It could be said that Yeni Malatya did a great job in their first season in the Super League as they finished in the midtable as a newcomer. Especially, they have hurt some big teams at home.
Following their promotion from the 1st League, the board made a coach change and appointed Ertugrul Saglam as a head coach. Although they kicked off the season well with a home victory, then they could collect only one point in the next four games. That is why the club president sacked him and brought coach Erol Bulut in. After he spent a few weeks getting to know his players, they offered some good performances. In particular, they did a great job between December and February, suffering only one defeat in 9 fixtures. After they almost guaranteed their survival, they lost their motivation in the final fixtures. It caused them to build a winless six-game run.
During the season, their biggest problem was a short squad. It kept them from building a steady run. Besides that, most of the offensive responsibility was on Khalid Boutaib's shoulders. Except him, the coach could not have any significant support from other players in the attack. That is why they could only score more than two relegated teams in the Super League during the last season.
Following Boutaib’s 2018 World Cup Cup performance, he may leave the team, if they receive a good offer. If so, they will have to fill his role immediately. Besides that, they should create some options for some other places in the first eleven, because ther squad looked fragile to any ban and injury in the last season. If they manage to keep Boutaib in the team (or replace his quality) and add some productive players, they can at least repeat last season’s performance.
