As it was, Vrioni preferred to take the strategically important town intact, and resorted to negotiations, against the opinion of Mehmed Reshid and Yussuf Pasha. The besieged Greeks took advantage of the negotiations, dragging them out until November 8, when they were reinforced by sea, at which point they refused to negotiate further. The siege began in earnest, and the two pashas scheduled their main assault for Christmas night, December 24, calculating that the Greeks would be caught by surprise.