Tinkler hits out at energy-sapping schedule

Michaelson Gumede

Eric Tinkler (right) will not reach his target of seven points from SuperSport United’s Absa Premiership excursion to KwaZulu-Natal.

The Matsatsantsa mentor had hoped his side would collect seven points in their three back-toback games against KwaZulu-Natal heavyweights Golden Arrows, Maritzburg United and AmaZulu.

United lost their first game there against Abafana Bes’thende, but bounced back with a 1-0 win over Fadlu Davids’ Team of Choice to end an eight-game winless streak in the league.

Next up are relegation candidates Usuthu whom they face tonight at the King Zwelithini Stadium.

“We targeted seven points but we have the possibility of getting six, so it is not the end of the world,” said Tinkler.

The former Orlando Pirates coach has lamented his side’s tight schedule which has seen them play four league games in just 12 days.

“We just take it game-by-game and unfortunately for us those games are coming up every three days. We are flying back on Sunday, we prepare on the Monday and play on Tuesday and we play again on Friday,” Tinkler said.

“All I am doing is watching videos and there is no real opportunity to take a breather and actually write my match report on the last game because I am already focusing on the next one. We’d rather just stick to one game at a time and move on to the next one,” he added.

Tinkler took a swipe at the media and everyone else who keeps reminding him that his side lost to TP Mazembe in the Caf Confederation Cup final last November, saying it has had a psychological effect on his players.

“It is psychological because I hear reporters constantly bringing it up. I never bring it up. It is like saying that if I am going to constantly tell my son he is poor, at some stage he is going to start believing he really is poor.

“That is just the harsh reality of what Caf has done to us. We do not have the luxury of looking forward and saying we have this particular game coming in two weeks’ time and we can plan.”