The… annual season crisis of PAOK and Loucheskou | Blog – Stavros Soudoulidis

PAOK appear as a team whose switches have suddenly been turned off and cannot raise their heads. A recurring pattern that causes concern. Stavros Soudoulidis writes.

If o PAOK in the next games he will lose the few hopes for the title, this will not be an unfair punishment. It will be the legal cost. Three matches, since the last victory in the play offs, two earned points from the nine that were on the table. If the championship is lost, the responsibility will be solely on the players and him Razvan Lucescu.

It’s just the way things are, no matter how harsh it may seem. O PAOK is unique team that will have lost points from Ghoul and Mars in the play offs. Lose the derby title because you lost to him Olympicthe AEKhim Panathinaikos, to understand it. To lose it, however, like this, is unthinkable and unjustifiable.

In less than two weeks the energy-drained players and the idea-free coach have thrown away all the effort they have put in since the summer until now. A shame for their work, for the good things that were said in the good part of the season. However, no year ends either in December or January, the “treasury” happens at such a time more or less every year. By PAOK (of Lucescu) to stay for the third year in a row in… the same class. Stretchable.

During this time when the 360 ​​minutes (without a win together with Europe) became 460 in Lamia, Lucescu would see, as if in a cinema, the entire film of his second adventure on the “black and white” bench. A recurring pattern for three years now “He died”, just as the script predicted. The Romanian is not one of those coaches who cancel their decisions and their beliefs. Uncompromisingly loyal to his plan, who “screams” that it is not enough to “resurrect” him.

In this season, PAOK he was used to the world putting “fours” and “fives” against almost all of his opponents below fifth place. Everyone’s wonder and curiosity was what he can do against you Panathinaikos, Olympic and AEKthe three teams with which he claims this year’s title.

The results and the image of the team so far in the play offs have (proved) that where we are, the reflectors are not enough. It is the reason for the annual “season crisis”. It comes every March, April. As sure as expected as the New Year. Or the equinox and other fixed and recurring phenomena. He came again this year.

In the first season, after the return, of Lucescu in Tuba, season 2021-22the collapse came after being banned from Olympic Marseille in the Conference League quarterfinals. Before the matches against the French, there had been a defeat (by Panathinaikos) and five matches followed (in-out with Ariwith AEK and Olympic in Tuba, with PAS in Ioannina) where he got a – yes, you read that right – grade! The year and 2nd place was salvaged in the end, however the signs were worrying. The messages, however, did not reach the upper echelons and the situation did not change.

In the second season, 2022-23, the pattern changed. Beat him Mars “in-out,” won him over Bullet “in-out”, but against the three of Athens he lost all three derbies in Tuba and just got a grade (from Panathinaikos) Away. He was just as bad in the play off process with him Abel and with Garcia, not to forget this, not that it is an excuse for this year’s collapse. It is a finding for a team that entered the play offs first, they were first until the two matches with the Club Bruggebut is now in danger of finishing in 4th place, even after his draw Olympiakou in “Kl. Vikelides”.

I’ll rewrite it for his players PAOK. These players together started from scratch in the summer, together they became a team and got this far, together they glorified, together they will de-glory, as this is what the relentless law of prosperity and decline has in store for them. Until now the only criticism they had to make against the criticisms they received, their only useful weapon, was their performance. And that went smoothly. Especially the two matches against Club Brugge were for them a tangible proof that they are far from their other colleagues.

The main thing is their image during the longest match yesterday against an indifferent team, which until now had collected four and five from Olympiacos, AEK and Panathinaikos in the play offs, it was not just problematic, it was a sick situation, with what characteristic moments were what followed the equalizer by Swab in the tenth minute of stoppage time. Mental breakdown in all its glory…