The risk of PAOK in forwards and the alternatives of Lucheskos

PAOK are awaiting the results of the trials planned for Brandon Thomas who was injured in the friendly game with Panserraikos. The first estimates speak of a bruise and his MRI will show if they are verified and how long Dikefalos will be out.

What is certain is that Razvan Lucescu will stay with the injured Spaniard Nelson Oliveira as his only option at the head of the attack. And this is a condition that the Romanian technician should expect …

The danger of summer is great

The truth is that PAOK took a big risk with their forwards this summer. And he got it repeatedly and in different situations.

First when he traded Antonio Colak to Rangers without finding a replacement with the Croatian’s qualities. The Big Head brought in Brandon Thomas, although the Spaniard lacks the classic range forward characteristics.

When it was discovered at the time that Nelson Oliveira’s injury was serious and would not allow him to take part in the two games with Levski, Giorgos Koutsias’ solution was activated.

The young forward gradually gave up his vacation, he took part in the last friendly game given by PAOK in Holland and another one in Greece, but in the second game against the Bulgarians in Toumba, Kalend played at the top of the attack as a ” wrong Nine” Naray.

Nobody knows whether the history of the two games with Levski would have been written differently if the two-headed team had signed a different forward.

However, even after the exit, PAOK insisted on the risk of not getting a striker and even increased it by loaning Koutsia to Volos in the final days of transfers. In the agreement that PAOK reached with the young forward to extend his contract, there was an appropriate condition that he will be loaned out to set up matches.

After all, Razvan Lucescu himself was convinced of this decision and publicly stated that Kucias had to move to another club on loan. “I think Koutsias needs to go on loan to fight and get a different mentality. At the moment he is surrounded by many interests, it will do him good to play in a different environmentsaid the PAOK coach after the game against Lamia when asked if he was covered with the Oliveira-Brandon Thomas duo.

Gordeziani and in the background… Jimas

In fact, in these statements, the Romanian coach also spoke about his alternatives, which it seems must be activated after the Spaniard’s injury.

“We have another U19 player who can cover for us,” he said, referring to Vassilis Gordeziani.

Who is the 20-year-old forward who scored three goals and one assist with PAOK B last year?

Gordeziani has been part of Dikefalo since 2014 and was champion with both the K17 and the K19 from PAOK. With a height of 1.85 m, good tackle and the ability to use both feet, he is considered one of the great talents of the infrastructure departments. Last year, in the summer of 2021, Lucescu used him in the team’s first friendly against Volos and the youngster scored his first goal with PAOK after a Živković assist.

However, he was unlucky a few weeks later when he badly injured his collarbone in a friendly for Dikefalo’s second team. It’s telling how much the people at PAOK believe in the youngster, who extended his contract until the summer of 2024 last November.

With Gordeziani logically going to be the one to provide solutions behind Nelson Oliveira while Brandon is out, PAOK will go into the derby in October with Panathinaikos and as long as necessary, which is difficult for Thessaloniki team.

Stefanos Tzimas is also to be expected in the long term, for whom the people of Dikephalos are dripping with honey. The 16-year-old, who is already on an equal footing with Gordeziani, is a really big project for the academies.

Tzimas, who plays at Dikefalos K19, is a footballer considered to be Christos Tzoli’s successor at Toumba and at some point, if conditions allow, it’s not out of the question for him to be fielded by Razvan Lucescu.

The Romanian coach will now have to find solutions as if the injury estimates for Brandon Thomas are confirmed he will have to play in the derby with Panathinaikos, the only available forward being Nelson Oliveira who is also looking for his foot after his two injuries.