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Tuncay is finally finding his feet
IT was five years ago when
Tuncay Sanli's emergence
on to the international
scene made acclaimed
figures within football
take notice.
After a routine France v
Turkey encounter in the
Confederations Cup, Arsene
Wenger earmarked the young
attacking midfielder as a player
with enormous potential.
Wenger had witnessed
Tuncay pick up both the Silver
Ball and Silver Shoe at the
tournament, having grabbed
three goals and made one assist.
Wenger spent a great deal of
time mulling over the
possibility of signing him.
Instead, though, he decided
that Tuncay was better off
remaining in his homeland to
continue his progression. A
decision that know appears to
be to the benefit of
Middlesbrough.
During his five years with
Fenerbahce, after spending the
first two years of his career
with Sakaryaspor, the 26-yearold
was worshipped by the
fanatical and volatile
supporters side of Istanbul.
Achievements like his
Champions League hat-trick in
a 3-0 win at home to Manchester
United in December 2004 played
a part in his rise to prominence.
And such has been his
reputation in the Turkish
capital, rival fans of
Galatasaray and Besiktas have
never given him a tough time.
He has, in recent years, been
regarded as the David Beckham
of Turkey. The superstar with
the world at his feet.
"They're always the same
with me and I like to be friendly
with them," he said. "That is
the way it is because I'm a good
player. I have gone abroad to
play in the Premier League and
things could have changed, but
it hasn't."
With 14 goals in 43 caps for
Turkey, he has quickly realised
that the passions for the game
are channelled in different ways
in Istanbul to Teesside.
Having failed to score and
impress in his first 12 Premier
League matches with
Middlesbrough, Tuncay's late
leveller in the draw at Reading
on December 1 offered
something of a fresh start.
The Boro faithful had not
turned on him, although there
were growing concerns he
would not live up to his
reputation.
But after taking the time to
acclimatise by going for trips to
Hartlepool Marina, Redcar,
Yarm and York, feeling more at
home off the pitch has helped
him to look the part on it.
And the fact that he feels
performing for the team rather
than as an individual is
something his new fans in the
North-East are warming to -
even if he experienced a new
level of fans' fury when Boro
lost to Cardiff in the FA Cup
quarter-final two weeks ago.
"It's because I am a team
player that they like me. I never
give up. That's been drilled into
me from my time in Turkey. It's
just the way I am," said Tuncay,
who lives in Ingleby Barwick
with his girlfriend and is finally
coming to terms with the
English language in his first
eight moths here.
"Middlesbrough fans are
more tolerant and calmer. They
are more understanding and
forgiving. Of course, they want
us to win every game but they
understand.
"If you did not win a game
with Fenerbahce, it was a
problem because the fans
expect you to win every game.
That is not the case at Boro. If
you do not win, there is always
the next game.
"I am playing with and
against top footballers every
week and it is improving my
game. I realise the
Middlesbrough fans are not
happy with us for going out of
the FA Cup but it is not like
Istanbul.
"It might take the
Middlesbrough fans a long time
to forgive us for that defeat but
over there, when you are out in
the street, they get angry with
you.
"Two seasons ago with
Fenerbahce, on the last day, we
drew and Galatasaray won. We
were not the champions and
that was a big problem. We
could not leave the stadium for
two hours and did not go out in
Istanbul for a few days."
In many respects, his
experience of the mentality in
Istanbul is what should make
him such a success with the
Middlesbrough faithful.
It may have taken time, but
the three goals he has scored
since his first at Reading, and
the smile he carries with him,
prove that he is adapting.
His close friend Emre, the
Newcastle midfielder, has
helped. But it is the goals - the
winner at Derby in December
which earned Match of the
Day's goal of the month in
particular - which have had the
biggest effect.
"That goal at Derby made me
very happy," he said ahead of
this afternoon's game with
bottom club Derby County.
"It was my third goal in three
games and it was definitely the
best of them. It was a very
special goal.
"I felt I had arrived in English
football after that.
"Football in Turkey and here
are very different and it takes
time to settle. The first two
months were very hard but I
was never worried. I always
knew it would take time.
"The big difference is that in
Turkey, one week you have a
very hard game and the next
can be very easy but that does
not happen in England.
"Before I left Turkey, I always
watched English football and
enjoyed it but I didn't realise
just how different it was to play
in.
"It is stronger and faster than
I realised just watching it."
The time Tuncay spent on the
sofa in Istanbul will have helped
him to look comfortable on the
Premier League stage. That can
only to be to the benefit of
Middlesbrough.
8:42am Saturday 22nd March 2008
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CommentPosted by: Winthrope, NY on 9:50pm Sat 22 Mar 08
Excellent and wondefully written article. Tuncay has enormous skill, and is a really talented player. My Turkish friends mentioned Tuncay to me around 5-6 years ago and I always keep up with him. Thanks for the articles; I love reading articles like this on somewhat esoteric players.
Excellent and wondefully written article. Tuncay has enormous skill, and is a really talented player. My Turkish friends mentioned Tuncay to me around 5-6 years ago and I always keep up with him. Thanks for the articles; I love reading articles like this on somewhat esoteric players.
Posted by: Dr. Kiziltan Yuceil, Istanbul, Turkey on 7:27am Mon 24 Mar 08
Ditto for Winthrope's comments on the article, but with a slight touch of correction... Though Istanbul might be labeled as the financial, industrial, cultural, historical, and also the football capital of Turkey, the official capital is Ankara. :)
Second.. Although the comments from Tuncay are said to be genuine, he was well known with his devotion to the fans of Fenerbahce and vice versa. Even after those games that Fener would loose, Fenerbahce fans would most frequently scratch his name from the wall-of-shame for his exceptional energy and motivation thrughout the game regardless of the outcome of the game and the team's poor average performance. Thus, his comments in reference to his hard times after those games which are lost, seem to be rather overstated. Yes there was, is, and will always be pressure, over whom is a Fener player, still Tuncay would have been the last person to complain about it, since he was always best as a player and as a captain and that was always well-appreciated by the fans, because they knew that he is a Yellow Canary (nick to Fenerbahce) to the bone. Therefore, if his lines may reach the Turkish mainstream audience I think they would rather feel disillusioned.
Ditto for Winthrope's comments on the article, but with a slight touch of correction... Though Istanbul might be labeled as the financial, industrial, cultural, historical, and also the football capital of Turkey, the official capital is Ankara. :)
Second.. Although the comments from Tuncay are said to be genuine, he was well known with his devotion to the fans of Fenerbahce and vice versa. Even after those games that Fener would loose, Fenerbahce fans would most frequently scratch his name from the wall-of-shame for his exceptional energy and motivation thrughout the game regardless of the outcome of the game and the team's poor average performance. Thus, his comments in reference to his hard times after those games which are lost, seem to be rather overstated. Yes there was, is, and will always be pressure, over whom is a Fener player, still Tuncay would have been the last person to complain about it, since he was always best as a player and as a captain and that was always well-appreciated by the fans, because they knew that he is a Yellow Canary (nick to Fenerbahce) to the bone. Therefore, if his lines may reach the Turkish mainstream audience I think they would rather feel disillusioned.
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