Nations League: Greece - Slovenia (18 Nov. 2020, Georgios Kamaras, Athens)

[La Mendel]

6 minutes ago, J1078 said:

Even if we would have scored against Kosovo and beat them we still would lose the division as we would be behind on goal differential..

Its true. Thank you. Still, Fortounis would have to start against Kosovo.

[J1078]

At the end of the day it’s not the coaches fault if in all of Greece there’s not one proven striker, that’s not the coaches fault as this has been our problem for years. We were fortunate to have Mitro A while ago  but other then that we have no one.. The coach has the team playing with high energy and looking like a team but once again we don’t have anyone to put the ball in the net and there’s not one coach that can change that.

[Ellada2004]

Kourbelis missed a golden chance. Bakasetas labeled a shot for the top left corner and Oblak saved. Pavlidis bicycle kick again saved by Oblak. 
 

The team overall dominated & played well the ball just wouldn’t go in. 
 

 

[J1078]

Just now, La Mendel said:

Its true. Thank you. Still, Fortounis would have to start against Kosovo.

100% I’ve  screaming about that from day one..

[Brklyngrk]

Overall, the team played so much better under JVS.  No one can dispute that.  I almost feel against better teams, we would have a better chance to score as they would commit more forward.  Having the ball is something new for us as we never used to dominate possession.

[J1078]

I might be alone on here thinking this but I’d like to see JVS take this team to World Cup qualifiers.. I think he deserves a chance. Changing coaches should not be an option right now IMO... 

[Greekoz]

1 hour ago, nasl said:

 

Okay so realistically do we go forward with JVS ?

 

Or will the federation let him go forward ?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Honestly who could we realistically get that would be better? May as well give him the world cup cycle. I doubt even Klopp could make a difference.

Mitroglou needs to find himself a club, get game time and return to this team.

[La Mendel]

Just now, Greekoz said:

Honestly who could we realistically get that would be better? May as well give him the world cup cycle. I doubt even Klopp could make a difference.

Mitroglou needs to find himself a club, get game time and return to this team.

I have a bad feeling about Mitroglou, his career seems to be petered out prematurely (like that of Samaras). He has not played a single minute for Marseille this year.

[Boxou]

2 minutes ago, Brklyngrk said:

Overall, the team played so much better under JVS.  No one can dispute that.  I almost feel against better teams, we would have a better chance to score as they would commit more forward.  Having the ball is something new for us as we never used to dominate possession.

Basically that's the only game in the entire qualification they played well. Both games against Kosovo were atrocious and we were quite average against Moldova.

[Blackhawk]

Mitroglou is a veteran that should think more about retirement than playing for the NT again. The team is in a rebuilding process and we don't need to go backwards. 

[Ellada2004]

Just now, Brklyngrk said:

Overall, the team played so much better under JVS.  No one can dispute that.  I almost feel against better teams, we would have a better chance to score as they would commit more forward.  Having the ball is something new for us as we never used to dominate possession.

Good point, when we played Belgium one of the best teams in the world we scored in each game against them. These pot 3 or 4 teams like Slovenia or Kosovo just played everyone behind the ball and had no purpose to go forward.

[Boxou]

1 minute ago, Blackhawk said:

Mitroglou is a veteran that should think more about retirement than playing for the NT again. The team is in a rebuilding process and we don't need to go backwards. 

He's a vet only because of his fitness level.

Otherwise I literally don't find one single reason why he shouldn't join the team in March IF he gets playing time in another club in January.
 

Unless you think the likes of Pavlidis/Koulouris/Giakoumakis are enough.

[La Mendel]

Great Mitroglou is no more... I am depressed, we sunk really to the level of Pavlidis/Koulouris/Giakoumakis. No one could score today, Giakoumakis was at times invisible. Whom should JVS choose?

[gsots]

This game was absolutely the coaches fault. Plays the same stupid line up that only worked against Moldova because of individual efforts from Fortou and maybe a couple other. Bakashitas absolutely useless to life. Our mids were a joke against a joke Moldova team!! What'd ppl expect today playing an actual decent team??? We once again had nooooo LW for God only knows what reason. 4-3-3 worked so well when he used it that he did the only logical thing a coach could do... Go back to the 4-2-3-1 that doesn't work... Logic 101 ?‍♂️ ?‍♂️ ?‍♂️ 

Giak should never have been taken off, waste of a sub. Then he puts Pav at LW, Tzo at ST and Baka at DM... guys sipna edo! He has no clue who his players are or what they play for their clubs. San Marino and Gibraltar understand their players better than our coach. I've never seen anything like this in my life from any other prominent soccer team, only Greece. 

JVS, Current EPO Board, Bakashitas, Tzavellas, Mavrias, Bouchalakis GTFO and never come back. It's a utter disgrace the level of incompetence management has displayed with this team. 

This goof can't get over the fact that he made a bad choice going with bakashitas, so he doubles down on it, makes him cpt and rams him down all our throats. 

[Brklyngrk]

You guys also forget to mention that they have arguably the best goalie on the other side.  We played well the entire campaign. We had the majority of the shots/possession/chances in every game.  Sure we could have done better and made some different choices in selections, but overall, we played well.  Remember, just 2 years ago, we lost to the Faroe Islands and looked bad doing so.  We are finally hustling, pressing and are able to string two passes together.  With a few tweaks, we can be a really good team.

[HellasLEAF]

The nature of the game really played in their favour.  If they had to score and open up I think there is no doubt we would have found a goal or two.

But Slovenia had the position earlier to only need the draw.  They scored in injury time I believe in their last match to get the win.  Our missed penalty in the first match and the Kosovo match I think are most to blame.  After seeing them today it's a real shame Greece did not win this group we are far superior. 

[Boxou]

4 minutes ago, Brklyngrk said:

You guys also forget to mention that they have arguably the best goalie on the other side.  We played well the entire campaign. We had the majority of the shots/possession/chances in every game.  Sure we could have done better and made some different choices in selections, but overall, we played well.  Remember, just 2 years ago, we lost to the Faroe Islands and looked bad doing so.  We are finally hustling, pressing and are able to string two passes together.  With a few tweaks, we can be a really good team.

WE lost to Faroe Islands 6 years ago and people should basically get over it, it's like you've never seen a team chocking in any sport?

 

[skinny]

this is JVS fault. his line up today was good. 

if he went with this lineup throughout the turnament we would have qualified.

 

On another note. Slovenia is an older more mature squad. Greeces main promising players are 24 and under...young team

[Ellada2004]

4 minutes ago, Brklyngrk said:

You guys also forget to mention that they have arguably the best goalie on the other side.  We played well the entire campaign. We had the majority of the shots/possession/chances in every game.  Sure we could have done better and made some different choices in selections, but overall, we played well.  Remember, just 2 years ago, we lost to the Faroe Islands and looked bad doing so.  We are finally hustling, pressing and are able to string two passes together.  With a few tweaks, we can be a really good team.

For sure Oblak is probably the best goalie in the world and he showed it today.

Greece looked good and dictated the pace and the play of the game. We didnt look discombobulated like those performances vs Faroes and North Ireland, Estonia, Armenia of a few years back.

[Torontoblue]

It’s over. I have been saying this for a few yrs. Look at our results and where we stand. No qualifications in the last 3 tournaments. We former Euro champs only 16 yrs ago are in the 3rd division of European national teams. 3rd division, let that sink in. And Twice failed to get promoted to the 2nd division and use the possibility of a playoff spot. From groups that our powerhouses lol ? wtf. 
This needs more than a coach change or this player or that. Greece needs to start over again. The youth. The federation need better facilities, the teams need to invest in youth. Look at Portugal. What they did. In the late 80’s they started to invest in the youth foundations and look at them last 25 yrs. they have qualified for every tournament, won 2 cups and play in the first division.  This a country that qualified only 3 times before 1996. 
Greece has to take same approach or it will never qualify again and just struggle. Greece never used the 2004 as a blueprint to success. They assumed all of a sudden that we see champions and this is the new normal. But missing out on world cup 2006 should have been a warning sign. 

[Brklyngrk]

2 minutes ago, Boxou said:

WE lost to Faroe Islands 6 years ago and people should basically get over it, it's like you've never seen a team chocking in any sport?

 

We should get over  losing to the Faroe Islands but having a 0-0 game, with most of the shots/possession/chances we should sulk.

[Ellada2004]

1 minute ago, Torontoblue said:

It’s over. I have been saying this for a few yrs. Look at our results and where we stand. No qualifications in the last 3 tournaments. We former Euro champs only 16 yrs ago are in the 3rd division of European national teams. 3rd division, let that sink in. And Twice failed to get promoted to the 2nd division and use the possibility of a playoff spot. From groups that our powerhouses lol ? wtf. 
This needs more than a coach change or this player or that. Greece needs to start over again. The youth. The federation need better facilities, the teams need to invest in youth. Look at Portugal. What they did. In the late 80’s they started to invest in the youth foundations and look at them last 25 yrs. they have qualified for every tournament, won 2 cups and play in the first division.  This a country that qualified only 3 times before 1996. 
Greece has to take same approach or it will never qualify again and just struggle. Greece never used the 2004 as a blueprint to success. They assumed all of a sudden that we see champions and this is the new normal. But missing out on world cup 2006 should have been a warning sign. 

What country do you root for? They probably havent qualified for squat since the 80s lol

[La Mendel]

gsots has a point about Bakasetas, Mavrias and Tzavellas. And yes, Bakasetas was a DM in the last 10 minutes. LOL.

The individual efforts of Fortounis were indeed important. Without him, we wouldnt have won perhaps that Moldova game. Bakasetas is practically useless.

Fortounis should be CAM, Masouras should also start on the wing. He has not many skills but he is a fighter. In the past, we got better results with zero skills and determination (for example, Salpingidis) than with "skilled" but slow and lazy players (for example, Ninis and Fetfatzidis). Tzolis is at this point far too inexperienced to be of any use against a stronger team. Same goes for Chatzigiovannis. Limnios is a neat and swift winger, I dont mind him. Lykogiannis or even Rota would have been a better right back than Mavrias.

Also JVS chucked quite a few players out now. Manolas, Sokratis, Siovas, Fetfatzidis. I am not sure if even an unfit Mitroglou (who is clearly past it) would be as useless as Pavlidis and Co.

Edited November 18, 2020 by La Mendel

[Brklyngrk]

And most of our team is now 25 and younger.  That can only be a good thing.

[Boxou]

Good thing is that with some cooking they might get an achievable draw but in all honesty if we don't get Denmark from pot 1 there's no way they stand a chance for 1st spot.