Scout Report – Giorgos Karagounis

Martin Jol added plenty of experience to his Fulham first-team squad on Tuesday afternoon by snapping up Giorgos Karagounis until the end of the season. Having recently lost the services of Danny Murphy, Clint Dempsey and Moussa Dembele, Jol’s move for the 35-year-old free agent will re-inject some creativity into the Cottagers’ midfield for the campaign ahead:

The Fulham boss was clearly delighted to bring the Greek captain to London after seeing both Dempsey and Dembele depart in a dramatic transfer deadline day. Karagounis joins the likes of Dimitar Berbatov, Hugo Rodallega and Mladen Petric in arriving at the club this summer as Jol goes about the task of restructuring his side:

Giorgos Karagounis has a wealth of club and international experience and I’m happy that he’s joined us for this season. He’s been an influential player for his club sides and is a renowned player in world football as he’s about to become the most-capped player for Greece. He brings many certain qualities to our squad.

The Statistics

Karagounis’ career began in the Panathinaikos youth set-up before he was packed off to Apollon Smyrni as an 18-year-old. Over a couple of seasons, he produced nine goals from 55 appearances before returning to his former club in time for the 1998-99 campaign. Over the next five years, the midfielder became a key member of the side, finding the net 25 times in 118 league games. Karagounis also produced several crucial performances in the Champions League and subsequently caught the eye of Inter Milan- as a result, he moved to Italy in 2003 but his time in Serie A was a major disappointment.

During the course of two seasons the midfielder featured just 31 times and, with 17 of those appearances as a substitute, he failed to produce any attacking returns. The playmaker moved on to Benfica for the next two years, finding the net three times in 45 league matches before he once again found his way back to Panathinaikos. Karagounis remained in his native country for the next five seasons, grabbing 12 goals and 20 assists from 127 league games before the club released him on a free transfer this summer. A wealth of international experience has seen Karagounis turn out 120 times for the Greek national side, finding the net on nine occasions.

The Prospects

Much may depend on how Jol rearranges his system in light of the recent departures. After the closure of the transfer window, the Fulham boss admitted he would look to find the “right balance” after Dembele’s departure left a gaping hole in his first XI. Jol fielded Steve Sidwell alongside Mahamadou Diarra in central midfield in a 4-4-2 formation at West Ham but the 3-0 Upton Park defeat certainly gave him plenty to ponder.

Quite whether Karagounis is ready for immediate action is another matter entirely, though; the player’s last competitive match was at Euro 2012 and he admitted he is still building up his match fitness at the moment, suggesting he could be slowly eased into the first-team fold.

As the season unfolds, though, Sidwell looks the likeliest candidate to make way, with Diarra’s combative nature complementing Karagounis’ ability to dictate play in the middle of the park. Likely to be handed set-piece duties for the Cottagers, his delivery could be a key aspect in how we assess his Fantasy potential, with a price of around 5.0 – 6.0 in Fantasy Premier League (FPL) the likeliest scenario. The club’s strong home form under Jol is certainly cause for optimism; 36 of their 48 goals last term were scored at the Cottage and with five under their belt in the season opener with Norwich already, the potential for Fantasy returns is obvious.

With (WBA, wig, sot, AVL, rdg) amongst their next six fixtures, the upcoming schedule certainly looks kind for Jol’s side. If Karagounis can quickly settle and establish a regular role under Jol, his eye for a killer pass and superb free-kick delivery could well earn him a place on Fantasy managers’ Watchlists over the next few Gameweeks.

Further Reference

Giorgos Karagounis Wikipedia

Giorgos Karagounis Statistics

Giorgos Karagounis YouTube