AEK struggling to adapt to life with Ouzounidis
The 2017/2018 season severely raised expectations in Nea Filadelfeia, but AEK have struggled to live up to their tag as Greek champions, giving sub-standard performances with manager Marinos Ouzounidis coming under pressure. AGONAsport takes a closer look.
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Last season sent AEK fans into dreamland. The first Greek title in 24 years, a historic run to the knockout stages of a European competition, the double over Olympiacos...how that all seems a distant memory. Under new manager Marinos Ouzounidis, AEK have been a shadow of their former selves, currently sitting in a distant fifth place of the Super League and already out of contention in the UEFA Champions League. Yes, we’re only in November, but pulling back a nine point deficit against such a motivated, determined PAOK side seems more like fantasy than reality.
Did Kitrinomavri fans expect a fall from grace? Taking into account the notable departures over the summer, you can’t say this wasn’t coming. The refusal of AEK owner Dimitris Melissanidis to dig deep into his pocket and invest in the squad is taking its toll, and with the calendar year approaching its climax, the organisation finds itself in a crisis. In the previous Super League match, the Enosis dropped a damaging 0:2 defeat at home to Atromitos, a loss which makes the team’s task of keeping up with PAOK a rather challenging one. The harsh three-point deduction for fan trouble against Olympiacos only made matters even tougher.
Six wins, two draws and two defeats in the Super League isn’t the stuff of champions. Initially, AEK began the campaign with three consecutive wins against PAS Giannina, Asteras Tripolis and Panionios, however the painful 0:2 loss to arch-rivals PAOK seemed to sap the confidence out of the team. A 0:2 defeat against Ajax followed in the Champions League, and although AEK did recover with wins over OFI, Apollon Smyrnis and Aris coupled with a draw against Olympiacos, dismal showings in crucial games with Panathinaikos (0:0) and Atromitos (0:2) have raised serious concerns.
Criticism for Marinos Ouzounidis is subsequently growing. Given the achievements of Manolo Jimenez, the 50-year old had big shoes to fill, however belief within the team has noticeably decreased. The below-par form of particular players has also been apparent. Captain Petros Mantalos hasn’t been the same player since his injury, Marko Livaja isn’t making the difference, Vasilis Barkas has began committing some uncharacteristic errors, and the defence is leaky. Let’s look at the main reasons why AEK are going through a rough patch:
Lack of belief and togetherness: - The key component of AEK’s 2017/2018 triumph has disappeared. This can’t be blamed on the losses of Ognjen Vranjes, Lazaros Christodoulopoulos and Sergio Araujo: the biggest leaders within the team (Petros Mantalos, Andre Simoes, Vasilis Lampropoulos, Marko Livaja) all stayed put. Just take the unsavoury incident between Uros Cosic and Niklas Hult in the Champions League against Bayern Munich as a perfect example of the fractious atmosphere in the group. In the previous season, there was a strong feeling that it was AEK’s year, but that isn’t anywhere to be seen this time around.
Struggles in the latter stages of matches: - AEK’s players are tiring towards the end of games and this wasn’t visible in the 2017/2018 season. In early October, AEK were chasing the game against Olympiacos at the Olympic Stadium when 0:1 down, however the Enosis barely stretched the opponents until Anastasios Bakasetas popped up at the death to salvage a draw. Two goals were conceded against Atromitos in the dying moments and AEK aren’t playing in an energetic manner. The old excuse would be that playing so many games in a short space of time is having an effect, but AEK were in the same boat last year, albeit they were playing in the UEFA Europa League instead of the Champions League.
Tactical issues: - This has been clear for all to see in Europe. Hosting Benfica at the OAKA, AEK were a rabbit caught in the headlines, letting in two cheap goals to trail 0:2 in the opening stages. To their credit, AEK showed remarkable character to level the game at 2:2 with Viktor Klonaridis bagging a brace, but the third Benfica goal was a naive one to concede with the team losing shape. Jimenez was more adaptable to each individual situation (i.e. two 0:0 draws with AC Milan) and the players trusted in his ideas.
Individual mistakes: - This has been present throughout the entire season so far. Marko Livaja’s act of violence in the Champions League qualifiers has come back to haunt AEK, Vasilis Lampropoulos gifted Aleksandar Prijovic his two goals for PAOK in Thessaloniki, and Vasilis Barkas conceded a daisy cutter when Benfica scored their third in Athens. Mistakes which will not go unpunished at the highest level.
It’s not all doom and gloom. On the other hand, Ouzounidis has discovered the key to getting the best out of other players, with winger Viktor Klonaridis shining. With Jimenez at the helm, the 26-year old attacker endured a miserable slump, but Ouzounidis has rejuvenate Klonaridis and many are wanting the player to receive a call-up to the Greek national team. Incidentally, Klonaridis and Ouzounidis previously enjoyed a successful spell together at Panathinaikos. Swedish left-back Niklas Hult (also a former player for Ouzounidis at Panathinaikos) is having the season of his life, Ezequiel Ponce has adapted well to life in Greece, and young midfielder Konstantinos Galanopoulos is rapidly developing.
Statistically, not much has changed in comparison to the 2017/2018 Super League season (AEK also tallied six wins, two draws and two defeats in first 10 matches), but the circumstances were totally different. Domestically, AEK now have winnable matches against Panetolikos, Xanthi, PAS Lamia 1964, AEL and Levadiakos coming up in the remainder of 2018, and if Ouzounidis can turn the worrying situation on its head, the doubters will be silenced. AEK also have an outside chance of dropping into the Europa League from the Champions League group stage.
