Fener closer to top with Antalya victory
Güncelleme Tarihi:
Hurriyet Daily News
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Aralık 16, 2008 00:00
ISTANBUL - A comfortable 2-0 win against relegation-battler Antalyaspor sees Fenerbahçe extend its unbeaten streak to nine games and cuts the gap to two points from the top. Despite the good run, the Istanbul side’s experienced coach Luis Aragones remains cautious.
Fenerbahçe comfortably beat Antalyaspor 2-0 on Sunday and closed in on the top spot in the Turkcell Super League.
Much criticized striker Daniel Güiza scored his fourth goal in the league campaign in the 11th minute of the game, and defender Diego Lugano scored the second point in the 65th to help Fenerbahçe extend its unbeaten streak to nine games.
The Yellow Canaries are on the fourth spot and two points behind leader Sivasspor, which looks quite a step forward compared to early in the season when the Istanbul side was dwelling at mid-table.
Despite the improvement, coach Luis Aragones continued to act patiently and said that everything would be seen at the end of the season.
"I have said it before and I will say it again, we will look how everything will shape up in May," said the Spaniard. "To make a full evaluation on how a coach is doing, he should be given at least a year. You cannot decide it in four or five months."
"Of course there are the other three big teams battling for the title," he said. "Everybody wants to win the league, and of course so do I, but I am not an oracle. I just want to do the best I can and find ways for Fenerbahçe to win the title. Of course, we have a claim at the title, but winning is about working hard." When asked if defenders Diego Lugano and Edu Dracena deliberately made fouls to be punished for the next game in order to take an early vacation, Aragones responded bitterly to the press.
"They saw the cards following some hard tackles, my players would not want something like that," he said. "Sometimes I have trouble understanding reporters. I feel they choose the wrong path sometimes. I always think the truth would sell better."
In a statement released from the Fenerbahçe club, it was declared that players would be given a 10-day vacation after next weekend’s game against Konyaspor.
Much criticized striker Daniel Güiza scored his fourth goal in the league campaign in the 11th minute of the game, and defender Diego Lugano scored the second point in the 65th to help Fenerbahçe extend its unbeaten streak to nine games.
The Yellow Canaries are on the fourth spot and two points behind leader Sivasspor, which looks quite a step forward compared to early in the season when the Istanbul side was dwelling at mid-table.
Despite the improvement, coach Luis Aragones continued to act patiently and said that everything would be seen at the end of the season.
"I have said it before and I will say it again, we will look how everything will shape up in May," said the Spaniard. "To make a full evaluation on how a coach is doing, he should be given at least a year. You cannot decide it in four or five months."
"Of course there are the other three big teams battling for the title," he said. "Everybody wants to win the league, and of course so do I, but I am not an oracle. I just want to do the best I can and find ways for Fenerbahçe to win the title. Of course, we have a claim at the title, but winning is about working hard." When asked if defenders Diego Lugano and Edu Dracena deliberately made fouls to be punished for the next game in order to take an early vacation, Aragones responded bitterly to the press.
"They saw the cards following some hard tackles, my players would not want something like that," he said. "Sometimes I have trouble understanding reporters. I feel they choose the wrong path sometimes. I always think the truth would sell better."
In a statement released from the Fenerbahçe club, it was declared that players would be given a 10-day vacation after next weekend’s game against Konyaspor.