The appointment of Gavin Hunt as a successor to Ernst Middendorp was welcomed with ululation and huge chin to chin grins, from faces of Chiefs’ fans that longed for a glow, dishing sleek seductive lines that pierced through Jozi afternoon traffic hooters.
A farmer who is desperate of rain will certainly dance to a glance sign of a cloud. Hence, Chiefs fans celebrated the arrival of Hunt, only to drop words that would be censored on a national radio. AmaKhosi are eager to see their six year trophy drought coming to an end and Hunt is a serial winner. Surely, the arrival of Hunt brought a breath of fresh air. AmaKhosi saw a light at the end of a dark tunnel but little did they know the tunnel was still under construction. Tears of 2019/20 season traumatic ending are yet to dry off and rival fans cease to mock the ‘once’ Mighty AmaKhosi supporters of bottling a league campaign they had led for the better part. Hunt seemed a better if not best candidate to do damage control and erase all prints of Middendorp.
The pondering question remains, will Hunt do better than Middendorp? Hunt uses the same personnel used by the German mentor. Though, Middendorp managed his thin squad and sat at the summit of log standings for nearly over a year, but he was arm twisted to make poor tactical changes. In the absence of a natural number nine, Samir Nurkovic and Leonardo Castro, Middendorp occasionally used Eric Mathoho as a nine to supplement lack of height in the box. A tactic with an expiry date. Hunt signed a contract with Chiefs well aware of the circumstances at Naturena. Chiefs is barred from introducing new ‘smiling’ faces to cheer up the traumatized group that lost the league title in the eleventh hour. With all the success Hunt has had in the past, Chiefs has found a man to tweak, Middendorp script and bring back glory days. Hunt is mandated to finish in the top eight. Though, via baby steps but Chiefs can finish in the top eight, even a snail made it to the Ark after all.
Hunt is capable of winning a title or two with Chiefs. Only if he gets adequate support from club management. The management has to let Hunt be Hunt. Coaches at Chiefs are rarely allowed to be themselves. Micromanaged and scrutinising every word a coach utters. In most cases this leads to contradictory statements from Chiefs camp. That’s character assassination. Coaches of Chiefs suffer from crass judgements and casual dismissals. Hunt was allowed to air his views at his previous work places but that’s a taboo at Chiefs. The relationship between Hunt and Kemiso Motaung led media team has to be in sync or it will leave a coffee stain on the former’s glittering CV.
Chiefs supremo, Kaizer Motaung Snr, came out with an artfully crafted document to declare Hunt a man in charge of the team’s technical staff. Motaung vouch his support for the four time league winner. Ntate Motaung wants Hunt not only to bring trophies to a now dust gathering cabinet but to do so ‘the Chiefs way.’ To marinate his winnings with breathtaking and entertaining football. He begs Hunt to change Middendorp playing style. To use any other route except route one. In Chiefs culture, winning is a consequence of excellence, Motaung and the entire Chiefs family are accustomed to that. Asking Hunt to win games with some sort of fineness is understandable. But expecting him to play ‘Gucci football’ is too much of a ask. Hunt and Middendorp are graduates of ‘route one’ football. That’s how Hunt has assembled his squads and tasted the fruits of his hard labour. Will Hunt change who he is to fit in at Chiefs? Hunt himself is an admirer of helicopter football. His league medals are the fruits of route one seeds.
Hunt prefers to set up his teams in standard wing play formations. To have a speedy winger with accurate technique to pump crosses into the box. He needs a number nine with aerial presence. There has to be a Daine Klate or Elias Pelembe in Hunt’s squad to whip in crosses to a stationed number nine in the box to nod those crosses into the back of the net. His predecessor reinforced the offensive part of the team. Switching a centre half to lead the attack and take on his opposite number. Lack of quality in the squad has since made a full circle and came back to haunt Hunt. His lanky strikers are ever present and never had to worry about turning defenders into attackers. But Hunt is desperate to see more crosses to Nurkovic and Castro. Lebohang Manyama and Bernard Parker have since been tried out on the wings. ‘Kaka’ is more lethal when playing as a ten and a liability when playing out on the right. He barely help out his full back in defending nor swing in quality crosses. Parker playing more deeper in the middle alongside Baccus, ahead of Njabulo Blom who is tasked to shield off, the back four. The aforementioned tactical changes have best before dates at the back of Hunt’s package.
Like the psychological battering the squad he adopted from Middendorp has endured, the descendant of Hunt from king to clown, is also downplayed. Hunt’s failure to adapt to the ever evolving methods of the game management raises eyebrows. Hunt is not a fan of modern video analysis aspect of the game. Claiming the gadgets are overrated and have minimal impact in the game. Hunt sold his soul to the highest bidder when he joined this cesspool team with a manager so arrogant to dismiss eighteen million club lovers without shame. Chiefs fanbase had suffered the intense pain after a defeat to arch rivals, Orlando Pirates, a video of their club manager taking sips of drinks with names and surnames dancing like nothing has happened goes viral. The rot is deeper than those outside football field lines can see. A manager of a team of Chiefs calibre hiring Giovanni Solinas via SMS text. Unemployment is a friend to no one, the clueless Italian is scared of hunger, he took a job he was never ready for. Bobsteak has made a marquee signing in seasons. The tale of ‘we have not signed new players’ is as good as hiding on a plain ground. Chiefs is in tatters because of Bobby’s ignorance and negligence of the club.
The black in Chiefs Black and Gold is more darker now but the Gold glitters no more. Perhaps the chain sagging on his neck glitters more than the Gold in the team’s colours.
Hunt is to Middendorp what maroon is to lavender.
@Lamola_Herold
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