Today was an opportunity for Ankaragucu to get their playoff hopes back on track with a win against one of the leagues weaker teams. Just 13 months earlier Ankaragucu beat Pazarspor 5-0 at home, a match which i attended and it gave us hope that we were watching the Lig 2 champions. Unfortunately Ankaragucu didn't go on to become champions, and couldn't even progress through the playoffs are they were eliminated by Alanyaspor a team they had beaten 5-1 in Alanya only a couple of weeks previously.
Team - Gokhan Akkan, Metin Aydin, Aytac Oden, Serhat Gulpinar, Onur Atasayer, Orhan Evci, Harun Aydin, Mehmet Erdem, Gokhan Erdogan, Umut Nayir, Levent Kale
Subs - Turgut Kirveli, Ramazan Adiguzel, Hasan Ayaroglu, Ali Sinan Gayla, Volkan Geyik, Mehmet Tasci, Teoman Erkan
So Mustafa Kaplan kept with the same team he has went with since taking over the club. Levent would partner Umut up top again despite having not scored a goal all season. Maybe its time to bring in one of the youth strikers until Levent has found his fitness.
In the 5 years I've supported Ankaragucu we have never had a decent defence, and yet again this season we are playing with no recognised centre backs. Last season we went with Selim Teber who is a natural midfielder. And now this season we are going with midfielders Serhat Gulpinar and Aytac Oden. This is of course no fault of the manager, but the management team who have given him no resources to improve this team.
President Yiginer has disappointed me and the Ankaragucu support this week by declaring he won't sure Melih Gokcek. Now we know this was never going to happen, but the problem is broken promises yet again. When Yiginer went for president for the second time against Bent Ahlat, he claimed he would lift the transfer ban. Instead the team has lost Mehmet Cakir, Emre Tasdemir, Kaan Kanak, Bayram Olgun, Serhat Aykuz, Erhan Guven, Omer Yalcin, Ibrahim Sahin, Muhammed Gonulacar and Bilal Gundogdu all for knocked down prices. All of they while no one coming in the door.
Today was another match where Ankaragucu couldn't find the net. Both teams went in 0-0 at half time as they struggled with the slippery surface due to heavy downpour. Into the second half and Ankaragucu missed an opportunity to take the lead as Umut Nayir missed a penalty. And guess what? 2 minutes later Ahmet Kuru gave Pazarspor the lead.
The game would stay that way as Ankaragucu couldn't find their way back into this match. Leaders Bandirmaspor were held 0-0 at home to Nazilli while Goztepe won 2-0 at Kocaeli Birlikspor.
My fellow Ankaragucu fans, please forget about the playoffs, please forget about even finishing mid table. We are in a relegation battle. It may not look like it now, but with games coming up against Goztepe and having to go to Diyarbakir before the January transfer window, its important we take as many points possible. Ankaragucu will lose Umut Nayir, Gokhan Akkan and possibly Hasan Ayaroglu in January, thats why its important to take as many points just now, as the second half of the season is going to be even worse.
Then again, maybe there will be a miracle, and Melih Gokcek will pay the debt he owes to the club? I think Harun was right all along. Its no coincidence that one of Gokceks best friends took over the club and decided not to sue him. Was that the master plan all along?
I can feel Nadeem's pain from here !
ReplyDeleteYes, much of what you say is true Nadeem, but ........ here comes Mr Optimism himself with some ....... 'ifs' !
'If' we win our game in hand against Diyarbakir, and 'if' we beat Kocaeli at home next week, and 'if' we can raise our game and beat effin Goztepe the following week at home then ...... who knows what that could do for team morale !!!
However, 'if' any of those 'ifs' are not realised then, yes, we will surely be dragged into the bottom half of the league and have a bloody scrap on our hands in the 2nd half of the season.
I'm not giving up on them just yet. I want to see a resounding win against Kocaeli next weekend and then the mist of pessimism might clear !!! We have to believe that we can beat Kocaeli AND Goztepe. Nothing else will do now at this stage in the season !!!
There is more chance of me being the next president of Turkey than us beating Goztpe and Diyarbakir Jim
ReplyDeleteHey Nady, a hope RTE duzzny read our Blog otherwise he'll no sleep well th' nicht !!!!
ReplyDeleteOk, let's hae a wee wager. 3 yummmy Efes amber nectars on AG tae beat Dee-aye-baker, effin Goztepe and ........... Koca. Are ye on ???
Oh dear!
ReplyDeleteEarly days? That pitch in the picture looks a bit rough. Perhaps 'gucu need to adapt to factors such as these.
Ok, I'm clutching at straws.
I'll take that bet jim
ReplyDeleteMustafa Kaplan today was complaining about the traveling his Ankaragücü team had to do with the match in Tavsanli and then Rize for yesterday's match.