Tinkler worried man over break

After a 1-0 setback to Mamelodi Sundowns Chippa United have a week’s break to prepare for yet another gruelling Premiership League fixture.

The Port Elizabeth-based professional soccer side take on Kaizer Chiefs on November 10 at Moses Mabhida Stadium.

The break comes courtesy of the Telkom Knockout quarterfinals fixtures which take place this Saturday and Sunday.

However, Chippa coach Eric Tinkler is not too pleased with the break, saying it could destabilise the team.

“To be honest I don’t think the break right now is doing us any good, to be brutally honest, because I think right now we need consistency in my opinion. This break kind of sets you back,” said Tinkler.

“It’s different if I have the ability to play a competitive friendly match during this break, but I can’t because where we live there is no PSL teams. I can’t arrange a friendly against anyone.

“I have to arrange a friendly against a Motsepe League team. What motivation do the players have to go and play those friendlies and it’s not competitive enough.

“So, for us right now, truth be told, I don’t think the break is good.

“I would prefer to be playing in the next three or four days’ time to keep the momentum going, because now you keep your foot off the pedal, and 10 days later you are not sure of what you are going to get.”

Despite two consecutive defeats, against Orlando Pirates and their recent 1-0 loss to Sundowns, Tinkler believes their second half performance in both matches was exceptional.

He admits though that his side struggled to convert their chances into goals in both matches, and said it was an area that the team needed to work on at training.

“The chances that we did create (against Sundowns) we just didn’t find the back of the net. I look at the chance we had with Andile (Mbenyane) and I said this before, you are going to get very few chances against a quality team like Sundowns.

“When you get into those positions we needed to punish (them), and we did not do that, so obviously that is what we need to keep working on.

“Also keep motivating the boys, because there is no point going and crying about chances that are missed. We need to work at it at training and try to boost the confidence and morale of those players to ensure that next time they put the ball in the back of the net.”

I would prefer to be playing in the next three or four days’ time to keep the impetus going