Coronation

All of you who follow football know that it can be a funny old game. There I was thinking that Hakan Sukur was probably past it and should have hung his boots up a couple of years ago and then suddenly since the winter break the man is on fire, well not really, but you know what I mean. Can't stop scoring goals and the second one against Rizespor at the weekend was excellent. After his performaces in Japan I had started to believe the man could not hit a barn door from five paces! NIce top be proved wrong though by the Bull of the Bosphorus.

So in recognition of his excellent retunhr to form here is a picture borrowed from the official Galatsaray web site taken from the last match against Rizespor.
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Anyway long may goal Kral Hakan continue, at least until the end of the seaon when my instsincts tell me he might retire after helping Galatasary to the Championship. Of course he might not and could decide to stay on for some Chimps League footie against some real football teams.

It will be interesting to see how GS get on against the rest of Europe as the last few years have seen total underachievment by Turkish teams in Europe. Of course I exclude the UEFA Cup in 1999 and the thrashing of Man Utd by GS around the same time. But these aside the performaces of some of the teams have been somewhat lame, think Besiktas this year in the UEFA Cup. Personally I think one of the problems is that outside of the Istanbul teams and Trabzon no other teams in Turkey provide the consistent level of challenge that is needed.

Now I know that the Kanka's will get all excited and tell me that the big clubs steal the players etc. etc. and that LigTV and the media only concentrates on them, all of which is true, plus the inability of Turkish supporters to support their home town team, but look to the English Premier League. I don't mean look at Man Utd, Chelski etc. but I mean Wigan, Bolton, West Ham, Blackburn clubs that have made life very difficult for the so called big clubs this season and have done it on limited resources. Occassionally a challenge exists in Turkey, a couple of seasons ago Gencler were the surprise package and have done well again this season, as have Kayserispor, and Denizli and Antep have also threatened in the last few years but really until that consistent challenge exists I do not believe Turkish Clubs will do well in Europe.

Can someone also explain how the hell Kadikoy is open for fans this weekend after all the recent problems with those fans!!!!!!!!! This stinks, but its no surprise from the spinless fools at the TFF.