Abdullah Avcı’s Trabzonspor capable of a much better show

Trabzonspor manager Abdullah Avcı’s offensive plan has finally started to take shape. Even though his team lost two points against visitor Galatasaray on Sunday, the match ended on a positive note for Trabzonspor.

Nevertheless, there are some caveats in Avcı’s plan that make it harder to execute properly. The most obvious handicap seems to be İsmail Köybaşı on the left wing. I doubt Köybaşı understands the importance Marek Hamsik and Anastasios Bakasetas hold for Trabzonspor’s game, as he keeps ignoring their playmaking leadership. Avcı noticed this in the first half and Köybaşı was taken off in the break.

The second issue is on the right lane with Abdulkadir Ömür. This is a more complex problem as Ömür has a free role and his dribbling skills are important in creating time and space in the final third. However, Trabzonspor often prematurely loses the ball after Ömür dribbles into the penalty box, while the rest of the team is vulnerable to counterattacks. That is how Galatasaray found two goals in the first half and almost knocked Trabzonspor out of the game.

It is absolutely necessary to position Yusuf Sarı on the right wing. In addition, it is essential Sarı establishes a partnership with Bruno Peres. A combination of their abilities will make Trabzonspor unstoppable in the attack. Using Sarı as the most effective offensive weapon would also dramatically improve Avcı’s strategy.

However, the last and the main problem with the offensive plan is Anthony Nwakaeme playing wide on the touchlines on almost every occasion. The Nigerian winger gets the ball away from the penalty box which allows the opponent defenders to properly position themselves. For Nwakaeme to dribble into the penalty box, the team is forced to slow down the game, leaving Hamsik squeezed into a tight space, Andreas Cornelius marked and Bakasetas confused.

Instead of passing the ball to Nwakaeme in a comfort zone and expect him to bring the ball into the penalty box using his own skills, Avcı should focus on creating final shot or assist chances for the Nigerian. This means that Hamsik and Bakasetas should not immediately pass the ball to Nwakaeme, but rather wait until he makes a good run into the box.

I think the reason Avcı has not delved into this strategy yet is that he is trying to establish defensive stability first. What I propose, on the other hand, would require a more complex offensive build-up, needing more time and effort. Since it is a newly built team, Avcı should get credit for focusing on the defensive backbone first, before moving on to plans that are more sophisticated.