Is Middendorp too defensive?

He famously earned the nickname ‘Middendraw’ for the number of draws he earned during his first stint with the Glamour Boys. In the 2005/06 season, Chiefs registered 14 league draws and ended the campaign seven points behind champions Sundowns. It was also under him, in the following season, that the club finished outside the Top Eight, a rare occurrence for such a dominant force in South African football at the time. This would pave the way for his departure. He had taken over from the late Ted Dumitru, whose ‘Maximal Training’ philosophy allowed the players the freedom to express themselves on the ball, and on Dumitru’s departure, the newly appointed Mid- dendorp was soon derided by the fans for a style of play that didn’t seem too pleasant to the eye. When fan favourite Scara Ngobese, who drew crowds to the stands with his silky skills, was tossed aside, that only reinforced the belief that Middendorp was a defensive-minded coach. This was a source of concern among the Khosi Nation when the former Maritzburg United mentor was surprisingly announced as the man to take over from Solinas… and the fact that a ball wizard like Billiat has not really flourished under his guidance does not paint the coach in a positive in as far as encouraging attacking football is concerned. There is a feeling he goes into games not to lose rather than for the three points on offer, something that has never been a culture at a massive side like Chiefs. But coaches are wired differently to the fans because their jobs are always on the line and he may argue that he did not sign many of the players that are there, so has to make do with what he has. In all honesty, though, on paper, Chiefs have one of the best squads in the league and, on that score alone, should be finding the space to entertain crowds. Billiat, Ramahlwe Mphahlele, Siphelele Ntshangase, Lebogang Manyama, Dumisani Zuma, Hendrick Ekstein, Leonardo Castro… any coach would love to have players of this quality in his starting XI. The question has to be asked: is Billiat being played to his true potential under the current technical team? Do the combinations around him allow him to thrive as he did before?