FK Partizan match preview

By: j | August 26th, 2008

The second leg of the Champions League qualifying match against Serbian powerhouse FK Partizan is turning into a troubling affair for Fenerbahçe.

Very quickly an epidemic of injuries have spread through Luis Aragonés club and the word on the street is that beyond the misfortune of some unavoidable injuries he has not been pleased with the level of conditioning and mental approach of all players. As of this stage many of the veteran players are having a significant problem adjusting from the free-wheeling style of former manager Zico to the highly detailed tactical approach of Luis Aragonés. While this isn’t a popular comment to make and it can be easily misunderstood, this is the issue that has rendered the Yellow Canaries rather common in their first two matches.

Fenerbahçe limps into todays match at Şükrü Saracoğlu, a club reeling from an assortment of injuries. Selçuk Şahin, Semih Şentürk and Edu Dracena join Deivid, Gökçek Vederson and Tümer Metin who are all out with longer term injuries as well as Burak Yılmaz, who is suspended. The start of the Turkcell Süper Lig campaign certainly didn’t get off the way the club had planned with a dismal, if not embarrassing 1-0 defeat to Gaziantepspor.

Looking over last weekends match as well as the first leg against Partizan, the problems have primarily been mental errors and not playing as a team or more appropriately said, not playing as a team on this years club. The squad of veterans need to embrace the system that lead La Furia Roja to the Euro championships and dedicate themselves to a more complete approach to professional Football. With the talent on this squad, if they do so, they have the ability to repeat last year Champions League success. However that is a large “if” because so far, they aren’t playing as a team.

On the opposite side of the pitch manager Slaviša Jokanović of the Belgrade giant is confident and has prepared his squad to fight the uphill battle as a unified team in an very important match for Serbian Football. He has spoke in length to his club of the challenges they will face of the twelfth man at Şükrü Saracoğlu and if there is one club that could handle the environment it is Partizan. They will also be assisted with the return of Ljubomir Fejsa and the exciting winger Zoran Tošić from the Olympics. Both are expected to be in the starting grid and are a major upgrade to their lineup. Zoran will create massive issues in the attack and center-back Diego Lugano and either Yasin Çakmak or Can Arat will need to be particularly aware of aerial attacks he initiates. Ljubomir is shut-down defender, who won’t give-up a blade of grass in a loose ball and can serve up a great deal of problems with the counter.

To be successful, Fenerbahçe will need to come together as a club, play disciplined Football and to finally move into Luis Aragonés system. Support of Şükrü Saracoğlu will play a key role and a match you definitely do not want to miss.

I will report on the match once it concludes.