PAOK’s big double shows that Lucescu is the safety and not the team’s problem

The brace in Karaiskakis (1-2) was a huge success for Razvan Loucescu. Anyone who feels with PAOK understands what I mean.

The Romanian coach has never been questioned more than recently.

I read articles by journalists close to the team who accused him of things he couldn’t be responsible for.

He was criticized for the mistakes of inexperience that brought equalizers in injury time in Heraklion and Livadia, how he fell asleep when Jovanovic crossed Aitor to Vieirania’s side who put Bisesvar ahead in the same game.

We must not forget that in addition to being criticized on the field, he was also booed by the officials.

Lucescu is security and not PAOK’s problem

It’s true that a very difficult environment has been created for Lucescu and this win puts things right again.

The Romanian coach has shown through his work that he is the constant of the team and can give confidence that the squad will push their limits.

The problem with PAOK is that they don’t have a more reliable full-back than Vieirania, they didn’t have a player who could replace Oliveirawhen the Portuguese could not continue. Although he asked for ten himself, such a footballer was never recruited.

PAOK got a great victory in Karaiskakis, but it is clear that the created squad cannot win the championship. However, Razvan Lucescu cannot be held responsible for this.

It proved that this young squad that has been created knows how to work to create conditions to build the next great team that will lead PAOK to winning the championship once again.

Lucescu is PAOK’s security, the safe solution and the teams can count themselves lucky to have found the coach who can guarantee smooth functioning and the right use of potential.

The double came largely from the ease with which Olympiacos’ defense flexed

PAOK went to Karaiskakis without the midfield weapons from Olympiakos. However, it had one big advantage, it was a coaching team.

To be honest, even though I knew Olympiacos’ bad situation, I thought Zivkovic’s absence would be prohibitive for PAOK to win in Karaiskakis.

DThere isn’t another midfielder in the squad with Zivkovic’s ability in close quarters. The win came largely as the Olympiakos defense conceded two goals without PAOK having to do much offensively.

Two early pressures in each half resulted in two goals.

A few minutes of pressure was enough

In fact, Papastathopoulos scored the first goal himself, which allowed PAOK to score two goals with one goal.

Let’s face it, the win was huge, but it came through fear of Olympiacos’ last line of defence.

At the start of both halves, PAOK came with the obvious goal of getting the ball, elevating both of their backs and expanding their game with the transfers of Dandas, Kurtis, Kanduri. He did it eight minutes into the first half and took the lead, then took the lead again eleven minutes into the second half.

Two goals with minimal aggression

He had a bigger problem in the latter part of the first half when Lucescu’s players suffered under pressure from Olympiakos and happily went into half-time with a draw.

With the image of the two teams going to the dressing room, there was a feeling that Olympiacos will find the edge to clean up in the second half.

However, Lucescu made it to the dressing room and convinced his players that they should enter like they did at the beginning of the game.

In possession of PAOK, Olympiacos could not find any reaction and whenever they had to play defense. The lack of self-confidence was written all over their faces.

PAOK was able to capitalize on that fear, scoring two goals in Karaiskakis with minimal aggression, which proved to be enough to claim the win.

PAOK didn’t turn a blind eye, just as Panathinaikos didn’t turn a blind eye when they passed Toumba, but those away wins are important.

Double in Karaiskakis with a young squad

Especially in this case where we are talking about a team with a very young roster and the victory in Karaiskakis came in a game where any other result would have given PAOK a double digit difference from first place.

It is important for PAOK, who won in Karaiskakis, 22-year-old main goalkeeper, 18-year-old main stopper, 22-year-old main left-back, 22-year-old main right-back, 21-year-old central defensive midfielder. There were moments when PAOK was tested, but defensively they held on.

leader in front of the defense

He had a leader in front of the last line of defense, Dandas, who with the many safe transfers he made outside of his team’s area, managed and absorbed the pressure from Olympiakos, not allowing him to set up the next attack directly.

If the Portuguese hadn’t completed this important task during the game, the Red-Whites could have easily regained possession and choked PAOK.

It’s important when you’re under pressure not to make a false pass, especially when the ball is coming out of your area, and that’s where Dadas did a great job.

Two old caravans that could stay in battle for 90 minutes

Much will be written about young people. The two goals came from the creation of young defenders that PAOK has.

In the second, Lyratzis’ energy had the audacity to soar so high, the quality in the transmission he made to Narei, but also the soul with the ease with which he throws Agibou out of phase.

But two old caravans also deserve recognition. Kanduri and Oliveira have no game-impairing phases apart from the penalty kick Portuguese striker-who reclaimed the VAR but they gave fights for 90 minutes and won when their body, the individual situation they are in, didn’t show they could play a full game.

Tsaousis – Koulierakis’ side persevered

Olympiacos had a game planned to attack PAOK’s left. In other words, in the space that Tsoushis and Kouleirakis occupied.

He loaded this team with footballers, he built his attacks with diagonal passes but he never found a good complete energy from Rodríguez-Brusai.

It looked like Mitchell believed Rodriguez’s run would get him the win, and he wasn’t vindicated by that decision.

It’s possible this own end’s overload was keeping Lyratzis fresh and sane, who didn’t have the pressure on his own end and allowed him to put Narey through the lead after 56 minutes.

In each case, there was a specific goal on Mitchell’s part, an insistence on hitting from that particular side, which bore no fruit.

Victory that can give more confidence to this year’s project

PAOK persevered and got a very big victory, able to improve its psychology and make those close to the team believe more in this year’s project.

It is a matter of course that there are serious flaws in the squad, Lutseksu has no tools to make a real championship, especially in the offensive part.

However, there are some talented young footballers who can only emerge as winners by working with the Romanian coach.

The first goal of PAOK is to improve them, create a team and then by occupying some positions where you need more quality to win the championship, create the next team that will bring titles to PAOK.

The double in Karaiskakis can bring more confidence to the project and of course makes Loucheskou more powerful.

Both are necessary so that this year is not wasted and the foundation for creating a new team is laid.