Lose, but fight | SPORT 24

I understand that Olympiacos respect Manchester City more than they should, as the manager and the players say. Something similar happened last year in the game against Bayern in Munich. But giving up unconditionally for a while, waking up because the first half score and his goalkeeper allow it, and conceding two goals again in 10 minutes, cannot be easily digested.

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Defeat after defeat makes the difference. Even when you lose to a top-notch team, it matters how you lose. Lose, but fight. The image of the ‘rojiblancos’, especially in the first half, only a team that is in the mood to fight, did not look alike. They entered the field scared, let the City players fully impose their rhythm, gave away το half the field, limited to the other half, did not show pulse, passion, intensity, not even the basic tsabouka.

Yes, tsabouka. Soccer is not played with tsabouka, nor is it won, if you have it, but it is a necessary ingredient to look a superior opponent in the eye. Can’t you stop it? Stop it! How; There is nothing simpler in football than a foul! We need to find brother! Make them “fuck”. Reconsider the manufacture of tapes and tapes. Show that they do not chew and that to defeat you they will have a hard time. In two words, throw firewood! Get a card, it’s not a shame! During the whole game, the rojiblancos got a yellow card! How to stop an opponent of such quality?

GO ON, GET A CARD

The greatest teams in the world, when something goes wrong, will commit fouls to cut the opponent’s pace. And one and two and 22. They will receive cards. And one and two and five, if necessary. Olympiacos closed the first half with a free kick! No, this is not allowed. In the same part of the match, the English team created 11 finals and Piraeus none! Sa had to block six times, the only one at his height, during this time. A week ago in “Dragao” again a pale start, again defensive errors, again early goals and ρε was running my legs.

I am not one of those who judge by the result and digest them indiscriminately. This is the safest option. When a team loses, everyone is to blame, first the players and the coach. This is the easy way. The difficult thing is not to devalue an effort, but to judge what went wrong and what went wrong. Yesterday at the Etihad few things went well for Olympiakos. Another first half in the trash, another talkative presence for half an hour in the second, with 2-3 good phases and nothing more.

GO FOR SAFE, BUT …

I understand that Martins had to do it and did it well to be safe this early part of the season. First ensure the presence of the team in the groups, enter the championship with the right hand and then include the new faces in the plan to ask for something more.

The first message I received yesterday on my cell phone during the game was from a good friend of mine and Olympiacos season starter to point out “once again Bouchalakis was in the goal phase.”

“BUHA” IS THE FAULT OF EVERYTHING

In fact, Bouchalakis was the only one who tried to stop the combination of Ferran Torres and De Bruyne. Everyone else was watching discreetly. Cholebas and Cisse, for example, saw the City striker pass between them until he sent the ball into Sa’s net. For everything, however, it is the fault of Bouchalakis who did his best to fight even though he came from injury. Maybe it would be easier for him and for those who constantly “charge” him, to “declare” himself injured and stay in Athens to watch the game on television … In these games, the best player is usually the one who does not play.

To return to the image of the match, it was logical at some point that Olympiacos would react with Pepe and Brouma in the starting eleven. The former, however, still cannot do a single high intensity half, while the latter, as we have already pointed out before he even arrived in Greece, is a space player, with tremendous physical ability, but who will barely dribble in a few moments. boxes or will mark comfortably, as appeared in the opportunity of 79 ‘. He was late to the final selection and when he got the ball to the right to set it up, it was too late. They will both help along the way, as well as skilled and humorous, but they will need matches. The same will be necessary for Vinagre, who so far can rightly see the back of Cholebas, 36 years old.

I COULD NOT ASK FOR MORE

In my eyes, Olympiacos couldn’t ask for much more than they got. Yes, he pressed the accelerator for 30-35 ‘he balanced, he pressed area, he approached the goal, but until then. If it were a draw and the game stayed at 1-1, it would not be a fair result from what the two teams gave on the pitch. Only the “reds and whites” would have stolen the point. This also happens in football, but not easily and often at this level.

Against Porto, Martins’ team pressed better and longer, but lost. Yesterday in Manchester it was even worse against a higher level rival, he lost again. In the “Dragao” match, Olympiacos did not lose to a better team, but to their own mistakes. Yesterday he lost to a superior rival, who, however, did not push, did not push, did not look him in the eye from the first minute as he should have.

The most important part from now on is management. The Portuguese coach must find the right chemistry between old and young to get the most out of anyone who can give it to him. In the coach’s mind, Valbouena may be the guide for the rest, but the French “general” at 36 cannot pull the paddle alone. Also, I didn’t understand why in Radzelovic and not Masouras’ lineup …

THE ELEVEN ARE MADE 22

As you read a few days ago in this corner of Sport24.gr, Olympiacos do not have 11 key players, they have 22 and so many must be used by the technical direction to achieve the season on all fronts. No other way. And these last two games should be food for thought. Not only because of how the team should enter the field, but also because of the state of mind that each of those chosen by the coach must show.

Against stronger opponents you count forces. So I don’t think anyone has seen the ‘rojiblancos’ give their all in Porto and Manchester. To enter the field determined to “die” for the result. On the contrary, with Marseille fighting until the last second, they were justified in the delays. Nothing is a coincidence. Whatever you give, you take it out on the ball that often turns out to be a prostitute.