The burden of fundamentals on Ersun Yanal

Ersun Yanal is the last person who should be held responsible for the bad results in both the Kasımpaşaspor and Napoli games. The Italian side's coach, Rafael Benitez, technically played the same game as Ersun Yanal, but the talent at his disposal was simply better than Yanal's. While Ersun Hoca struggled with his players' unbearable fundamental deficiencies, Benitez enjoyed high quality players. Both coaches played fast and lethal attacks, but the process of attacking was two or three times slower for Trabzonspor than Napoli. Theoretically, Yanal's plans were not inferior compared to Benitez's, but his team was unable to put his theories into practice. Although, almost every Turkish club struggles with this issue, given the challenging plans for his players, the burden of fundamentals is heavier on Ersun Yanal than others.

For example, since Yanal stepped into the hot seat, Trabzonspor's main goal has been organizing quick quasi-counter-attacks, even if theoretically they are not counter-attack tactics. Despite this, I mostly disregard counter-attacking plans because of their inability to produce opportunities for themselves, in other words, their lack of self-sufficiency. Yanal's strategy has a different aspect. What makes his plan different to other mediocre counter-attack plans is that Yanal always compensates for the instability that naturally results from counter-attacks, with the participation of his defensive players in offense and by taking rebounds in order to attack continuously. Nevertheless, it is obvious that his plan did not work properly until now, but Yanal is not responsible for Trabzonspor's frustrating form.

First of all, the fundamental deficiencies of his players prevent him from implementing his plans. Defenders especially waste too much time while controlling and passing the ball, their technique is not sufficient to organize quick attacks. On the other hand, Mehmet Ekici and Özer Hurmacı, who are responsible for organizing the team according to Yanal's strategy, often forget those plans and cannot resist the charm of the ball. Yanal's strategy depends on open fields and quick moves, but both Ekici and Hurmacı like to play with the ball and reduce the effectiveness of Yanal's plans.

I often compare my goalkeeping career with Yanal's coaching career, and it feels sad, to be honest. Just like Yanal, I had a lot of reformist ideas about my job but I could not practice them. Theoretically I had everything, but in reality I was unable to catch every ball or command my area. Then, I realized that this process not only requires creativity, but also patience and hard work. Ersun Hoca also suffers from the same situation. His strategies and tactics are enough to dominate the Super League, but his players are not ready for his plans. Added to that, Trabzonspor chairman İbrahim Hacıosmanoğlu's unpredictable way of administrating the club does not help Yanal take action. The pressure of getting good results and the fear of losing his job make everything harder for Yanal.

To make this process less painful, there are several things that Yanal should do in the short-term. Firstly, in order to make Oscar Cardozo more effective, Ekici and Hurmacı should carry the ball to him when he has enough time and space. Positioning wing players as far wide as possible on the both wings would make a palpable effect on Cardozo's situation and relieve some of the pressure on him. Furthermore, Ekici and Hurmacı should also be active in penetrating and finishing. Cardozo's existence in the penalty box has no meaning without any help, because it is simply too easy to defend. But when Trabzon wing players stretch the opponents defense and Ekici and Hurmacı creates different threats, Cardozo can utilize his chances much more productively.