Kolovos failing to live up to the hype at Panathinaikos
Dimitris Kolovos is failing to live up to the hype at Panathinaikos so far, failing to register a single goal or assist.
Watch LIVE GREEK TV including full GREEK SPORTS coverage with Go Greek TV!
It was the 18th of July, 2019 - Dimitris Kolovos was unveiled as a Panathinaikos player. The midfielder could not hide his delight at joining the Greens, stating that it was “a big chance” as he knew the size of the club and wanted to show he can perform at this high level.
Kolovos was heavily chased by the Trifylli, and Giorgos Donis and Nikos Dabizas both wanted the attack-minded midfielder desperately as they believed he would lift the level of the entire team and offer something different. There was not a single negative against his name in the scouting process - he perfectly fitted the exact profile of the player Dabizas wanted - at a perfect age and hungry to succeed. This was the type of signing that could even happen at a ‘normal’ Panathinaikos (without financial woes).
He came off a breakthrough season, playing for Omonoia in Cyprus and featuring for the Greek national team. His stunning, late equaliser in Bosnia in UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying only pushed his cause and this looked to be a player on the rise after rotten luck with injuries.
However, his time at Panathinaikos has been nothing short of a disaster to date. He is yet to score a single goal and looks lost in general play. He has not been helped by the fact that Donis has often played him out of position, either out wide on the wings or up front on his own as a center-forward, but that is no excuse for the poor ball control, lack of ideas on the ball, and low confidence.
Against Xanthi, it seemed as if the Trifylli played with 10 players as he was an easy opponent to deal with for an experienced backline. He was substituted off at half-time in that game, just like he was against Olympiacos. It has been so dire for Kolovos so far this season, that in 337 minutes on the pitch he has no goals or assists, and only a single shot on target!
The 26-year-old was also poor for Greece against Finland in John van’t Schip’s first match at the helm. The poor form at club level has carried into the international level and he was excluded from Greece’s latest squad to face Italy and Bosnia.
The issue has to be psychological. Kolovos definitely has the ability to make a difference at Panathinaikos, and offer unpredictability in the final third, but he has to regain his confidence first and foremost. He has demonstrated he has the talent in the past. A goal would do wonders for his confidence, but without shooting you will not score. He needs to hit the ground running after the international break if he is to make a positive impact upon returning to his home city.
