Players have been playing out of position in the name of a professional. Coaches use different techniques and methods. We see a coach who plays central defender as left winger and so on.
Tighten your seat belt as now I'm going to give examples.
Mamelodi Sundowns Coach - Henri Michel
He plays defenders as midfielders - I believe he is a defensive coach well I do not know what they do at training, but to me he is killing our players. Players have to play where they are most comfortable and they will produce good results. Benedict Vilakazi is dangerous coming from the middle of the part, making those one-twos, he proved it against Carara Kicks as he played well in that game, for some reason Henri Michel plays his as a left winger.
Kaizer Chiefs Coach - Muhsin Ertugral
Jose Torrealba was a hit at Sundowns, he was played at his favorite (comfortable) position, a target man he score so many goals but now he’s nowhere. All of this is done in the name of being a professional, being a professional doesn’t mean you can play any position in the field, not all of the players can do that.
Take for example Lionel Messi he is very good as attacking midfielder - he cuts in from the right into the field to better position himself as a left footed player, but because is a professional that doesn’t mean he can play as a central defender, that will be a dangerous for his career, same goes to our players lapha eMzansi.
Bafana Bafana Coach - Joel Santana
He once played Siyabonga Nkosi as a striker leaving the strikers on the bench. I don’t know what Pitso Mosimane is doing there if he’s going to let the Coach do that. I don’t put all the blame on Santana, but Pitso must take part of the blame, he (Pitso) knows South African players than Santana.
Most of us have been moaning about Surprise Moriri’s underperforming at the National Squad. Moriri is good as a mid-cum striker, coming from the middle with the passes but our coach opt to play him as a left winger, this is madness. I mean Surprise has phase and he’s not left footed, Coaches expect too much from this guys.
Look at the guys like Teko Modise, he is great at Orlando Pirates and Bafana Bafana because he’s been played as a midfielder... his comfortable zone and he can do well because is so comfortable. Give him a right back in the name of professional I bet you he’ll struggle.
Why Sanata plays Moriri as a left winger if we have guys like Dane Klate who can make a healthy competition to Siphiwe Shabalala? Then we the fans will be say Surprise doesn’t deserve a National Call up! It’s because of the Coach who does not understand their strengths and weaknesses.
You all know what I am talking about and please the Coaches needs to play players according to their strengths, not because they are professionals then they can play anywhere in the field.
They are killing the player’s confidence - look at Garvin Hunt, Supersport United coach and Ajax Cape Town coach, Craig Roselle - they play the players where they know they will do their best because they are comfortable. There is no time to experiment in the Premier Soccer League - this is a place to produce…
NITO (Diskioff writer)
nito.diskioff@gmail.com
