Struggling Sundowns need a quick response
Mamelodi Sundowns are going through difficult times, as coach Pitso Mosimane has already alluded to. Their biggest concern now is how long this phase is going to take and how they are going to respond.
What’s happening at Sundowns is what Real Madrid are going through in the Spanish La Liga, they are struggling to find their feet. This is something that happens in clubs all over the world, it is just unfortunate that the spotlight is always on the successful clubs like Sundowns.
We have seen the likes of Orlando Pirates struggling as well after they played in the Caf Champions League and Confederation Cup finals. They started to tire after those two gruelling challenges. I am not quite su re if the situation at Sundowns is identical to that of Pirates, but I am looking forward to see how they react.
We are starting to see team spirit being affected. Some players who were starters in the previous season and did well are now finding themselves on the bench and that on its own has a negative effect on a player. Some players may blame the new additions to the squad. Once that happens, then divisions and factions emerge in the dressing-room.
The technical team needs to make sure they manage it to a point that is does not reach a stage where they can no longer control it. Inasmuch as the management needs to guard against this, it is also the responsibility of players to have some introspection and try to make sure the team spirit does not die.
It is fair to say the honeymoon is over for Benni McCarthy at Cape Town City. As a young coach, he needs all the support he can get, especially from the club’s management and the technical staff.
His individual qualities have been displayed but now he needs to show other characteristics. We need to see how he responds from his situation of losing the MTN8 final to SuperSport United and now being knocked out of the Telkom Knockout by Baroka FC.
It is often the case when a team starts well and we know them to be winners, then all of sudden the team is not doing well. It is likely there will be divisions within the team.
Benni needs to make sure he instils confidence back into the players and make sure that they are able to fight for the badge of City. The most critical part of this situation is how he will defuse those divisions within the club if they are there as per media reports, and if there aren’t any, he needs to make sure he prevents them from emerging.
If he can overcome that, I think he stands a better chance of bouncing back because in football, as we all know, you win some and you lose some.
The senior players also need to display leadership and support him because they are the core of the team. We saw at some point when Pitso was under pressure at some stage and the players rallied behind him. Kaizer Chiefs’ players demonstrated the same for Steve Komphela to protect him against agitated supporters. Previously, when Pitso got the support from his players, everything turned around for Sundowns and the same looks to be happening at Chiefs.
Finally, I would like to convey my condolences to the McLeod family after former referee and match commissioner Ian McLeod passed away. The South African football fraternity has lost a true gentleman of the game.