Consistency is key for rise up the ladder

AGONAsport’s Panathinaikos contributor, Nick Tsambouniaris, hopes for consistency from the Trifylli as injury troubles improve and urges Giorgos Donis to stick with last weekend’s starting team in the upcoming fixtures.

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Against all the odds, an unfancied Panathinaikos side picked up a credible point in Thessaloniki playing against a settled PAOK team that was fighting to share top spot with Olympiacos.

It has taken time, but Giorgos Donis has definitely assembled the Greens’ best starting eleven. The new signings added a cloud of uncertainty to the setup as last season’s system was tweaked to fit the new faces in, but not all have been able to make a difference. Dimitris Kolovos arrived with high hopes but looks bereft of ideas in the final third. Yohan Mollo has been inconsistent and plagued by a perceived bad attitude. Joao Nunes cannot crack into the starting team, meanwhile Uffe Bech has picked up a whopping four injuries since joining in the summer.

However, Donis appears to have navigated through a tricky period and hopefully has the team looking up the ladder. This will stem down to staying consistent and picking up results as favourites in matches, not only in derbies as underdogs. The passion and hunger display at Toumba, coupled with the quality performances of key players, saw Panathinaikos earn respect in a pulsating 2-2 draw.

Keeping this consistency will be key to the Trifylli’s hopeful rise up the ladder. There is no use if the team continues to crumble against the likes of Larissa, Lamia, Xanthi, and OFI (Panathinaikos have already dropped points against all these teams). Ironically, two of the better performances this season have come in the two derbies to date - the home draw against Olympiacos and last weekend’s away draw against PAOK. Clearly in the circumstances of a derby, the players are more focused and up their game, but moving forward, this needs to happen on a weekly basis.

There are many positives to take away from the draw at Toumba and this is what should be taken into the coming run of fixtures. Granted PAOK had more chances (and hit the post and were denied by an outstanding save in the second half by Sokratis Dioudis in goal), the Greens were not really threatened and the defensive solidity was there for all to see. The team was not fazed by the atmosphere and dug in. Moving forward, Bart Schenkeveld and Achilleas Poungouras have to be the starting centre backs. The duo seem to complement each other well - with the formers ability to play with the ball at his feet especially. Both are over six foot tall and should be winning almost everything in the air.

Reinstating talented winger and academy graduate Tasos Chatzigiovanis has also been great to see. He is better than the other options at Donis’ disposal and being Greek, he invariably understands the weight of the shirt. On top of this, Ghayas Zahid is being played in his best position as an attacking midfielder and it has shown in recent weeks. He has an eye for goal and can also create for his teammates. Playing centrally in a 4-2-3-1 formation alongside Chatzigiovanis and Giannis Bouzoukis, will get the best out of him.

Further up the pitch, Federico Macheda has hopefully put a back injury behind him and will be buoyed by scoring last Sunday. It is time for the Italian forward to get back to last season’s form. Juan Jose Perea and Argiris Kampetsis offer competition.

Depth remains an issue for Panathinaikos as options in several areas are limited if injuries strike again, but last Sunday, Donis virtually had a full strength squad to choose from (barring the injured Bech). This should be the team he settles on moving forward in an attempt to build consistency and move up the ladder.

The two goals conceded were preventable - Diego Biseswar should have been stopped much earlier in his almost free run into the box before laying it off for Vieirinha and the penalty was frustrating to give away so cheaply, especially after the five additional minutes. No doubt PAOK will feel the same way about the two goals they conceded, but it was great to finally see a hungry and determined Panathinaikos side punish their opponents’ errors. Donis had every right to feel aggrieved after the match and fair play to him for speaking his mind.

This weekend’s crunch derby against AEK gives the Trifylli an opportunity to build on last Sunday and genuinely kick-start their season as they face the likes of Panetolikos, Asteras Tripolis, Volos, Lamia, and OFI in winnable matches after the last international break of the 2019 calendar year.

By Nick Tsambouniaris

Image Source: SportTime

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