SuperSport United coach Stuart Baxter has identified the holes that have been making Matsatsantsa a Pitori’s ship to sink.
Baxter has pointed to the SuperSport defence as the area that needs more attention if the three-time league champions are to make the grade this season.
The coach realised SuperSport's defence was at fault during their 3-1 loss to Ajax Cape Town on Sunday. The loss saw the side drop two places down on the Absa Premiership table from position 10.
“The team defending needs to be better. The team defending means you don't concede goals from open play. That's the most difficult thing to do.
“Most of the goals conceded were on set plays and open play and hardly anything on transition, which means the actual defending part is not good enough.
“Because the defending is not good enough, they have only scored two goals on transition. If we don't get that right, we will constantly look like that.
“We play quite nicely but concede silly goals. That puts your confidence down and that means you start thinking about all the disappointments you have had before,” said Baxter.
“The team defending - Once we get that right, then you will see the team attacking taken to another dimension. We certainly have to get that right.”
Baxter, who replaced Gordon Igesund, was in charge of his second match for SuperSport at the weekend. His men were torn to shreds as Ajax put three past them.
“At the start we played quite well. We got hold of the ball. We were looking quite dangerous. We were dominating.
“But when you concede a goal from a set play, that's a blow. It knocks the wind out of the players.
“Very quickly we took the initiative back and we became very dangerous. I have got to put my hand up - I should have stuck with the same shape when we lost the initiative,” said the former Kaizer Chiefs coach.
“The second goal was an individual mistake. That put us on the back foot a little bit. We were hoping to go on and win the game. Suddenly you are 2-1 down and that affects a lot of things.
“We lost control of the game and we were chasing. We wanted to get back in the game and we had pressure. We put balls in the box and we created a lot of chances but on counter-attack we lost the third goal.
“In three or four month’s time, they are not going to make those mistakes.”
Having won trophies for Chiefs, Baxter’s reputation has many at SuperSport expecting him to work wonders. The Brit is relishing the task at hand.
Baxter’s next assignment will be the Tshwane Derby against relegation-threatened side University of Pretoria at Lucas Moripe Stadium next Sunday. - The Star