Fenerbahçe manager İsmail Kartal shared his assessments regarding the current state of the yellow-navy team, their game plan, and their championship goal during a chat with members of the press.
Stating that they had a productive international break, Kartal said he is pleased with the atmosphere within the team. The experienced coach remarked, "My players are confident as a team on the path to the championship. The atmosphere inside is good, and the team's energy is quite high. Hopefully, we will all be champions together at the end of the season. My belief in winning the championship this season is very high. Just like our president, I also believe that we will be champions this year."
GAME PLAN AND INTERNAL COMPETITION
Expressing that they aim for Fenerbahçe to be a team that applies high pressure on the pitch, forces opponents into errors, and executes set plays well in attack, Kartal emphasized his trust in the current squad structure. Pointing to the federation's 10+4 rule, Kartal said they could proceed with this squad until the winter transfer window.
Stating that there are no major differences between players who play in the same position, Kartal expressed that competition improves the team. The experienced coach noted that Romelu Lukaku is slightly behind in terms of physical condition but that they are working to resolve this issue, and he added that they expect the injured Mert Müldür to recover within 4-5 weeks.
Kartal stated that they are working intensively at Samandıra with the technical staff, noting that in modern football, the preparation process is not limited to training alone. Highlighting opponent analysis, match reviews, and on-field applications, Kartal said, "We have scored 6 goals from set pieces so far. They are all the result of hard work. Everyone has their own division of duties."
Explaining that they are working on ball possession and reacting quickly to lost balls, Kartal assessed, "We are trying to reduce the time it takes to win the ball back. It is not easy to adapt some players who are not used to this. They are very high-quality players with different styles, but the styles are different. One wishes it would happen immediately, but football is not like that. We are on the right track."
"ASENSIO IS IN GOOD CONDITION"
Touching on Marco Asensio's situation, Kartal stated that the Spanish player's morale is high and that he will start in the friendly match. Kartal said, "Asensio is in good condition. His morale is quite high. We will play him in the starting 11 in the friendly match. I think he can prepare in the best way possible and take his place in the team by the Çaykur Rizespor match."
Conveying that he tells his players "there is no yesterday in football" after matches where they experience a drop in performance, Kartal stated that he wants his players to close their ears to external factors and focus on the game. "This is Fenerbahçe; everyone here is obligated to be successful," said Kartal, adding that they have expectations for good effort and good football in every match.
Stating that Mert Hakan Yandaş, who has been away from official matches for a long time, has reached good physical levels, Kartal expressed his belief that Lukaku is a very good professional and will reach his true performance level in a short time. Speaking positively about the Brazilian goalkeeper Ederson, Kartal said that the player's self-confidence increases as he succeeds and that they are satisfied with his current performance.
Kartal also shared that they work in harmony with Sporting Director Oğuz Çetin and that the transfer of young center-back Kojo Oppong was supported by his former player Alexander Djiku.
News Source: 12punto
