PAE PAOK General News (2018-2019)

[DunfermlineAthleticPAOK]

Can’t argue with that. In my opinion Biseswar should absalutley get given another deal and I will be gutted and shocked if he isn’t. He is so talented and different to anything else we have. His vision, movement, weight of pass is second to none at the club. He might not have the legs or engine of others but I think with his ability to read the game and space, he more than makes up for it and gets away with it.  

[Yiankos]

The question is simple. If we release a player, where is he gonna go? I easily can see Olympiakos or AEK signing Biseswar.

He is a very good player. He lacks defending skills and finishing. But no one is perfect. And given the fact that he never created problems even though he stayed on the bench without a good reason, he is a gem. Now, the $$$ is up to Savvidi. I really like to see PAOK treating with respect "older" players. Next year he will be 31. Hopefully they won't offer him a one-year deal. This will be his last good-paying contract and he will probably ask for another three-year contract. Even then, I say, give it to him and let him retire with PAOK shirt, serving for six years.

[pash]

A player like him, who doesn't rely on speed to make the difference, could last for that long. Think Vukic, another good AM we had.

I don't think he's a terrible defender - compared to someone like Henrique, he's practically a CB haha

[Yiankos]

Biseswar aside, I would love to see our team keeping players for a few years. I think this is one of the reasons we won yesterday. A team that doesn't change coach and 75% of the squad every year can do many things because of the chemistry.

The other thing I would love to see, is as I said treating with respect players that are "old". Next year, Vieirinha/Matos/Pontus will be 33, Crespo/Canas/Khacheridi 32, Biseswar/Varela will be 31. Those are eight experienced players that could be starters or very very important this year and for sure next year. Keep them hot and treat them well. Show them they are valued and keep them motivated. And next summer try to bring four-five players that are below 28 to prepare the transition.

Players like Jaba are also good, but like Lucas Perez, Cimirot, Mak, Rodrigues, they will never stay for too long. When a good offer comes, they will be gone. With Prijovic of course we hit the jackpot. 

[BostonThanatos]

If every player on the team was as talented as Biseswar in their own positions, we'd be a MUCH better team.

[Dutch Eagle]

Our last 10 games in SL gave us only wins:

http://www.metrosport.gr/article/paok-pio-formarismeni-omada-tou-kosmou-se-protathlima

[pash]

Bad news, Mauricio is out for about four weeks. Expect us to go heavy on the DMs, unless El Kaddouri gets drafted as a central midfielder (or Shakhov makes a case for himself).

[paokarag4]

We'll finally get a good look at Wernbloom and see what he can do

Edited October 13, 2018 by paokarag4

[pash]

I would not be surprised if Shakhov starts. He's in better shape and fits the role of a #8. We haven't played multiple DMs in some time...

[paokarag4]

It's a possibility no doubt, given Lucescu likes to play it safe with these sort of things. Over the course of the month Wernbloom will get a run, according to what I've read about Pontus he has played all over the midfield (and pitch) throughout his career. So we could yet see a Canas-Wernbloom combo in central midfield with Wernbloom given a license to roam. 

[Blackhawk]

Our game against Panathinaikos which is scheduled for October 28 has been postponed after a request by the police. It will most likely be played on Monday October 29.

[Dutch Eagle]

Good for me. I will go to the theatre that Sunday as my eldest son invited me and my wife months ago.

Edited October 18, 2018 by Dutch Eagle

[BostonThanatos]

Article about Ivan in New York times...pretty intense stuff.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/09/us/politics/russia-macedonia-greece.html

[Yiankos]

Είπαν ότι ο Ιβάν έκανε ήδη αγωγή στην εφημερίδα.

[BostonThanatos]

You think the story is untrue?

[pash]

Positive spin - he did it as a red blooded patriotic Greek

Negative spin - he did it because Papa Putin told him to

 

Follow-through - was his move into Greece done specifically for political purposes, economic investment, interest in his own roots, or some combination of the three?

 

A few years ago, my theory was that he bought the team so that he could engender goodwill with the locals and make a play for a few of the businesses in the area (which he certainly has done). But honestly, if he wanted to play nice, then he would have probably done a bit better of a job than he has so far - he's certainly made some enemies.

If I were in his place, with similar means, I would absolutely have made the moves I assumed he would do. The port of Thessaloniki has a lot of potential, and serves as a bridge to the Slavic world. But this calls into question the fundamental reason why he's doing all this. After all, for someone who is insanely, unbelievably rich, throwing this kind of money around at the behest of his party's leader will not even make a dent in his lifestyle. Depending on how loyal he is to Putin (or how scared of him he is), he might have been willing to essentially be sent as an agent of Russia.

 

But to go to the earlier question - causing a riot that would stop this stupid vote could easily have been a way to kill two birds with one stone - he likely personally feels affronted by the name situation (as so many of us are), AND it would help Russia's interests in curtailing a strengthening of NATO's influence in the area.

[Yiankos]

22 minutes ago, BostonThanatos said:

You think the story is untrue?

I have no idea. Time will tell.

[Yiankos]

Παρεμπιπτόντως, οι δήθεν γνώστες δημοσιογράφοι κράζουν τώρα τον Πόντους. Όπως έκραζαν τον Μαουρίσιο και αναγκάστηκαν να κάνουν κωλοτούμπα γιατί απέδειξε πως είναι ένας πολύ καλός παίκτης.

Προσωπικά το ίδιο πιστεύω και για τον Πόντους. Άλλος παίκτης βέβαια. Αλλά όπως είχα ξαναπεί τον βλέπω σαν νέο Γκαρσία. Ήρθε χωρίς προετοιμασία και με τρεις μήνες διακοπές. Είναι σχεδόν δύο μήνες στην ομάδα και βλέπω ήδη μεγάλη βελτίωση. Σε κανένα δίμηνο τον βλέπω να φορμαρίζεται ακόμα περισσότερο και πιστεύω ότι του χρόνου θα είναι ο ογκόλιθος του κέντρου μας.

Άσχετοι, χωριάτες, χωρίς καμία γνώση, κράζουν παίκτη με το βιογραφικό του Πόντους. Αυτός είναι ο μέσος Έλληνας I guess. Εγώ τον πιστεύω πολύ και παρότι είναι 32 έχω πολύ καλή γνώμη και ελπίζω πως θα αφήσει το στίγμα του. 

[PAOKSYD]

Anyone read the chatzeridi interview in Ukraine......?.

Will he be released at Christmas ?

[pash]

Haven't heard anything about that. I'm not particularly impressed by him, but it would also leave us pretty thin back there...unless Tosca is really good at CB. I do think Malezas should be getting more time, though.

[paokarag4]

I read the interview. Seems like he'll be on his way out come January. 
Again this has come about because Savvidis had an obsession with getting a player to PAOK without consulting the manager. Similar situation to Berbatov. The player comes to us on a big contract expecting to start and be a key part of the team and it doesn't work out like that. 

Still disappointing that he's not willing to hang around and fight for a spot and he went to the media to complain

Edited October 23, 2018 by paokarag4

[PAOKSYD]

Money , could be better spent happy to see him go! 

[Bananas]

Haven’t checked out the interview yet.  Overall, Xatseridi has been very disappointing and he won’t be missed.  It’s a shame as I was hoping to get a CB “general” that would run the defence for the next 2 or 3 seasons.  Given his pedigree I was expecting a player who is considerably better than Varela and Crespo.  As it is, they are both playing much better than Xatseridi.  Varela and Crespo seem to compliment each other and have developed a good chemistry.  Hands down the best CB pairing in the league this season.

[Bananas]

I wonder if Xatseridi were to leave, can we bring back Chatziisaias half way through the year ?  Another player I’d be interested in is Risvanis.

[pash]

I'd be surprised if we brought him back. It's much more Michel's style to just go and buy a Ukraine-based player who doesn't speak English.