Miserable weather, miserable football

Genclerbirligi 1 - 2 Bursaspor

"Wet and miserable in Ankara" pretty much sums up not just the weather but Gencler's performance today.

It was quite a diplomatic turn out for the Kankas this weekend with Alpine Kanka Wolfgang and his boss Hans representing Austria, two spies from the American Embassy political section and the Australian ambassador Peter and his son Patrick. Flying Dutchman Kanka Carlo was there as always and then Dan the Man showed up with a plastic bag containing a pair of football boots. Weird. But what was even weirder was when he said that Bursaspor player Kirita had asked him to bring them to the match.

Now Kirita used to play for Ankaragucu (he was in fact the first player we interviewed for the blog) and it seems as if when he left Gucu for Bursa he left a pair of boots behind. How his fellow Romanian Dan the Man came into there possession I have no idea.

Anyway, beers finished up and off we go to the stadium and somehow or other Dan the Man gets in with his boots and at half-time gave them to Kirita. Which was lucky for Bursa as Kirita came on as a substitute towards the end. Weird stuff indeed.

On to the football and all I can say is this was pathetic stuff. Bursa were 1-0 up after nine minutes when we conceded a very soft goal. Our defenders were nowhere. In fact for the full match we seemed to have real problems applying any pressure.

Not long after the first goal Bursa scored another soft one and again our defence was looking terrible. At the same time though our midfield looked pretty rubbish as well.

We couldn't string passes together, we laid off in defence and our strikers in Kahe and Aussie Bruce were doing bugger all.

At 2-0 down we finally started to play some footy. Troisi was looking better and we were certainly the better team for the rest of the half. Our goal came from a perfect punt from Jedinak from outside the penalty box which was headed in by Ilhan.

We continued to attack and whilst we had a couple of chances we didn't put them away.

Half-time and we weren't that despondent. All we had to do was continue to play like we did once we were 2-0 down and surely a goal or two would come.

Well no. Neither did we play decent football in the second half and obviously no goal came.

It was quite pathetic really, silly basic mistakes, passes horribly mistimed and well, rubbish all round. Aussie Bruce had a shocker and the rest weren't much better.

We didn't deserve to win today, that's for sure.

Another thing that is certain in my mind, we are certainly missing El Saka (who our coach Samet Aybaba sent off to Eskisehir) as well as Traore (who I think is injured). Without those two our defence just doesn't seem organised.

Next week we are up against Eskisehir away. Spine and myself are heading off to the match and as we are away from home my report may be a bit later than usual.