Bananas Posted September 11 Share Posted September 11 4 hours ago, paokarag4 said: I know I just wasted my time typing all that, but it is always worth reflecting on what he has helped the club achieve. I feel many of us (myself included) lose sight of how far off it the club was before Ivan came onto the scene. If your trying to convince PAOKSYD, truly your wasted your time ha ha. To give you an idea of the pre Savvidis days, I didn't even used to bother looking at the league table because winning the title was impossible - we just didn't have the budget. It was as likely (with no disrespect intended) as Aris winning the title with their budget. Even if say Olympiacos had a bad year, what were the odds of PAO and AEK also having a bad year. So yeah basically almost impossible. So from my perspective, I'll forever be grateful that Savvidis came to the team and gave us a budget where we can at least fight for the title. As for new Toumba, I'm with you, if it happens it happens. I think it will ... eventually. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAOKSYD Posted September 11 Share Posted September 11 Lets hope the russian does something 24 hours to go. AEK sigmed fofana Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dutch Eagle Posted September 11 Share Posted September 11 I really do not understand why Pana and AEX 2.0 (the Gavro is understandable is they are a force for years and current ECL titleholders) are able to do all these signings alongside the new studiums, especially the bankrupted chanoumises. Is there any ruling about FFP in Greece? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackhawk Posted September 11 Share Posted September 11 Solet is not coming to PAOK. Solet's agent was in Thessaloniki trying to get a deal done, but the player decided that he does not want to come to Greece. Apparently he turned down Olympiakos as well at the beginning of the transfer period. In the meantime, Kottas from the 'B' team has been training with the senior squad. Always a chance he might develop into another Koulierakis. Also, today Savvidis is meeting at Halkidiki with Lucescu, Karypidis, Goncharova and Kyrgiakos to discuss the current status of PAE PAOK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaokCT Posted September 11 Share Posted September 11 Looks like the 35 year old CB Lovren is coming from Lyon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackhawk Posted September 11 Share Posted September 11 With Solet out, it looks like that we are trying to sign the 35 year old Croatian CB Dejan Lovren (ex-Liverpool, Southampton, Olympique Lyon, Zenit St. Petersburg, Dinamo Zagreb) on the last day of the transfer period. He has also played 78 times for the Croatian national team. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaokCT Posted September 11 Share Posted September 11 He hasn't played 90 minutes since January.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pash Posted September 11 Author Share Posted September 11 Give me the B team player. This is what we SHOULD be doing for our fifth option. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackhawk Posted September 11 Share Posted September 11 Lovren is signed for two years. He will be paid 800K + bonuses the first year and 700K + bonuses the second year. He just turned 35 in July, so he might still have something to give. Maybe he will turn out to be another Taison. In any case he is quite an experienced defender, and will help out Kedziora who will need a break once in a while. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paokarag4 Posted September 12 Share Posted September 12 As a Liverpool fan I can tell you at his best Lovren was a solid Premier League footballer. Never world class IMO, but part of the Champions League and Premier League winning teams in 2019 and 2020. He was also part of the Croatia squad which made the World Cup final in 2018. Since moving on he played at Zenit and spent the last 2 seasons at Lyon. Only 10 league appearances last season for him, so it will take him some time to get up to speed. He was never the best physical defender, despite his size he would often struggle against the more physical strikers in the PL. Obviously we are talking another level of attacker playing in England compared to what he'll face here, but still worth noting. He was capable of playing a nice long ball, which is always handy. I think it is an okay signing as he will provide depth for Kedziora and should be able to do a job in Greece against smaller-mid table sides. Remember he can't play in Europe, so expect to see him playing before or after a big European game to give Kedziora a rest. I am sure at worst his experience will be beneficial, hopefully he can find some good form and a player a role over the next few seasons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAOKSYD Posted September 12 Share Posted September 12 Weird signing... but at least a signing... Lets hope he can help those around hin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pash Posted September 12 Author Share Posted September 12 Now that the transfer window is closed, let's see if I got it all straight: Arrivals Chalov CF Tissoudali CF Gomez LB Tsiftsis GK Camara CM Shoretire AM Colley CB Thymianis CB Bakayoko CM Lovren CB Departures Tzimas CF (loan) F Soares AM (loan) Lyratzis RB (loan) Ricardo AM (loan) Talichmanidis GK (loan) Koulierakis CB Ekong CB R Soares LB Z Zivkovic GK Tsiggaras CM Nasberg CB B team Tsaousis LB (down to B team) Balomenos GK (on the A team roster, likely playing for B team) Monastirlis GK (on the A team roster, likely playing for B team) I think technically we can still sign free agents for a few days, but I doubt we will be. Amazingly, Ally Samatta is still on the roster - my guess is that we will terminate his contract and he'll sign with the Cypriots as a free agent. So, how did we do? Any thoughts? For me - I think we addressed every position of need, but created new problems with the CB position. We should have snagged the Greek kid. Right now, that back line is a big question mark for me. If Colley is our next Varela, great, but I won't hold my breath. My guess is also that Tsiftsis isn't intended to be a Kotarski replacement, so if we sell him in December or next summer, expect a scramble as we buy someone else. Though I do hope that's wrong. We desperately, desperately need actual Greek players in our team. I am ecstatic that a big chunk of our dead weight is gone - mainly Nasberg and Ekong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaokCT Posted September 12 Share Posted September 12 I think if we are going to progress in Europa League, we will spend big money in the winter. Look what Oly did in the conference league. Especially with the fact in Greece 2 teams will go to Champions League qualifiers next season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paokarag4 Posted September 12 Share Posted September 12 9 hours ago, pash said: My guess is also that Tsiftsis isn't intended to be a Kotarski replacement, so if we sell him in December or next summer, expect a scramble as we buy someone else. Though I do hope that's wrong. We desperately, desperately need actual Greek players in our team. No doubt pash, Tsiftsis was signed as a Z.Zivkovic replacement never a Kotarski one. If and when Kotarski is sold we will definitely be in the market for a new keeper. It would be amazing if Kotarski decides this is where he wants to be long term, but unfortunately I think that is a pipe dream. He is good enough to play in one of Europe's 5 big leagues and based on what his agent was peddling this summer, it seems he has a desire to play in Italy. I agree with you about Greek players in the team, I think it is a big plus if you have quality Greek footballers part of your starting XI. Quality being the key though, give us guys like Koulierakis, Konstantelias, Chatzidiakos if we had been able to sign him. Guys like Tsiftsis, Tsingaras, will always just be depth at a big club and don't really move the needle. I would argue Lyratzis is also in that category, although I hold out a little speckle of hope for him compared to the others. IMO he is more talented, but has spent the last few seasons getting minimal game-time which has no doubt impacted his development. History is full of these types of players, not just for us but for the other big clubs in Greece too. Players who break into the team through circumstance (injury or poor form of someone in their position) and they end up playing regularly for half a season or even a whole season. But ultimately their limitations shine through and they aren't up to the level required of a big 4 club. It is a big year for Michalidis, make or break for him in terms of being a starter or becoming one of the aforementioned depth players. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pash Posted September 12 Author Share Posted September 12 Michailidis was on track to be Koulierakis before we had Koulierakis, but this is a long time to not be getting regular minutes. Surely this is his last chance with us. I'll also say - Koulierakis, Konstantelias, Tzolis, were all home grown players who were actually given a chance. We can't scoff at the thought of calling up youngsters now if we don't know what they can do. 90% will be fairly useless, I'm sure, but you can't find gold if you don't dig. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paokarag4 Posted September 13 Share Posted September 13 Agree 100%. Kids coming up through the youth team is different and that has clearly been our best avenue over the last 5 years to getting quality Greeks into the team. They will continue to invest in the academy and if players are good enough they will be given a chance, like Kottas seems he will be given this season. I was more referring to Greeks like Tsiftsis, or Tsingaras, who yes played a role coming up through the academy and had a part to play in the team's successes. But hanging onto these guys for the sake of it because they are Greek was the point I was making. Just to be clear, I am happy with Tsiftsis as our no.2. I was just using him as an example to make my point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaokCT Posted September 13 Share Posted September 13 That’s cute how you guys just have convos back and forth! But I just read that Despodov was on track to play at Zenit? But either we or he broke the deal. It was 5.5 mil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athens4 Posted September 13 Share Posted September 13 For that price, I would have flown to Greece solely to drive him to the airport myself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pash Posted September 13 Author Share Posted September 13 Since we're now in the free agent part of the year - our B team has signed Pitsotis, formerly of PAO's K19 https://www.transfermarkt.com/dimitrios-pitsotis/profil/spieler/899207 https://inpaok.com/834686/i-stigmi-ton-ypografon-me-pitsoti-pics/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackhawk Posted September 13 Share Posted September 13 17 hours ago, PaokCT said: But I just read that Despodov was on track to play at Zenit? But either we or he broke the deal. It was 5.5 mil It was apparently Despodov that turned down the offer. Besides him we also turned down offers for Brandon (800K), Baba, and Konstantelias. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athens4 Posted September 13 Share Posted September 13 Shame we had to turn down offers for Despodov and Brandon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackhawk Posted September 26 Share Posted September 26 Apparently we are trying to sign the free agent Jiri Pavlenka (32 year Czech old goalkeeper) before the transfer deadline of September 30. He is supposed to be our 2nd keeper due to the fact that Tsiftsis might be out for moinths if he undergoes abdominal surgery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackhawk Posted Monday at 07:27 PM Share Posted Monday at 07:27 PM Jiri Pavlenka signed to a 1+1 deal at 450K per year. The one year option depends on the number of games played. Heard on radio that he has to play in half of the games for the option to go into effect. This probably means that Kotarski is being sold in January. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athens4 Posted Monday at 09:15 PM Share Posted Monday at 09:15 PM Kotarski is a done deal for January. I just hope he can help us progress in Europe and be as high up in the league as possible before he leaves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now