In the days and weeks leading up to Euro 2020 football fans could hardly avoid publications – such as this one, we won’t mind admitting – offering up their expert picks on which teams will thrive and which will fail during the tournament.
Bombarded as we were with best XIs, top scorer forecasts and predicted group standings, there was eventually an argument for almost every team to do well.
But one team that was backed more often than not as the dark horses for the pan-European extravaganza was Turkey. Ex-Wales defender Ashley Williams said they “will be right at it”, while former Spain midfielder Gaizka Mendieta reckoned the growing strength of the Super Lig was aiding the national side.
Mendieta even picked 35-year-old striker Burak Yilmaz to be the “breakout star” of the tournament after he scored a hat-trick against the Netherlands in World Cup qualifying back in March.
But almost from kick-off in the opening game of the Euros against Italy did Turkey appear a long way off their talked-up promise. So what went wrong?
Great expectations
There were plenty backing Turkey to impress in Group A and claim points off Italy, Wales and Switzerland. And those expectations were well-founded following a reasonably positive string of results for boss Senol Gunes.
The head coach picked the youngest team at the Euros and had overseen recent wins against Russia, Norway and Azerbaijan. At the start of the season they earned draws in Serbia and Germany, and in the spring Turkey stunned Netherlands 4-2 with Yilmaz scoring a mesmerising three goals.
Gunes appeared to have a unit working in place. Against the Dutch they were ready to attack and support Yilmaz, with Okay Yokuslu providing the anchor in midfield. Hakan Calhanoglu played in a more central role and had much more influence compared to this tournament, where he has been placed out wide.
Netherlands just couldn’t handle the sweeping attack instigated by the Turks – and yet they still managed to score twice in Istanbul that night, two goals which were almost comically defended by the hosts’ back line.
That should have come as a warning for Gunes.
Following the Dutch victory Turkey were tested by the likes of Latvia, Guinea and Moldova, before heading into the Euros – not the level of opposition required to take on Italy in their opening game.
Defensive chaos
And the difference – not only in quality, but also unity – showed in Rome. Turkey were totally pinned back against the Azzurri. Yokuslu – the man relied upon to act as the metronome of this team – couldn’t do anything against the likes of Domenico Berardi and Manuel Locatelli, and he was also impotent against Wales. So poor was Yokuslu in the first two games that he was replaced by Kaan Ayhan for the Swiss clash. Yokuslu returned to the field on 64 minutes in Baku… and four minutes later Xherdan Shaqiri scored Switzerland’s third.
Indeed, for Shaqiri’s earlier goal in the first half the Liverpool playmaker had all the time in the world to pick out the top corner. Where was Ayhan, the man tasked with protecting the defence?
Defensively the finger cannot point solely to the midfield cover. Juventus’ Merih Demiral has suffered injury setbacks this season and failed to start any of Juve’s final 14 games of the season. The full-backs Mert Muldur and Mehmet Zeki Celik have plenty of potential, but both struggled when combating wingers cutting in from the touchline. As a unit they were fragile against Italy and mores at times versus the Swiss.
No transition
What’s more, when in possession Turkey relied more upon the mistakes of the opposition than the purposeful creation of their own chances. Not a shot against Italy, a handful versus Wales and – mercifully – a goal to frighten the Swiss for a few minutes at least.
Winning teams at this tournament appear to be ones that can swiftly transition defence into attack. Italy and Netherlands have done just that, and it was England’s most successful outlet against Croatia and their failure to do so against Scotland cost them. Denmark’s loss to Finland and Croatia’s defeat to Czech Republic were two further examples of a stodgy, unambitious midfield failing to support the forwards.
Turkey just never did that. At his age Yilmaz cannot be expected to run the lines like he used to. Holding the ball up is only useful if the midfield join him in that effort. Against Italy Yilmaz was cut adrift from his support – and the same happened, although to a lesser extent, when Rob Page’s Wales restricted Turkey to just six shots on target all game.
Switzerland gave Yilmaz and co more room in Baku but they themselves were out seeking a heavy victory in effort to sneak second place in the group, so sacrificed control and rolled the dice.
Turkey failed to take advantage even then, and the dark horses of Euro 2020 trotted out of the competition under as much obscurity as when they started.
More from i on Euro 2020
- The football nomad who became a hero for his role in saving Eriksen’s life
- How Ronaldo’s Coca-Cola stunt could change the face of football sponsorship
- In praise of Emma Hayes, the best pundit at Euro 2020 so far
- Eriksen collapse has thrown a spotlight on football’s relentless thirst for more
- How to watch every Euro 2020 match on TV and online in the UK
from Football – inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/2SRjNHj
Post a Comment