Nobody can question what the stadium shows. Panathinaikos improved a lot, they developed the right mentality in their game and Ivan Jovanovic’s work helped the players to be in the right individual shape. In short, the right foundations have been laid so that Panathinaikos can successfully achieve goals and approach its true greatness in the near future.

The sample is large

It is a reality that off the avenue there is a problem. Away only one win in 7 games counts, which did not take place in the opposing headquarters, but in neutral Volos against Lamia.

Six games were played at opponent’s headquarters and he only took 1 point in Karaiskakis in a game full of fear and his opponent played him at half court. Since the beginning of the championship, apart from the special condition derby with Olympiakos and the neutral with Lamia, it has risen to five places. He lost 1-0 in Giannina, 1-0 in Vikelidis, 2-1 in Tripoli, 1-0 at AEK and 3-1 in Volos.

The strange thing is that in none of these five games can anyone claim to be inferior to their opponents. But in all five games, a strange way to lose was found. He didn’t even manage to get a draw. There is definitely a luck factor.

I repeat because it’s important, if you evaluate all five games one by one, you’ll find that even in those that weren’t good, Panathinaikos wasn’t worth losing. But the harsh reality is that he’s lost everything, and the sample is large and repeating, which is just down to luck.

Also, just one thing cannot matter, just as there is something that should not be underestimated. Jovanovic has his players in good shape, he has instilled the right football mentality and when that happens it’s time with the team.

Hasn’t conceded a goal for 370 minutes

If we take a closer look at the problem, it goes without saying that far from home, Panathinaikos cannot find answers when he is behind the goal. In all five games he lost, he was back on the score in the first half. He had plenty of time to find an answer and equalize. Although he had the ball in everything, he could not answer anyone.

At Giannina he was behind in the 5th minute, at Vikelidis in the 10th minute, in Tripoli in the 45th minute, in the derby with AEK in the 2nd minute, in Volos in the 34th minute. In all five games he took the ball, asserted his aggression, but found no compensation. Away from home, Panathinaikos failed to equalize in around 370 minutes and added five minutes of delays in each game.

Of course, the team’s logic and image shows that there will be improvements, because the most important thing is that Panathinaikos screams that it works well in its daily life, but in this part there is a serious problem that needs to be solved.

He played unmotivated games for years

The team’s work can get to the point. Panathinaikos has improved a lot with Jovanovic, of course with this line-up he can go one step further and reach the 4th team goal and reach the cup final. But to raise the level, you need a more efficient center forward.

Be careful, I’m not suggesting that this is the only problem Panathinaikos is facing. There is a character problem that is cried out by the team’s inability to lead and respond every time they fall behind goal away from home.

We must not forget that Panathinaikos played without motivation for many years. His last European game was on 8/24/2017 in San Mamés, while he has had a title to claim since 2014.

From the summer of 2017 he only played to play. He had no right to go to Europe, he couldn’t win any titles and of course he didn’t risk relegation either. This fact must have caused problems for the mentality. Panathinaikos has softened, he has a character problem and of course the current coach is not responsible for that. But he has a responsibility to find a way to solve it.

The striker who will support Jovanovic’s game is missing

There is a reality that takes time and victories to correct. He also wants footballers to be winners in some positions. Footballers who will come and boost their confidence in the dressing rooms.

One of the main problems of this year’s Panathinaikos is at the front of the attack. Nobody can deny that Jovanovic’s side had the ball in the games that didn’t find the goal away from home and tried to achieve a draw with creative football. However, he failed to unlock the opponent’s defenses. It goes without saying that you need an attacker who supports this game in order to be able to open up the opponent’s defense with creativity and patience with ball games and football. This football player is absent from Panathinaikos.

Carlitos only scores on the avenue

Carlitos’ gates on the avenue hide the problem. The Spaniard is a good footballer, having helped Panathinaikos significantly this year, but he is not the striker who can carry the overall performance alone at the forefront of attack. He’s not good at backstroke, he likes to play face to face at home and that’s one of the reasons why Jovanovic, who has long wanted to help his main attacker, looked for a system with two attackers.

After the home defeat against PAOK, he saw that there was a problem with this logic in the center, that the team works better overall with three midfielders and established the 4-3-3. However, in this system, Panathinaikos needs a center forward who can support the team’s game. Playing well with your back, getting the ball on you and holding it, setting the stage, pushing players off the defensive line and into opponents’ space.

It’s time to look for the new mountain

There was a plan to bring in a centre-forward in the summer, but this was seen as a condition for the team’s release from Makeda’s contract. The logic was that it is not possible to sign a fourth contract except for Carlitos, Makenda and Ioanidis for a position played by a footballer. But it makes sense, because this position is crucial. In a football where you need a significant number of wins to make it to the championship and you face a large percentage of teams playing at a low level with a multifaceted defense, an attacker who makes the difference, who provides easy gates and will serve as a springboard for development for the rest.

At Olympiakos, for example, the work that Martins is doing is very good, but nothing would have been so easy if El Arabi hadn’t been acquired in the summer of 2019. Let’s not go anywhere else. Panathinaikos must find his own mountain. It is a position that is financially rewarding.

Berg’s ability to keep the ball high and act as a cushion helped bring years of numbers to whoever played alongside him. Karelis, Klonaridis and even Petritsch in his final all benefited from the Swede’s ability to keep the ball high and provide a quality final decision. Such an attacker is not easy to find. However, in Panathinaikos you have to understand that it is necessary to decide to find the striker that will increase the level of goals that the team can achieve.

Jovanovic’s work facilitates integration

Perhaps it is better for the club to start the process now to get the fork that makes a difference now that Jovanovic’s work has set the stage for this transfer to work straight away. There is a clear game plan, a team that has a lot of players in good shape and a really good striker who can start efficiently, which is Panathinaikos’ main problem.

For a team that wants possession and is trying to build up their attacks, it is very important that the ball is deep when attacking. Helps the others go to the finals and do their numbers.

Time is an ally

It is worth reading the text by Themis Kaisaris, which proves with numbers what we all see on the field. How good work is done, how Panathinaikos loses games in which it is better than its opponent, that there is an efficiency problem and that logic dictates that time is an ally in this effort.

It is clear that for the first time in years, the conditions are in place for Time to be an ally at Panathinaikos and that is very important. But there is also the following reality that cannot be ignored: the games that the team cannot handle are specific, the sample has started to grow large, the problem reappears. It takes work, but also decisions, to move forward.