Steve’s trio of chief concerns
KAIZER CHIEFS and Cape Town City, two sides with contrasting fortunes in the Absa Premiership lately, meet at FNB Stadium tonight.
While the club from the Mother City are living the dream, Amakhosi coach Steve Komphela can’t seem to wake up from a never-ending nightmare in his second season with the Glamour Boys. If he is to turn the tide and end a five-match winless run, soccer writer MAZOLA MOLEFE suggest he work on these THREE things quickly.
FIND A STARTING XI: Komphela chopped and changed his team last season with good reason – it being his maiden campaign and all – he deserved some leeway in attempting to do things his way having taken over a side that had won two league titles in three years. But the fact that he still doesn’t know which XI players should consistently feature for Amakhosi is quite puzzling. It’s part of the reason why a five game winning streak has suddenly turned into an awful run where Chiefs haven’t beaten any of their five opponents since dumping Maritzburg United out of the Telkom Knockout on October 22. Although Komphela has tried to have continuity, George Maluleka’s onematch suspension and Ramahlwe Mphahlele’s injury following international duty made that impossible. The coach has only once fielded the same starting line-up in two consecutive matches from a total of 11 games since the beginning of the season. He will have to work on that to see any improvement in a Chiefs side that is slowly falling off the pace in the title race.
CONFUSING FORMATION: Is it the 3-4-3 or the 4-5-1? Komphela recently had an epiphany, attempting the Chelsea route with three central defenders and two wing-backs, instead of the ‘Chiefs’ way. The new system invited criticism and Amakhosi lost both games in which they were experimenting, conceding two goals against Free State Stars in a cup clash and two more away to Mamelodi Sundowns in a league game. Chiefs looked a lot more lively when they ditched this new style, playing to a 1-1 draw against SuperSport United last Wednesday. As to why Komphela thought switching things up when he’d gone on an impressive run, even temporarily occupying the top spot on the standings, only he knows. Sometimes keeping it simple makes things a little less complicated. The Chiefs coach should have a go at that and see what happens.
MICHELLE KATSVAIRO: Amakhosi fans might be a little bit disappointed that their strikers have been firing blanks, and that one of their new arrivals in Katsvairo has only managed to score once in 11 matches, some of which were appearances from the bench with not much time left on the clock. But they will do well to exercise a little bit of patience with the former Chicken Inn forward given his contribution every time he’s on the ball. Sure, Komphela’s men need goals (as well as wins) and they need them instantly. Katsvairo could be the answer, but the only way to do that is if he’s given enough time to adjust to his new surroundings.