Maybe Chiefs are a touch predictable

Eric Tinkler did mention that he got it wrong tactically in the first half. Maritzburg were ultra-defensive and that invited the type of attacking onslaught that Chiefs put on them. After Tinkler changed it in the second half, the game opened up, though the best chances still fell to Chiefs, and they again didn’t take advantage.

You do, however, have to credit how clinical Maritzburg were in taking their chances. Yes, there was a slip up by Daniel Akpeyi, but they still showed a lot of calm, the ball was played to Tebogo Tlolane, who crossed, and Daylon Claasen supplied a sublime finish. Even with the second goal, there was the quality of ball into the box, the awareness from Thabiso Kutumela that Claasen was there, the ball was played back to him, and again, what a finish.

Maritzburg were clinical and Chiefs never took their opportunities. There have been suggestions that Chiefs have become predictable, but if you look at Saturday’s game, even if you are saying they are predictable they still created plenty of chances. In the first half alone they created about 13 opportunities. In the space of a league run of 30 games, you are going to have a bit of a lull. In the first half of the season there were games when Chiefs played badly, had no right to collect the points, and did. This year, in the losses to SuperSport and Maritzburg they played well and didn’t collect any points.

I worked with Eric Tinkler as a player, and if you look at his track record, taking over at Orlando Pirates and getting them to the final of the Confederation Cup, moving to Cape Town City and in his first season winning a cup. Tinkler made them formidable, not overnight, because he had that core of Mpumalanga Black Aces players, but being so successful in a first season is almost unheard of.

We must understand that Tinkler also played at the highest level and understands the trends of the game. We can erase his spell at Chippa, because that is a bad experience for almost everyone there. Even at SuperSport United he did win the MTN8 and reached the final of the Caf Confederation Cup. It is time to give him the credit he deserves. He was the first to say on Saturday that the pressure was on Chiefs, not on his side.

He has a number of players at Maritzburg that played under him before, Miguel Timm and Phumlani Ntshangase from Wits, Nazeer Allie also from Wits, and Brockie from SuperSport. Siyanda Xulu has also got his confidence back under Tinkler. Judas Moseamedi was headed to AmaZulu, Cavin Johnson wanted him, and Tinkler snapped him up. Now Moseamedi is a name on everyone’s lips.

With Orlando Pirates, who have now won six league games in a row, I take a lot from a coach’s comments pre-match and post-match, and if you listen to Zinnbauer, he says his team are having fun. They were aware that the conditions were not easy at Leopards, but they still went and dominated.

Chiefs’ defeat and wins for Pirates, Mamelodi Sundowns and Bidvest Wits this weekend sets up the rest of the season beautifully.

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