One-dimensional...Predictable...Not Good Enough!

The fact that Greece was outplayed by a vastly inferior team was hard to take. A team which boasts’s only 2 players who play outside of the country. With the rest being part-time players at best, the Koreans controlled most of the game and excited the crowd in Austria. Instead of making a statement the Greeks looked lost and unable to muster up any form of offensive prowess. Set pieces were the only reason Greece even made it on the scoreboard, and as a fan I must say this simply isn't good enough. Otto Rehhagel seems to have a strong hold on the reins and doesn't look to be letting go any time soon. If they play this type of football in South Africa it will be a quick exit (let's hope they at least score this time and give us something to cheer for). We were spoiled with the Euro Cup in 2004 but I really hoped we could build on the success and form a solid foundation. You can't expect to catch your opponent's off guard every game on the counter attack, sooner or later teams adapt and at the moment the whole world knows how to play against the Greek system. Rehhagel needs to get more out of his players but to do that he needs to trust them and ease up on his defensive minded formation. Sure they scored early against North Korea but instead of keeping the foot on the gas, Rehhagel always chooses to protect the lead, which is very dangerous. This mindset has to change, play to win...period!
Argentina is the odds on favorite to win Group B but the final spot in the knockout round is up for grabs. If Greece wants to secure it then major changes must be made before their opening game on June 12th. Nigeria are a stronger opponent then Senegal (2-0 Greek loss) and the South Koreans are far superior to their neighbors to the North. Something needs to be done to boost the confidence in the Greek camp; a win vs. Paraguay would be a step in the right direction. This will be their final warm-up and it’s against a strong opponent who finished only one point off top spot in CONMEBOL qualifying group.
I know these warm-up matches are made for managers to tinker with their line-ups and formations; however I see none of that from Rehhagel. Sure the players change but the system stay's the same. He needs to take more risks and show faith in his player’s individual skills and find a way to implement them to get the most out of his team. They look lost and uninspired on the pitch. Chances need to be created from open play for things to get better and Rehhagel need's to inspire his team if the magic has any chance of returning.