Ertugrul Saglam Responds to Super Lig Questions at Kocaelispor
Kocaelispor is preparing for its upcoming match against Fatih Karagumruk in the 11th week of Trendyol 1. Lig. Head coach Ertugrul Saglam made evaluations before the training session, stating, “If we had won against MKE Ankaragucu, we would have maintained the point difference in the league. It was an unwanted defeat. We lost 3 points, but there is nothing that will push us into despair or lead to negative thoughts. We conceded poor goals. We look at the defense as a whole. We believe in the support and contribution from the forward players as well as the help from those at the back. So, we have a perspective that involves everyone. We clearly see this in the goals we conceded. Our forwards did not take responsibility, the midfielders did not cover well, and our defenders made simple mistakes, resulting in goals. Therefore, just as we previously acknowledged the positive aspects of team defense by involving everyone, we must also give everyone their due share in negative situations. Everyone must take responsibility.”
Saglam remarked, “For a team that hasn’t conceded a goal in four weeks and rarely gives up positions, to give up positions so easily is a weakness of the team. We thought we had overcome this. I want to consider this match as a momentary setback. We need to set this match aside but learn the necessary lessons. Especially before the international break, we have two important and challenging matches coming up. We will play Karagumruk on Saturday. They are one of the good teams in the league and have been rising in form in recent weeks. With the support of our fans, we aim to demonstrate that we are one of the prominent candidates for the Super Lig, showcasing the best football in this league and our team spirit.”
Expressing full confidence in his players, Saglam said, “We experienced a setback, but we have put it behind us. I believe these kids will start a winning streak beginning with the Karagumruk match. We have a minor injury to Caner. It doesn’t seem serious. According to the reports, it does not appear to be a long-term injury. We will look into the treatment in the coming days and see what the situation is for Saturday. He is a resilient player with a high pain threshold, so he will return to us as soon as possible. Marcao will start training with the team today. His physical condition is good, and we will try to get him match-ready in a short time. Aside from Caner, there are no players absent from training. We lost, we played poorly, and we are making mistakes, but we had a very good start to the second half, created chances, and found the goal. We took control of the game. I wouldn’t say it’s bad luck, but rather a lack of skill. We shouldn’t have conceded such a goal without any positions. These things happen in football.”
Saglam concluded by stating, “As long as you keep winning, everything will work in your favor. I believe the solution lies here. That’s why we need to win. If you can’t win, you shouldn’t lose. You can see how important a point can be. If the standings continue like this, one point might elevate you 4-5 points higher at critical moments. We will prepare well for Saturday. Our players are upset, but their morale is good now. We will work on getting them ready for the match until Saturday. I hope our fans will also take responsibility this week. We see how much the enthusiasm and atmosphere in away stands can impact the game and the referees. They can easily make decisions against us. So, on Saturday, we will go onto the pitch and do our best. But I believe our fans should take a little more responsibility this week and bring the intensity of the atmosphere, even the spirit of Ismet Pasa, to influence both the opponent and the referees.”
Before training, the players displayed a large flag to celebrate the 101st anniversary of Republic Day. They then completed their day with a training session.
