İsmail Kartal and Squad Choices Become a Subject of Debate at Fenerbahçe

After returning to his position following the resignation crisis that erupted after the Champions League match, Fenerbahçe Head Coach İsmail Kartal became the target of criticism due to his squad choices and the drop in form within the team following the draw with Gaziantep FK.

Resignation Crisis and Gaziantep Draw

İsmail Kartal, who announced his resignation following the 1-1 match in the Champions League, had returned to his post as a result of intense negotiations. Following this development, the yellow-navy blue team, which left the Gaziantep FK away match with a goalless draw, failed to stabilize.

Squad Engineering and Attacking Troubles

Kartal's choices, including opting for Lukaku in the attack and placing three defensive midfielders in the midfield during the Gaziantep match, were questioned. While the departures of Fred and Talisca, along with Asensio's injury, deepened the team's goal-scoring drought, disruptions also occurred in attacking organizations.

Second Half Performance Problems

It drew attention that Fenerbahçe failed to produce scores in second halves this season, especially in the final quarter. While the team found only 4 of the 16 goals it scored in official matches during the second half, it did not score any goals between the 75th and 90th minutes.

Midfield Statistics and Player Choices

In the Gaziantep match, the midfield trio consisting of Guendouzi, Kante, and İsmail Yüksek struggled in duels. Additionally, the fact that Dorgeles Nene, who was transferred with a high cost last season, has received almost no playing time this season was among the criticized subjects.