Monare on Wits v Downs
On top of the table clash v Sundowns
I hear people are talking about this game as if it is the last game of the season, but it’s normal because these are two big teams that are currently on top of the log table. But, in my opinion, this is not a game that will decide the title or a game that will have a say on where the title will go. There are still a lot of points to play for in the league and anything can still happen at this stage. That is the game of football for you… I mean, at one stage you’ll be leading by 10 points, for example, but two months down the line you are fighting for a spot in the Top Eight. That is how the game works sometimes. It is still early to talk about winning the title. These are two top teams competing at this stage, that’s all.
On what they expect from the clash
We want to make sure that we get maximum points in this and any other game that we will be playing going forward. We are positive about the approach and the results. We know that Sundowns are a side that is confident at the moment and they play with passion, but we have a plan for them and all that is left for us to do is to implement the plan that we have on the field of play come match day. We are aware of all the threat and danger they pose, but we have a plan of our own to counter that. We cannot wait to meet them because we know that it is going to be a very good game of football. We enjoy playing them because they always play an open and flowing game. It is going to be a game that is worth every cent the spectators will have paid. We will respect them as our opponents, but we are going there to do business.
On the points separating them, Pirates and Downs
Look, I know that the gap has been closed in terms of points, but what we are doing now is focusing on what we should be doing and not on other teams. There are still nine games for us to play before the end of the season and our focus right now is on getting maximum points from all those games. What Orlando Pirates and Sundowns are doing is their business, not ours. We cannot be looking at what they are doing when we haven’t finished what we need to do. So, yeah, we are aware of the fact that the gap is only three points, but we are not focusing our energy on that.
On Sundowns’ games in hand
We would rather have more points than games in hand. There’s always that pressure when you are behind with games and it comes with a backlog of fixtures. For us, it is better to play an equal number of games as other teams than having games in hand that will cause a backlog of fixtures. Those games you still need to turn them into points and that is the pressure that I am talking about. Games are just games that you cannot be sure how they will pan out. You might find out that out of the three games in hand, for example, you end up not winning a single one. It happens to the best teams in the world, but I am not saying it will happen to Sundowns.
On Wits’ squad rotation
We have a number of quality footballers in our team and coach Gavin Hunt always has a headache when selecting the squad for a certain game. For example, I was unavailable for the match against Black Leopards on Monday because I picked up a knock in the abandoned fixture, so I didn’t train and had to sit that one out. The guys that played delivered and got the club through to the quarterfinals of the Nedbank Cup after a penalty shootout. There were also a couple of changes that the coach made, but we didn’t feel that because the guys on the field fought for the club and it was really encouraging to see. That is why coach Gavin is sometimes able to rotate the squad just to keep us fresh and to avoid fatigue setting in.
On the business end of the season
There’s never an easy game in the Absa Premiership, but this time of the season is the toughest. It gets tougher once the teams get to 20 games played because the teams in the top five are fighting for the title and those in the middle of the table are either fighting to get into or consolidate their position in the Top Eight. Meanwhile, the teams at the bottom of the log are fighting for survival. That is what makes this stage of the season the toughest. There are no games that you can go to unprepared or take lightly. There are no easy games at all and each point you that you drop or pick up makes a huge difference.
On what Hunt tells them
Coach Gavin tells us that we shouldn’t be worried about how or what other title contenders do but to focus on what we must do. He is experienced and has won league titles before, so he knows what he is talking about. We don’t even have to discuss the issue of winning the league because everyone in the team knows what needs to happen. Coach Gavin also tells us that we must always take it one game at a time.