“Patience and discipline”
Here is what Dimitris Pelkas said to Novasports TV about the upcoming encounter against Atromitos for matchday 12 of Super League.
On the victory in Florence and its importance:
«It was a great victory. We enjoyed it a lot. Fiorentina are a very tough rival. The feeling of scoring in the last minute is amazing. But that match is over. We have many important back-to-back encounters ahead of us. We need to win in the league and reduce our distance from the top. We need to relax and not let the Florence result go to our heads. We must keep our heads down and focus on the encounter against Atromitos«.
On PAOK’s ability to record huge away victories in Europe:
«It’s a fact, only PAOK can do that. I can list many such victories in tough grounds. I believe that continuity is in order. It’s not becoming to win in Florence and be unable to win in Veria. We must become more consistent«.
On the team lacking this continuity:
«Big games against important rivals and theoretically easier games are completely different. When playing against big opponents, we play mainly to defend, destroy the rival’s game and make the most of counterattacking opportunities. Luck is also of the essence. We were lucky in Florence and last season in Dortmund. When faced with closed defences and expected to take the initiative, we somehow fluff our lines. We need to work hard on that aspect and avoid errors. Most teams in Greece play like that against us and we must encounter solutions«.
On the transition from European competition to the Greek league:
«I believe that the match in Italy served as a perfect example of what we should do when faced with theoretically weaker teams in Greek football. Just like Fiorentina were patient and took their time to build many opportunities to score, that is how we should proceed as well. We must be patient and encounter solutions against rivals who defend in numbers«.
On Atromitos:
«They didn’t start well in the league, but have improved. Now they are in good shape. We respect them. But have to be demure and focused and give it all on the pitch. It’s very important to give 100% all the time. If we bring that tough attitude in our match, we have nothing to worry about.«.
