Pereira: We Are Going Through the Worst Period Since I Arrived

Alanyaspor lost 5-0 away to Gençlerbirliği in Week 10 of the Trendyol Süper Lig. Speaking at the post-match press conference, head coach Joao Pereira said the team is probably going through its worst period since arriving in Turkey.

Pereira said his side had now lost three matches in a row. He said he had told his players they needed to be stronger, smarter and more focused, but they fell 1-0 behind in the first minute. Pereira said there was nothing to say about the goal and described it as "completely amateurish."

The coach said his team created chances to equalise to 1-1 in the first half. He said that after making changes at half-time, they conceded another goal on the counter-attack in the second half. Pereira said that after going 2-0 down, they switched from a three-man defence to a back four to take some risk, and that this change was a mistake for the team. He added that with a back four, they were not good enough in terms of balance and one-on-one duels.

Pereira said the target in the first season was to stay in the league, that this had been achieved, and that for the second season they aimed to finish higher in the table, which they had also achieved. He said the team is currently 4 points above the relegation zone and added, "Everything is not as bad as it looks." He also acknowledged that they want to have a better season than last year but are not yet on that path.