Ilhan Palut: ‘We did not have a bad season but we could have done better’

Çaykur Rizespor’s head coach, Ilhan Palut, stated that they did not have a bad season, saying, ‘We could have done better.’ Çaykur Rizespor, under the management of head coach Ilhan Palut, has achieved 14 wins, 8 draws, and 15 losses until this week, collecting 50 points and ranking 9th. Head coach Ilhan Palut of Çaykur Rizespor, who will face Hatayspor away in the 38th and final week of the league, made statements to Ihlas News Agency (IHA) reporter.
“We did not have a bad season but we could have done better.” Ilhan Palut, who stated that they did not have a bad season but wanted to do better, said, ‘Our preparations for the Hatayspor match are ongoing. We are conducting routine weekly training sessions. Today, we will also have a tactical training session. The last match of the league is very important for many teams. All teams will take their place seriously. There will be good matches. We have some absences for the Hatayspor match. Gokhan Akkan and Emirhan Topcu have ended their season. Akintola, Gustavo, and Zeqiri are our suspended players. We will try to compete well. We did not have a bad season but we could have done better. Six weeks before the end of the league, we were at the level of participating in Europe. Some crucial moments in certain matches deviated us from this goal. We did not have such a goal when we started the season. We set this goal for ourselves during the season but it did not happen. It was not a bad season. We have a certain game culture in the teams we visit. We are trying to instill this culture in our team. We are trying to make our players believe in this game,’ he said.
“I think there is currently nothing negative for Rizespor.” Palut emphasized that he does not have a negative thought about not continuing in Rizespor, saying, ‘We competed a lot with 12 players from a lower league. 16 transfers. Most of them came from leagues that were unknown. We established a development squad. Our players performed very well. We could have done better. Sometimes experience is crucial here. We played with an average age of 25.2. The average age of the players we fielded on the field. We were the youngest team in the league. We achieved the goals we talked about at the beginning of the season. We raised the bar during the season. We deviated from here in the last 3-4 matches. Since the day we took the first step, we have been met with intense interest and love from people. It has continued to increase until now. It was not all smooth sailing. We also experienced tough periods. The city’s belief in us has never been shaken. Our board of directors also has a positive view towards us. We have a positive view towards this team. Everything is going well. I think there is currently nothing negative for Rizespor,’ he said.
“I wish we could achieve big goals in our first season.” Ilhan Palut expressed that they wanted to achieve big goals from the first season but couldn’t, saying, ‘Before we started these discussions, we discussed Rizespor’s near future and long-term plans one month ago. We do not think about Rizespor’s future until we sign. These plans are already being made. It is a very warm city. Not a big city, but it made me feel good with its nature and people’s sincerity. It is a very green city. It has very beautiful promenade areas. While doing such a stressful job, there are many areas here that will rehabilitate us. I am collecting beautiful memories here. I am truly grateful from the first day for the love and care. I wish we could achieve big goals in our first season. We did not climb a step. We did not reach the top,’ he said.