dived in to foul Krasic and he got skipped past. So if we are to carry on with this formation I'd rather see Tzavellas in there for a while.

[Genome]

The half time music is slightly ticking me off ... that aside I'm not sure what the huge difference is aside from more players moving forward, and an obvious nicer way of passing the ball around, better combinations etc. I mean, the final ball, a way to get through their defense with the ball on the ground, something that's been lacking from the NT for at least a year or two, I still don't see.

Don't want to be pessimistic though, we look ok, but not great, and were lucky not to fall behind. I'd like to see more new faces though... (don't think there's anyone new on the pitch?)

[Genome]

Gekas and Avraam in, if I'm correct? Not sure who's out.

[jarvis1981]

What a goal! Unbelievable cross and a great reactions by Salpi.

I have to disagree though Genome, i think things are very different and so far i'm a little nervous about it. We've looked very poor at the back. Santos has given in to pressure and gone from once extreme to to other by trying to play an attacking 4-4-2 diamond formation. We can't defend and aren't good enough to play such an open style. I want Otto's formations (either 4-3-3, 3-5-2 or 3-4-3 depending on the opposition) BUT with the right players! Not a completely over-haul of everything. Of course it's still early days and i've always said a coach needs at least 2 years to make the team his own but i remain concerned.

Spyropoulos seriously needs to work on defending when players are running at him. Off the top of my head i could name loads of incidents where that has caused his team to lose the game. Today he got too square on again and dived in to foul Krasic and he got skipped past. So if we are to carry on with this formation I'd rather see Tzavellas in there for a while.

I think that this is the correct time to try out new things including an attacking formation even if, in the end, it's not what best suites the team.

I want to see the team try to attack more in general and not just rely on winning games 1-0. It surprised teams in the 2004 Euro but it won't work again IMO.

I'd like to get as much youth on the pitch as possible as well. It's 2 years until the Euros and then another 3 until the world cup qualifications start. If this isn't the time to give the youth a chance then I don't know when is.

Germany, if you recall, went with youth a few years back and it paid dividends in the last world cup and will continue to serve them well in the next Euro and World cup.

I hope the new coach has a plan and sticks to it but that the plan calls for more entertaining football.

[Euro2004]

it's the dynamics of the team that are different. With 2 centre backs we're certainly looser than with 3 and with the new formation we're constantly trying to play through the middle, under Otto it was all about getting the balls out wide and crossing.

Jarvis, i agree that it's right to try things in friendlies but because this is his only game in charge before the important qualifiers begin i think this isn't experimental but rather what he has in mind for the Georgia and Croatia games

[Genome]

You see Spyropoulos and the unguided cross to the box? That's what I mean, the final pass that's lacking. Instead of using the time and space he had to make a better cross.

[Genome]

Samaras ... wtf ... ???

[Euro2004]

What on earth is Samaras doing???????

[Genome]

What on earth is Samaras doing???????

Going for glory Euro ... going for glory ...

[Genome]

Tosic hits the bar ...

[Euro2004]

that tosic shot deserved a goal.

yeah but genome if Samaras turned and shot it was a goal though and he'd have got some glory, why try and be flash? it's that sort of thing that frustrates the celtic fans. he has everything a player could want except passion/work rate and a brain!!!

[Genome]

that deserved a goal.

if he turned and shot it was a goal though and he'd have got some glory, why try and be flash? it's that sort of thing that frustrates the celtic fans. he has everything a player could want except passion/work rate and a brain!!!

My point. He wants to look cool instead of looking a bit more sober and doing what's necessary. Sometimes it works out but when it doesn't it's all the more frustrating.

[Genome]

We look bad in defense!