SuperSport’s Baxter calls for cool heads

SUPERSPORT United coach Stuart Baxter has urged his players not to allow their status as log leaders to go to their heads.

The Briton has asked his charges to rather use it as a source of stimulation to chase the Absa Premiership championship.

Mamelodi Sundowns’ goalless draw with Chippa United at Loftus yesterday morning has ensured that SuperSport remain at the top of the pile going into this weekend’s league matches.

United host struggling Ajax Cape Town at the Lucas Moripe Stadium on Saturday night.

Victory against Ajax could see United remain top and Baxter hopes the burden of expectation does not weight heavily on his players as they enter a crucial phase of the championship race.

“We have had an unbelievable season despite the injuries that we had‚” he said.

“Expectation will be there, but I have told the players to give everything they have.

“We have put ourselves in a position of favourites and one of the candidates.

“The players must not let this success go to their heads, but they must give everything that they have to the cause.

“If we do that‚ we will be able to deal with the high expectations which are growing because we were not among the favourites at the beginning of the season.

“We must put our feet on the ground and continue to do the work.”

For United to go all the way and win the league title‚ they must fend off other contenders like Cape Town City‚ Bidvest Wits‚ Kaizer Chiefs and a Sundowns side that have three games in hand. “I don’t worry about Sundowns because I can’t control what they are going to do in their next matches‚” Baxter said.

“I am not really interested in what they do in their games.

“They have games in hand, but those games may affect them.

“We are top of the log‚ we are candidates with things in our hands and we can perform to the level that put us in the mix.”

Speaking about Ajax‚ Baxter admitted that though they were sitting on the wrong side of the table‚ they had what it took to win the encounter because there were no easy teams in the league.

“They are a good and talented team, which means that we must play well against them,” he said.

“There are no easy games out there.

“I am waiting for someone to say to me that there is an easy team in the league and point it out to me.

“Against Ajax‚ I don’t expect to win and I don’t expect to lose‚” he said.