Solskjaer's disappointment: 'Our defense was very bad today'

Beşiktaş manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer did not mince words following his team's 4-2 home defeat to Shakhtar Donetsk in the UEFA Europa League 2nd Qualifying Round first leg. In the post-match press conference, Solskjaer acknowledged the difficulty of the match but focused his disappointment squarely on his team's defensive performance.

"It was a tough match, we are disappointed," Solskjaer stated. "What upset me most were the four goals we conceded. We should have defended better. We created good opportunities, we gained momentum towards the end of the match, but then the game stopped [due to stoppages], and we couldn't utilize the last 5 minutes effectively. A 3-2 scoreline would have been difficult for the second leg, but 4-2 makes it even harder. We should not have conceded that last goal. The last goal was a huge disappointment."

'We conceded simple goals'

The Norwegian coach was particularly critical of his defense, remarking, "Our defense was very bad today. We conceded simple goals. We experienced a lack of concentration at crucial moments. Our opponent also played high-level football. The last goal we conceded was like a punch to the face. We put in a weak and poor defensive performance today."

Despite the poor result, Solskjaer affirmed the team's internal cohesion. "The atmosphere within the team was very good. Players love each other, they support each other on the field. There are no problems in that regard. In today's match, we played against a high-level team. That was a decisive factor. For many years, Shakhtar Donetsk has been bringing in great talent from Brazil. They also have a good coach. The next match will be difficult for us. We have hope and belief. We must score the first goal. We will analyze the game well."

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Addressing his decision to start Gedson Fernandes on the left flank, Solskjaer explained, "Gedson was better in midfield. He only trained with us for two days. We tried to keep him ready. I chose Demir and Orkun in central midfield. We thought about a more dynamic defense with Gedson on the wing because the opponent's flanks were effective. When Gedson moved to the center, we created more chances. The third goal was coming. We didn't move well. Our opponent rotated the ball, and we just watched. We didn't make the necessary shifts. We left Kartal [Kayra Yılmaz] alone there. A 4-2 loss is a bad result. We've had worse performances. I hope we will score the first goal in the next match and put on a good performance. We conceded very easy goals. This is part of the performance. We created good chances. There were moments in the game where we gained momentum. We could have scored more goals than our opponent. We must defend better."

In his message to the fans, Solskjaer promised improvement. "I tell them they will see a better Beşiktaş. Beşiktaş will develop every day throughout the season. We have players who haven't played together much. We need to integrate these players. I can say that we will see a much better Beşiktaş next week."