Cape Town City interim coach Muhsin Ertugral insists he is better technically after a stint with the Turkish National Team.
The former Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates coach was appointed as the Citizens' Technical Director a couple of days ago. However, in the absence of the fired Eric Tinkler, Ertugral is serving as the team's head coach until the end of the season.
On Sunday, he guided his team to a 1-0 win over Kaizer Chiefs, with Darwin Gonzalez scoring the only goal in the second half.
The 65-year-old then explained how he has improved in team management since his initial stints in Mzansi.
I'm not a fan of meeting 20 players
“Myself now also changed a lot in thinking of football, I mean, when I left South Africa, obviously the chance for me being at the highest level, I have now had the chances to work with [some of] the best football players in the world, very valuable players, one by one,” Ertugral told the media.
“And I also changed myself, my thinking, and we need to adapt to that. You have suddenly players that have unbelievable, tremendous possibilities. So for that, it became more of a one-on-one situation that you talk.
“These big meetings with 20 players, I’m not a fan anymore. We sat down, and discussed, I want to have this feedback from the players. In South Africa, when you sit as a foreigner, you come in, which you have in Europe, players won’t talk. So it’s a bit of a challenge that you have. You need feedback. In the end, they need to go and play.
“So I can provide, or we can provide, from the technicality, so much with analysis. And so we kept also the analysis, a little bit of, let me say, not a big flame into the analysis. So we went and let’s listen.”
Ertugral shares his mind on Gonzalez's goal
“[Sunday] is past, let’s look forward. So what can we do in in forward aspects? So this one-on-one situation, twice this week with Darwin. Actually he is a brilliant player, and make him understand and he ask me questions, ‘What must I do in this? What must I do in this?’
“We discussed about that. I think that helped him also bit [on Sunday], to find that little bit that space, getting out of the marking zone. So he was, at the time, free, and then we wanted to change a bit, and I expected also from the other side. So I wanted to have these flanks, be a little bit more effective. Darwin had it.
“But obviously the youngster will also come there. I’m pretty much sure this is a very valuable player, Jaiden [Rhodes], for me. And when he is on song, then you have a pretty good wing player there. I think Darwin needed that arm around him because he’s also a foreigner and a brilliant player.”
It is interesting to see whether City will get another win on Wednesday against title-chasing Pirates.
