Italiano's Blunt Admission: Team Lost Control After 2-0 Lead, Serious Questions Raised Over Away Form

Head coach Vincenzo Italiano admitted in unusually blunt terms after the match against Kasımpaşa that his team lost control of the game after taking a 2-0 lead and conceded twice. Rather than pinning the outcome on a specific tactical error, Italiano identified a sudden drop in intensity, quality, rhythm and attention as the cause. His comments come at a time when the team's away form has become a persistent talking point. The coach stated that his side created four to five good chances for a third goal, but that failing to convert them changed the complexion of the match. That figure comes only from Italiano himself and has not been independently verified, but the signal is clear: the problem lay not in creating chances but in converting them and managing the game afterwards. In other words, the attacking process was partly functional, but composure and game management failed at the decisive moments. Italiano also acknowledged the opponent's performance, saying Kasımpaşa scored good goals. He did not point fingers at refereeing or any external factor, which suggests he placed the blame squarely on his own team. That attitude signals accountability, but it also hints that the coach currently has an emotional and psychological explanation rather than a concrete tactical one. The coach accepted that his team is not showing away from home the level it shows at home. According to him, at home the team creates plenty of chances and makes very few mistakes, while away the attention and quality both fall short. Italiano added that the team simply must correct the way it plays away and the results it gets there. This is not a one-off — the coach himself framed it as a recurring problem, which is the real concern. Interestingly, Italiano also recalled that the team won at a strong opponent like Fenerbahçe not long ago, and that some of its previous away matches were close contests. That means the capacity to win away exists within the squad. The issue is not ability but consistency, concentration and the art of protecting a lead. The biggest tactical lesson from this match is that a clear plan for slowing the tempo, reducing risk and killing the game after taking the lead was evidently absent. At 2-0 up, a team needs a midfielder capable of temporarily controlling the rhythm. It is impossible to determine whether late substitutions, fatigue or an opponent's structural adjustment played a role, because the available information contains no details on lineups, changes or match data. That is why this analysis must be read as inference rather than established fact. Several possible causes could lie behind the problem: the tactical shape, a lack of cohesion in the closing minutes, fitness, travel fatigue, psychological fragility, or a tactical response from the opponent after going two goals down. On the available information, it would be unfair to single out any one of them as decisive. The impact on the players matters too. A coach publicly citing a lack of attention and a drop in concentration can provoke a defensive reaction in the dressing room, or it can create positive pressure that jolts the side awake. Much will depend on how the team's leadership group absorbs the criticism. Italiano did not take all the blame onto himself, but his remarks did carry a tone of collective responsibility. The media and the fanbase will now naturally focus on the next away fixture. Italiano himself has repeatedly raised the issue, so it is reasonable to expect that the next away test will be treated as a referendum on his problem-solving ability. It is also important to note that this report relies mainly on quotes attributed to the coach. It contains no independent match data such as expected goals, possession figures, shot data or lineups. The tactical conclusions should therefore be read cautiously, while Italiano's statements themselves can be treated as fact. The conclusion is that the team has the capacity, is impressive at home, and has tasted victory at a ground like Fenerbahçe. But both the art of protecting a lead and mental resilience away from home are proving to be weak links. For the coach and the team alike, the next away match will decide whether this is a temporary setback or a habit about to become permanent.