I can't help but smile watching our team this season so far. With the exception of the European games, the team has performed as if there is not a problem in the world. The players seem confident of themselves, Ferreira seems to be pushing all the right buttons, and they are disposing of the smaller clubs almost effortlessly.
It is noteworthy that Panathinaikos played once again a man down after yet another referee pulled out a red card with such ease that we have to be worried.
No, I am not saying that referees should not be showing red cards to Panathinaikos players when they deserve it.
I am saying that if they are so quick to pull out a red card for a play in the middle of the field where two opposing players were trying their hardest to contest for a loose ball, then they should be just as quick to pull that red card on a play when an player fouls an opponent to deny him an obvious opportunity to score.
Early in the first half Leto is dropped by the goalkeeper just as he has passed the ball around him and its a simple three step affair to get behind it and to send it to the empty net. This is the definition of a red card that was transformed to a yellow by a suddenly very lenient referee.
What I am saying is that if the referee is of the lenient type, then I expect, or better yet, I demand that he shows the same kind of leniency on two Vitolo fouls somewhere in midfield that invoked his two yellow cards. I expect the ref would show the same leniency he showed Swani when the upended Marinos with cleats making contact on both tof Marinos legs.
I expect that if a ref is so quick to show two yellows to a Pao player, they would be just as quick to show the same to Olympiakos players in other games.
Today's referee was actually laughable the whole game.
With such officiating we'll never see decent football in Greece. And it will be hard to convince the fans that the referees are not assigned to make sure that Olympiakos wins the title and another twenty million from the CL groups.
Just because we won today doesn't mean that we can ignore the scourge of Greek football (incompetent and dangerous referees).
As for Panathinaikos, I am liking what I see in this young season. I love the freedom our midfielders and forwards have to create, and it looks like the players are actually enjoying themselves out there.
I don't remember the time when our players played with such "air" in the past. Perhaps in the Kyrastas era, and a few games under Anastasiadis and Markarian. Beyond that, and for the past decade the team looked like they were playing constipated out there. Even in the best of days the team as a whole looked "stiff" with players trying their hardes to fit into very strict roles and areas.
For example, Leto was always confound to a "winger" role on the left wing, rarely changed sides, and always played away from the box. Now we know that Leto is a multi-talented player that can wreck havoc with his skills at any area of the field, and especially in and around the box. Opponents can't just stack their right side with midfielders and defenders to stop him now that he is allowed to just find the open space and to attack from everywhere.
This team is coming along well and I like their spirit and the way they play. Panathinaikos hasn't reached a level of game where we are guaranteed wins everywhere, but they have reached a point where they are enjoyable to watch for the most part.
To be sure, the team has weaknesses, but their fight and character makes up for it up to now in the Superleague. It's not a small feat to play decimated by injuries to some key players two games a man down and still win comfortably.
It would be good to remind ourselves that the team has been playing through major problems.
Beyond the ownership and "organized fan" problems, both our starting strikers were injured today, Vintra got hurt early on, Vitolo got ejected, both our number one and two goalkeepers are out, Ninis, Lazaros have been nursing long-term injuries, but it seems we have the resources to overcome.
Leto and Quincy have been a joy to watch, Kapinos (playing goalkeeper for Panathinaikos at 17 cannot be taken for granted) has been a pleasant revelation and the rest of the team are worthy of praise for today's win.
The only dark spot in the whole game were the "entitlement kids" of a certain gate that think they "own" Panathinaikos and can raise havoc with impunity. There were a couple of thousand PAO fans in the stands today and most seem to have a political agenda that they don't want to let go no matter how much it harms our club. I hope whoever comes and buys the club dismantles this pathetic group of whiners.
This is a young season that started with the lowest of expectations, but we are all can rest easy that this could end up being a good season after all.
There were whispers by the coach and players today that the club could content for the title. I think it's still early to know, but the players and the coach seem to believe in the dream so let's support their effort.
Added 10/18/11:
After I wrote my report, I was happy to see someone on Greek TV who saw the referee of the game as the joke he was:
The errors will continue. Greek football had an opportunity to clean up the house this summer with all the revelation and wiretaps about fixed matches.
Unfortunately, the state has more important things to worry about and the embedded crooks have found alibi out of punishing one chubby guy while the others (and non-chubby ones) have remained to continue controlling refereeing.
For the record, the referee inspector who was in the stands gave the referee a good grade!
It is noteworthy that Panathinaikos played once again a man down after yet another referee pulled out a red card with such ease that we have to be worried.
No, I am not saying that referees should not be showing red cards to Panathinaikos players when they deserve it.
I am saying that if they are so quick to pull out a red card for a play in the middle of the field where two opposing players were trying their hardest to contest for a loose ball, then they should be just as quick to pull that red card on a play when an player fouls an opponent to deny him an obvious opportunity to score.
Early in the first half Leto is dropped by the goalkeeper just as he has passed the ball around him and its a simple three step affair to get behind it and to send it to the empty net. This is the definition of a red card that was transformed to a yellow by a suddenly very lenient referee.
What I am saying is that if the referee is of the lenient type, then I expect, or better yet, I demand that he shows the same kind of leniency on two Vitolo fouls somewhere in midfield that invoked his two yellow cards. I expect the ref would show the same leniency he showed Swani when the upended Marinos with cleats making contact on both tof Marinos legs.
I expect that if a ref is so quick to show two yellows to a Pao player, they would be just as quick to show the same to Olympiakos players in other games.
Today's referee was actually laughable the whole game.
With such officiating we'll never see decent football in Greece. And it will be hard to convince the fans that the referees are not assigned to make sure that Olympiakos wins the title and another twenty million from the CL groups.
Just because we won today doesn't mean that we can ignore the scourge of Greek football (incompetent and dangerous referees).
As for Panathinaikos, I am liking what I see in this young season. I love the freedom our midfielders and forwards have to create, and it looks like the players are actually enjoying themselves out there.
I don't remember the time when our players played with such "air" in the past. Perhaps in the Kyrastas era, and a few games under Anastasiadis and Markarian. Beyond that, and for the past decade the team looked like they were playing constipated out there. Even in the best of days the team as a whole looked "stiff" with players trying their hardes to fit into very strict roles and areas.
For example, Leto was always confound to a "winger" role on the left wing, rarely changed sides, and always played away from the box. Now we know that Leto is a multi-talented player that can wreck havoc with his skills at any area of the field, and especially in and around the box. Opponents can't just stack their right side with midfielders and defenders to stop him now that he is allowed to just find the open space and to attack from everywhere.
This team is coming along well and I like their spirit and the way they play. Panathinaikos hasn't reached a level of game where we are guaranteed wins everywhere, but they have reached a point where they are enjoyable to watch for the most part.
To be sure, the team has weaknesses, but their fight and character makes up for it up to now in the Superleague. It's not a small feat to play decimated by injuries to some key players two games a man down and still win comfortably.
It would be good to remind ourselves that the team has been playing through major problems.
Beyond the ownership and "organized fan" problems, both our starting strikers were injured today, Vintra got hurt early on, Vitolo got ejected, both our number one and two goalkeepers are out, Ninis, Lazaros have been nursing long-term injuries, but it seems we have the resources to overcome.
Leto and Quincy have been a joy to watch, Kapinos (playing goalkeeper for Panathinaikos at 17 cannot be taken for granted) has been a pleasant revelation and the rest of the team are worthy of praise for today's win.
The only dark spot in the whole game were the "entitlement kids" of a certain gate that think they "own" Panathinaikos and can raise havoc with impunity. There were a couple of thousand PAO fans in the stands today and most seem to have a political agenda that they don't want to let go no matter how much it harms our club. I hope whoever comes and buys the club dismantles this pathetic group of whiners.
This is a young season that started with the lowest of expectations, but we are all can rest easy that this could end up being a good season after all.
There were whispers by the coach and players today that the club could content for the title. I think it's still early to know, but the players and the coach seem to believe in the dream so let's support their effort.
Added 10/18/11:
After I wrote my report, I was happy to see someone on Greek TV who saw the referee of the game as the joke he was:
The errors will continue. Greek football had an opportunity to clean up the house this summer with all the revelation and wiretaps about fixed matches.
Unfortunately, the state has more important things to worry about and the embedded crooks have found alibi out of punishing one chubby guy while the others (and non-chubby ones) have remained to continue controlling refereeing.
For the record, the referee inspector who was in the stands gave the referee a good grade!
0 comments:
Post a Comment
Feel free to post your thoughts and questions here. Comments are open to everyone, Please NO SPAM.
If you are here to spam, you will be wasting your time because I monitor these comments and I will delete any spam immediately.