Chiefs need wake-up call

Kaizer Chiefs have become the victim of their old selves and the team crisis has become a permanent fixture.

Coach Giovanni Solinas seems like a tactically astute coach and a fine motivator, yet to expect instant success would be rather fanciful.

A top-four PSL finish is likely to be Solinas’ target in his debut season in the league.

The careers of players are naturally dictated by age, which does horrible things to knees and hamstrings.

However, the problem lies with the management system, that spills over on to the field of play. Chiefs’ club transfer policy is questionable and Bobby Motaung is making things worse by interfering with club transfers – rather let the coach make the final decisions.

Now we are stuck with mediocre players who won nothing in the past three seasons.

They never replaced seasoned players with quality – and still the club expects the team to win us trophies.

Chiefs must scrap its entire technical team and find someone who is familiar with the club’s identity.

Siphiwe Tshabalala’s days as a consistent starter are coming to an end. But as a standout outfield player, he is sharing the spotlight with keeper Itumuleng Khune in an underwhelming Solinas team.

However, those days are done, and it’s time for the Bernard Parker, Daniel Cardoso, and Siphelele Ntshangase era, as defender Eric Matoho will either move permanently to the bench – or leave the club all together. If Solinas wants to stay on as coach for the longterm, he needs to figure out how to attack and take risks when the occasion calls for it.

Right now Chiefs need him, he has the resources and team to pull it off.

It’s time to push for silverware, and to do so without alienating the quality players he already has.

Wandile Mtana, Uitenhage