Sundowns’ attacking verve so good to watch

Mamelodi Sundowns continue to show their superiority over SuperSport United, after extending their dominance and unbeaten run in the league against their rivals.

The game was an entertaining one, both teams had their fair share of chances, but SuperSport were more on the defensive and Sundowns showed they are in attacking mode, which led to United getting their captain sent off.

The beauty about this derby is that we always see goals, unlike some derbies that end without goals. Masandawana won the game because of their constant attacking approach.

Orlando Pirates had a good start, one which they needed badly after having a disappointing season, so the way they started was impressive. As a coach myself, I looked at the team structure, it was well-organised both offensively and defensively.

What I liked about their approach in the game against Chippa United was the distances when they were attacking. Other than before, you would find players being between three to five metres close to each other when they are attacking, but this time around, we saw about 15m distances when they were moving forward, and that plays a huge role in opening up the opponents so that they can create goalscoring opportunities.

They showed a lot of commitment as well. They ran for 90 minutes, which is something we did not see from them last season. Defensively, the structure and aggression that was missing last season was evident in their game.

The good thing seems to be that when a goal was scored, the entire team were emotionally celebrating, meaning everyone was emotionally connected to what was happening on the field.

My concern is: will they be able to sustain the very same attitude, will they be able to repeat the very same commitment in the next couple of months? If they can go on with the same high workrate and the same spirit, then I think we will start to see better results, and that is what I will be keeping an eye on.

When I look at the approach from all the teams at this early stage, the priority is to go for three points and put themselves in a good position.

It is no longer about adapting or getting used to the team and so on. Teams will grind out results and if there is an opportunity for three points, they will go for it.

From observing the start of the season, I gathered that most of the teams are now applying an attacking approach rather than playing not to lose.

That is the culture we are starting to see at this early stage and I hope the same approach will be continued to maintain the excitement that has been created from the start.

When I received the news that Doctor Khumalo had left Kaizer Chiefs to join Baroka FC as a technical director, I received it with a bit of shock because I never thought Doctor would leave Chiefs, especially because of the bond he has with the team.

When you look at the other side, for his personal growth, it is a good step for him to start building his own brand outside of the parameters of Chiefs.

For him to join Baroka is not a bad move because wherever you go, you need to go where you can be able to build your own brand. When you look at the status of Baroka compared to Chiefs, it is the right platform for him to showcase his talent.