Official Greece WC thread, sponsored by Alexander the Great and Socrates

Welcome to the thread following the progress of Greece at the WC.

Greece beat Ukraine in the play-offs in order to make the WC, after finishing 2nd in their group.

Greece is in Group B, along with Argentina, Nigeria and South Korea, a near identical group to the last time Greece made the WC, which was a bit of a disaster.

The first game is against South Korea.

Despite a famous Euro 2004 victory, Otto Rehhagel has come under HEAVY criticism for awful squad selections and awful formations since the famous win in Portugal on July 4th, 2004. Hopefully Otto comes to his senses, picks the right time, and hopefully takes Greece through to the knock-out rounds. Definitely a hard task, but Euro 2004 proved that anything is possible .

Players to watch out for:

Sotiris Ninis - Absolute star, if he was from Argentina they'd be calling him the next Messi. He's been linked to a transfer to Real Madrid, Roma and Arsenal.

Theofanis Gekas - Top scorer in UEFA WC Qualifiers, beating Dzeko to the title.

Vasilis Torosidis - Determined Fullback, also been linked to a big money move to an EPL club.

Kyrgiakos

Otto Rehaghel does not know who to pick. I heard that he does not even live in Greece and he rarely watches Greek matches. Almost every Greek playing in Germany and other foreign leagues has automatic call ups(except Zikos who was at Monaco in 2004 when they reached CL final)

Greece has to overcome the South Koreans and the Nigerians to manage a qualification from the group, which is effable.

And Greece has to concede as few goals as possible by Argentina

Allright! a WC thread

Kyrgiakos and Papastathopoulos will be the Symplegades af the Greek defence

Torosidis on the right and maybe Tzavelas instead of Spyro on the left. As for the attack, Ninis will take care of everything.

I remember the awesomeness of Greece in 2004, mon a repeat. Looking forward to seeing Ninis, heard good things about him but not seen much of him

Allright! a WC thread

Kyrgiakos and Papastathopoulos will be the Symplegades af the Greek defence

Torosidis on the right and maybe Tzavelas instead of Spyro on the left. As for the attack, Ninis will take care of everything.

Tzavelas would be good on the left, I prefer him to Spyro who can be a bit :confused:

I remember the awesomeness of Greece in 2004, mon a repeat. Looking forward to seeing Ninis, heard good things about him but not seen much of him

2004 will never be forgotten

I am also looking forward to seeing Ninis and how he handles the world stage.

Rehaghel's magic surely is over, massive performance in 2004, but not much after that (although getting to WC10 at the expense of Ukraine is pretty good as well imo).

Rehaghel's magic surely is over, massive performance in 2004, but not much after that (although getting to WC10 at the expense of Ukraine is pretty good as well imo).

Yeah, as I said in the introduction, he's come under heavy criticism for squad selection & formations, but if he does take the team out of the group stages somehow, then he'll get some of his reputation back.

I saw that, but why did they kept him, money issues?

ímo you have a tough group (Argentina, South Korea & Nigeria), will not be easy?

I saw that, but why did they kept him, money issues?

ímo you have a tough group (Argentina, South Korea & Nigeria), will not be easy?

No idea really.

South Korea to me seem like the team we could definitely beat. We have a good height advantage (there's no stereotype in this btw ) and they don't seem as solid as before. Nigeria are good physically though, and Argentina are just miles better. It'll be tough, but anything is possible.

OOh Aah Samaras

imo the strongest Greek starting lineup:

GK: Alexandros Tzorvas (Panathinaikos)

DR: Giourkas Seitaridis (Panathinaikos)

DC: Sokratis Papastathopoulos (Genoa)

DC: Sotirios Kyrgiakos (Liverpool)

DL: Stelios Malezas (PAOK)

DMC: Vasilis Torosidis (Olympiacos)

MC: Giorgos Karagounis (Panathinaikos)

MC: Kostas Katsouranis (Panathinaikos)

FWR: Sotiris Ninis (Panathinaikos)

FC: Theofanis Gekas (Hertha BSC)

FWL: Dimitris Salpigidis (Panathinaikos)

Panathinational Team

I'd view the key subs as:

Pliatsikas (Schalke), Amanatidis (Frankfurt) and Avraam Papadopoulos (Olympiacos)

I like this kind of line-up, use the basis of whatever is the best team from your country and fill the weak spots with players from other teams.

I like this kind of line-up, use the basis of whatever is the best team from your country and fill the weak spots with players from other teams.

Yes, I agree. Also, a lot of the players will be used to playing with each other at club level so there will be a good bond. Fortunately the two central defenders have some experience in top leagues so when they see Messi running at them they don't **** themselves completely

I can see a 4-3-3 formation that switches into 5-3-2 if needed, with Torosidis going in defence and Ninis dropping into Midfield. I hope Otto doesn't mess things up like usual

Well, Malezas cannot play as a FB, he's too slow to fill that position. OK, he had a good, solid season but only as a CB, and he hasn't played in any other position than that in his career (well, maybe DMC one or two times).

Imo, Torosidis should be our RB. Can play all the wing, runs up and down like a machine, decent crossing, very good at man marking, can push the team up but never forgets his defensive duties. Seitaridis would probably ask for a frappe every 5 minutes

My choice:

-----------------Tzorvas(Sifakis)------------------

Torosidis----Kyrgiakos----Papastathopoulos(Morras)----Tzavelas

-----------Karagounis----------Katsouranis----------------

-----------------------Ninis-------------------------------

-------Salpigidis--------Gekas------------Samaras----------

Seitaridis would probably ask for a frappe every 5 minutes

Come on...he is Greek!

Come on...he is Greek!

I can imagine him on the bench with his frappé staring at his Lamborghini keys completely disinterested in the game.

elsgouro, would you play Samaras? He seems scared of the ball half of the time. Also, in your formation, the players are too attacking imo, essentially it's 4-3-3 with an AMC as well, we'd get torn apart.

Well, 4-3-3 is Rehangel's favourite formation. Of course he plays with three CM's that can press and man mark (i.e Kara, Katsou and Tziolis or Pliatsikas) and not an AMC like Ninis.

Yeah, now that I think of it, you're right, it's too offensive minded...

Some times he'd tried a 5-3-2 with attacking FB's (Toro and Spyro or Tzavelas) and imo it could work.

i.e

-----------------------Tzorvas (Sifakis)------------------------

----------Soti-------Moras (Malezas)-----Papastatho-----------

Toro---------------------------------------------Spyro(Tzavelas)

---------Kara--------------Ninis-----------Katsou--------------

-------------Salpi(Samaras)-------Gekas----------------------

Torosidis and Tzavelas or Spyropoulos have the stamina to play all the wing and from the WB position push up to the AMR/L role.

Theofanis Gekas - Top scorer in UEFA WC Qualifiers, beating Dzeko to the title.

Not good enough for Pompey though iirc.. Paul Hart iafc!

Gutted he didn't get a chance at Pompey, he obviously has an eye for goal considering he was playing limited club football and still scoring aplenty at international level.

Basinas likely to make the squad?

Basinas likely to make the squad?

No, he's given an interview a couple of days ago stating that his international career is over. Though, he didn't receive a call-up, so obviously that's the reason...

No, he's given an interview a couple of days ago stating that his international career is over. Though, he didn't receive a call-up, so obviously that's the reason...

Ahh poor Basi Made 100 caps for his Country

I think Greece might use a 5-4-1 system (at least vs Argentina) but I can also see a sort of 4-4-2 being used, like 2004.

-------------------Tzorvas

Torosidis----Moras---Kirgiakos---Papastathopoulos---Tzavelas

------------Karagounis----Katsouranis---Tziolis(??)

------------------------Ninis

---------------------Amanatidis/Gekas

or

-------------------------Tzorvas

Torosidis---------Kirgiakos----Papastathopoulos----Tzavelas/Spyropoulos

------Ninis---------Karagounis-------Katsouranis-----Koutsianikoulis??

---------------------------Amanatidis/Salpingidis---Gekas

We have to wait for the 23 called up to make assumptions though.

Greece has slim chances of doing something in this tournament, but in Euro 2012 and World Cup 2014 I see some great players making up the squad(and hopefully Giorgos Donis or Giannis Papakostas will be the head coach)

^^^I agree 100% about Donis, I think he has a lot of potential and maybe he's the only Greek manager that can work for a team in a more competitive foreighn league.

Papakostas also a good solution, the guy lead Kavala to the top five, till the ridiculous one who plays the owner there fired him, resuting in Kavala missing the play-offs.

One of them could be Rehangle's successor, hopefully just after the WC.

I definitely agree that around the 2012/2014 time, we could have the best Greek side we've ever had, but a decent showing in 2010 could at least set a marker for what is to come.

Ahh poor Basi Made 100 caps for his Country

I think he made a mistake moving to Portsmouth he's hardly featured all season, and what happened with Gekas? Portsmouth could have had a proven goalscorer but got shut of him.

I think he made a mistake moving to Portsmouth he's hardly featured all season, and what happened with Gekas? Portsmouth could have had a proven goalscorer but got shut of him.

Tony Adams brought him in, and when Hart took over he didn't want to play him cause he'd never heard of him

Shame Gekas isn't at a big club now, because he deserves it

I think he made a mistake moving to Portsmouth he's hardly featured all season, and what happened with Gekas? Portsmouth could have had a proven goalscorer but got shut of him.

Tbf to him he has played a lot more recently but mainly due to injuries. His contract is up at the end of the season, so do you think he will go back to Greece?

Blame Paul Hart Never gave him a bloody chance, when he arrived I was pleased as he has a proven goal scoring record in Germany, but no 1 game which was a sub iirc.

Tbf to him he has played a lot more recently but mainly due to injuries. His contract is up at the end of the season, so do you think he will go back to Greece?

Blame Paul Hart Never gave him a bloody chance, when he arrived I was pleased as he has a proven goal scoring record in Germany, but no 1 game which was a sub iirc.

There are rumours he will, although I don't want him at Panathinaikos because he'll clash with Cissé too much, so the only other option is Olympiacos.

He was the top scorer one year in Germany, so he definitely has the ability to score goals.

Whilst I think Greece have a decent looking group, they wont win, the top teams like Spain, Brazil, Italy, France etc deserve to win an international competition every 6 years or so.

Whilst I think Greece have a decent looking group, they wont win, the top teams like Spain, Brazil, Italy, France etc deserve to win an international competition every 6 years or so.

Personally, I'd be happy with making the round of 16 stage, because I think it would be a fair reflection of Greek Football. Not making it out of the groups would be fairly hard to swallow personally, but it would be understandable as Nigeria & South Korea are both good trams.

Even though it is too early to say, i 'm betting on a lineup for the first match including:

-----------------------Tzorvas

-------Avraam (Moras), Kyrgiakos, Papastathopoulos

----Vintra, Karagounis, Katsouranis, Torosidis

----------Samaras, Gekas, Salpingidis

It's a bit negative, and it is hugely based on the qualifiers, but i do think that's the most probable lineup. Could see Ninis having a Tsiartas role a la Euro 2004, i.e. coming on in the second half to provide some quality and feed the forwards, and could see Vintra replacing Avraam at the back, playing with either Seitaridis on the right or Torosidis and Spiropoulos on the left side, but that's as far as my imagination (or Rehaggel's) goes.

If you remember Euro 2004 he selected the lineup of the last couple of qualifiers, and in Euro 2008 he changed but paid the cost by having a somewhat disorganised midfield line. So i am guessing he will use as many of Panathinaikos players as he can, especially in midfield and he will rely on the occasional through ball for Gekas or long ball for Samaras to latch on and provide a couple of goals.

That said, and not wanting to sound too pessimistic, no one can guarantee that Karagounis wont score a screamer in the first 20 mins against South Korea and proceed to demolish them, getting a win in our first match and then progressing to the 16 easily...

I hope we don't see 3-4-3 because the CB's are not fast enough to cope.

I hope Ninis starts though, do we really have a better dribbling player? Maybe his small figure will get out muscled, and he won't cope with the WC pressue, but we have to give him a chance right?

Candre, it's Rehaggel. Ninis can't help in a tight, physical game, aiming at 1-0. And Greece in general can't have any success playing for a 4-3 win. So, imo Ninis will have a "Tsiartas" role as in euro 2004. Or if you remember, a better example would be Giannakopoulos. Exiled on the flanks and being asked to mark right up to our own area...

Candre, it's Rehaggel. Ninis can't help in a tight, physical game, aiming at 1-0. And Greece in general can't have any success playing for a 4-3 win. So, imo Ninis will have a "Tsiartas" role as in euro 2004. Or if you remember, a better example would be Giannakopoulos. Exiled on the flanks and being asked to mark right up to our own area...

I agree, and I hope Rehhagel takes this approach to football. In the qualifiers, we'd be 1-0 up and he'd still take a defender off for a striker, ending up in a draw. A more defensive approach is needed.

However, you have to ask where the goals will come from. Who will put in the final ball? Kara is likely going to have to cover for Kats who will wonder off the pitch like he's been doing for PAO, and Plitasikas/Tziolis can't provide quality balls. Ninis is the perfect mediator between the midfield and attack, and his goal scoring is getting better.

Although, I'd understand the approach of keeping it at 0-0 until the last 20 minutes, wear out the other team, and then bring on Ninis to finish them off.

You don't understand how Rehaggel works... He will play whatever tactic he deems will bring the better results. If he had the players, then he would play like he did at Bremen at the start of the 90's, when he was the most attacking coach.

Now in Greece, and he is right, he doesn't care about goals. Comparing to our previous show in a World Cup, if we get away with a single draw and a single point it will be a success. That's going to be his thinking, and his approach to the games. Now, as I told you, if we get lucky and score a fluke in the first game, then we might even win it again...

Greece has slim chances of doing something in this tournament, but in Euro 2012 and World Cup 2014 I see some great players making up the squad(and hopefully Giorgos Donis or Giannis Papakostas will be the head coach)

I think you guys would be utterly lost with Otto Rehhagel tbh...

You meant without obviously... Whilst it may be true, the thing that Rehhagel brought with him and cannot be taken away is organisation. Believe it or not, we always had good technical players (albeit a bit slow). What we lacked was organisation. And i think that the next choice will be a foreign manager

You don't understand how Rehaggel works... He will play whatever tactic he deems will bring the better results. If he had the players, then he would play like he did at Bremen at the start of the 90's, when he was the most attacking coach.

Now in Greece, and he is right, he doesn't care about goals. Comparing to our previous show in a World Cup, if we get away with a single draw and a single point it will be a success. That's going to be his thinking, and his approach to the games. Now, as I told you, if we get lucky and score a fluke in the first game, then we might even win it again...

I agree with you, but what I'm asking is, who is going to create the kind of goal Zagorakis made against France in Euro 2004? I personally just believe there has to be one player who can make something happen, because the flukes aren't always going to go our way.

I agree on everything else though.

(Btw, great to see you post here )

I think you guys would be utterly lost with Otto Rehhagel tbh...

Judging by his showing at the WC qualifiers, I would say he's grown old and senile.

However, the organisation he has brought (as eldiego said), is absolutely legendary.

You meant without obviously... Whilst it may be true, the thing that Rehhagel brought with him and cannot be taken away is organisation. Believe it or not, we always had good technical players (albeit a bit slow). What we lacked was organisation. And i think that the next choice will be a foreign manager

Yeah I did.

Fair enough.

Ninis will start in a 3-5-2 or 5-3-2 formation. I can't see how a 4-4-2 will be fileded, as I don't see a decent LM or at least a Giannakolpoulos-like RM, who can play at both wings. Unless he plays Tzavelas there.

A 4-3-3 is probably Otto's first choice, with Kara, Katsou and unfortunately, Tziolis in the mid. I had great expectation for Makos, but his season at AEk was utter ****.

Yes, Makos has been a huge disappointment this season, although I'm confident he will breakout next year. This is the weakest of our positions imo, DM. Tziolis is awful, Pliatsikas has some potential but can't go a game without getting sent off and Makos hasn't shown up yet. Toro could play DM, but he's too good at RB and of course, Seitaridis will crash his Lamborghini a minute before kickoff so Toro is forced to play there.

Makos can **** ...

Makos can **** ...

Makos has already been confirmed by Otto

The "foreigners" that are going to the camp: Gekas, Kapetanos, Kyrgiakos, Moras, Papastathopoulos, Patsatzoglou, Samaras, Tziolis, Charisteas.

No major surprise there, but i don't think all of them are going to make it to the World Cup

The "foreigners" that are going to the camp: Gekas, Kapetanos, Kyrgiakos, Moras, Papastathopoulos, Patsatzoglou, Samaras, Tziolis, Charisteas.

No major surprise there, but i don't think all of them are going to make it to the World Cup

Kapetanos and Patsa definitely won't make it, I'd dump Charisteas as well but he's got experience which Otto loves even if the player has lost ALL his talent.

^^^What Candre said.

Patsatzoglou to the WC would be a joke. Kapetanos also.

To bad Amanatidis got injured, would be a first choice FW.

I wouldn't count out Kapetanos tbh... I don;t think Patsatzoglou will make it, but Kapetanos is tall, powerful, has scored a bit in Romania... I 'm not so sure...

Tbf I can't see him beating out any of the following players:

Gekas

Salpigidis

Samaras

Charisteas

Mitroglou

and even:

Christodoulopoulos

Koutsianikoulis

On another note...

Amanatidis was out injured for Euro 2004, PAO won the double in the 03-04 season, Mourinho was the 2004 CL Final winning coach, in 2004 we had the world media attacking us saying we couldn't finance the Olympics...Omens anyone? Here's one more

1998 Croatia beat Ukraine and they end up finishing 3rd

2002 Germany beat Ukraine and they end up finishing 2nd

2010 Greece beat Ukraine and could they end up finishing 1st?

We obviously won't win it, but weird Omens

Gekas just got Hertha relegated. Omens?