Olympiacos Piraeus

[Blitzer]

5 key players out !

Emenike and Pardo started on the bench.

André Martins, Botía and Tachtsidis didn't make it to the bench.

WTF is happening Faliro ?

[Faliro]

Faliro, what a shame.

What's your opinion on Hasi?

Hasi stated in an interview that even he didn't think he was a big enough coach for Olympiacos when he was made the offer to coach here. That didn't exactly fill my soul with confidence..

I think he fell into the trap most coaches fall into in Greece - specifically at Olympiacos. Due to our injury list being at Benfica levels... He decided to put a 33 year old CM - Romao - as CB. Due to Xanthi being Xanthi.... when we played them.. we looked kinda secure back there with Romao as CB - however anyone with half a brain (sadly in Greece - that is many..) could see Romao would get butchered at CB by a team as strong as Sporting.

So his experiments died and we were caught out. Hard to fully blame him because all our pure CBs are injured.. Botia, Cisse and Vukovic... but.. if you know we are weak there... you put cover. He started an extremely attacking line up and lately - Vadis Odjidja-Ofoe - just looks like a superb number 10. No way a DM. So the lineup was messy.

I am not sure he has the brilliance of Valverde or Michel... He seems a bit like a tough and hardcore Balkan drug dealer at times. No bull shit - just results. He says it as he sees it. For example - it made me laugh - a interviewer asked him: 'at half time - did you think to make any changes vs Sporting?.' Hasi replied - 'I wanted to make 6-7.' 

He needs time. No idea. He is probably learning too. Not 100% sold on him yet.

[Faliro]

5 key players out !

Emenike and Pardo started on the bench.

André Martins, Botía and Tachtsidis didn't make it to the bench.

WTF is happening Faliro ?

We seem to have your medical staff this season. Botia and Tachtidis are still injured. They would have started if fit.

Andre Martins is an interesting one. Hasi doesn't like him and I think told him to find a new club. Martins then did an Arda/Gomes and said 'no.' So now everyone is just looking around..

I spose Hasi's biggest lesson is that plugging the gaps with out of position 33 year old players works in Greece, it doesn't work in the CL.

[Blitzer]

5 key players out !

Emenike and Pardo started on the bench.

André Martins, Botía and Tachtsidis didn't make it to the bench.

WTF is happening Faliro ?

We seem to have your medical staff this season. Botia and Tachtidis are still injured. They would have started if fit.

Andre Martins is an interesting one. Hasi doesn't like him and I think told him to find a new club. Martins then did an Arda/Gomes and said 'no.' So now everyone is just looking around..

I spose Hasi's biggest lesson is that plugging the gaps with out of position 33 year old players works in Greece, it doesn't work in the CL.

André Martins may not be Iniesta but he's better than Odjidja-Ofoe (fetiche player ?).

It looks like he will only play if there is a coach change, it's a shame.

Emenike has also been injured, right? Adductor problems.

[Faliro]

Correct. Emenike has been injured and only recently come back.

Personally I think Odjidja-Ofoe is a very good player, but not as a pure CM. I think he is a very good central AM. Andre Martins for me us a versatile and quick thinking CM who can get forward well on a good day. I actually would have started Martins and Zdjelar as CMs with Vadis playing just in front. Looking at the squad we can just about manage with a few injuries here and there, but 3 injured CBs is hard to recover from in the CL.

By the way if you like Martins as a player, keep an eye on Androutsos. He is virtually identcal but a little quicker and has a good eye for goal. Dare i say a potential Benfica AM? He looks very good.

[Faliro]

The usual low level intelligence Greek media questions. Thought Xasi handled it well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGbb-4G76Bo

[Faliro]

[Godescalco]

Pardo is a very good player, actually.

Too bad about your defense. It's unlikely you'll score any points in this year's CL group.

[Faliro]

Pardo is a very good player, actually.

Too bad about your defense. It's unlikely you'll score any points in this year's CL group.

Agree. Juve is the only way I see any points..

And agree about Pardo, liked him from day one.

[Faliro]

Xasi may get fired in the coming days. Rumours flying.

[RodriE]

You can take Vitoria.

[Faliro]

You can take Vitoria.

I thought you liked Olympiacos? 

[RodriE]

You can take Vitoria.

I thought you liked Olympiacos? 

Well... I like Benfica more... 

[André Sousa]

I remember watching Sporting years ago in the Europa Cup I think? They had a midfielder called Barbosa? I remember thinking he had very good feet.

Pedro Barbosa

Very, very slowly

You are talking to someone from the land of Basinas, Tziolis, Katsouranis... we know about slow!

But yea, was Barbosa any good or was I out of it that night?

Barbosa was amazing.

Very underrated.

[Cloughie]

You can take Vitoria.

I thought you liked Olympiacos? 

We paid 10M for Samaris.
It's time to pay it back.