Greece - Where the Depth Issues Lie

By Christian Leggas

We, as fans, can have few complaints thus far regarding how Ivan Jovanović has coached this team 

and his choices. He has them believing in themselves, which leads to high team spirit, goals and, 

most importantly, wins.

However, by the time the March fixtures against Scotland come around and indefinitely beyond that, 

he's got to have more depth in both the right wing and the defensive midfield positions.

Let's start with the defensive midfield position, specifically, our lack of types who are Dimitrios 

Kourbelis clones, so to speak. As soon as he became suspended for the match in Athens against 

England, I knew we'd be in struggle street, and it came to pass. Christos Zafeiris, who replaced 

Kourbelis that night whilst battling hard to emulate him, couldn't. I don't put much blame on Zafeiris, 

as it's not like you can wave a wand to change his physique to match Kourbelis', but if he had his time 

again, Jovanović would've selected Andreas Ntoi (who, at the moment, is the next best option we 

have to Kourbelis for that role). England played through our midfield trio much easier in Athens than 

on that famous night in London a month earlier, as there was nobody to act as that brick wall to 

thwart the likes of Jude Bellingham or Curtis Jones. With games against Scotland, and one of 

Denmark or Portugal on the horizon, we can't afford opposition of that sort of quality to weave past 

our midfield that swiftly. So, the more Kourbelis and Ntoi types that get identified? The better.

Moving now to the position of right-wing. Whether you like it or not, Giorgos Masouras is currently 

our only and perhaps best choice for this spot. I get that at times he can have difficulties with 

successful attacking end-product, but show me another option we have right now who can boast 

forty-seven caps, ten goals and five assists, not to mention a phenomenal willingness to run both 

ways on that side, exactly you can't, and him alone clearly isn't enough. Jovanović experimented with 

Dimitrios Pelkas down the right, which didn't work despite Pelkas' best efforts. I firmly believe, 

however, that he made that selection call because of our lack of depth there. He also gave Georgios 

Vagiannidis a go on the right flank in Dublin against the Republic of Ireland in the UEFA Nations 

League, which was better. So, if he's second fiddle to Masouras? I won't complain, even if he's away 

from his more natural right-back position. Nor would I complain if Charalampos Kostoulas gets a 

chance there. Even Dimitris Limnios is shaping up as a candidate who gradually appears to be gaining 

the trust of current Panathinaikos coach Rui Vitoria, so we shouldn't forget about his potential. In 

summary, Jovanović can't select Pelkas on the right wing anymore and has to search for more 

options to help Masouras.

It's crunch time for Jovanović in 2025, and needless to say, solid depth in every position will go a long 

way toward not only promotion to League A in the UEFA Nations League but also ending an 11-year 

absence from major tournaments.

@Crazy_Ethnic

Hellas Football