Football Season Guide

Kasimpasa finished 10th last season but full 10 points above the relegation zone. Enjoyed mid-table comfort all campaign. Had the most draws in the entire league W11 D14 L11. Despite the lack of wins Kasimpasa had the 3rd best scoring record in Turkey – 62 goals in 36 games. Only the runaway top 2 Galatasaray and Fenerbahce scored more goals. Nuno Da Costa led all scorers with his 13 goals but he was sold this summer. Considering his age (34) this might not be such a bad move. Yet to find a prolific replacement though. The 2 strikers signed so far Yusuf Barası and Kubilay Kanatsızkuş have never scored more than 8 and 6 goals respectively in a season, so they are hardly reliable goal providers. Kasimpasa are likely to get busy late in the transfer window though. The transfer activity is a bit behind as managerial change took place in early July. Shota Arveladze returns for his 2nd stint as a HC, he was in charge during 2012-15 period, and he’s still sorting out his wish list with the scouts. The big concern is not so much the attack but the defence. Only the bottom 2 teams conceded more than Kasimpasa’s 63 goals last season. Add to that that 2 of the better CBs [Özcan and Piatkowski], as well as the best DM Gul, left the squad in the summer and the worries are plenty. Kasimpasa will have to sing new defenders and soon, but right now Attila Szalai and Nicholas Opoku are the only CBs on the roster. The outlook of the team can change a lot between now and the end of the transfer window. As things stand the team is missing a reliable goalscorer and is very shallow at the back.