Turkish Journalist Defends Osimhen, Explains Why Striker Struggles With Offside at Galatasaray

• Victor Osimhen has largely been criticised in recent weeks by several Turkish outlets, particularly due to his offside positioning
• The Nigerian forward, despite finding the back of the net against Dynamo Kyiv, was caught offside four times and wasted three big chances
• Turkish football expert, Osman Sehher, has offered support to the Nigerian striker, detailing why he struggles in attack for the Istanbul outfit

Victor Osimhen seems to be gradually winning over some of his critics in the Turkish media, despite facing significant scrutiny over his recent performances.

The Nigerian striker, who has been heavily criticised for his frequent offside positioning and missed opportunities, is beginning to draw praise amidst the wave of negativity.

Interestingly, while Osimhen has been on an outstanding goalscoring run—registering 21 goal involvements in 19 appearances, according to FotMob—he also tops the charts for the most offsides and missed big chances this season.

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This inconsistency has fueled criticism, with one former Galatasaray forward even branding him overrated.

However, amidst this barrage of negative commentary, Turkish journalist, Osman Sehher, has come to Osimhen's defence, offering insights into why the forward has struggled to find consistency in recent times.

Turkish journalist supports Osimhen

Sharing his thoughts on the recent wave of criticism directed at Osimhen, the Turkish journalist, as quoted by Persindeyiz Galatasaray, emphasised that the Nigerian striker remains one of the top three centre-forwards in the world. He suggested that coach Okan Buruk might need to make tactical adjustments to fully maximize the Napoli loanee's potential.

"Osimhen is one of the three best centre-forwards in the world. Aside from Mertens, he doesn’t receive a single pass from Yunus or Barış Alper. Osimhen is a running centre-forward. Isn’t there anyone at Galatasaray who can provide him with the right kind of service? Okan Buruk needs to address this issue," Sehher stated.

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Sehher’s analysis aligns with observations made by media outlet, One Football Galatasaray, which highlighted how Osimhen's attacking struggles are partly due to a lack of support from his teammates.

With these criticisms and tactical concerns coming to light, the responsibility now lies with coach Buruk to find solutions to the increasingly evident issues within Galatasaray’s attacking structure.

Although Galatasaray remains at the top of the Turkish Süper Lig standings, their once commanding lead has shrunk to just six points in recent weeks, adding further urgency to address these problems.

Speaking about the subtle inconsistencies in Osimhen's game, Nigerian football expert, Taiwo Popoola, offered his perspective:

"I think the criticism is a bit harsh, to be honest. Osimhen is a brilliant striker, and it's common for strikers to get caught offside, as we saw with Kylian Mbappé earlier this season. With a few tactical adjustments, he’ll become the perfect striker they’re looking for."

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Turkish outlet defends Osimhen, criticises Galatasaray teammates for failing to support the striker

Osimhen shares a cryptic message

Legit.ng in another report detailed that Osimhen shared a cryptic post across social media following reports of his involvement in an altercation with two journalists.

The Galatasaray forward took to his Instagram to share a post of a hysterically laughing Ghanaian journalist, subtly downplaying the whole scenario that unfolded.

Source: Legit.ng