SLGR Player Review: Panathinaikos enjoy a strong regular season

Nick Tsambouniaris assesses the performances of all Panathinaikos players in the regular season, including past players who started the season in the squad and new arrivals in January.

Watch LIVE GREEK TV including full GREEK SPORTS coverage with Go Greek TV! 

The performances of the players can be broken down into four categories: standout performers, reliable performers, disappointing performers, and those that cannot be judged due to various different factors.

STANDOUT PERFORMERS

Bart Schenkeveld

The centre-back joined Panathinaikos relatively late in the summer transfer window and, therefore, needed time to settle in. However, as soon as he found his feet, he slotted in seamlessly, forging a strong pairing in the heart of defence with Achilleas Poungouras. Schenkeveld is a big body, very well built, allowing him to use his strength in one on one duels, and relatively tall, although not a giant. He also reads the game well, but above all, his best asset is his ability to play with the ball at his feet. This means the team can build attacks from deep positions, fitting in with Giorgos Donis’ gameplan. He was a major reason why the Greens went five straight league games without conceding a single goal. He is regarded as the player of the season and is a kind of player the Trifylli have lacked for years.

Federico Macheda

The striker started the season off very slowly and came under immense criticism during the first half of the season. However, he ended the regular season with 12 goals next to his name in 23 league matches, making him the second-highest goalscorer in the competition. Even though a considerable portion of his goals came from penalties, this statistic cannot be ignored. Hitting a scoring tally in double digits would have been the target, and he delivered. He has aimed up in the big derbies, scoring against the likes of AEK and PAOK, and is the undisputed first-choice striker.

Sokratis Dioudis

The goalkeeper has genuinely found a home at Panathinaikos and remains the undisputed first choice. His strong performances led to a callup to the national team squad. His mammoth saves and big, calming presence between the sticks have directly led to the team picking up points. His saves in big derbies against Olympiacos, AEK, and PAOK were pivotal (especially the latter two). He featured 25 times in the regular season and only conceded 22 goals (less than one per game). He was also a major factor when Panathinaikos recorded five consecutive clean sheets in the second half of the season.

Ghayas Zahid

The attacking midfielder started the season off slowly as he came to terms with the league and his new surroundings. However, once Donis found his best position, he flourished. The attacking midfielder enjoyed success operating in a roaming role behind the striker, scoring goals, as well as setting them up. His goal in round five against Panionios was the goal of the round, and his marker at Toumba against PAOK was another highlight. He makes the team significantly better, and without him, the team struggles. This was evident during his absence due to injury near the halfway point of the season.

Tasos Chatzigiovanis

A familiar trend can be observed here, which reinforces how bad the team was at the start of the season but managed to turn it around. Much like his teammates, the winger made a slow start (although this was through no fault of his own). However, as soon as Nikos Dabizas left and Chatzigiovanis signed his new contract, he was reinstated in the team and did not look back. His impact was immediate as he scored the match-winning goal against Atromitos in his first game back. His pace, creativity, and energy led to many memorable moments, such as setting up the second goal for Juan Jose Perea in a great comeback win over AEK. He also scored the match-winning goal against PAOK in front of Gate 13.

RELIABLE PERFORMERS

Achilleas Poungouras

His second season at the club has been a more enjoyable and successful one. He has formed a great pairing with Bart Schenkeveld, as they complement each other so well. The young Greek defender overtook Joao Nunes and Dimitris Kolovetsios in the pecking order and has his strong performances are being tracked by Ethniki coach John van ’t Schip.

Christos Donis

The 25-year-old has emerged as a leader in this squad and has enjoyed career-best form this season. His energetic, all-action approach has rubbed off on his teammates. He can be regularly counted upon, and his father knows exactly the kind of performance he will get from his son. New January arrival Anuar Tuhami struggled to displace him. His goal against Panionios was voted as the goal of the round in round 18.

Dimitris Kourbelis

The captain remains the heart and soul of the team, however, these days, he has more regular better performers to assist him. He adds strength in the middle of the park and expertly shields the backline. He has also entrenched himself in the national team.

Emanuel Insua

Insua is another strong, reliable option for Donis to call upon. He improved as the season went on and showcased more of what he is so well-liked by all for; his endless energy and non-stop running, which sees him cover much ground down the left wing. At the moment, his contract situation is stealing the headlines.

Mattias Johansson

Much like his fellow full back partner, the Swede has remained consistent without being great. He was the clear first choice for the whole season, but the uncertainty regarding his future means he may not stay at the club beyond this season.

Dominik Nagy

The Hungarian has been a breath of fresh air since arriving in Athens. Being a natural winger with an ability to cross, pace, and an eye for goal, he has been an instant hit. He added another dimension to the Greens’ attack, but his high wages (approximately 800,000 EUR) means it is unlikely he will stay beyond this season. If only he arrived in the summer instead of January…

Anuar Tuhami

The central midfielder was a great find by Xavi Roca as he adds more technical quality and depth in the engine room. A clever player that reads the game well, Tuhami is also comfortable with the ball at his feet. He was a good addition since joining on loan in January.

Giorgos Vagiannidis

The highly talented right-back showed enough at the back end of the season to enter this category. He has been well-known for some time by Panathinaikos and Greek football fans alike, and is tipped to go on and enjoy a long, bright career in the game. He scored his first ever senior goal and looks set to commit his long-term future to the club.

Juan Jose Perea

The Colombian forward could have been higher or lower. He burst onto the scene and scored in the thrilling comeback win over AEK while recording a marker against Lamia. His energy also frustrated Olympiacos in the derby of Eternal Enemies. His style of play endeared him to the fans, and it is clear to see why Donis was keen to lure him from Port’s youth setup. Although he had a decent start to life in men’s football, more consistency is needed. He is still not deemed as a starting option and shares coming on as a substitute forward with Argiris Kampetsis.

DISAPPOINTING PERFORMERS

Giannis Bouzoukis

This is perhaps harsh on the youngster as he was shifted around in various positions, but it cannot be ignored that he only scored once in 23 appearances. The midfielder still has a bright future ahead of him and will be key to Panathinaikos in the long-term as he also penned a new deal. Unfortunately, he suffered second-year syndrome compared to last season.

Ilias Chatzitheodoridis

Again, this could be harsh as the versatile left back/left winger has not done much wrong and filled in admirably when required. However, compared to last season, he was not as consistent. The fact that Xavi Roca has identified left back as a position of urgency to sign a new player shows he is not confident in Chatzitheodoridis becoming the first-choice option.

Kostas Apostolakis

Apostolakis is a handy backup option but could not displace Mattias Johansson as the first choice right-back. He could fall behind Giorgos Vagiannidis in the pecking order, but looks set to leave the Trifylli and join APOEL.

Argiris Kampetsis

The young Greek forward struggled for first team minutes once again in his second season at the club. He fell behind Juan Jose Perea in the pecking order and when played, he failed to take his chance.

Yohan Mollo

The French winger is a contender for the biggest disappointment. He arrived in Athens with much fanfare and significantly failed to deliver. His late, equalising penalty against Olympiacos was the only highlight in the first half of the season. Other than that, he regularly fell out with Donis due to his poor attitude. Currently on loan in the French second tier, it is unlikely he will ever play for Panathinaikos again.

Dimitris Kolovos

The goal-scoring midfielder returned to Greece as an international player with a lot of hype. However, he rivals Yohan Mollo as the biggest flop for Panathinaikos this season. At one point, he even failed to register a single shot on target after an extended run of games in the first team. He significantly under-performed, and the team looked better in his absence. To make matters worse, he eventually failed to make the matchday squads when the team was at full-strength.

Uffe Bech

The Danish attacker failed to impress. He had a reputation of being too injury prone and he lived up to that billing in Athens. He was injured over five times throughout the season and lacks the quality to become a first-team player. Bech is currently out of favour and deemed surplus to requirements, much like many other summer signings.

Fausto Tienza

The Spaniard arrived solely to add depth but he never fully earned the trust of Donis. A bizarre signing from the beginning, he is currently out on loan in the Spanish third tier.

Joao Nunes

The centre-back was decent when called upon, but he failed to become a first-choice option. He struggled for playing time and could look for a way out at season’s end.

Dimitris Kolovetsios

Being one of last season’s better players, Kolovetsios struggled to keep his spot in the team. He was reliable when called upon, but as the third-choice centre-back, his future is up in the air, much like that of Joao Nunes. His highlight was the huge match-winning goal in front of Gate 13 against his old club AEK, which completed a stunning Panathinaikos comeback.

Fanis Mavromatis

Much like Dimitris Kolovetsios, the academy graduate centre-back fell down the pecking order. Last season, he burst onto the scene and was a regular, however, this season he was the fifth-choice centre-back and moved to Denmark for more playing time.

Cannot Be Judged

There are two different types of players in this category: those that were never deemed as squad players from last summer, who could not be moved on quick enough, and the young, up and coming players who barely featured.

The likes of Anthony Mounier, Fanis Tzandaris, Vangelis Oikonomou, and Panos Armenakas were never going to feature for Panathinaikos this season, but the club failed to offload them last summer. This meant they started the season on the lookout for a new home (they never played), and not one of these players is still at Panathinaikos. Nikos Vergos is still on the club’s books but is out of favour and currently out on loan at Hercules in the Spanish second tier.

Conversely, an array of talented youngsters were in and around the first team set up and received their first taste of men’s football. Christo Sechou and Cristian Konan never played for the Trifylli but featured in loan spells at Bologna and Levadiakos, respectively.

Nikos Christogeorgos, Vasilis Xenopoulos, Konstantinos Kotsaris, Vangelis Theocharis, Vasilis Zagaritis, Andreas Athanasakopoulos, Sotiris Alexandropoulos, Giorgos Angelopoulos, and Dimitris Serpezis have all either barely played in the first team after progressing from the academy, or came close to making the team.

Image Source:

Thank you for visiting AGONAsport.com, the only English based website for Greek sports fans across the world! Like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram, and Twitter for all the latest news in Greek Sports!