AmaZulu are the favourites for KZN derby, says Arrows’ Larsen

AMAZULU are unbeaten at home in the league this season and they boast the Coach and the Player of the Month for November/December in their arsenal.

Due to these factors Lamontville Golden Arrows coach, Clinton Larsen, pictured, believes that AmaZulu should be favourites in the KwaZulu-Natal Absa Premiership derby tomorrow at King Zwelithini Stadium (3.30pm).

“I mean it is not rocket science (that AmaZulu are favourite), they are unbeaten at home, Coach of the Month (Cavin Johnson) and the Player of the Month (Emiliano Tade). If anybody thinks that we should be favourites, they need to have a long re-think about their statement. Obviously they are favourite but football is not about who is the favourite and who is not the favourite. I think Siyanda Zwane sums it up, on the day, the team in my opinion who shows strongest desire and hunger, the team that makes the least errors, the team that takes their chances when they fall to them, will be the winners,” said Larsen.

Abafana Bes’thende’s game is more about speed and resolute defending.

“That’s the DNA of this Golden Arrows team. It is about pressing in the right moments collectively and coordinated pressing. It is about quick transition from defence to attack. That’s the team that we got and the type of the players that we have. We don’t have the team that is going to have over-elaborate build ups, slow build ups. We don’t have those kind of players currently in this Golden Arrows team. We do have players that can break forward quickly, that can take players on, cross and players that are good on one versus one. Those are type of the players we got and we are trying to use them to their strengths,” he added.

Larsen is happy that his troops are starting to master the structure in which he wants his team to posses.

“I think Stuart Baxter said it a couple of years ago, football is about transition, how you react from defending to attack determines whether you concede goals or not. How you react from defending to going to attack can determines how you finish teams off. We’ve got to be strong on both transitions, attacking and defending. I think we are slowly starting to get that right in our team where we look dangerous now. Previously, two or three months ago, we were losing a lot of possession coming out on the break. That has improved in the last four or five games. In order to win more matches, we’ve got to maintain that,” Larsen said.

Arrows have secured points in difficult places on the road and that’s why Larsen is confident they can win.

“That’s why I said the boys are in a good space because they have proven on the road that they can go to difficult venues and get results. We hope that strong mentality when they travel allows them to do the business on Saturday,” Larsen concluded.