PAOK: The Big Laundry

By Alain Anastasakis

Following a victorious campaign in Europe this summer and a promising start in the Super League, the Dikefalo brilliantly qualified for the Conference League and kept the momentum with consecutive wins in the group stage. An achievement, also marked by a deep change of the squad which notably resulted in the departure of many players. 

Review and Analysis

The Keepers:

Kotarski will naturally be number 1. The 23-year-old Croatian, who had a very good first season, also has plenty of room for improvement.

Zivkovic, eternal number 2, will also be there. Although we won't see him a lot this season, the team will be able to count on him.

The Defence:

As a Rahman-Koulierakis-Ekong trio takes shape, the unknown remains on the right back. The Polish defender Kedziora has yet to be convincing but Razvan seems to appreciate him after obtaining his loan for another year. 

It's also hard to imagine Vieirinha, 37, doing a full season. O Capitano, who's ready for his final tour, carries the weight of the years despite his good performances and will probably not be able to handle a whole season in this position as a starter. He will be primarily here to relay the coach's message in the locker room, help when needed and mentor the youth.

The two unknowns remain Sastre and Lyratzis. The first did not necessarily give great satisfaction last year; for the second, repeated injuries unfortunately slowed down his progression. However, we can imagine that he will have his chance again as Lucescu included him on the European list.

Finally, Rafa Soares, discreet but hardworking, will be Rahman's natural deputy as left-back. Giannis Michailidis is finally back after a terrible injury, and the Norwegian Ivan Nasberg will battle to be the 3rd choice in central defence.

The Midfield:

With Kurtic and El-Kaddouri leaving at the end of their contracts, the non-renewal of Dantas' loan and the departure of Augusto to Nantes for €6M, PAOK struck hard by recruiting, albeit late, Soualiho Meïté, Marcos Antonio and Magamed Ozdoev. 

The first, pure defensive midfielder, who played for Bordeaux, Torino and finally Benfica before a final season at Cremonese, will have something different to offer. The Russian, a recognised and appreciated player in his home championship, is also competing to start in the midfield. Both, playing in a more defensive role, will have the opportunity to prove their value with the accumulation of matches.

The Brazilian Marcos Antonio, signed on loan from Lazio, comes as the team's real number 8. His creative profile in midfield and his ability to play forward could make him, in Lucescu's 4-2-3-1, the conductor in the midfield capable of imposing the rhythm and providing the technique that sorely lacked last year.

Theocharis Tsiggaras comes back transformed from his loan to Toulouse. He didn't play a lot due to multiple injuries but has undoubtedly gained maturity and is already establishing himself as a safe bet in the squad.

The questions concerning Stefan Schwab. The value of the 33-year-old Austrian midfielder is well established and his status as vice-captain gives him a place in the rotation. However, he appears, in my opinion, to be close to terminating his stay at Toumba and it's reasonable to say he will leave at the end of the season if not earlier.

There remains the unknown withFilipe Soares. He has been really poor since his arrival and who has not even been registered for European competitions. There is no doubt that the club will try to find a way out for him.

The Attack:

An attacking trio Zivkovic-Konstantelias-Despodov is the obvious choice. The Serbian, back to his best level, has been impressive since the start of the season and is indisputable in the starting 11. Giannis Konstantelias, revealed last season, was able to show all his talent. The 20-year-old youngster still has to improve but will have to establish himself as the technical leader of the team.

Kyril Despodov, summer's star signing, is coming with status and will undoubtedly be one of the X factors of the team this year. The Bulgarian winger, brilliant during his last season, will be keen to play on his vision and bring his fighting spirit to attack.

Taison, still excellent despite being 35 year, acts as a real "Swiss army knife", being able to play as 10 and one side, and will keep an important role this season. Thomas Murg, who played several games, has one last card left to play in a hybrid role. Giorgos Vrakas, integrated into the first team and registered on the European list, could also gain a few minutes depending on the circumstances.

When we could have expected to see Manolo Gabbiadini, Mbaye Diagne or, icing on the cake, Fiodor Chalov coming to Thessaloniki, Aly Samatta was finally the chosen one to replace Nelson Oliveira. 

A choice that appears to be logical looking at the club's finances and the fact that PAOK 'only' plays in the Conference League, but that is still surprising looking at his performances in the previous seasons. His first games are not convincing so far but we still hope for an improvement after a period of adjustment.

Brandon Thomas returns for another season. He has been able to prove that he was a safe bet and will have a shot again this season. It remains to be seen what his place will be. Finally, the very young Stefanos Tzimas, author of remarkable performances in pre-season and at Euro U19 with the Ethniki could play a more important role this year. He needs to play and we can even imagine the possibility of a loan this winter, depending on the situation.

As we speak, and it is important to emphasise this, the starting 11 seems to be emerging as follows:

Conclusion:

The downside in transfers concerns Ingason (very difficult to replace), and the non-arrival of Maksimovic and the striker.

Regardless of Meïté's abilities, he is not at the level of the captain of Getafe who would have brought exactly what the team was missing in the middle. 

Gabbiadini, Diagne and especially Chalov provided immediate guarantees where the Tanzanian striker has been stagnating at an average level for several seasons. The first, just like the second, were not satisfied with the contracts offered by the club as for the last, it certainly appeared difficult to conclude the deal for financial reasons, but a player of this range would have deserved an effort with a scoring ability that is no longer to be proved.

Another disappointment, no one came to strengthen the left side or replace Khaled Narey, who left succumbing to Saudi petrodollars, leaving this task to a Despodov-Taison duo that, we hope, will hold on given the amount of matches. The (many) contacts with players such as Haksabanovic, Castillejo, Reiner, Misidjan, Carrascal or the returns of Pelkas or Limnios did not materialise. A problem that could, hopefully, be corrected in January.

Here is what the different possibilities could look like:

The best 11 (excluding injuries and assuming all players are in good shape):

Alternate Team:

Anyway, let's be positive! We have many reasons to be so. PAOK finally got rid of its big salaries and unwanted players and has carried out very substantive in-depth and high-quality work on the transfer market, with the contribution of young players, like the Koulierakis-Tsiggaras-Konstantelias trio, who deliver more and more to the team.

Razvan Lucescu now has the squad he wanted, capable of fighting on all fronts. Enough to play the title? As is often the case, time will tell. A cliché, certainly. But the significant improvement seen this summer is a cause for optimism. 

The Dikefalo hold all the aces to succeed both in the Super League and in Europe, allowing them to be ambitious again. And then, what stops us from aiming higher? “Fight back” becomes a reality. Let us hope it becomes prophetic. And Impossible is not PAOKTZI!

PAME PAOKARA!

@alainb_paris

Hellas Football