Friendly: Belgium - GREECE

[Nikolaos]

Happy Birthday Otto!!! Thank you for all that you've done for Greece!

:gr:

[REDmagic]

Otto has just made a couple of changes in the squad :tup:

Moras , Lymperopulos and Salpighdhs come in and the players to miss out are Pappadopoulos , Gekkas and Tsartas (about time he was shown the door) :LOL:

Im looking forward to see Salpighdhs kick some arse :P

I still believe Stoltsidhs shoudv'e been given a go :o

I think this is the beggining of many more changes and lets hope :gr: is in germany next year :tup:

:gr: ELLAS MPOREIS MPOREIS NA PROKRITHEIS :gr:

[XXX-18T]

Happy Birthday for King Otto

we all love wut u have done to our club

and i know u will turn things around

Club?

do u see Greece as a club???

:LOL: :LOL: :LOL:

[Ziaka]

Here are the players called by rehaggel for the game with belgium:

Zagorakis, Salpiggidis (PAOK), Nikopolidis, Kapsis, Kafes (Olympiakos), Sifakis (OFI), Katsouranis, Moras, Lyberopoulos, Lakis (AEK), Vyntra, Goumas, Basinas (Panathinaikos), Fyssas (Hearts of Midlothian), Giannakopoulos (Bolton Wanderers), Vryzas (AC Fiorentina), Haristeas (Ajax Amsterdam), Seitaridis (Dinamo Moscow), Karagounis (Inter Milan), Kyrgiakos

[aek21]

actually Lybe in my opinion has has become a better ever since joining AEK and fits well with Rehhagle style of play (discipline and strong both mentally and physically), the one thing he lacks is consistency. But he's a great playmaker, he opens the defenses well.

[Korisos]

these are some good call-ups: i think otto has done well to call moras and see what he can do instead of sticking with Tav, at least he's given himself some options which is a nice change from his stubborness. i'll bet lybe is there only to replace Amanatidis who is injured. it's about time he showed Halkias the door, otto now seems to have selected Sifakis as the future but i saw him once at the olympics so i can't really say much about him.

i've noticed it's only a 20 man squad so tsartas may well be called back with either pap/gekas + a defender(dellas) for the next qualifier. i would love to have seen Samaras get a call-up but we'll have to wait.

i think Sifakis should play half the game or else whats the point of calling him. i think basinas should play the whole game as it might help him find another team with a good performance, i see Birmingham have lost a midfielder for the entire season so they might make a new and better offer, basinas needs to have a strong game. let's go and score some goals.

[almamatter]

I would say that next in line are Zikos, Houtos, Taralidis, Pandos (for him I fear that Solid might not like him though, which mean more bech time at Osfp)

[Ziaka]

i would love to have seen Samaras get a call-up but we'll have to wait.

Samaras was called up for the U-21 nt which will play Belgium on the same day.

[aek21]

Zikos walked out on the NT, but I'm sure Euro 2004 reminds him of what an idiot he was. Same goes for Georgatos, nothing more than prick.

[drakos13]

I would say that next in line are Zikos, Houtos, Taralidis, Pandos (for him I fear that Solid might not like him though, which mean more bech time at Osfp)

:LOL: :LOL:

this arguement again?

Choutos is hardly going to get training time

Zikos left

Pantos is crap and will like u said be benched

Taralidis? good but come on not THAT good. :blink:

[loup]

Anyone else wonder why Kafes is still on the team?

[Korisos]

I would say that next in line are Zikos, Houtos, Taralidis, Pandos (for him I fear that Solid might not like him though, which mean more bech time at Osfp)

Zikos....not as long as otto is in charge

Houtos...read the other thread, like i said, great prospect at Roma but ever since then :tdown:

Taralidis maybe but not anytime soon.

anyway i hope otto has found the right recipe to cook some goals

[evalagoal]

Zikos....not as long as otto is in charge

Houtos...read the other thread, like i said, great prospect at Roma but ever since then :tdown:

Taralidis maybe but not anytime soon.

anyway i hope otto has found the right recipe to cook some goals

I can't seem to understand why Otto doesn't like Ziko? Is it because the position is already filled?

And as far as Taralidis, he is a great player. What the kid needs is time w/ the team in order to mesh. I think that if these 2 guys get into the team the team will liven-up...

[Korisos]

Goumas + Kats are out, Alexopoulo is in (epo.gr)

[Olympiakosthyra7]

when is Belgium vs. Greece?? what day??

[Ziaka]

August 17, 2005 at 21:15 GR in Brussels as it says in the thread title. That's next Wednesday.

[greeksoccerfanatic]

Georgatos on the Ethniki? Absolutely re paidia. It would be nice, only if him and Otto would get along. It will improve our offense dramatically. What is the real story behind the Otto-Georgatos feud? Don't think Lymberopoulos is the answer for the Ethniki(Vareis paixths kai tempelis). I think Zikos could be a factor. He has played well for Monaco, hard worker in the midfield, and could be the replacement for Zagoraki in the future. And Xouto, like ALMAMATTER has said, could next be called up for the Ethniki. After all he has been called up before by Otto, and more specifically in the Euro'2004 qualifiers. Let's see what we can do against Belgium on the 17th of August. It's a good test. I think we'll pull off a 1-0 win. Karagouni with the goal. :gr:

[Korisos]

in all of this the one player that still pisses me off is Haristeas, ever since euro it's been downhill for this guy. i think the euro success went straight to his head and now :tdown: he's already proven his abilities in the past and now i think otto should sit him on the bench in favor of a young striker who has something to prove.

what has hari done in this qualifying campaign: 3 goals, he scored a header vs. albania, okay fine, then woo hoo he scored 2 goals against, watch out, Kazahkstan, big deal. the last match vs. ukraine must have been the worst i've seen him play. otto should use a young striker that has something to prove.

i probably shouldn't single out a player like this, but this guy has just pissed me off.

[Ziaka]

aek66, I seem to remember the same events that hapopened before the game with Finland. If I remember correctly there was also a big fight between the two players (Georgatos, Tsiartas) about the jersey numbers they were going to wear on the NT.

[Korisos]

i think basinas should play the whole game as it might help him find another team with a good performance, i see Birmingham have lost a midfielder for the entire season so they might make a new and better offer, basinas needs to have a strong game. let's go and score some goals.

http://www.myfootballnews.co.uk/news_jump....67&story=225175

i knew it, let's hope this time it really happens

[Korisos]

here is Belgium's team:

highly rated Vincent Kompany is included

Proto (RSC Anderlecht), Herpoel (KAA Gent), Kompany (RSC Anderlecht), Doll (KSC Lokeren OV), Deschacht (RSC Anderlecht), Léonard (R. Standard de Liège), Van Buyten (Hamburger SV), Vanden Borre (RSC Anderlecht) Van Damme (Werder Bremen) Bisconti (OCG Nice), Clement (Club Brugge KV), Daerden (KRC Genk), Geraerts (R. Standard de Liège), Vanderhaeghe (RSC Anderlecht), Simons (PSV Eindhoven), Buffel (Rangers FC), Mbo Mpenza (RSC Anderlecht), E Mpenza (Hamburger SV), Pieroni (AJ Auxerre), Vandenbergh (KRC Genk).

[Korisos]

otto needs to light a fire under his ass.

yes cos maybe the cold in Russia is getting to him. but i agree he's turned around 180 degrees since euro, his ball control has been amateur standards, vs. Georgia it was horrible, mind you the pitch was in bad shape but still. his long balls vs. ukraine went nowhere. he has played well in parts of matches but the overall performance has been poor.

it almost seems that mancini of inter is single-handedly trying to ruin karagounis' international career. i think karagouni needs to get out of milan on the 1st plane, just like emre did.

i think otto noticed that too. i'll bet my house that otto had something to do with those 2 German teams, borussia dortmund & Schalke making offers for him, similar to soto/schalke which unfortunately fell through

[Korisos]

here are the referee's for the match, senior and u-21 teams (epo.gr):

Referee Espen Berntsen (NOR) is to officiate at the friendly match between the A

[loup]

yes, i think you are correct on that...that number scenario also rings a bell. a bad time for greece...players feuding, terrible preformances on the pitch and i also think at that time, the AEK players' boycott of the national team was in full force.

looking back, otto made a clever move. by banning from the national team and lashing out at georgatos in the press, the players and coach had a similar rallying theme to play hard for each other, which was missing from the national team for 20-25 years. i won't say that georgatos was the main reason that greece was poor in international play, but the psychology of making a scapegoat out of georgatos seemed to change the players in a positive way.

a few months later, no georgatos, otto got to know his players better and the AEK players came back...and greece almost beat england in old trafford in the famous 2-2 match....from there, i'd say that was the 1st building block of winning euro 2004.

Gergatos also bitched about fans, teamates etc after the Finland gtame - and Otto was again shocked claiming that he expected a player who was part of a 5-1 loss to come out and say that he would have to improve his play - and I think that Georgatos actaully quit the team - screw him and his loser mentality -

As far as Charisteas goes you may have a point - but who would you like to have up front? :gr:

[Korisos]

As far as Charisteas goes you may have a point - but who would you like to have up front?

well in this match i want to see what lybe can do, but then when Amanatidis is healthy again.....

it depends if otto plays 2 or 3 natural strikers, with 3 like in the mexico game, charisteas did play better but still :angry: