Next season going to be much better for Chiefs coach Komphela, says Dladla

07 July 2017 - 15:57 By Marc Strydom
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Kaizer Chiefs's head coach Steve Komphela during the Absa Premiership match against Polokwane City at New Peter Mokaba Stadium on May 13, 2017 in Polokwane, South Africa.
Kaizer Chiefs's head coach Steve Komphela during the Absa Premiership match against Polokwane City at New Peter Mokaba Stadium on May 13, 2017 in Polokwane, South Africa.
Image: Philip Maeta/Gallo Images

Former Kaizer Chiefs winger Josta Dladla believes that the signs were there last season that Steve Komphela had earned the trust of his players‚ and has said the coach’s third season at Amakhosi will be “much better”.

After two seasons without a trophy the pressure might be immense on Komphela from the get-go in 2017-18.

Finishes of fifth and fourth in the league in the coach’s first two seasons at a big club – South Africa’s biggest – were not too much to write home about.

Dladla‚ though‚ feels that the signs were there in 2016-17 that Komphela was finding his feet at Chiefs.

“Obviously he struggled the first two times around. I think the players just were used to a different system‚ and the coach came in with a different system‚” the ex-Amakhosi and Mamelodi Sundowns forward said.

“It takes time for players to understand what a coach wants. But you could see in the second season that he was much better.

“If he keeps the same players then they will know what the coach wants. He’s also going to be understanding the players more‚ and the players will work for him.

“And when he’s going for new players‚ obviously he knows where he actually lacks.

“So I think next season’s going to be much better for him.

“It’s about time to give South African coaches and ex-players a chance. I mean‚ look at how Eric Tinkler is doing. Benni McCarthy now is coming into the picture.

“Komphela‚ as well – give him a chance.”

Dladla feels that the 15-match unbeaten run Chiefs enjoyed in all competitions in the second half of last season showed that Komphela and his squad had harmonised into a winning formula‚ even if it ultimately did not translate into silverware.

“When a new coach comes‚ the players think that he’s coming with a new philosophy and they don’t initially always feel they know what he’s doing‚” the ex-player said.

“It’s about trust. Trusting in whatever the coach is telling them‚ and it takes time to drill that into the players.

“It took the first season‚ which was all about that. And you could see by the second season they were starting to understand it.

“So obviously by next season it’s going to be much better. Because now there will be trust between the players and the coach‚ and the management as well. He’s getting the support.

“If you believe in something‚ it’s going to end up working in the end.”

- TimeLIVE

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