Could Baxter consider giving youngsters a chance at Chiefs

Kaizer Chiefs coach Stuart Baxter admitted that his tried and tested players disappointed him when they could not rise to the occasion in the team’s last game. 

Amakhosi were poor and could not come back after Golden Arrows had scored earlier and in fact could have conceded more had Abafana Bes’thende been clinical up front.

READ ALSO: Benni next Pirates’ coach?

Asked about how his trusted and experienced players had failed to rally back after the early setback, Baxter admitted he was disappointed.

“Yes, you do (get disappointed. When things don’t go right like when you concede a goal early in the game, you want the experienced players to rally around,” said Baxter. “We threw a few young ones towards the end but it’s difficult to judge them on that going in when the team is not doing well. 

“It is not fair to judge Bibo (Sabelo Radebe or Mshini (Nkosingiphile Ngcobo) when the team is not playing well.” 

Amakhosi return to action with an away DStv Premiership fixture at Chippa United at the weekend and Baxter could throw caution to the wind and give a few youngsters a start. 

He also addressed the bizarre situation that happened after he had introduced Radebe and Ngcobo who are ball carriers and like having it at their feet, but could not do it as Chiefs changed style and threw long balls up front. 

“That’s something that confidence on the field dictates. The idea of bringing them on was not to play long balls. The idea was to get balls into the pockets and play them off the front players. 

“Of course we don’t say let’s put on the ball players and snatch the ball 50 metres. That’s what happens when you lack confidence. That’s the question I have, why don’t we show the quality that we have in the team? Why take that option?” 

Baxter has been criticised for not trusting the young players at Chiefs since his return. The likes of Ngcobo and Happy Mashiane are no longer regulars while they were last season under Gavin Hunt and later Arthur Zwane.