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CL-QR3-L2: PAOK - Malmo FF (13.08.24, 20:30 EEST)


Blackhawk

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Let’s be honest though.. PAOK’s level is the Conference League. In a year where you’d have your best chance, perhaps ever, to make the UCL there’s constant rumors about selling 3 of your best players (Koulieraki, Delia & Kotarski). Big clubs don’t operate that way imo. 

Edited by Soprano76
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There are only 10 BIG clubs in this world + the government of Qatar and Saudi-Arabia. All the other teams are the little fish in the foodchain. In Netherlands the league has begun but PSV might sell Teze. Benfica is a big big club but if the City's of this world knock on the door they stand no chance. All little fish need to fear till September 2nd 23:59 as the window closes in most countries. We too despite being a big club in Greece. 

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This loss has nothing to do with luck. It has everything to do with:

  • Being cheap with transfers (the mentality of 'we will buy if we go through' has cost us a number of times now)
  • A right back that just isn't good enough. Sastre is a backup for games against the likes of Panserraikos and Panetolikos
  • A missing quick central midfielder (NO! Meite is not good enough)
  • We are simply a small team. Both the way Schwab gives the ball away and the way Despodov fouls in THE LAST MINUTE deserved to be punished

This hurts exactly like Ajax, Schalke and Krasnodar. f***ing Malmo, what a joke.

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I wouldn't say it's over but it certainly feels like it. I only have two expectations right now:

  • Make the Europa League group stage
  • A few sales (Koulierakis and Kotarski being the obvious ones. If we can somehow shift Despodov as well then that would be amazing. 
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Hmm, very very disappointing.  I personally don't care and have never cared about making the Champions League, other than the financial benefits.  As others have pointed out and it's just the reality, we would just get smashed in the CL and there is no fun in that and in trying to compete with the budgets of those teams.  In pure football terms, financials aside, I would prefer we are in the Europa or Conference League.

All I want each season is to make the group stage of any of the competitions.  But what is most disappointing is being eliminated to Malmo.  We should really be beating this team and handily.  Wasted opportunity and the club can only blame itself for not being more prepared, which we never are by the way.  The qualifiers each season are the worst.

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6 hours ago, Bananas said:

Wasted opportunity and the club can only blame itself for not being more prepared, which we never are by the way.

Exactly. I don't understand why each time we have an opportunity to make Champions League, the club believes it can qualify with Conference League players. You need to invest in better players. Yes, it is a risk if we still don't qualify but that is exactly what an investment is - a risk!

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The difference between this run and like five years ago, is that five years ago they said "if we qualify, Ivan's gonna start writing checks for great players!" This time, we did make some big moves, but we made them way, way, way too late.

I think the squad is improved from last year, and we might see further improvement by the end of the month. Shola's hiring certainly indicates Konstantelias is on his way out (which I am very fine with), and the recent news of interest in Koulierakis probably means he's gone soon, too. I am also very fine with that. Selling those two players will more than cover every acquisition we've made this summer, with money left over for a few more good players.

Qualifying for Europa League should be pretty straightforward, and will net even more prize money. We will be much more competitive in that league, and should be much stronger domestically as well. So, to reiterate: look on the bright side.

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