Shopping spree has powered up SuperSport

SUPERSPORT United's wheeling and dealing in the January transfer window has left them looking decidedly menacing again.

Their rivals for this season's Premier Soccer League title might well have been left scratching their heads at exactly how they allowed Gavin Hunt do it.

SuperSport's 1-1 home draw against Free State Stars and 2-1 win away to Lamontville Golden Arrows after the break might not have set the league alight - then again, Matsatsantsa rarely do. They creep up on league titles as unassumingly as Lesley Manyathela's "Slow Poison" used to spring surprises on opposition goalposts.

And the first two results stabilised the side after defeats against Orlando Pirates, Mamelodi Sundowns and Bloemfontein Celtic denied them the halfway lead.

In a rebuilding phase in the first half of the season following a seventh-placed finish in 2010-11, Matsatsantsa managed second place. This was despite not having a squad resembling the strength of their title-winning line-ups between 2008 and 2010. With 13 matches to go, the look of SuperSport following their January signings - particularly their forward line - has Hunt believing his side will challenge again come May.

"We're a much better team, there's no doubt. With the quality we've brought in there's going to be huge competition now. That's what we want," the coach said.

"I think we'll go close now. When you bring a player like Sibusiso Zuma or Ashley Hartog off the bench, and Dipsy Selolwane and Gino Gabonamong don't make the match squad, then you're getting closer to where we were in those three title years."

Hunt does not have quite the budget of his peers at Pirates and Sundowns, but the coach is cannily selective.

He has allowed hard-grafting playmaker Thandani Ntshumayelo to go to Pirates in a swap for creative winger Sameehg Doutie.

New Ghanaian Edwin Gyimah, spotted by Hunt at the All Africa Games in Mozambique, is big, strong and has a refined touch as a replacement for Ntshumayelo. Liberian forward Anthony Laffor went to Sundowns in an exchange for Franklin Cale and Mabhuti Khenyeza, where Hunt might have emerged with the better of the deal.

Sibusiso Zuma is fully recovered from injury and add Atusaye Nyondo and Hartog and it's a front line so packed with quality that veteran striker Glen Salmon has booked himself a place in central defence to make the starting line-up.

"I think we've got good variation up-front now," Hunt says. "If anything, I'll always take more strikers. I like to see how we can score and open things up.

"In SA, most teams overload with midfield players. You should never be caught short up-front."

The addition of Cale and Doutie goes a long way to relieving a paucity of width. "We look a different team altogether, from two games," Hunt says. "When we won the league we had Daine Klate, Elias Pelembe and Laffor firing on the sides. It's the way I like to play and we haven't had that."

But the coach admits SuperSport have been conceding too many goals. Going into last night's game at home to AmaZulu they hadn't kept a clean sheet since their 2-0 win over Kaizer Chiefs on November 30 - six matches ago.

"You don't win the league by scoring goals; you win it by not conceding goals. That's where we were good for three years," Hunt said after the win against Arrows in Umlazi.

"We used to be able to come here and get one goal, and then we could sit. I work on that every day, but we've had problems at the back.

"We've got a young goalkeeper [Ronwen Williams]. We had a very experienced goalkeeper, Andre Arendse, when we won the league and then Emille Baron.

"Our centreback pairing [Morgan Gould and Bongani Khumalo] were very stable. You need to get a stable back four, and we haven't had that for about a year."

With so many teams in contention, Hunt is predicting another nail-depleting finish similar to last season's three-way, final-day tussle.

"Once you get to the last five games you'll have a better idea. Our last five are against Ajax, Chiefs, Pirates, Sundowns and Celtic, and we know that.

"I think it'll go to the last day, where you have your three television screens and three games on the go."