Tinkler still seeing the good in City
CAPE Town City coach Eric Tinkler is not concerned with the team’s poor start to the new season.
The Capetonians continued their winless streak after playing out a 0-0 draw with Maritzburg United on Tuesday night. The result means City have managed just one point from their first four Premiership games, their worst start to a PSL season.
Speaking after the match, Tinkler played down any questions of his position at the club and in fact went on to reveal that he and his players are enjoying the pressure they currently face.
“We are judged on results and I think I have produced results at the club. We’re unfortunately going through a patch at the moment, but fortunately for us we also like the pressure of the situation,” Tinkler said.
City undoubtedly have some of the most enterprising players in the league, and their distinct style of play make them a joy to watch.
Tinkler and his players were able to merge their silky smooth passing game with positive results, propelling them to a second-place finish last season.
The 52-year-old did, however, admit that their poor start to the season does play on their minds, but they aren’t panicking just yet, and felt it was a matter of luck not going their way as they continue to produce good performances.
“We’ve been on the wrong end of results despite dominating in the two games, emotionally and psychologically that will obviously affect everyone who’s involved, both players and coaches,” he said.
“For me the most important thing in this match (against Maritzburg) was the result more than the performance, but I still saw a good brand of football once again.
“We dominated possession and made a lot of box entries and looked like a threat, but still we didn’t get the result we wanted but eventually the tide will turn in our favour.”
City were rocked at the beginning of the week with news that last season’s PSL Goalkeeper of the Season, Hugo Marques had decided to terminate his contract and return home to be with his family.
Darren Keet, who recently returned from a long-term injury and performed relatively well on Tuesday, received compliments from Tinkler as City kept their first clean sheet of the season.
“Keeping the clean sheet was very key for us. We threw Darren Keet into the deep end and he did really well and everyone contributed,” said Tinkler