Gospel according to coach Tinkler
55 POINTS BENCHMARK FOR CHAMPIONS SuperSport need to have a change of fortune immediately.
Eric Tinkler believes any team that can reach the 55-point mark in the Absa Premiership this season is likely to walk away as champions. If SuperSport United are to reach that mark, they will need to turn their misfortunes around sooner rather than later.
The capital city outfit are enduring a horrible dip in form, having failed to win any of their last eight league games. Tinkler’s side find themselves sitting outside of the top eight.
Their next assignment is not an easy one, at high-flying Maritzburg United this evening. Fadlu Davids’ side thumped Bloemfontein Celtic 4-0 at the Harry Gwala Stadium this weekend.
“Maritzburg are a very good team, they are playing well and I think we seem to up our game as well when we play the teams that are performing well. I know my players will up their game,” said Tinkler.
“Everyone is on the up-and-up. If you finish on 55 points you will win the league this season, that’s what I can say.”
Tinkler will begin life without striker Jeremy Brockie who joined crosstown rivals Mamelodi Sundowns on Monday. However, Tinkler is not in a rush to replace the Kiwi. Instead, his main priority is to end United’s eight-match winless streak.
“No team loves losing, it is up to us now to bounce back and that is what is important right now, the fact that we are here (in KwaZulu-Natal) for this week, we can try and utilise that and build the team’s spirit.”
SuperSport are spending the week in KZN because by its end they will have played three matches here. Matsatsantsa lost at Golden Arrows on Sunday and after facing Maritburg tonight, they then take on AmaZulu this Saturday at the King Zwelithini Stadium.
Like at the start of the season, the Team of Choice have picked up three wins on the trot at the turn of the year. Davids says his biggest challenge now is to keep his team level-headed.
“I have the biggest task in my hands now ... it is a very similar to the first round where we won the first three games and I need to keep them grounded, I have to keep them calm, I have to keep them really structured now going into the game against SuperSport,” said Davids.