Chiefs star Parker marvels at role model McCarthy's maturity as a coach

30 January 2019 - 13:23 By Marc Strydom
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Surprise Ralani of Cape Town City FC celebrates goal with Benni McCarthy, Head Coach of Cape Town City during the Absa Premiership 2018/19 football match between Cape Town City FC and Bloemfontein Celtic at Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town on 22 December 2018.
Surprise Ralani of Cape Town City FC celebrates goal with Benni McCarthy, Head Coach of Cape Town City during the Absa Premiership 2018/19 football match between Cape Town City FC and Bloemfontein Celtic at Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town on 22 December 2018.
Image: ©Chris Ricco/BackpagePix

Benni McCarthy is maturing fast as a coach‚ says Kaizer Chiefs’ veteran striker Bernard Parker‚ who believes the Cape Town City boss’s background as a top-class player has helped speed that rapid development.

On-form City travel to Johannesburg on Wednesday to meet Chiefs at FNB Stadium in the Absa Premiership (kickoff 7.30pm) on the back of six matches unbeaten in all competitions.

McCarthy‚ who steered the Citizens to a cup final and fifth place in his first season as a head coach in 2017-18‚ won his first trophy in the MTN8 this campaign.

City have recovered from a slump to mid-table‚ scored 13 goals in five games‚ and are back in fourth place in the PSL.

McCarthy (41) has professed himself pleased with the Citizens’ attractive passing game. The manner in which his team’s smooth style has come together‚ improving notably from last season‚ suggests the former FC Porto and Blackburn striker is finding his stride very quickly as a coach.

“He is improving faster than patiently‚” Parker said.

“The good thing about it is he’s done his coaching badges in Europe‚ he’s got a lot of contacts in Europe‚ and he knows the modern game.

“He knows the psychological part. Football has gone so mental nowadays. Psychologically he’s got his players tuned up and well prepared to face any opponent.

“In their game they suffer setbacks just from one or two errors. But we all do mistakes.

“And he’s been preaching that he needs goals. He’s a striker‚ so I’m sure he’s been working a lot on his attacking department and it’s paying off for him now. The team are winning.

“By his interviews‚ he’s also doing a part where the players are requesting a certain way to train‚ and he’s letting them train how they feel they want to train.

“I think he’s so close to the players. He can think like a player and like a coach at the same time.

“As we’ve seen with the coaches who are doing so well in football today – your Juergen Klopps‚ your Diego Simeones‚ your Pep Guardiolas [also ex-players] – they can impart that positive energy onto their players.

“Always being active on the bench‚ always motivating them‚ always making sure that they feel important and understand their role clearly.

“Benni’s ticking all the boxes. When he was a player he was always someone I looked up to – he was my role model. It’s good what he’s doing now in SA coaching.

“For all these ex-players looking to get into coaching he’s a good example for them also now to get their coaching badges.

“He’s a wining coach. He’s always been a winner.”

Chiefs are in fifth place in the PSL‚ with three wins and a defeat from their last four matches.

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