Michalis Tsochos writes about Panathinaikos losing their concentration and balance and PAOK having open spaces in front of the ball…
I didn't expect the Doompa derby to be so different. The home side, a team that is in full form and has been playing together since the summer, coach and player changes and absences. 30 days in front of her with a coach, new players, new game mode and not many guests. Not knowing the names is enough to understand the winner and the underdog in the competition. Liked, oh PAOK In this case, success. An outsider in our history Panathinayakas, he lost. Makes sense in football terms.
Would the story and the match have ended differently? It may be, but “ifs” aren't what football is known for, and it's also true that derbies are usually won by the better team during the season and in this particular competition in particular. So the questions that arise are different. Can Terim do anything else to avoid defeating Doomba? Apparently it can. A number of changes in the half did not favor Panathinaikos and the match did not scream the kind of shock that Terim needed. The Turk's training has not been good, no doubt about that. But the main problem is the injured.
When philosophy goes for a walk…
Several injuries since the day he took over. Mister, it can be none other than you, it is now clear. Is it training, is it serious, is it risky to play by showing the measurements that the players are red, or anything else, is it the above? However, what happens is the responsibility of the coach and his partners. “You don't talk to me about absences and sacks until we play with 11” is a good philosophy, but when it comes time for the match it's not Ioannidis but Jeremekaev, the philosophy goes. The pitch flatly denies you.
If Panathinaikos had played without Panathinaikos in the derby and PAOK had played with 10 defeats, does anyone doubt that the result would have been different? Probably no one doubts it. So limiting the problem is part of Terim's job. Because we're not dealing with bad luck here. The Panathinaikos players did not score at one point, they were not injured in their claim to the ball, but they all suffered muscle injuries. They may not be well trained, and a thousand and two things may have happened, but the point remains. Terim, with his game and training, empties a Panathinaikos roster of its caliber and dramatically reduces their chances of achieving anything.
Trying to get a deal won't happen in the middle of the season
Many say Almeida does the same. I will not agree. Another is “same” and the other is “similar”. And Almeida mainly does it for two years and the first year with one match a week. He taught the players to live at this pace since last summer's training. Terim tries to do just that in the middle of the season. It is clearly and scientifically known that this cannot be done.
Panathinaikos is now at a critical juncture. Wednesday's cup match with Atromitos and especially Sunday's match with Olympiakos is Panathinaikos' all year round now. If he can't get the wins (especially on Sunday), the season will turn into a nightmare for Panathinaikos. The fans will be back in the pubs, Terim will be competing hard for the title, the ghost of Ivan will appear above the avenue and the atmosphere will be heavier than ever in the last three years, whatever the consequences. It has.
PAOK are capable of making a difference
At the same time, what we say is happening to PAOK, its opportunity, its moment. Healthy, above all, psychologically superior, alone and with a series of derbies in Toomba, Luccheso's team has the momentum of the championship. Now he is capable of building a gap, getting into the playoffs, and chasing rather than chasing. And to start the playoffs by three and four points, that's a big deal, that's a big dowry. This gives you the right to make a mistake, but mainly takes away the right to make a mistake from those chasing you, because the difference can reach 6 or 7 points, and it will not be collected later.
PAOK plays mainly and then plays well. When you play, football justifies you. His second goal against Panathinaikos was a minor work of art. It's high-quality football that has it all. Individual quality, coach's work, team chemistry, players' imagination, automation. PAOK's second goal is football. And PAOK has been playing football since the beginning of the year, sometimes successfully (in most cases), sometimes not (in fewer cases). And football rewards him more and more …