Omer Erdogan set for Ankaragucu return?

 

Could fans favourite Omer Erdogan be set for a return to Ankaragucu? According to various sources including Orhan Sal and Metiner Erdem, he has met with Ankaragucu management recently to discuss taking over from Cihat Arslan. 

Incredibly if he does return, then he would be the 3rd manager of the season for Ankaragucu and we are only 1 month into the season. Kemal Ozdes was appointed in the summer, and then quickly resigned due to disagreements with management. Cihat Arslan has since taken charge and failed to win over the Ankaragucu support due to his style of football, but also his previous track record doesnt read well. 

The 1-0 home defeat to Umraniyespor last weekend, was followed up with a sluggish 2-1 win over Istanbulspor last night. 

Team - Bahadir, Hayrullah, Dursun, Mert, Diego, Ali Kaan, Kitsiou, Efkan, Garry, Riad, Dadashov

Subs - Ertac, Gorkem, Arda, Sirac, Cem, Ismail, Cephas, Hasan,Osman

When you look at how the team has been constructed, it is no surprise that this team isnt playing good football. The midfield has a player who dont want to be here, and Ali Kaan who tries hard but just isnt good enough to be a starter. Up top you have Riad Bajic who has offered very little since he joined the club and also looks unhappy. Garry Rodrigues has had multiple chances but his finishing has let him down on every occasion. 

The one bright spark in that area of the pitch is Renat Dadashov. His work rate and link up play has been very good since he came in, and he added his 2nd goal last night to give Ankaragucu the lead. It was an excellent ball from Hayrullah in which Dadashov brought the ball down brilliantly before putting the ball past the keeper to make it 1-0. 

Istanbulspor hit back through a penalty after Ali Kaan was judged to have fouled one of their players it he penalty area. It was very soft and for me was never a penalty. But up stepped Sarikaya from the penalty spot to make it 1-1. 

The game looked to be heading for a draw, but minutes before the end Efkan headed the ball into the net from a corner to make it 2-1. The crowd were cheering at this point but it soon turned ugly, when Efkan and Dadashov both ran to the fans and told them to shut up while pointing their fingers to their mouths. This was met by boos and chants of Yonetim Istifa. 

Ankaragucu fans have suffered enough over the years, but many have still stayed loyal to their team. Efkan was a player who tried his best to leave the club after relegation. When he couldn't find a club he came back to play for Ankaragucu. And yet he thinks its acceptable to question the fans and react in such a way? Hopefully before transfer deadline day we find a club that will take the likes of him, cephas and anyone else who doesn't want to be here. 

Renaldo came on as a sub and actually made a positive impact with his pace. But he looks like he will move on shortly with an offer from Israeli club Macabbi Haifa. 

Christian Bassogog completed his move to Al Okhdood for 800,000 Euros. The club have completed the signing of Romanian winger Dorin Rotariu as his replacement on a free transfer. He hasn't played football for 6 months and is another questionable signing from this management team. 

We will see what the next few days bring. Cihat Arslan is under pressure and looks like he has managed his last game. Hopefully for the fans sake, Omer Erdogan is the man to replace him, but no one would blame him if he decided against walking into this mess and trusting a management team that already betrayed him in the past. 

Ankaragucu vs Umraniyespor match preview!

 

Saturday nights game will see Ankaragucu host Umraniyespor at Eryaman Stadium as both clubs look to bounce back after defeat. Ankaragucu will take some encouragement that Sanliurfaspor beat Umraniye quite comfortably 3-1 and will be hoping for a similar outcome. 

On the transfer front, the clubs new Sporting Director confirmed in an interview with Metiner Erdem that Renaldo Cephas will train with the youth team. He claims the club turned down a 1 Million Euros offer from an Israeli club for Cephas and are instead looking for closer to 5 Million Euros. Quite a remarkable statement as the player has failed to impress since he came to the club. 

He also confirmed that Christian Bassogog and Andreij Djokanovic have offers from Saudi and the club are hoping for a conclusion to these deals soon despite wanting Bassogog to stay. Saponara is still on the wage bill but they are finding it difficult to part ways with the Italian midfielder. The club also confirmed talented youngster Efe Akdogan has signed for Corum and the club have inserted a 30 percent sell on clause. 

On the more positive side of things, the club has a desire to give opportunities to more academy players with 17 year old Hasan Nazarov an example of that at the weekend after making his debut. 

Umraniyespor finished 11th last season and will again be hoping to improve on that under Tuncay Sanli. They have made some changes to the squad this season as every Turkish team does. Bulgarian Striker Georgi Minchev has impressed so far with 2 goals in his first 2 games and will be looking to add to that tally at the weekend. 

Ankaragucu should have Stelios Kitsiou and Tolga Cigerci back in contention to start. Both players who have been linked with moves away from the club are important players for the team and were missed last week. 

Efkan and Bassogog who also want to move on need to show more effort if they are to start. They have both produced lacklustre performances and way below the levels of what they are capable of. 

Its expected Renat Dadashov who has impressed in his 2 sub appearances will come in and take the starting place at the striker position from Riad Bajic who again was poor last week. 

Its vital Cihat Arslan and his team pick up all 3 points with some of the other clubs in Lig 1 already showing some encouraging signs. 

Ankaragucu return from Erzurum empty handed!

 

It was a disappointing performance and result in Erzurum from Ankaragucu and Cihat Arsalan and the management need to ditch the players who don't want to be here immediately. In 90 minutes of football, Ankaragucu failed to get one shot on goal despite having more of the possession. 

Team - Bahadir, Ismail, Mert, Mahmut, Dursun, Cem, Ali Kaan, Efkan, Bassogog, Garry, Bajic

Subs - Ertac, Fatih, Diogo, Dadashov, Arda, Hasan Nazarov, Hayrullah, Osman

The only goal of the game came in the 35th minute though a Mustafa Yumlu header. Bahadir made a mistake which lead to the corner, and from the resulting corner kick Mustafa headed the ball into the net at the near post to make it 1-0. 

Ankaragucu legend Hakan Kutlu will be delighted to see his side pick up all 3 points but he stated after the game his wish is for both Erzurum an Ankaragucu to be promoted. 

Despite having the highest wage bill and budget in Lig 1, Ankaragucu look like a team who have no identity and multiple players who arent showing any effort. Efkan, Bassogog, Cephas and Tolga have all made it clear they would like to move on. 

Tolga at least shows some effort when he plays and was missed at the weekend along with Kitsiou who both had injuries. But the pathetic performances of Efkan and Bassogog while Cephas was left out the squad for failing to attend training sessions should be sold immediately. 

The only positive from the match was the debut of 17 year old Hasan Nazarov. They young midfielder has impressed for the youth teams and was given his debut with 8 minutes remaining. Fenerbahce are believed to be interested in signing him so hopefully Ankaragucu can find more opportunities in the team and convince him his future would benefit from staying here. 

On the transfer front, the club have failed with offers for Ali Yashar and Valon Ethemi both from Istanbulspor. Christian Bassogog is wanted by clubs in Saudi and Ankaragucu have rejected 600K Euros, and will instead look for 1 Million Euros before he can move. 

Next up is Saturday nights game with Umraniyespor. They have also won 1 and lost 1 this season. A good 3-0 win over Corum was followed up with a 3-1 defeat at Sanliurfaspor which should give Ankaragucu some encouragement. 

Ankaragucu put Sanliurfa to the sword!

 

One of Jims favourite sayings when Ankaragucu won, "we put them to the sword" as Ahmet mentioned in our Whattsap group. The first competitive match without our great friend Jim ended in a 2-0 win for Ankaragucu against Sanliurfaspor. 

Team - Bahadir, Ismail, Mert, Mahmut, Dursun, Tolga, Efkan, Ali Kaan, Bassogog, Garry, Bajic

Subs - Ertac, Fatih, Arda, Sirac, Hayrullah, Dadashov, Cem, Dioga, Osman

Despite being named in the squad Renaldo Cephas failed to turn up for the game and has also been missing from training all week. Cihat Arslan said after the match that the club has an offer from an Israeli club which they rejected and no one knows where Cephas is. 

It was an overall good performance from Ankaragucu considering some of the issues that the coach has with the team. Both Tolga and Efkan have been looking for a move to the Super Lig, and earlier this week Kitsiou, Bassogog and Cephas have all been subject to interest from other clubs. 

Having to put out a team that has multiple players who clearly dont see their future with Ankaragucu isnt an easy task. 

Apart the first 5 minutes where Sanliurfaspor had a couple of half chances, it was Ankaragucu who dominated the game. 

Goals from Riad Bajic, with a left footed shot from outside the box, and a brilliant team goal finished off by Renat Dadashov were enough to seal the 3 points for Ankaragucu. 

Sanliurfaspor were very poor and could be in for a difficult season as they look to have a lack of quality all over the pitch. 

At the back Ankaragucu looked pretty solid, apart from Dursun at left back who doesnt offer much at either end of the pitch. He is weak defensively, and isnt good enough on the ball to be considered effective from an attacking point of view. 

In midfield, Tolga had a decent game and Ali Kaan worked hard. Efkan showed some nice touches at times but then let himself down with his final ball or decision making. It also looks like Efkan is playing at half the effort of others. 

Up top, Bassogog again showed some nice moments, but similar to Efkan looks like he isnt bought into playing in Lig 1. Riad Bajic didnt have much to do the full game but took his goal well, although no smile and limited celebration tells its own story. 

Renat Dadashov who just signed for the club during the week, gave an impressive debut with his link up play, work rate and finishing off with a great goal.

The only negatives from the game is, it should have been a bigger winning margin, and when Bassogog came off, instead of bringing on Sirac the coach brought on Haryullah instead. 

When your 3rd choice right back comes onto the field, instead of one of the most talented young wingers in Turkey, it says a lot about the development of young players at Ankaragucu. 

Next up is an away match at Erzurumspor on Saturday against Hakan Kutlu and his team! 

Ankaragucu vs Sanliurfaspor - Match Preview

 

Firstly, a bit of transfer news today as Ankaragucu finally got their striker with the signing of 25 year old Azerbaijani striker Renat Dadashov on a 2 year deal from Grasshopers Zurich. The former Wolves player spent last season on loan at Hatayspor scoring 7 goals in all competitions. 

The club have also signed Onur Seferoglu who is one of the most talented young players in Turkey. He was initially with Ankaragucu youth team before moving to Bochum in Germany 2 years ago and was one of the best young players at German youth level. His parents have returned to Turkey and Onur wanted to move back with them. Both Galatasaray and Fenerbahce tried to sign him, but Ankaragucu managed to convince him with the help of Cengiz Paca. A great coup for the club and hopefully the teenager will get his opportunity. 

Christian Bassogog and Renaldo Cephas both advised the club today that they dont wish to play in the season opener against Sanliurfaspor as they push for moves to Saudi Arabia and Israel. Bassogog is subject to a 1 Million euro offer from Saudi, while an Israeli club have reportedly offered 130K for Cephas. Bassogog will be a blow as he is seen as one of the teams key players, but Cephas has failed to make any impact since his signing. Lets hope the club can finalise these moves quickly to allow them to find replacements before the transfer deadline. 

Stelios Kitsiou will also miss out on Sunday nights game as he has picked up an injury and hasnt been training the last couple of days. 

Cihan Arslan takes charge of his first competitive game as Ankaragucu manager against his former club who narrowly avoided relegation last season. Sanliurfaspor have made a few changes to their squad with the additions of Ally Male, Stefan Ashkovski, Mehmet Coskun, Petteri Forssell and former Ankaragucu midfielder Mohammed Gonulacar to name a few. 

Sanliurfaspor are another big club with a great fanbase in Turkey who have suffered from bad management and financial problems. They will be hoping they can have a more positive season and challenge at the top end of the table. 

With so many players out for the first game i think we will something like the below lining up in the first game. 

Bahadir

Hayrullah Mahmut Mert Dursun

Tolga

Ali-Kaan Efkan

Garry  Sirac

Dadashov

Im hopefull with both Cephas and Bassogog confirming they wont play, that it will open the door for opportunity for highly rated Sirac. We have been hearing about how much potential he has since 14 years old. The only way we can develop these players is by giving them an opportunity. 

I would personally also start Arda Unyay at CB but i dont think Cihat will throw too many young players in. Arda for me is the most talented young player and has a huge future in the game. But similar to Sirac he needs game time. Lets see what Sunday brings. 

Ankaragücü 4-0 Genclerbirligi TSYD Cup

 

Ankaragücü his afternoon confirmed 6 new signings as Mahmut Takdemir, Ismail Cokcalis, Mert Cetin, Osman Celik, Diogo Coelho and Yusuf Emre Gultekin all signing on free transfers.

The TSYD Cup is a historical competition for Ankara teams and is a yearly event with both teams tied on 17 wins each. Today would give us an idea of where the team is at as we approach next weeks first league game of the season against Sanliurfaspor.

Team - Bahadir, Kitsiou, Mahmut, Diogo, Dursun, Tolga, Ali Kaan, Efkan, Bassogog, Garry, Bajic

Subs - Ertac, Ismail, Osman, Cem, Cephas, Mervan, Arda, Mirac, Sirac, Hayrullah

It was a pretty dominant win for Ankaragücü as goals from Tolga, Efkan, Kitsiou and Bassogog giving the Sari Lacivert 4 goals and a clean sheet which sent the small group of fans home happy.

There were some good signs from Cihat Arslan on his first game as Ankaragücü manager. The team played some nice football throughout the match with the likes of Tolga, Efkan and Garry in particular having good games. 

The weak areas are in defence and centre forward positions. Quite a few times Genclerbirligi found a lot of space in between the wing backs and central defenders and some of the leagues better teams will take advantage of that. 

Riad Bajic struggled in attack and was hooked at half time. He really struggles playing with his back to goal and holding the ball up. If Ankaragücü are to be promoted this season they will need to find a striker who has those attributes.

Arda Unyay came on for the last 12 minutes and the 18 year old looks a big talent. He is easily the most impressive defender in the team and should be starting. If Ankaragücü give him his opportunity he could make the team millions in the future. He is a fantastic player with a big future.

Genclerbirligi on the other hand look like they could be in for a relegation battle if they don’t add some more quality to their team. Former Ankaragücü rejects Alperen Babacan, Yasin Gurler started for them as did Sinan Osmanoglu and Firatcan who also played for Ankaragücü. Those type of players at this part of their career won’t help a team looking for promotion.

Ankaragücü now have 8 days to prepare for the opening home match with Sanliurfaspor next week at Eryaman.

And finally, the first competitive game without our friend Jim. Have a drink on Ankaragücü up there Jim, we miss you badly. 

Ankaragücü 1-1 Samsunspor

 

Ankaragücü tonight released their new home and away kit for the upcoming season and as you can see the home one in particular has a new modern vibe to it. The away one is white and the 3rd kit is the same as last seasons. The team will debut the new kits next Friday night in the TSYD Cup against Genclerbirligi.

In other news the team drew 1-1 yesterday in the latest pre season match in Kayseri with Samsunspor. Renaldo Cephas was the goalscorer and Garry Rodrigues again captained the team.

The club are also looking to sign a new CB and striker before the start of the season in 2 weeks time at home to Sanliurfaspor. As of yet management have failed to lift the transfer ban.

Kayserispor 1-3 Ankaragücü

 Ankaragücü got their pre season camp off to a winning start with a 3-1 victory in Kayseri. Goals from Saponara, Rodrigues and Cephas gave Ankaragücü the victory and Cihat Arslan gets himself off to a winning start.

Team - Bahadir, Kitsiou, Dursun, Mahmut, Mert, Cem, Ali Kaan, Saponara, Rodrigues, Bassogog, Bajic

Subs- Fatih, Gorkem, Djokanovic, Sirac, Enes, Yusuf, Hasan, Umut, Ismail, Osman, Mirac, Hayrullah, Gultekin, Cephas

Ankaragucu news roundup!

 The team are headed to Kayseri for their pre season training camp and its a mix of players from last season and youth players as the transfer ban still hasnt been lifted. The Lig 1 championship rules state that you must play at least 1 under 21 player in the starting line up, which is a rule i really like as it forces Ankaragucu to give an opportunity to one of the academy players. 

Fatih Demir, Umut Tarhan, Sirac, Arda Unyay, Onur Efe and Mirac Simsek have all been training with the first team and will be among the candidates looking to break into the team. 

On the transfer front, Efkan Bekirolgu and Tolga Cigerci look like they are both staying with Ankaragucu for the time being. They have both been linked with moves to Basaksehir and Konyaspor but it was reported yesterday that they have failed to agree to a move. 

Efkan in particular will be an important player at this level, but question marks remain if having 2 key players who aren't committed to the team is the best idea. 

It has also been reported that 36 year old Mahmut Takdemir has signed a 1 year contract with the club on a free transfer from Basaksehir. Mahmut is a good player who has had a great career, but at 36 years old and only playing just over 200 minutes of football in the last 12 months, it doesnt fill you with confidence that it will just be another player coming to the Ankaragucu retirement home. 

Yusuf Emre Gultekin has also reportedly agreed to join the club. The 31 year old is set to sign on a free transfer from Kocaelispor. 

New coach Cihat Arslan has praised Christian Bassogog as the hardest working player in training and he wants to keep him at the club along with Riad Bajic. Bassogog in particular will be a key player if the club can keep him. Bajic had a poor season last year, but Lig 1 we may see a more effective player. 

Finally, Ankaragucu and River Plate have entered into talks about a potential partnership between the two clubs which would share ideas on training, youth development and other areas. The move would see some of River Plates young players come to Ankaragucu. It would be a positive move by the club if they were to make something official. 

What is going on at the Ankaragucu academy?

 

Tandogan is the heartbeat of Ankaragucu. For many years it has produced players such as Hakan Kutlu, Altay Bayindr, Gokhan Akkan, Kaan Kanak, Emre Tasdemir, Onur Atasayer, Mert Erdogan, Gokhan Erdogan, Umut Nayir, Hasan Kaya and may more players who at some stage have played important parts in the history of Ankaragucu. 

Cengiz Paca has played an important part in the academy and is also one of the biggest Ankaragucu fans you will meet. His passion for the club and the youth academy is his life and the academy players at the club respect him very much. 

On one of my first trips to Ankara i met with Cengiz when he invited me to Tandogan. He was very proud of the work and his players and gave me a tour of the facility. We have remained friends and it saddens me to see he is no longer employed by the club after he parted ways just after Faruk Koca took control. 

The Ankaragucu academy has big potential to produce first team players for the club, but also much needed revenue. 

If you look at any modern forward thinking football club in Europe who don't make a lot of money from ticket sales, merchandise or sponsorship, they will invest in a strong scouting team, and more importantly the youth academy. 

The academy is an opportunity to develop local players and sell them on for a profit. The academy players at Ankaragucu are on non professional contracts so very cost effective. 

Since the arrival of Faruk Koca and his management, not 1 single player has progressed from the academy into the first team. We have saw a couple of players on the last day of the season get 5-10 minutes. But apart from that there is no opportunities. This despite over 100 garbage signings, and 3 relegations under their management. 

Ankaragucu have had numerous academy players represent the Turkish National team at youth level including Kaan Cinkaya, Kaan Gormez, Fatih Demir, Sirac Astankulov, Arda Unyay, Hasan Efe , Atakan Dama and many others, but Ankaragucu coaches block their path and refuse to give them any opportunities. They would rather play someone like Atakan Cankaya out of his normal position than give an opportunity to a youth player. 

For example, Kaan Cinkaya is one of the most talented young goalkeepers in Turkey. Instead of giving him the 3rd choice option, they signed Dogukan Kaya who has only played 1 game in his 3 years with the club picking up a salary. Kaan has now been released and playing in the 3rd tier. 

Atakan Dama was watched by Besiktas and Galatasaray but Ankaragucu blocked his development and he went 12 months playing less than 2-3 games as he sat on the bench and wasn't included in the youth team. Kaan Gormez is now playing amateur football and Sirac one of the most talented wingers in Turkey sits on the bench every week and plays very little football. 

In Europe we see young players 16-20 playing 30 games per season. In Turkey we see 20 year olds who are playing 2-3 games per season. Lamine Yamal at 16 is playing both for Barcelona and Spain at the highest level, because Barcelona gave him an opportunity and stood by him and his development. 

One player who many people have been talking about at Ankaragucu is Hasan Efe Akdogan. He is a 16 year old striker and everyone was very excited by him. He was so good that he moved up the age groups and was breaking records with his goals. He was a member of the Turkish National youth teams. He could have been a player who made the club big money. 

Only this week he signed with Corum FK for £15,000. Ankaragucu refused to give him a professional contract. Corum stepped up and offered him the professional contract and he agreed to sign with them. You loose one of the best talents in Turkey who is in your academy to Corum FK because you refuse to offer him a professional contract and call yourself the greatest management in history? No one can explain why they allowed this to happen. It is one of the most corrupt and most awful decisions i have ever seen. 

The club met with Cengiz this week with the view of him returning to the club which would have been a great decision. Cengiz is someone we all trust, and he has great experience with the academy. The young players love him like a father and respect him. Even the Academy Director was looking forward to working with him. But again there were those working with this management who opposed the decision. 

The person who opposed has no experience with football. He serves himself like many others in this management. They help their careers, fill their pockets, give money to their friends and benefit their political careers. They don't want Ankaragucu men at this club because they will speak against the corruption. 

We have stood by and allowed these corrupt thieves to destroy this club day after day. The treatment of Omer Erdogan wasn't enough, the 3 relegations weren't enough, the 100 garbage signings weren't enough, giving Emre Yildiz flowers at Bestepe wasnt enough, allowing your best talent Hasan Efe wasnt enough. 

Now is the time to protest, and speak up. Tandogan is the heartbeat of Ankaragucu, but it is also home for many young kids in Ankara. These kids are passionate Ankaragucu fans and fight for the jersey. The results of the academy teams have been impressive last couple of years, but they were ignored by the first team and this management. If we allow the thieves to continue their corrupt acts then Tandogan will be finished. 

We must continue to fill the stands and support the team, but we also must oppose the corrupt thieves in management. I appreciate there will be some good people in this management who want to do good, but there are many who do not care for this club or respect it. 

We must make our voices hear, share on social medio, go to Tandogan and Bestepe and protest. I cant arrange from Scotland, there must be those in Ankara who can arrange these protests before its too late?

Tandoğan Ankaragücü'nün kalbidir. Uzun yıllar boyunca Hakan Kutlu, Altay Bayındır, Gökhan Akkan, Kaan Kanak, Emre Taşdemir, Onur Atasayer, Mert Erdoğan, Gökhan Erdoğan, Umut Nayir, Hasan Kaya gibi oyuncuların yanı sıra bazı dönemlerde önemli roller üstlenen daha birçok oyuncu yetiştirmiştir. Ankaragücü'nün tarihi.

Cengiz Paca akademide önemli bir rol oynadı ve aynı zamanda tanışacağınız en büyük Ankaragücü taraftarlarından biri. Onun kulübe ve altyapı akademisine olan tutkusu onun hayatıdır ve kulüpteki akademi oyuncuları ona çok saygı duymaktadır.

Ankara'ya ilk gezilerimden birinde Cengiz'in beni Tandoğan'a davet etmesiyle tanıştım. İşinden ve oyuncularından çok gurur duydu ve bana tesisi gezdirdi. Arkadaş olarak kaldık ve Faruk Koca'nın yönetime gelmesinden sonra yollarını ayırdıktan sonra artık kulüpte çalışmadığını görmek beni üzüyor.

Ankaragücü akademisi, kulübe ilk takım oyuncularını yetiştirme konusunda büyük bir potansiyele sahip, ancak aynı zamanda çok ihtiyaç duyulan bir gelire de sahip.

Avrupa'da bilet satışlarından, ürün satışlarından veya sponsorluklardan çok fazla para kazanamayan herhangi bir modern, ileri görüşlü futbol kulübüne bakarsanız, güçlü bir scouting takımına ve daha da önemlisi altyapı akademisine yatırım yapacaklarını görürsünüz.

Akademi, yerel oyuncuları geliştirmek ve onları kâr amacıyla satmak için bir fırsattır. Ankaragücü'ndeki akademi oyuncularının profesyonel olmayan sözleşmeleri var ve bu nedenle oldukça uygun maliyetli.

Faruk Koca ve yönetiminin gelişinden bu yana akademiden A takıma yükselen tek bir oyuncu olmadı. Sezonun son gününde birkaç oyuncunun 5-10 dakika süre aldığını gördük. Ama onun dışında hiçbir fırsat yok. Bu, 100'den fazla çöp transferine ve onların yönetimindeki 3 küme düşmeye rağmen.

Ankaragücü, Kaan Cinkaya, Kaan Görmez, Fatih Demir, Siraç Astankulov, Arda Unyay, Hasan Efe, Atakan Dama ve daha birçokları dahil olmak üzere Türk Milli takımını altyapı seviyesinde temsil eden çok sayıda akademi oyuncusuna sahip oldu, ancak Ankaragücü antrenörleri onların yolunu kesiyor ve onlara izin vermeyi reddediyor. herhangi bir fırsat. Genç bir oyuncuya fırsat vermektense Atakan Çankaya gibi birini normal pozisyonun dışında oynatmayı tercih ederler.

Mesela Kaan Cinkaya Türkiye'nin en yetenekli genç kalecilerinden biri. Kendisine 3. tercih hakkı vermek yerine, kulüpteki 3 yılında sadece 1 maç oynayan ve maaş alan Doğukan Kaya'yı kadrosuna kattılar. Kaan şu anda serbest kaldı ve 3. ligde oynuyor.

Atakan Dama, Beşiktaş ve Galatasaray tarafından izlendi ancak Ankaragücü onun gelişimini engelledi ve 12 ay boyunca yedek kulübesinde oturup altyapıya dahil edilmeyerek 2-3'ten az maç oynadı. Kaan Görmez artık amatör futbol oynuyor ve Türkiye'nin en yetenekli kanat oyuncularından biri olan Sirac, her hafta yedek kulübesinde oturuyor ve çok az futbol oynuyor.

Avrupa'da 16-20 yaş arası genç oyuncuların sezon başına 30 maç oynadığını görüyoruz. Türkiye'de 20 yaşında, sezon başına 2-3 maç oynayan gençleri görüyoruz. 16 yaşındaki Lamine Yamal, hem Barselona hem de İspanya adına en üst seviyede oynuyor çünkü Barcelona ona bir fırsat verdi ve onun ve gelişiminin yanında yer aldı.

Ankaragücü'nde birçok kişinin bahsettiği isimlerden biri de Hasan Efe Akdoğan. Kendisi 16 yaşında bir forvet ve herkes ondan çok heyecan duyuyordu. O kadar iyiydi ki yaş gruplarında üst sıralara çıkıyor ve attığı gollerle rekorlar kırıyordu. Türkiye A Milli gençlik takımının bir üyesiydi. Kulübe büyük para kazandıran bir oyuncu olabilirdi.

Daha bu hafta Corum FK ile 15.000 £ karşılığında sözleşme imzaladı. Ankaragücü kendisine profesyonel sözleşme vermeyi reddetti. Corum öne çıktı ve ona profesyonel sözleşme teklif etti ve o da onlarla imzalamayı kabul etti. Akademinizdeki Türkiye'nin en iyi yeteneklerinden birini, ona profesyonel bir sözleşme teklif etmeyi reddettiğiniz ve kendinizi tarihin en büyük menajeri olarak adlandırdığınız için mi Çorum FK'ya kaptırıyorsunuz? Bunun olmasına neden izin verdiklerini kimse açıklayamıyor. Bu şimdiye kadar gördüğüm en yozlaşmış ve en korkunç kararlardan biri.

Kulüp bu hafta Cengiz'le buluştu ve onun yeniden kulübe dönmesi büyük bir karar olacaktı. Cengiz hepimizin güvendiği biri ve akademide çok iyi tecrübesi var. Genç oyuncular onu bir baba gibi seviyor ve saygı duyuyor. Akademi Direktörü bile onunla çalışmayı sabırsızlıkla bekliyordu. Ancak yine bu yönetimle birlikte çalışan ve karara karşı çıkanlar da oldu.

Karşı çıkan kişinin futbol tecrübesi yok. Bu yönetimdeki pek çok kişi gibi o da kendine hizmet ediyor. Kariyerlerine yardımcı oluyorlar, ceplerini dolduruyorlar, arkadaşlarına para veriyorlar ve siyasi kariyerlerine fayda sağlıyorlar. Yolsuzluklara karşı konuşacakları için Ankaragücü adamlarını bu kulüpte istemiyorlar.

Biz durduk ve bu yozlaşmış hırsızların bu kulübü her gün yok etmelerine izin verdik. Ömer Erdoğan'a yapılan muamele yetmedi, 3 küme düşme yetmedi, 100 çöp imza yetmedi, Beştepe'de Emre Yıldız'a çiçek vermek yetmedi, en yetenekli Hasan Efe'ye izin verilmedi

Ankaragucu latest news!

 

We are now under a month until the new season starts and Ankaragucu have a lot of work still to be done as they prepare for pre season camp in Kayseri. 

Metiner Erdem reported this morning that Cihat Arslan has told Saponara and Djokanovic to both find new clubs. Each team in Lig 1 can only register 8 foreign players and the new coach had concerns over the fitness of Saponara.

Stelios Kitsiou will remain at the club unless a bid comes in for the player before the transfer window closes. Kitsiou wanted to remain a the club but Kemal Ozden said he had no place in the squad. Cihat has been impressed with him in pre season and has decided he will remain. 

Ankaragucu are also said to have agreed terms with Osman Celik the former captain of Samsunspor. The 32 year old midfielder was an important player for Samsun in their promotion back to the Super Lig and Ankaragucu will be hoping he can do similar here. 

Efkan and Tolga are both set to return to training with the team after failing to show up so far. Ankaragucu gave both players an ultimatum to return or they would terminate the contracts. The players will join up with the rest of the squad in Kayseri. 

Ankaragucu - Latest transfer news!

 

Unfortunately the bad news keeps coming at Ankaragucu. This management continue to make decisions that are not only amateur, but you start questioning if its corruption because no one can be this bad at managing a football club. 

Ankaragucu have one of the most talented young players in Turkish football in Hasan Ege Akdogan. The 16 year old striker has an incredible goal scoring record at youth level and is a member of the Turkish National youth team. 

A number of clubs have shown interest, but Hasan wanted to stay with Ankaragucu as long as they offered him a professional contract. For whatever reason, the club did not make him the offer and Corum FK have snapped him up by offering a professional contract which Hasan has accepted. 

This is a player who could potentially make millions of pounds for the club, but instead they will receive £15,000 compensation for the player. I dont even know what to say anymore. 

Ismail Cokcalis is set to sign for the club once the transfer ban is lifted. The 24 year old right back is available on a free transfer from Adana Demirspor. Mert Cetin terminated his contract with Hellas Verona this week and will decide if he wants to return to Ankaragucu. 

Another player linked with a move to the club is Douglas Tanque. The former Samsunspor and Kocaelispor striker would be a great addition as he is a proven goalscorer in Lig 1. 

Finally, some good news. Atakan Cankaya left the club on a free transfer earlier this week and will look to find a new club. The player who has been relegated 3 times in the last 4 years we will not have to suffer watching any longer. 

Ankaragücü latest news!

 

Since the passing of our great friend Jim, I along with some of the other Kankas have taken some time to decide if we are going to continue with the Blog. Without Jim, this Blog will never be the same, his passion in writing about Ankaragücü was very unique and will be sadly missed. But we do think Jim would have wanted us to continue and keep the Round Ball in Ankara as a source of information for both foreign and Turkish fans of Ankaragücü and Genclerbirligi. 

Unfortunately, they news at Ankaragücü continues to look bleak as this management go from 1 disaster to another. Only 1 month previous the club appointment Kemal Ozdes as the new manager for the upcoming season. They promised him that they would keep the team together and new transfers but as usual more failed promises.

Earlier in the week Ankaragücü appointed Seyit Igcul as Sporting Director. Incredibly it’s his fist job in football for 9 years after leaving Karabukspor. A few days later Kemal Ozdes has resigned and been replaced with Cihat Arslan who managed Sanliurfaspor last season. He is another coach who has had a new job every season with lower league teams and achieved nothing. But where did they find such an underwhelming coach? The new vice president of Ankaragücü is the ex president of Sanliurfaspor. Just look at how badly managed Sanliurfaspor have been over the years and see examples of bad footballing decisions.

On the transfer front the below players have all left the club:

Nihad Mujakic - Partizan Belgrade - 900,000 Euros 

Tasos - Eyupspor - Free

Pedrinho - Kocaelispor - Feee

Uros Radakovic - Sivasspor - Free

Stelios Kitsiou - Free

Federico Macheda - Free

Season ticket sales go live this week but it will be a miracle if more than 100 are sold. In all the years supporting Ankaragücü I have never seen as less interest and it’s all thanks to this management. They have destroyed this club and paid people to stay quiet.

The kit makers this season have been announced as Umbro and will be unveiled this coming week too.

A tribute to our friend Jim!

 

The last few days have been some of the saddest days of my life. Losing our friend Jim has been hard to take, but we can take some comfort from the sheer volume of tributes paid to the great man from family, friends, the mayor of Ankara, tribune groups, Ankaragücü club and community and many others. It just shows how wonderful a person he really was and will be sadly missed.

It was this exact photo that made me become an Ankaragücü fan back in 2009. I had always a keen interest in Turkish football and decided to chose a team to follow. Darius Vassell had just signed for the club and the video of 3000 fans turning up at Esenboga airport made me do a search on google and this blog came up. After seeing the picture above I thought this guy doesn’t look Turkish, and after a bit of digging he was in fact from the same country as myself, Scotland.

I contacted Jim and he immediately replied and suggested I come over for a game to experience the Ankaragücü atmosphere. I did indeed a few months later and the rest is history. Through Jim I made friends with the rest of the Kanka group. Jim was the leader, and a great leader at that. Everyone respected him because he was like a father figure, who genuinely cared and had this infectious personality that made him instantly likeable.

We first met when he came back home for a visit to Scotland when visiting family near Glasgow. Jim kindly gifted me my first Ankaragücü jersey which I still have to this day. Shortly after I made the trip to Ankara with my wife and he was the perfect guest. Jim had organised a welcome dinner with all the rest of the group both from Ankaragücü and Genclerbirligi. It was a fantastic night and such a kind warm welcome.

I have made numerous trips across to Ankara since then and developed a friendship with Jim over the last 15 years. Including an away trip to Bursa which was our last game we attended together. Every occasion, you always got the same Jim. The same warm welcome of someone you knew was so happy to see you. The football chat which tended to involve how rubbish Ankaragücü, Rangers and Hibs were.

The only thing that frustrated me about Jim was that I was a guest in both Turkey and Scotland. He, despite my best attempts would never allow you to pay for things. There was the odd occasion he would accept a drink, but he was a kind and generous man. I mean all of that as a big compliment.

Although Jim had a settled life in Turkey which he counted as home, he never forgot his roots in Scotland. A trip back home to North Berwick was a regular occurrence and he was joined by Damon on his last few trips. Visiting his family and his beloved Hibs (won’t hold that against him haha) was the highlight of those trips. But he always found time for us to catch up for dinner. A few months ago when we said goodbye in Glasgow, I never imagined it would have been the last time we ever met :-(.

This Blog was founded by Chris and over the years has saw so many people come together from different countries due to Ankaragücü and Genclerbirligi. But the biggest reason is Jim. The way he welcomes people and makes them feel like part of the group instantly is a special gift he has. Some of us older Kankas such as Harun, Damon, Myself, Chris, Tansu, John, Marcus, Ahmet, Miguel to name a few have all had the pleasure of spending time in Jim’s company over the years. But Jim could even make special relationships with people he hasn’t met such as Johnny from Denmark. You would think those guys were friends for 20 years. It’s just the way Jim was. 

Even during the times where I found it difficult to get time to continue with the match reports and reviews, Jim took over as he knew family came first. Jim would regularly message me saying Nady if yer busy this week with the family I’ve got it.

And family was the only thing more important to Jim than football. His wife Aysen, daughter Laura, son in law Paul and little Finbarr in particular. Jim was the most positive Ankaragücü fan I know, he very rarely complained compared to the rest of us. I’ve seen him happy many a time with football, but the happiest and proudest I ever saw him was when little Fin was born. He was a proud grandfather. Even on our last meeting in Glasgow the big smile on his face when he spoke about him, you could tell how much he loved him. 

Tomorrow is a sad sad day as we all get the opportunity to say goodbye to our great friend. Sadly I can’t be there as I’m in Scotland. But I will be thinking of him. Ankaragücü will be attending the funeral which is a lovely touch from the club.

Because I can’t attend, I thought the minimum I could do was write this tribute to Jim. We all have our great memories, and it hurts to know we won’t speak again, or have any more of the famous match reports. 

RIP Jim, you were a great great friend 

Nady

 

GENCLERBIRLIGI – NEW COACH AT THE HELM !!

 

 

Greetings Kankas and Kankies.

 

Last season’s Gencler Coach, Sinan Kaloglu, has left the Club.     I’m unsure if it was by mutual agreement or if he was ‘nudged’   !!!

 

The new Coach is Recep Karatepe who was the Assistant Coach to Ismail Kartal last season at Fenerbahce.  

 

Recep Bey is no stranger to Gencler having been involved with the club in a coaching capacity earlier in his coaching career.

 

We await to see how his coaching style may differ from Sinan Bey’s   !!!

 

We now await news of the new coach of Ankaragucu after Emre Belozoglu left the Club recently.

 

As always, watch this space for more details.

 

All the best from Eski Kanka Jim

ANKARAGUCU – RELEGATED !!!

 

 

Greetings Kankas and Kankies.

 

Ankaragucu has been flirting with relegation for the past few seasons and there can be no excuses for their failure this season with 16 drawn matches and 14 lost from a total of 38 played.    Only 8 wins paints a miserable picture   !!

 

Also, they have had numerous chances to put distance between themselves and the other teams in the relegation zone, especially in their recent matches against Hatay and Pendik.

 

Last night was another abomination in a season to forget   !     Leading 2-1 with 10 minutes to go and they failed miserably to shut-up shop to run the clock down.    Unforgivable with so much at stake   !

 

Therefore, Ankaragucu join Istanbulspor, Pendik and Fatih Karagumruk in The Championship League next season and it remains to be seen if Coach Emre and any of the players will still be a part of the team.

 

Of course, we have been in this position before but sadly no lessons have been learned, and the way things are going, I am not optimistic of a quick return to The Super League.   I and thousands of Ankaragucu fanatics will hope otherwise, but it is difficult to remain optimistic with the present management in place.   A major overhaul of the Club is necessary   !!

 

As for last night, the least said the better   !    I am sure that I speak for many of us who were confident that Ankaragucu ( The Relegation Escapologists) had achieved the unlikely when Ali Sowe made it 2-1 with only 10 minutes to go.     However, it was too good to be true when Trabzon struck, not once, but 3 times to kill off any lingering hopes.     Incidentally, even a 2-2 draw would have been enough to have ensured survival .........aaaaargh   !!

 

It will therefore be a long summer for all of us to contemplate the outcome at our Club before league action resumes.

 

The Round Ball in Ankara will try to keep you updated throughout the next 2 months before the season gets underway.

 

On behalf of Nady and me, thanks to all our readers for staying with us here during this catastrophic season.

 

As always, watch this space for further news updates.

 

All the best from Eski Kanka Jim

ANKARAGUCU FAIL THE ACID TEST !!

 

 

Greetings Kankas and Kankies. 

 

Ankaragucu seem determined to spurn golden chance after chance in their efforts to retain their Super League status, and in the process, squandered the opportunity of taking 6 points from their closest rivals over the past 2 weeks.   It speaks volumes that they only managed a measly 1 point from these matches   !!

 

With only one match left to play, they now find themselves in the unenviable position of being relegation favourites, unless they can pull a rabbit out of the hat next weekend.

 

They must travel to 3^rd top of the league Trabzon and look to take all 3 points (unlikely !!).   In the event of failure to do so, and Hatay beat Rize (likely !!), then relegation will be assured.

 

As for last night’s match, there is very little to say, except that Pendik may have surprised Ankaragucu with their willingness to go toe-to-toe with them and dispel the notion that they were the ‘under-dogs’.

 

Sad to say that Bassogog was the only Ankaragucu player who looked capable of breaking the deadlock, and he almost did   !

 

ANKARAGUCU           0                       Pendikspor              0

 

Team – Bahadir, Kitsiou, Radakovic, Mujakic, Kazimcan, Tolga, Bassogog, Efkan, Pedrinho, Rodrigues and Ali Sowe

 

Substitutes – Alexis, Tasos, Ali Kaan, Macheda and Mert

 

Both goalkeepers were untroubled in the 1^st half.     Ankaragucu’s only real chance arrived just before the half time whistle when a cut-back was made to Rodrigues in the 6 yard box and he screwed his shot well wide.

 

Ankaragucu old-boy, Umut Nayir, almost scored for Pendik 10 minutes into the 2^nd half when he sent his well directed header inches over the bar.

 

With 15 minutes to go, Ankaragucu did score when a cross was sent from the left to the unmarked Bassogog on the right.   His first time shot went whizzing inside the right post ............BUT ........the goal was correctly chalked off for offside   !!

 

The match then fizzled out to an unsatisfactory conclusion.

 

So, the bottom line is that Ankaragucu only have themselves to blame for allowing themselves to be dragged into this position.

 

A bleak outlook to dwell upon for this week   !!!

 

As always, watch this space for the outcome of next weekend’s match.

 

All the best from Eski Kanka Jim

ANKARAGUCU – OPPORTUNITIES FOR MANOEUVRE DIMINISHING !!!

 

 

Greetings Kankas and Kankiues.

 

Ankaragucu took a giant step backwards last night when they succumbed to a team below them in the league, and in the process found themselves only 2 points above the relegation zone.

 

With only 2 matches left, Ankaragucu is leaving it late to salvage their season and optimism is in short supply right now   !!

 

Ankaragucu travel to 3^rd top of the league Trabzon for their final match, but next Sunday is, realistically, their last chance to take all 3 points when they host Pendik who are in the relegation zone.   Nothing less than 3 points will suffice to take to Trabzon   !!!

 

Last night Ankaragucu fought back to equalise with 5 minutes of the match remaining, but then, instead of shutting-up-shop and seeing the match out, they conceded the winning goal in time-added-on.      Aaaaaaargh    !!!     That goal may come back to haunt them in 2 weeks time   !!

 

Hatay           2                     ANKARAGUCU               1

 

Team – Ertac, Kitsiou, Mujakic, Radakovic, Atakan, Pedrinho, Tasos, Efkan, Alexis, Bassogog and Ali Sowe

 

Substitutes – Bajic, Rodrigues, Riccardo, Ali Kaan and Macheda

 

The 1^st half was a non-event.      However, the match exploded into life in the 70^th minute when Saglam put Hatay ahead.

 

With the match drifting towards the final whistle, Macheda equalised with 5 minutes to go.

 

Then the inevitable happened.     Into time-added-on and a cross came in from the right to the back post.     Who else but Atakan allowed Dadashov to ghost in and his header hit the back of the net   !!

 

So, to next weekend and Ankaragucu is staring into the abyss, unless they can contrive to put Pendik to the sword.

 

Istanbulspor is already relegated, and there is a scrap to determine who joins them.    With only 6 points separating the bottom 7 clubs, it goes without saying that Ankaragucu MUST win next Sunday.

 

Do they have the wherewithal and ‘bottle’ to deliver   ???!!!

 

As always, watch this space for the answer.

 

All the best from Eski Kanka Jim

GENCLERBIRLIGI FALL AT THE LAST HURDLE !!

 

 

Greetings Kankas and Kankies.

 

Gencler paid the price of failure yesterday due to their early season poor form, especially the massive 12 drawn matches, and in so doing, failed to make the play-off positions.

 

The Championship League concluded yesterday with Eyupspor and Goztepe taking the automatic places.   The play-off places were taken by Sakarya, Bodrum, Corum, Kocaeli and Bolu.

 

All 7 matches yesterday kicked-off at the same time so the TV channel kept switching from one to the other.

 

Tuzlaspor              1                      GENCLERBIRLIGI                1

 

Team – Ertugrul, Yasin, Babacan, Nzaba, Oguzhan, Akabueze, Bugra, Ensar, Amilton M. Yatabare and Melih

 

Substitutes – M. Cagiran, Ozgur and Oltan

 

In a day of high drama, the first action of the day was in Adana where Bandirma, pre-match favourites for the play-offs, were reduced to 10 men after only 10 minutes.   Djitte was the culprit when he blatantly kicked a defender in the back of his leg as the goalkeeper was clearing the ball up-field.   The VAR referee alerted the referee to the incident and he stopped play to check the VAR screen.   Unsurprisingly, he returned to the field and produced the RED card to Djitte   !!     It is fair to say that Djitte’s stupidity contributed to Bandirma’s failure to make the play-offs.

 

Gencler took the lead on the half hour mark with a scrappy goal and a slice of luck when Awuku scored an own goal following Bugra’s shot on goal which had been saved.    The ball rebounded into his path and he could do little except watch the ball dribble over the line.

 

Tuzla was unlucky half way through the 2^nd half when a fierce shot from just outside the box hit the post with Ertugrul beaten.

 

That was it, with the match heading into time-added-on and Gencler heading for the play-offs.    However, not quite   !!

 

With the final whistle approaching, Bas prodded the ball in after Ertugrul had spilled a right wing cross.     However, the referee signalled a foul on Ertugrul, but the VAR referee consulted with the referee before the free kick could be taken.    It took forever for a decision (easily 5 minutes) and then the referee changed his decision and awarded the goal to Tuzla.

 

A little too late for Tuzla to escape relegation after Bolu had scored a late goal to leapfrog Gencler for the play-off position.

 

So, another season in the Championship beckons for Gencler.   It was a close call, and it goes without saying that the team will need to re-group and strengthen in certain areas before the new season kicks off. 

 

In the meantime, thanks to all my regular readers this season   !

 

All the best from Eski Kanka Jim

ANKARAGUCU – TURKISH CUP DREAM PUT TO BED UNTIL NEXT SEASON !!

 

 

Greetings Kankas and Kankies.

 

It was a long and enjoyable journey but Ankaragucu was eliminated from the Turkish Cup last night at the semi-final stage on a 1-0 aggregate.

 

Ankaragucu was unable to reach the final of The Turkish Cup last night despite some heroics by their goalkeeper, Ertac, and a defensive blunder by a defender half way through the 2^nd half, as the match looked destined to be heading for extra time.

 

This match now falls into the category of ............history   !!       More important matters are at hand in the here-and-now in the shape of retaining their position in The Super League for next season.   There are 3 matches left to achieve this, starting this coming Sunday   !

 

Besiktas            1                     ANKARAGUCU             0

 

Team – Ertac, Kitsiou, Radakovic, Mert, Mujakic, Tolga, Alexis, Efkan, Bassogog, Tasos and Bajic

 

Substitutes – Ali Sowe, Atakan, Pedrinho, Rodrigues and Macheda

 

There is not much to say about the 1^st half except the crucial save by Ertac and the follow-up goal-line clearance by Radakovic approaching the half time whistle.

 

At the other end, Bassogog and Tasos were creating space and chances, but Bajic and Efkan were unable to capitalise on them.    The closest Ankaragucu came was created by Bassogog on the right when he sent an inch perfect pass to Alexis, but his first time shot went narrowly past the post.

 

10 minutes into the 2^nd half and Ankaragucu almost found the opening goal when, from a sweeping move, Bassogog’s final goal bound shot was well saved by the goalkeeper.

 

Both teams were committed to attack but with 20 minutes to go, and with my thoughts on extra time looming, the match was turned on its head.   Ertac sent an innocuous pass to Radokovic to instigate a move out of defence, but the normally reliable and consistent Radokovic slipped as he was about to receive the ball.     Muci pounced on the ball and sent his shot in via the underside of the bar to give the exposed Ertac no chance.

 

The goal seemed to inspire Besiktas as they searched for the 2^nd goal. And it almost came 10 minutes later when Cenk’s goal bound shot was acrobatically saved by Ertac.

 

5 minutes later, Atakan was lucky to only receive a yellow card and not RED for sticking his head into Chamberlain’s face in a ‘handbag throwing moment’ between the two of them.

 

6 minutes into time added on and Man of the Match, Ertac, made another acrobatic save from a shot heading for the top right.

 

Ankaragucu must put this disappointment behind them now and focus on Sunday’s crucial ‘6 pointer’, in Hatay.

 

It is to be hoped that Trabzon see off Fatih Karagumruk tonight in the other semi final and keep the Cup out of Istanbul   !!!

 

As always, keep watching this space for the outcome of Sunday’s  MUST WIN match  !

 

All the best from Eski Kanka Jim