That's interesting if true. Obviously he's credited with a big renaissance in the Greek game, hopefully he'll hand over the reins before anyone has to take them off him. Surely there would be a bit of a demand for change if Greece go out without winning a game? Would one win be enough to keep Greeks happy?

like chris said earlier i think its just easy for poeple who dont really know too much about it to slam the greek squad for being ultra dfensive. but nowadays thats not so much the case. im not saying we go out there flooding forward and hammering opp defences but were definately not as one dimensional as in euro 04. i think rehaggel's contract has already been extended past the world cup gaz which if true will make him one of the longest serving NT coaches in the teams history.

hey gaz!, is Sotiris ninis in the greek squad becuase the kid is a fucking gun!! thats one greek i wish played for australia. a very good talent that one!. i hope the greek coach has the gutz to pick him and play him

When, if ever will we see the day when European teams are dwarfed by lots of non euro teams? probably a fair way off.

They are still better then Greece :lol:

Actually its tzatziki Gaz, we Greeks dont go for chilli. Although I love the stuff.

Unfortunately Greece will go home after the group stages.

yeah!! You and your lover heineken can do it Greekstyle!!

Even if they did qualified you idiot, they would've done fuck all !! l know they put teams in groups fuckhead !!!

Welcome to the madhouse, mate.

Actually I was thinking about how Argentina's 1986 World Cup was a huge lift for the country after their 1982 World Cup seemed to be a bit messed up by the Falklands War (Argentina surrendered just as the Cup began, and lost their first game to Belgium, but then the 86 triumph lifted the country). It does happen that a group of players sometimes lift their game a notch to give some inspiration to the folks back home. Pele used to talk about how Brasil wanted to help put smiles on the face of the poor. Or look at the Iraqi football team in the Asian Cup!

Who knows, eh? It all comes down to a bit of luck in the end...

Edited by GazGoldCoast: 14/5/2010 10:31:22 PM

First time poster here Gaz and nice article, I'm an Australian born Greek living on the Gold Coast---also a GCU FC supporter. The Greek in me hopes that the national team does OK and gives some solace to the Greek people who are doing it tough at the moment. Who knows they may just do another Euro championship. Anyway good luck to you and GCU FC---see you at the Skilled Stadium supporting the team.

Greece are very average Sarkies like your posts. If you must do it Greek style do it in private please!!

Thanks for your thoughts, Chris. I know Greece scored some solid wins in qualifying, but I don't want to dwell on the positives too much in case I confused my readers! :lol:

I keep thinking of that 10-man-Inter v Barca game, where Mourinho's tactics worked a charm, and I can't help thinking Rehhagel would have been delirious with joy watching that effort. But as you say, the Greek defense is not on a par with Inter's...

As for confidence, the task is just going to get harder each game. Maybe if they could have started with a shock win over Argentina it might have worked better for them. I wouldn't be surprised if Diego's boys drop a game to one of these teams...

I'm right here Gaz :D

Lovely to see so much intelligent discussion about the Greek national team................

To put it briefly, the Greeks haven't been quite as defensive as they were back in Euro 2004 despite that being the easy cliche for ill-informed analysts, commentators and fans to slap on them. To be perfectly honest Greece have actually played some (relatively) cavalier football during stages of their qualifying campaign, as was the case at Euro 2008 (where Greece were quite good to watch).

Of course, that was a marked contrast to the actual tournament itself, where Greece, well...you saw it yourself...

The question is whether Rehhagel will have another panic attack circa Austria Switzerland (where in his post-match press conferences he as much as admitted that he was looking to avoid heavy defeats due to the lack of individual quality he possessed: ironic seeing as how he champions the power of the collective and built the Euro 2004 triumph on teamwork).

Having said that there's no doubt Greece don't have anywhere near as in-form, confident or quality-laden a side as in 2004 and Rehhagel is limited by this. They'll be functional but I don't think they'll be as "defensive" as people expect them to be, particularly given that their strength lies in their strikers rather than their defenders this time around.

Hard to predict how they'll go: they'll get out of the group stages if they beat Korea...very much a confidence team, this one...

PS. That was "brief" by my Greek standards...

I lol'd. Do they even know that the world cup is on? Or do they not care because no South Melbourne players are going?

That's stating the obvious, but clearly you didn't see Switzerland four years ago. In a group like that though, three draws would probably be enough to see them through the group. I don't think Nigeria will fare well are all.

Wow did you come up with that one all by yourself. You have just proven how much of a fuckhead you are with that comment.

Oh and by the way they didn't qualify INSTEAD of Croatia they were in different qualifying groups you numpty.

Edited by sydneycroatia58: 14/5/2010 04:36:31 PM

Listen mouse _roar Greece got more chance going to the next round than the Socceroos!!!

Maybe Croatia might win the world cup ! OH sorry, they didn't qualified Serbia did instead!!

If they are going to get through, they'll certainly want to wrap up their spot before they play Argentina in their last group game. Unfortunately for Greece I think they might crack and miss out to Nigeria.

Greece will play the most bleedingly boring football seen at any WC and will go home bottom of the group with one point against Korea. Nigeria and Argentina to go through.

:lol: :lol: :lol: that a good one zizou

I think you'll find all the Greek fans are over in the Grass Roots Forum arguing whose football team is more Greek than the rest.

Greece haven't a snowball's chance in hell. I think a point is even being generous.

dont know much of the greek team......isnt this about argentina,greece,nigeria,korea??

interested to see how maradona and his team go......

Wish I could say the same about all your comments.

Seriously, I can ignore a lot of crap, but it's frustrating when it derails any intelligent arguements. Anyone got anything useful to say about the Greek team? Where's Chris Paraskevas?

Hopefully Gaz knows it's all in jest. I really enjoy his blogs.

i love it all, i guess i was talking from a traditional back in greece point of view......although at my age to much chilli sort of knocks my ulcers around....its good on the way in but bad on the way out........

im predicting argentina and korea out of this group....2 go through dont they??????

Back in the day (King Street, Newtown, circa 1990) chilli sauce was definitely the go with my old Greek mates. Doesn't the Souvlaki Hut "Traditional" come with French Fries anyway? It's all very "fusion" multicultural gastronomy to me. :lol:

LOL.....that funny tommy......

but on a serious note...nice blog gary......good work from 442 with the world cup blogs....im really loving them....i was of course only taking notice of the buz around australia's hopes and challenges.......nice work

and do greeks really put chilli on their yeeros...????

i prefer souvlaki anyhow....!!!!!!!

I'm barraking for South Korea in this group. Just because I like the idea of them as a dark horse, With the K-league doing so well in the ACL I don't see why a few results for them is unreasonable. As for Greece I suppose the only question is will the fact the majority of there players hail from a mere two teams
A) Make them rest on their laurels. The pre existing groups may just create a general air of carelessness among the guys who know each other so well proving themselves seems pointless.
B) Lead them to play football with little scope or room to change it up (playing different useless teams in the Greek super league is hardly going to lead to your players discovering how to switch from versing an asian side to playing Argentinian football etc.(sorry this article is so biasedly greek I can't remember who the fourth side is). A squad of players around the world each bring something different to the table in terms of tactical knowledge and aquired game plans.
C) Or I suppose it could just lead to you having a kick ass chemistry and the brotherly love will see you play amazing football and advance to the next round.

There, I've at least tried to make this post conversation inducive.



What do you think about the FourFourTwo blog This Yeeros Needs More Chilli Sauce?
In a Greek tragedy, the seeds of a man's destruction are sown in the core of his soul. And the man at the centre of Greece's looming World Cup tragedy is 71-year-old German coach, Otto Rehhagel, whom ...

Have your say.

Edited by tommycash: 15/5/2010 01:09:10 AM