We saw a lively, willing, hungry Trabzonspor against Gençlerbirliği.

In attack they looked unshackled, high on confidence, a side that knew what it was doing. At the back, football luck was with us. And that luck was not a free gift; it was earned. Football is a curious game: you usually reap what you sow. So it was yesterday, and so it has been before.

I can already hear the natural question: “If it was going to work, why didn’t it work before?” It would be wrong to bury Fatih Hoca, and equally wrong to put Hüseyin Hoca on a pedestal. Comparing the two would be disrespectful to both coaches.

After the match Hüseyin Hoca thanked Fatih Hoca: he gave him his due and made a fine gesture. As he said, he has no magic wand. Sometimes a different way of managing is enough to change things.

It is in football’s nature: coach X can succeed at club A and fail with the same methods at club B. Coach Y can fail at A with his own ideas and succeed at B. That alone does not measure a coach’s quality. It is a deep, detailed subject.

Back to yesterday: when Trabzonspor’s stars played effectively, a clear 5-0 followed. The opponent had conceded only one goal in their previous three matches, which makes the win heavier. The forward line’s understanding and fluid play completely unsettled the visiting defence. The wing-backs contributed very well too.

Afterwards I was sorry to see the visiting coach, our fellow townsman Metin Diyadin, pin the lion’s share of the defeat on the referee. Even our penalty came after a VAR intervention, and another penalty of ours was waved away.

Gençlerbirliği also arrived dangerously in our box. Positioning errors showed the defence is not fully settled yet. In the weeks ahead I expect the side to tighten up on covering for the flanks, shortening the team, closing shooting angles and stopping transitions through midfield.

We saw the first signs of that in a defence trying to play without mistakes, concentrated to the last. That concentration let Savic head a ball off the line as it headed for goal. The football luck I mentioned is Tiago’s shot hitting the inside of the post and bouncing back into play.

If, especially after the international break, we see a physically fresher Trabzonspor, the picture will look much better. Otherwise this kind of defensive trouble can be punished by stronger opponents. That is why we must go into the break with as few dropped points as possible.

The early goals made it easier to settle into the match, of course; but I think the touchline had a large share in the team’s spark. Hüseyin Hoca stayed active throughout; he kept a tight grip. He was in the game in both attack and defence.

After yesterday the dressing-room chat of “Who will the new coach be?” gained an extra “what if?” We await the board’s decision with interest; we will respect and support whatever comes.

My own view: with a good technical staff, Hüseyin Hoca handles this comfortably. No need for an adventure. He had given those signals in his earlier spell; yesterday he showed them again before, during and after the match. He belonged there. If anything is as valuable as tactics, technique and a game plan, it is touching the players’ hearts; yesterday Hüseyin Hoca clearly could do that.

I also see it as a plus that he has already been assistant to Mustafa Reşit Akçay, Ünal Karaman and Şenol Güneş.

Remember the 2019/20 league and cup race. In the second half of the season, after Ünal Hoca left, the team was entrusted to him. Let us not forget a title taken from his hands by refereeing errors in the league, and that after he had carried the side to the cup final he was not in charge on final day, so he never wore that badge.

Looking at that squad and this one, I stress it again: with a good technical staff, Hüseyin Hoca handles this comfortably. No need for an adventure!