SL - R8: Olympiakos - PAOK ( 23 Oct 16, 20:30 EEST )

[teke817]

f-ck it ... this game is in the books ... we should have won but were wasteful in our finishing and set pieces

...very mediocre OSFP team in what's looking like a wide open league, assuming the Koutskoukoumis-era serves as a proper steward 

Edited October 23, 2016 by teke817

[PAOmelbourne]

not a chance olympiakos will have points deducted.... Only in a perfect world 

[pash]

On the plus side - four yellows for their players. Didn't expect that.

[pash]

Teams coming back out...

[val]

Do you guys not know that no team other than oly is allowed to win at karaiskaki?

Clearly offside, ideye

season should never have begun

[pash]

Rodrigues greedy,  Biseswar wide open...

[BostonThanatos]

On the bright side, I think Campos has solidified a seat on the bench

[pash]

You'd think after this disaster of a performance, that would be the case. But it's looked obvious for ages now.

The logical choice is to give Mistakidis a run, but I have a feeling that if Campos somehow is sidelined, we'll see Shakhov or Biseswar there instead. Anyone but the logical choice.

[Grkfreezer624]

Gavro won fair and square

PAOK went in and played with BALLS but couldnt finish their chances

Gavro walking away with the title in October.... 

PAOK has a solid team that will cut points away from PAO, no doubt....

[kozi]

Don't know why I waste my time with this s%$#! 

[val]

4 minutes ago, Grkfreezer624 said:

Gavro won fair and square

PAOK went in and played with BALLS but couldnt finish their chances

Gavro walking away with the title in October.... 

PAOK has a solid team that will cut points away from PAO, no doubt....

Paok not having a striker is a real shame because they have the best team for me.

They deserved at least a draw

The refs have a duty and again they failed to keep it at 50:50

The fact that this oly team is currently +4, is embarrassing for the league as a whole.

[PAOKSWEDEN]

7 points behind in October...

Unless we actually spend a million Euro or two in January I doubt this season will be anything but wasted.

 

Yes, their first goal was offside BUT that's not why we lost this game.

[Grkfreezer624]

PAOK's title dreams are completely abolished... best they can do is hope for the Kypello and 2nd place via playoffs

 

[kozi]

1 hour ago, PAOKSWEDEN said:

Yes, their first goal was offside BUT that's not why we lost this game.

We lost the game because we had no midfield in the second half. Taking Canas off was stupid particularly as his replacement Xarisi is substandard. He was completely to blame in 2nd goal.

Ivic has to bite the bullet. Do you want to be a reactive coach whose moves are based on your opponent?  Or do you pick your team to get a result against anybody?

There is nothing to fear in the Greek league. So far he has been far too negative in my book

 

Edited October 23, 2016 by kozi

[Original Sydney]

Can someone remind me few years back in the kypello when PAOK fans lit up Toumba didn't they get a fine from memory for it?

Surely Oly should get the same fine if there was one, as for points deduction wont happen unless the flares went onto the pitch.

[Original Sydney]

21 minutes ago, Reaper said:

Olympiacos have already received fines this season for pyrotechnics at games. So have other teams. A fine is expected.

Was that Round 1 Reaper?

[Akritis_1944]

Interesting that most of the people complaining about refereeing and bias about tonight's match ARE NOT PAOK supporters.

I didn't watch the match so I can't comment but I detect that the match was fairly officiated.

[Greekoz]

7 minutes ago, Akritis_1944 said:

Interesting that most of the people complaining about refereeing and bias about tonight's match ARE NOT PAOK supporters.

I didn't watch the match so I can't comment but I detect that the match was fairly officiated.

From what I saw of the highlights a lot of the decisions were very close that could have gone either way, you couldn't look at it and say it was biased. What I did detect was a pretty entertaining match with a lot of action at both ends, paok had enough opportunities to win and ultimately that's what cost them.

[Bananas]

Well, it sounds like at least we made a game of it.  When was the last time we went to Piraeus and had a chance to actually win the game ?  I don't count the win when we had Anastasiadis as manager since we still got thoroughly outplayed.

This will hopefully be a wake up call to the PAOK administrators/management that if they want to win a league, the squad is still not strong enough.  It's good, there is a solid group, but it's not quite there.

Ultimately, going into Piraeus, playing a solid and tough game, and losing, is NOT the problem.  It's dropping points to teams like Xanthi and Veroia that is the problem.

[pash]

Part of the problem is that they show up for the big games, but not those "easy" ones...

[PAOKSYD]

To blame ivic for this is not fair blame michel or savidis for djalma, Shakov and biseswar if you ask me 

[Bananas]

Why blame anyone ?  Weren't we competitive today ?  We actually had a chance to win the game.  I can't remember the last time we went to Piraeus and actually took the game to Olympiakos.  And like I've said earlier, I don't count those games where we used to sit back and defend for our lives for 90 minutes and hope we score a lucky goal on the break.  As for Olympiakos, even though they aren't as strong as the last few seasons, they are still a solid team.

If anything, this should be an eye opener for Ivic and the rest of the PAOK administration.  They should be able to see by now where the team is lacking and what is required to really challenge.  For myself, I think we need a formidable striker and centre midfield.  A true box to box midfielder that can dominate the centre.  And of course someone for the right wing.  The scary thing is Campos is our highest paid player and I can't see any team buying him off us.

I don't see how we can be talking about titles when Olympiakos spends 10 million on players like it's nothing, and we're lucky to spend 2 million.

[Pontos]

This is the worst Olympiakos team I've seen to be honest, and on paper we're good enough to beat them. We had our chances and didn't capitalise. 

While Malezas and Varela were solid most of the game I think we missed Tzavellas' leadship, especially late when Olympiakos gathered momentum.

I like our squad (aside from that petsa Djalma who's one of our highest earners and Shakov) and I don't want to prematurely start calling for Ivic's head, especially after what he showed in last season's playoff campaign. 

Edited October 24, 2016 by Pontos

[Bananas]

5 hours ago, ThrylosG7 said:

I'll tell you something my friend - and I'll get blasted for it - however its easier for an owner to spend say 2 or 3 million on players and finish 2nd 3rd or 4th - then blame it on external forces - so you dont then have to spend any money.

The Greek league is one league where the team that spends the most on players pretty much ends up winning - im not talkin 2-3 million differentials here that only one player but when the difference is in the 10's of millions - Paoks squad value according to transfermarket.de is EU36M ours is 65M so basically double - and this is one of our poorer squads. If a team wants to compete all season and fight for the title to that last day you should be spending closer to 50M - 55M I would say - maybe with our current squad another 10M could push us all the way - 

Well, the part I haven't worked out is if Savvidis realises this or not.  Is he a fool that really thinks he can spend 1/10th of what Olympiakos has spent in the past 5 seasons, and win the title ?  Maybe he really does think he can do it on the cheap ?  Or maybe it's as you say, and he knows that the money need to secure 2nd to 4th is "x", but the money need to secure 1st, is "x" multiplied by 5.  Maybe it's not worth the risk ?

Savvidis is a bit of a conundrum.  He is undoubtedly a good business man.  And he's definitely got political connections both in Russia and in Greece.  He's not an idiot.  Has he helped PAOK ?  I would say immensely.  People too easily forget that  for PAOK, players getting paid in full and on time was not the norm.  Every few seasons a fire sale of players (Olympiakos, AEK and PAO all benefited) and releasing players "apliroti" was also a yearly event.  Fun times.  So Savvidis has got at least that part of our house in order.  He paid off the debt owed to the Greek government in back taxes of 10 million Euros.  That alone impressed me.  He's gotten the commercial side of the club to a respectable level.  He's done good things.

As for the footballing side, he's increased the wage budget, I don't know how much but if I had to guess he's probably tripled it.  And the players get paid on time.  And he's actually bought players!  Not just getting players on free transfer because all they had to spend was 100K.  Eleos.  So yeah it would be nice if he spent 20 million for 3 years straight, and that would probably be enough to get the title, that is assuming it doesn't start an arms race with Marinakis.  Who knows, maybe pigs would fly and even Melissanidis might spend a dollar or two.

Where is PAOK at ?  I think we're just a little better than last season.  Strengthened the defence somewhat.  Midfield is maybe slightly better.  Up front worse as we haven't replace Mak adequately and Klaus is well Klaus.  PAOK through and through but not the kind of striker that frightens serious teams.  A good solid foundation and if they're serious about getting some quality players to really push for a title, so be it.  But not there yet.  What I hate more than anything is the lame articles in the paper at the start of each season "we're going for the title".  F*** off you wankers.  Just shut the F*** up and let your performance do the talking.

As for the performance yesterday, maybe I'm not normal but I was actually not that unhappy with it. We took the game to the opposition, which is all I want from my team.

[pash]

Could have really used this guy yesterday.