Hands off coach Giovanni Solinas‚ says Chiefs boss Kaizer Motaung

Kaizer Chiefs boss Kaizer Motaung has fired a salvo at beleaguered coach Giovanni Solinas' detractors and said the Italian mentor is going nowhere.

Chiefs have started the season with their backs against the wall but Motaung said on Thursday the Italian cannot be blamed for the club's poor start to the Premiership campaign.

The Chiefs boss defended his coach and said the mentor was always going to struggle as he arrived only two weeks before the start of the season.

“You must bear in mind that the coach didn’t have the pre-season training with the team‚" Motaung said.

"So he just came in and unfortunately the programme we had in August was very tight and hectic.

“The coach needs to be given a chance because he did not start the season like all other coaches who had the benefit of a pre-season.

“So far I’m still happy with what is happening except that we’ve had some glitches in the defensive areas.

“You must also understand that we also have new players coming into the team and that augurs very well for us going forward.”

Since his appointment in July‚ Solinas has led Chiefs to five Absa Premiership league matches - drawing four and losing one - and conceded an astonishing seven goals.

The Italian also failed in his attempt to end a three-year trophy drought at Naturena after his team was knocked out by SuperSport United in the semifinals of the MTN8 at the weekend.

Motaung insisted that he has not given Solinas an ultimatum to start winning matches.

“You must be realistic about the coach‚” said Motaung.

“The man came in just two weeks before kick off.

"He hasn’t had a pre-season with the team and you expect results. He doesn’t have a magic wand to change things overnight.

“What you have to look at is the performance of the team‚ check whether there is a difference or not.

“I know you will say there’s no improvement but maybe that’s because there is a glitch that we have in the defence.

“But look at team we have overall and you can see the performance.

"You cannot tell me you can't see any difference.

“Its’ better to experience these kinds of hiccups early in the season than to have them later in the season.

“So I’m not giving the coach any number of games (to start winning).

"You have to evaluate the situation as you go forward‚ but I can’t predetermine and say we given the coach six games.

“We have given him an opportunity to ply his trade here and let’s give him a chance.”

On what he expects the team to achieve this season‚ Motaung was also careful not to mention the trophies they are gunning for.

“We will do the best we can to achieve whatever we can this season‚" he said.

"But obviously we are aiming to win something‚ that’s for sure.

“But as you know things don’t happen overnight.

"I mean look at the best of the English teams.

"Some of the top coaches have been there for years but what have they won?

“It doesn’t just take one season to just come in and win.

"Even (Pep) Guardiola didn’t just win the league in his first year at Man City.

"But you could see in his team performances that there was a big difference in what was going on.”