Fenerbahce set for a fall

This time last year, Fenerbahce were in the middle of a 16-match unbeaten streak that included the prized scalps of Inter Milan and Besiktas. By the end of the season, an impressive run to the quarter-finals of the Champions League and a relatively comfortable 2nd position in the Turkish Super Lig behind Galatasary had many people praising their attacking style and tipping them for future glory.

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Aragones is already under pressure.

But what a difference a year makes.

Currently 12th in the league, the club have gone from bad to worse after the appointment of European Championship winning coach Luis Aragones in the summer and have contrived to lose four of their first six league games - their worst start to a domestic season ever.

A humiliating 4-1 defeat to Kayserispor before the international break, thanks to a hat-trick from former Wigan striker Julius Aghahowa, handed them their first home defeat and was also the first time Fener had been beaten by a three-goal margin in over five years.

The signs are that the club are unable to get themselves out of their current slump and the decision not to renew the contract of Brazilian coach Zico this summer has to be the main reason for their dilemma.

Chants of 'I love you Zico' were heard during the Kayserispor match and, after winning the league title and the Turkish Super Cup in his first season, the 55-year-old has a place in the fans' hearts that provides a barrier to their acceptance of the new boss.

Zico had seemed well suited to coaching a side with a host of Brazilians at its core. His desire to play attacking football fitted the philosophy of a club keen to build on recent successes and he appeared well set to develop a long-term strategy to push the club forward. Which makes the appointment of the 70-year-old Aragones as his replacement all the more puzzling.

The ageing coach was lauded for his success in bringing the European Championship to Spain this summer, but appears out of touch with club football. Last picking up a domestic honour with Barcelona in 1988, he has never been out of Spain in his coaching (or playing) career and the challenge of adapting to a totally new culture in Turkey seems too great.

At 70 he is hardly able to build a solid foundation for the club, or break any new ground, but Aragones has the backing of a Fenerbahce board who look incapable of admitting they made a mistake.

Indeed, there has even been talk that the club are considering introducing a Director of Football to help the Spaniard with his limited knowledge of Turkish football and such a move suggests that the board will remain steadfast in their support of him.

It could work well in principle, as the new man would be given responsibility over transfers and act as a mediator between board and boss, but regardless of who comes in, the club have to do a much better job of retaining key players as disputes have seen the likes of Mehmet Aurelio and Stephen Appiah leave the club this summer.

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Aurelio: The combative midfielder has moved to Real Betis.

With the heart of the club's midfield ripped out, it seems odd that the club would allow two players of such importance to leave at the same time - although both transfers were the result of disagreements with the management. In Appiah's case it was a botched knee operation that saw him put out of action for nearly ten months, while Aurelio joined Real Betis on a free transfer after a disagreement over the length of his contract.

With injuries also robbing the squad of Semih Senturk, Deivid de Souza, Gokcek Vederson and Tumer Metin, Fener will continue to struggle for quality players, especially in the middle of the field.

Hit by recent injuries to key defender Gokhan Gonul and new signing Emre Belozoglu, the club will look to another new-boy for inspiration in their coming matches - although may be disappointed.

Many thought that recruiting Spanish international Daniel Guiza for a record fee of €14million this summer was gamble; and so it has proved.

The Spanish league's top scorer last season has mustered just two goals for his new club and looks to be struggling under the weight of expectation. With Mateja Kezman out on loan at PSG and unlikely to return to Turkey, Guiza has looked a shadow of his former self with only Colin Kazim-Richards for support.

More worryingly though, the striker has not committed himself to the club and has suggested he will leave if things don't improve, telling Marca: ''Things aren't going well, the team isn't giving what it has to give and it is bad. It's bad. I don't think I will last long (in Istanbul).''

The last thing the club need is for their record signing to be eyeing a move away before his career in Turkey has even begun and, if they are to mount a comeback, Guiza needs to rediscover his finishing touch.

The club also need to continue to see the best of Chilean Claudio Maldonado, who has started the season as one of the club's rare shining lights, and former Villarreal midfielder Josico, who will be tasked with filling the boots of Aurelio and Appiah along with Selcuk Sahin.

Aragones made no secret of the fact that Liverpool's Xabi Alonso, Villarreal captain Marcos Senna and Portugal international Petit were all on his summer wish-list, but he ultimately failed to land any midfielder capable of lifting the squad out of their current malaise.

Indeed, with Guiza and Emre the only major signings of the summer, the club are in danger of losing more players than they can attract. With Serhat Akin, Umit Ozat, Tuncay Sanli and Mehmet Aurelio all leaving on free transfers in the past, captain and creative midfield force Alex de Souza looks to be the next player out of the door.

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Guiza has struggled to adjust to life in Turkey.

Currently in his fifth season at the club, the Brazilian's contract runs out in the summer and he has made no secret of his desire to end his playing career in his homeland. Frustrated with the current situation, the 31-year-old playmaker is someone Fener cannot afford to lose, although with the sharks circling, they should be aware that other stars may be eyeing a move away from Turkey as well.

Goalkeeper Volkan Demirel has been targeted by Olympiakos, while Deivid de Souza is being tracked by Corinthians and, as both players are free agents in the summer, the club could end up losing them for nothing.

Such upheaval is of the club's own making and it would appear Fenerbahce fans are close to breaking point. Already seen jeering their own players and cheering the opposition, whilst chanting in favour of former favourites, losing more of their key players for free could prove to be the final straw.

Fener face bottom side Kocaelispor on Sunday before hosting Arsenal in the Champions League next week. Failure to beat the Turkish league's worst team may see the end of Aragones and with the impressive Bursaspor next on the horizon, the club need a miracle to get back into title contention.

More worrying than that, however, is the club's long term future. With or without Aragones, something needs to change. And fast.