Buckley believes Middendorp factor can help Maritzburg upend Sundowns

04 December 2020 - 14:41 By Mahlatse Mphahlele
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Delron Buckley is confident he can turn things around for struggling Maritzburg United.
Delron Buckley is confident he can turn things around for struggling Maritzburg United.
Image: Anesh Debiky/Gallo Images

Maritzburg United assistant-coach Delron Buckley believes that victory over table-topping Mamelodi Sundowns on Saturday can be the turning point of the struggling KwaZulu-Natal side’s campaign.

The Team of Choice take on the Brazilians in their DStv Premiership match at the Harry Gwala Stadium looking for their first point of the season after five successive losses that have left United rooted at the bottom of the table.

To get the much-needed victory‚ Maritzburg must breach a Sundowns defence that has only conceded three goals in their opening five matches‚ where they have won four and drawn one.

“Most definitely‚ if we beat Sundowns it will be the turning point for the club‚” said Buckley – the assistant to newly-appointed Ernst Middendorp‚ who had been waiting on a work permit.

“It’s very difficult for coaches if you are losing games. It is not pleasant and that is why we are working very hard behind the scenes towards this game against Sundowns.

“For us it will be the changing game because‚ if you check‚ our history against Sundowns has been very good. Sundowns have always found it difficult to play against Maritzburg and I think this is an opportunity for us to turn the tables and win this game.”

Buckley said players have responded positively to Middendorp at training and the morale is picking up. The ex-Kaizer Chiefs coach‚ after his Amakhosi decided to release him from his services at the end of the 2019-20 season‚ left his new job at St George in Ethiopia to join Maritzburg after the KZN side fired Eric Tinkler last week.

Buckley continued: “We know that we are playing against Sundowns and they are a very good team with lots of individual qualities. Coach Ernst has taken the whole session this week‚ which was intense and the morale of the players has picked up.

“Players now realise that they have a coach who is really serious and he wants them to perform. Sessions have been going well and he has his ideas of how he wants the team to play and the response has been very good from the players.

“As you know coach Middendorp doesn’t beat around the bush‚ he wants players who work for him and if you are taking things easy at training he will make you know that you are not here to be in a comfortable position.

“It has come very well to the players because it has opened up their eyes and they realise that we have to work hard. The training sessions that he has put throughout the week were very tight‚ he is getting players to get stuck into tackles‚ play into tight situations and the players have responded very well to that.

“He [Middendorp] has a full squad for the match and it gives him a great variation of players. He knows how he is going to play‚ which players he is going to use to close down the system and how Sundowns play.

“The most important thing for all of us in this game is to at least change things and turn table. It means we must win this game but we know that t is not going to be easy.”

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