Turkish Journalists Analyze Mourinho’s Strategy in Fenerbahçe’s 1-1 Draw with Manchester United
Sports writers reviewed Fenerbahçe's 1-1 draw with Manchester United in the 3rd week of the UEFA Europa League.
He Finally Understood! – Gürcan Bilgiç
In the pre-match press conference, Mourinho’s somewhat “arrogant” responses to the questions highlighted the reality of the team he’s now managing. At Kadıköy, we watched a Fenerbahçe team that finally played to win, as the fans have been hoping for. Body language is key. Even when they fell behind, not a single player gave up on the pitch. This attitude brought the fans right behind them, and they applied tremendous pressure.
Manchester’s goalkeeper Onana started playing as if he had “swallowed a cat.” Every time En-Nesyri made a play, he reestablished himself as the team’s center-forward. The player who transformed the team the most was Tadic, delivering a career-defining performance. He was like an “emergency button” in critical moments, using his skill and intelligence to assist his teammates. (SABAH)
If You Can’t Win, Don’t Lose – Faik Çetiner
Fenerbahçe drew a game they could have won. They say, “if you can’t win, don’t lose,” and Fenerbahçe continued their unbeaten run in the Europa League, staying on track with their goals. Against Manchester, it became clear that Samuel, Maximin, and En-Nesyri should be in the starting eleven. Fred‘s play, however, is regressing, which is unbelievable. (FANATİK)
If They Maintain Their Hunger! – Serkan Akcan
Fenerbahçe’s first-half performance against Manchester United was one of their best this season. At Kadıköy, they put pressure on their opponents, largely disrupting United’s build-up play and maintaining possession. Despite starting well, it was demoralizing that United’s first shot on target, taken by Eriksen, resulted in a goal. For Fenerbahçe, a draw against United at Kadıköy isn’t a major loss. Mourinho should consider how to maintain that first-half energy and his players’ hunger. Replacing a full-back with a center-back and shifting Djiku to full-back against Samsun and United negatively impacted the team’s rhythm. (FANATİK)
Three Szymanskis! – Emre Bol
Since Mourinho took charge, this was possibly Fenerbahçe’s best performance. From start to finish, they put Manchester United under serious pressure. Conceding a goal after such a strong start seems to be Fenerbahçe’s fate lately, as the first shot on goal often turns into a score. Szymanski truly lives up to Mourinho’s praise—if Fenerbahçe had three of him, all would play. He practically covered for three players! En-Nesyri’s performance when supplied with crosses showed what he’s capable of. I keep saying it: Mourinho should build the system around him. (FOTOMAÇ)