Harsh criticism after the National Team's defeat in Belgium! 'He watched from the sidelines for 70 minutes! 'It was a big mistake'

The National Football Team lost 2-1 to Belgium in the 5th match of the UEFA National A League 1st Group.

The only goal of the crescent-star team, which ended the first half of the match played at Gürsel Aksel Stadium in Izmir, trailing 2-1, came from Arda Güler.

Türkiye, which lost its 5th match in the group, remained in the last place without any points. Belgium, which got its third victory, increased its points to 9.

The crescent-star team will play their last match in the group away against France on November 15.

Hürriyet writers Uğur Meleke and Banu Yelkovan evaluated A Milliler's defeat in their columns today. Here are those articles...

UĞUR MELEKE - STADIUM SHOULD BE GÜRSEL AKSEL, ITS CAPTAIN ARDA!

Although it is strange that the flawless and MHK-free TFF left the biggest scandal in the history of Turkish football and still makes decisions regarding the national team... We have a bright and shining football generation. And we dream of them realizing their potential as a nation.

Of course, it is difficult to make great analyzes with a single Belgium match: However, it is obvious that the dream is to get away from Vincenzo Montella's "reactive" football style and become "proactive". We demand the ball more, we feel a purpose to be a national team that creates, not just looks for opportunities. However, not much thought was given to the defensive part of the job, and it was a big mistake to start Oğuz Aydın at right-back opposite Doku. Watching this from the sidelines with us for 70 minutes and not taking any precautions while Doku is performing is a greater negligence.

THERE WAS ONLY ONE TRUTH

Perhaps the most accurate detail of yesterday's match was that it was played at Gürsel Aksel Stadium in Izmir. I always say that taking the national team around from city to city is not an ideal method. Almost all the major national teams in the world have a national stadium where they play their matches. At least the official competitions should be played in the same stadium and your football players should gain some skill. He must get used to the stadium, its ground, the dressing room and its atmosphere. He should feel completely at home. My suggestion for this is Gürsel Aksel Stadium..

My dream national team plays its matches under the chants of "Live Mustafa Kemal Pasha" at Gürsel Aksel, and Arda Güler wears the captain's band. I am aware of how young Arda is, but such stars are born maybe every 20, maybe even 50 years in countries like ours. When you look at Arda's game, his body language, his attitude, you observe that he is leading the field without a band. With the start of the Euro 2028 qualifiers, a new start and a new captain suit the national team.

Of course, in my opinion, this TFF, which should not make decisions on any issue, has extremely objective criteria such as "shooting a basket with your feet" and "being a man", so what can we say at this stage? We hope everything will be fine for our nation.

BANU YELKOVAN - THE REAL ISSUE IS WHAT WE WILL WRITE ON THE CLEAN PAGE!

The memory of the National Team should not be erased with every change of coach.

It all started just as a new coach would dream. Gürsel Aksel's stands were full, the team was pressing forward effectively, and with the free kick won in the 20th minute, Arda sent the ball to the 90', amid admiring looks not only from the stands but also from his teammates, and we took the lead. However, our happiness lasted 7 minutes. In the 27th minute, Doku left the ball to De Bruyne: 1-1. Just 3 minutes later, this time De Cuyper scored to De Ketelaere: 1-2. Not even 10 minutes passed between us scoring the first goal and conceding two goals. Belgium played like a team that knew what they were doing. As for us, it's like we're using the "Come on guys, we're ahead" tactic. There was struggle and good will, but neither was enough.

As the second half began, there was no trace of the enthusiasm of the first half. However, on paper, Sergen Yalçın's choices were brave. Hakan Çalhanoğlu started on the bench, and the midfield was entrusted to Orkun and İsmail. His message was clear: "It doesn't matter to me whether you are Hakan or have carried the captain's band for years."

BUT TIME IS NEEDED

In the first quarter of the second half, it was always Belgium who held the ball, determined the rhythm and took the corners. We were startled by every ball that came to our goal. Our few attempts were always left unfinished. Arda Güler was the most effective name on the field for us.

There is a statement frequently used in the first matches of new coaches:

The team needs time. Of course there is. But time alone does not produce a game idea. Just as it is wrong to blame all the problems of the Vincenzo Montella era on Sergen Yalçın, it is also wrong to consider everything done in the past as invalid just because a new name has arrived. The memory of the national team is not a board that can be erased and rewritten with every coach change. Especially when we have such a talented generation of players.

We no longer need the excitement of a new beginning every time, but the wisdom of being able to maintain what we have established. Because we are very good at opening a clean page. The issue is what we will write on that page.