Return of the Greens

Return of the Greens

By Antoni

The famous song “Return of the Mack” by Mark Morrison is one that captures the moment for Panathinaikos fans. Morrison’s song is about a love interest he loses and struggles for a time  as he navigates through trying to show her he made it. This struggle perfectly encapsulates the trials Panathinaikos has faced in recent years in its quest to get back into European competition once again.  

 

For decades, Panathinaikos was the pride of Greece and served as her representative on the European stage. Things have been more than lackluster for the past six years or so however. The greens, like Morrison, lost their love interest after facing bans and coming up short in the league table over that span. The club went through a handful of coaches and technical directors throughout the past six years, attempting to work their way through and find the formula to get that love interest back.

 

It appears that 2022 has finally served as the year for Panathinaikos to bounce back. After an undefeated playoff run with one game against PAOK remaining, Panathinaikos have finally secured their spot in Europe after a 4-0 home win over Pas Giannina, the very same team which brought the greens so much anguish one year ago.

 

This win has propelled Panathinaikos into a qualifying spot for the Conference League, a respectable competition and one that is best suited for a side who will need to find their way back playing against other European sides.

 

Earlier this season I wrote that this Panathinaikos side was full of potential and that for the first time in years, we may actually have something to dream for again. The season opening 4-0 win over Apollon is what had me convinced that this Panathinaikos team was going to be much different to the teams we have seen the last six years. The team dominated that match from start to finish, scored loads of goals, and was playing with intensity for every minute of that match. It foreshadowed the team we would eventually see on a more consistent basis as the season progressed, and it seems that I had correctly predicted that this season would be a more positive one for Panathinaikos.

 

Assessing Panathinaikos’ performance today against Giannina, we find that it mirrors that performance against Apollon in the season opener with the exception of some strong areas  of improvement. The team dominated possession, created several scoring chances, and inevitably won 4-0. The big difference between the two performances however is that now, the team is much more organized and structured. This contrasts with what we saw in game one where Apollon were able to exploit some of the gaps within our defensive line. Of course, that was game one, but it marks the progress the team has made throughout this entire season.  

 

Whatsmore is that within these playoffs, Panathinaikos has faced its trials and come out victorious having defeated every team in its path. The greens have defeated PAOK, AEK, Aris, PAS Giannina, and most recently Olympiakos at Karaiskakis for the first time in eight years.    

 

Much credit should be given to coach Jovanovic who came in and built the team his way. He selected the players he wanted for this season, and was not afraid to rotate and experiment with the lineups if things did not appear to work well. What I really enjoyed was that “Jova” did not play favorites throughout the season. If a player was in good form he was given time, if his form started to dip another player was given an opportunity. Compared to those past five or six years, we find that it was a breath of fresh air to see a coach unafraid to bench a player or two and quench any egos.

 

The job is not finished yet however, Panathinaikos have made the cup final and still have one more game left in the playoffs against PAOK which will secure the greens second spot if they win. Finishing second and winning the cup would be a tremendous way to cap off this season, though it will be tough. PAOK are a great side, but if we would like to continue to prove ourselves like Morrison’s character in “Return of the Mack” we ought to win these games and let them know it is time for the…

 

Return of the greens.

Hellas Football 

 

(Image source: Panathinaikos FC Official social media account)