Jose Mourinho to shake up the starting 11 at Fenerbahce
After leaving two goals behind in the away game against Samsunspor in the Super Lig, attention in Fenerbahce has shifted to the UEFA Europa League clash against Manchester United. Jose Mourinho, who has come under fire for his team selections, is expected to make changes for the big match.
Jose Mourinho, who came to Fenerbahce with high expectations, has been at the center of criticism due to his squad choices. The world-renowned coach has drawn the ire of fans for persisting with certain players regardless of results. The last straw was leaving Osayi-Samuel out of the squad for the Samsunspor match and starting Mert Mulder, who made several mistakes.
The fact that Irfan Can Kahveci, who returned in form from the national team, couldn’t make the starting 11, and that En-Nesyri and Saint-Maximin were benched, also drew backlash.
8 points behind after 9 weeks
The yellow and navy-blue team, which took the lead twice but dropped two points in Samsun, has fallen 8 points behind league leader Galatasaray after 9 weeks, with one game in hand. Fenerbahce now faces Manchester United in the UEFA Europa League and Bodrumspor in the league.
Osayi-Samuel, Irfan Can, Saint-Maximin, and En-Nesyri to start in the 11
According to reports from Fanatik, Mourinho is set to make changes to the starting 11. With Oosterwolde injured and Kostic not included in the UEFA list, it’s almost certain that Osayi-Samuel will return to the starting lineup against Manchester United. Irfan Can, Saint-Maximin, and En-Nesyri are also close to starting. It’s expected that at least three of these four stars will be in the starting 11 against the Red Devils.
Fenerbahce doesn’t like possession
Fenerbahce has set an unusual statistic in its first eight league matches. According to OPTA’s data collection since the 2014-15 season, Fenerbahce is experiencing its season with the lowest possession rate. The team has only managed 49.9% possession on average in the last 8 matches. Despite having the second most valuable squad in the league, worth 226 million Euros, Fenerbahce ranks 12th in terms of ball possession.
